Set in Ottawa, it gives a glimpse into the diverse multi cultural scene that is Canada. An elderly woman recently arrived from Ukraine, Anya is found dead in a lonely alleyway. One clue only, a name written in three languages. No such person exists but that could be simply a change of name to an anglicized version that makes blending in easier. A second death also an elderly man Simon Stone, made to look like an accident is murder. The man has a huge collection of Holocaust connected literature, and now the connections get closer. It also starts getting closer to Inspector Greens own family and tightly hidden history.

A story of murder and cover up. Of Nazi persecutors living a very comfortable life in many countries, but they are also aware that they will be followed and there is always someone looking for justice, decades later. It puts the pursuer in grave danger but by the time, the pursuer is not concerned what happens to him. He has seen so much, suffered so much trauma that death may be very comfortable, after of course what he is determined to do. Anya was looking for family, for comfort. She did not find it but Inspector Green did.

The story was convoluted with espionage, secrets in government, cover ups and deaths. It was a detailed progression of methodical detection which solved the mystery and the murders.

Thank you to the author, Dundurn Press (especially for granting me access after I missed the archive date!) and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I had several familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.

This is the 12th book in a series, but inexplicably the first I have read by this author - and it won't be the last. A classic police procedural with strong cast of characters, an intriguing mystery across international borders and involving current events, this was a great read. This is billed as an Inspector Green mystery, but due to circumstances which I assume are revealed in previous books in the series, Inspector Green is officially relegated to the sidelines. However, bits of his personal and familial history come up and he gets involved - the interaction of this ensemble cast is so well-written that I had a hard time putting it down. Now off to find other books by this author!

3.5 Stars. Thank you, Netgalley and Dundurn Press, for the ARC of this intriguing historical fiction. It focuses on the present ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and plunges us back to WW2, the Holocaust atrocities, death camps, and war criminals. Publication is set for February 18th.

I have only read the previous Inspector Green #11 and had read and enjoyed all of the author's Amanda Doucette series. The book was well-written and informative. It could be categorized as a police procedural, a criminal investigation, and an international spy story. It covered many threads with characters hiding their nationality, religion, politics, background, and name changes. This is an emotional story, especially involving Inspector Green and family connections.

The story begins with two mysterious murders, and the Ottawa police force is in charge. The body of a new arrival to Canada from the Ukraine is found in an alley in the downtrodden part of the city. Anya Kurchenko's fine clothes indicate she doesn't belong among the homeless and poverty-stricken. What was this older woman doing there, and why was she killed? A note on her body contains the name Symkha Grunstein, written in three languages. It is assumed she was looking for him, but the police cannot locate anyone with that name. Next, a very elderly man, Simon Stone, is found murdered close to the site of Anya's body. Is there a connection?

A search of Simon's home shows he was a hoarder. The house was filled with cartons containing masses of documents from WW2, Auschwitz, names of war criminals in Canada, and commanders in charge of the Holocaust death camps. Inspector Mike Green is no longer Chief of Homicide and has been reassigned to an administrative post. He misses the intense murder investigations and is relieved to be asked to help the police team in sorting through Simon's pile of documents. He follows some clues and 'persons of interest' on his own and is soon called on to assist the police team in this dark, complex and tangled case. He uncovers unnerving secrets in his own family's past.

A third victim is deliberately set on fire. CSIS warns the police to stop their investigation into the murders. Both CSIS and RCMP tell them their cases may have international implications and may be tied to Neo-Nazi terrorism. The police continue to investigate with restrictions. A prominent local business family and other Ottawa citizens may be involved in a far-ranging conspiracy. Police discover that Anya has a son in the Ukraine. CSIS tells them he is on the frontline of soldiers fighting against Russia and cannot be contacted. Is this the truth or a cover-up in the puzzle? I found the story slow-paced and complicated until a dangerous, action-packed ending. The reader's attention to names and details is necessary. I recommend this book to those who enjoy complex mysteries, plots based on historical facts, and family secrets.

I was so engaged with the story that I read it in one day, I just couldn't stop reading it! Shipwrecked Souls although based partially on true facts is a work of fiction but it just grabs the reader's attention as it touches how Nazis and Jews were treated worldwide after WWII and how so many criminals who should be behind bars paying for they crimes where living the good life in Canada, Argentina, Brazil and many other countries throughout the world. The story highlights what I would call somber moments in Canadian history and pictures lives that were intertwined by secrets of war, deceit and lies to uncover someone's heritage and the fear that the madness of WWII would be coming after them again. The plot is well designed and written, the main characters are relatatable, there's mystery, real life troubles and easy family life, and greed for money and power to make a political belief to take over the prevailing one (not far from reality nowadays in many countries). Highly recommended!
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I’m a big fan of Fradkin’s Inspector Green series and was not disappointed with the latest entry. For Green, this mystery hits close to home with questions going back to his late parents and the Holocaust.

