Sleuth of Bears

Anne Loiselle, MA 1988, M. Litt 1990

A smart, plucky protagonist, a set of engaging characters, and a quirky plot with an unusual twist make this murder mystery difficult to put down. Despite the upbeat tone, bigger questions swirl in the background and engage readers on multiple levels. What is the essential difference between a person and a body? Are we, in fact, more than the sum of our parts? Author Anne Loiselle entertains while inviting us to explore deeper metaphysical concepts within the construct of a detective story.

When the book opens, we meet Lily Piper, a young yoga instructor recovering from an accident that has left her in a deep depression. She is slowly working her way back to good health and has even signed up for a challenging open water swim, but something is still missing – there’s no spark, no excitement, and she’s a little lonely.

Soon, though, Lily and some of her students learn about an autopsy mistakenly performed on the wrong body, and that the medical examiner’s report states that this death was due to homicide. They are intrigued and can’t help but investigate. The murkiness of the woman’s death sparks the very type of passion and interest that Lily has been yearning to feel, and the friendships she is developing through the group's mutual endeavor is going a long way to filling her relationship void. When a second person dies, they all become even more fervent in their determination to uncover the motive and find the culprit. Things don’t quite end up as expected, though, and ultimately, they are surprised by what they learn, not only about the murder but about the world they thought they knew.

Engrossing and entertaining, “Sleuth of Bears” is set against the idyllic backdrop of Washington, D.C. and the Potomac River. Available in hardcopy, ebook, and audiobook formats on Amazon and other platforms.

ISBN: 9781663252722