Book Review: MÂTOWAK WOMAN WHO CRIES By Joylene Nowell Butler

Mâtowak Woman Who Cries unveils with Mrs. Sally Warner finding her husband Mr. Warner’s dead body immersed in the pool of his own blood on their kitchen floor. In a moment of understandable frenzy, Sally finds it difficult to come up with a logical way to deal with this situation. Nevertheless, she has a good sense to call 911 and ask them to send an ambulance and cops. This case becomes a high priority when 911 operator realizes that the dead body if of the former Minister of National Defence, Mr. Leland Warner. The case is assigned to Corporal Danny Killian, who, himself, is dealing with the murder of his wife. With his wife’s murder case still open, he does not wish to be indulged in another murder case; however, he must follow the protocol and stay away from his wife’s murder case. So, Corporal Killian begins digging up the dirt on Warner family. The sons of Mr. Warner, Declan and Bronson, have already been murdered. As far as the investigation goes, Corporal Killian has only four suspects: 1. Mrs. Warner 2. Sophie Brooks — Declan’s ex-girlfriend 3. Mr. Norse — Bronson had beaten his wife to the state where she passed away after being in a coma for a while 4. Doctor Brendell Meshango — she was with Declan and Bronson the night they died.

1. Mrs. Warner 2. Sophie Brooks — Declan’s ex-girlfriend 3. Mr. Norse — Bronson had beaten his wife to the state where she passed away after being in a coma for a while 4. Doctor Brendell Meshango — she was with Declan and Bronson the night they died.

2. Sophie Brooks – Declan’s ex-girlfriend 3. Mr. Norse — Bronson had beaten his wife to the state where she passed away after being in a coma for a while 4. Doctor Brendell Meshango — she was with Declan and Bronson the night they died.

3. Mr. Norse – Bronson had beaten his wife to the state where she passed away after being in a coma for a while 4. Doctor Brendell Meshango — she was with Declan and Bronson the night they died.

4. Doctor Brendell Meshango – she was with Declan and Bronson the night they died.

With the pressure of both, media and politicians, building on Corporal Killian and his seniors, it is imperative that he solve this case asap. But, with him dealing with the murder of his own wife, will he be able to really solve the case?

I am not a big fan of murder mysteries, but this one stood out to me; first, because of an interesting title and second the writing style of the author, Joylene. She has tactfully written Mâtowak Woman Who Cries to make it more than just a murder mystery. By describing the dysfunctional family of Warner’s, the author has imparted a lesson to the readers that any early signs of violence and abuse should never be avoided. If Sally had made extra efforts to protect her children from the rage of Mr. Warner, Declan and Bronson might have had a normal life. By describing the insults that Leland put Sally through, Joylene has sent out a clear message that no woman should tolerate such demeaning word or actions of her husband. So, you see, this is not just another murder mystery. There is so much wisdom hidden in this book that I could not help but admire it.

The author has dealt with the tidbits of the murder mystery in a very strategical manner. When the officers were discussing the crime scene and other details, there was a visible sincerity in their conversations. As long as we are on the subject of conversations, I must admit that I found the dialogues extremely intriguing. These were not senseless babblings of the characters; instead, I, as a reader, found their conversations sensible and realistic. There are some pearls of wisdom scattered here and there. My favorite dialogue is,

“Every time you feel your mind going back to something painful, you just pinch yourself and come back to the moment. Always the moment. In the moment nothing is ever wrong…”

I would love to embrace this idea in my daily life. Amen to that!

There is not “ha-ha” humor but there are a few light moments, which kept the overall tone of the book from becoming too dark. The characters are well-portrayed and they have all a unique personality. I adore the character of Professor Brendell Meshango. She is a lady who oozes confidence, and her mannerism is impeccable. One more thing that I found praiseworthy in the book is the usage of several factors to increase the believability of the overall plot; A parallel investigation of a serial murder case, many emotional encounters of the detective and Mrs. Warner, and Sally’s tendency to wander off-topic are some of those elements.

I found it to be a murder mystery worth my time and would recommend it to the readers who like to indulge in a crime investigation which has an emotional side to it, as well.

Mâtowak Woman Who Cries is available in eBook at the following sites:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C

The print copy is available at:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Synopsis:

A murder enveloped in pain and mystery…

When Canada’s retired Minister of National Defense, Leland Warner, is murdered in his home, the case is handed to Corporal Danny Killian, an aboriginal man tortured by his wife’s unsolved murder.

The suspect, 60-year-old Sally Warner, still grieves for the loss of her two sons, dead in a suicide/murder eighteen months earlier. Confused and damaged, she sees in Corporal Killian a friend sympathetic to her grief and suffering and wants more than anything to trust him.

Danny finds himself with a difficult choice—indict his prime suspect, the dead minister’s horribly abused wife or find a way to protect her and risk demotion. Or worse, transfer away from the scene of his wife’s murder and the guilt that haunts him…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When Joylene’s father died in 1983, she wrote her first full–length manuscript to channel her grief. The seven-year process left her hooked and she began Dead Witness within a few weeks of finishing Always Father’s Child. Today Joylene is the author of three suspense novels: Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and the steam-punk collaboration Break Time. While she’ll admit being published didn’t fix all the wrongs in her life, she wishes her parents had lived to see her success. Dead Witness was a finalist in the 2012 Global eBook Awards. Broken But Not Dead won the 2012 IPPY Silver Medal, and its sequel Mâtowak Woman Who Cries is due for release November 1, 2016.

Joylene lives with her husband and their two cats Marbles and Shasta on beautiful Cluculz Lake in central British Columbia. They spend their winters in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico.

For more on Joylene and her writing, visit her website and blog then connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and her Amazon Author Page.