A review of the K Handshape just in

The K Handshape - Don Graves - The Hamilton Spectator - March 1st

Maureen Jennings is a mystery writer of imaginative precision, and The K Handshape enhances this reputation. It is well plotted, with cleverly placed clues and dialogue that shape the characters and highlight the tension. Sub-plots enrich the multilayered story -- a hallmark of Jennings' consummate skill as a storyteller.

OPP forensic profiler Christine Morris discovers a strangled body by the Orillia dock. The young, deaf, female victim is the daughter of Morris's colleague, forensic psychiatrist Leo Forgach. The father's story is tragic: his estranged daughter had her own deaf, three-year-old daughter, a birth planned to produce a deaf child.

The novel explores the conflicts between deaf and hearing cultures, the emotional cost of family estrangement resulting from disabilities and the dysfunctional passion that drives the affected family members and their friends.

Morris's life, while dominated by the case, is complicated by a long-distance love affair, a tense relationship with her mother and the heart-rending reality of a friendship in need.

Jennings' writing merges solid procedural work with atmosphere and character interaction. She is a humane observer of the circus of life.

The K Handshape offers a challenging conclusion and is a most satisfying read.