Barbara Fradkin immerses the reader in a dark view of Canada's past with holocaust survivors and Nazi operatives who came to Canada under false identities. Inspector Michael Green is drawn into the Ottawa police murder investigation of Anya Kurchenko, a Ukrainian holocaust survivor who is looking for Symkha Grunstein. No one knowns who this might be. Another murder occurs, a senior citizen Simon Stone. The current scene links back to a Canadian review of the Nazis who were allowed into Canada sub rosa. Along the way Inspector Green uncovers hidden aspects of his past and a powerful Ottawa business family who will stop at nothing to close down the investigation. Great thriller that like Agatha Christie is fair to the reader who has a good chance to follow the clues to the correct conclusion.

I've missed this series but that doesn't mean I couldn't enjoy this interesting procedural that sees Inspector Michael Green investigating a murder (or two) that links the present to the past. Fradkin has crafted an engaging character in Green and a sufficiently twisty mystery to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

An unidentified old woman is found murdered in an obscure alleyway on a cold February day in Ottawa. A paper with the name Symkha Grunstein written in three different alphabets is found in her coat. Then Simon Stone who lives nearby is also murdered and Inspector Michael Green is called in to help sift through the horde of material Stone collected about WWII and the Holocaust. The victim is Anya Kurchenko, an academic who recently arrived from Ukraine. Green unexpectedly finds a personal link to his family's sad history. Newly minted Detective Kanner and Green's daughter, officer Hannah Pollock, also play important roles in solving the murders.

This was a complex satisfying mystery in the long-running detective series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Dundurn Press. All opinions are my own.

4 stars for a cerebral mystery set in Ottawa, Canada. This is book 12 in the Inspector Green series and I have not read any of the other books in the series. I have read other books by this author in in a separate series. It would probably be better to read the series in order, as something happened in a previous book that caused Green to be transferred from his position as chief of the homicide squad to an administrative post at the courthouse.
However Green can't resist investigating the suspicious death of an old woman in a run down neighborhood on his own time. He contributes to the solution to the case, along with the team working on the case and his daughter, a patrol officer. This case would be suitable for those who prefer books without graphic violence or sex. There are only a couple of swear words.
Some elements of interest in the book:
A WWII war criminal
Ukraine war
Genealogy connections
Thank You Dundurn Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#InspectorGreenMystery #NetGalley

Pub Date Feb 18 2025

Author Barbara Fradkin really hit a home run with Shipwrecked Souls, the 12th in the Inspector Green Mystery series. It feels personal and the World War II connections tugged at my heart.

The RCMP investigates a particularly riveting case of an older woman who is found murdered. But a second murder occurs which necessitates enlisting the expertise of Inspector Michael Green, an Ottawan with a poignant family past. A mysterious piece of paper was found on the woman which was written in three languages. Anya Kurchenko recently immigrated to Canada from Ukraine and the second murder victim's house had an astonishing array of WWII documentation on the "Third Reich", "Dachau" and war criminals. What secrets did Simon Stone know and why? Inspector Green's mind swirled with long-forgotten memories. His struggles and facing the past were the most meaningful parts of the story to me as an avid WWII reader.

The writing is compelling and the characters realistic. This installment was touching and showed a different side to the Inspector. Beautifully done with thoughtful insight into human nature.

My sincere thank you to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating novel.

In the much anticipated next Inspector Green Mystery, the impetuous Ottawa detective sails headlong into the case of an elderly woman from Ukraine — a perfect whodunit for fans of Louise Penny and Tana French.When Anya Kurchenko, an elderly woman recently arrived in Ottawa from Ukraine, is found murdered in an obscure alleyway, the only clue is a scrap of paper in her pocket with the name Symkha Grunstein written in three different alphabets. No such person seems to exist. While the police try to track her movements, an elderly man named Simon Stone who lives nearby is also murdered, and Inspector Michael Green is called in to interpret the mass of documents about the Second World War and the Holocaust stored in Stone’s basement. What is the link between the two victims? Who is Symkha Grunstein? And could the murders be connected to something that happened during the war? As the police unravel the threads of betrayal and cover-up, Green finds himself on an emotional journey into his own past, where he uncovers long-hidden secrets and makes a startling discovery.

Great book, I really loved it! It's beautifully written and even though there are parts that are terribly sad, it's a book that will stay with me quite a while. The story read well, with a few glimpses into history to build the story.

Present day mystery with ties back to Nazi Germany. The story read well, with a few glimpses into history to build the story.
This is the 2nd book in this series that I've read and I'll have to go back and read the others.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the eARC.
What a great book, I really loved it. It's beautifully written and even though there are parts that are terribly sad, it's a book that will stay with me quite a while.
Both my parents were in camps during WWII, so it was easy for me to empathize with Inspector Green. The mystery of the deaths was intense and had a surprise ending on a happy note. It was a moving book and to my mind, Ms. Fradkins' best.