Reviews

Former military intelligence agent John McIntire has returned home to rural St. Adele in Michigan's Upper Peninsula after a 30-year absence abroad. As an elected township constable, he investigates the death of his boyhood friend Nels Bertelsen, a hot-tempered man who has had altercations with many in the small community. Bertelsen, allergic to bees, appears to have died accidentally from a bee sting. Not satisfied with this explanation, McIntire probes deeper and finds himself investigating a murder, followed by a second even more grisly killing. The book is evocative of the Norwegian communities of the Upper Peninsula in the 1950s, with a lovingly described setting. An accomplished writing style, quirky secondary characters who come alive, and touches of humor enliven the story. McIntire is a complex character, slowly revealed over the course of the novel as a man trying to fit in again with people he's known for years while he uncovers secrets buried in their pasts. An impressive debut.

--Booklist

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“When a childhood friend is murdered, Constable McIntyre investigates the death while struggling to find his place in the hometown he abandoned thirty years before. Never can I recall reading a mystery that transported me so completely to another place and time. I was captivated by this gentle mystery with its appealing main character, whose memories of his boyhood and re-acquaintance with St. Adele and its inhabitants combine to paint a convincing portrait of life in rural Michigan in the first half of the twentieth century.” –Karen Spengler, I Love a Mystery

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After living 30 years or more in England, John McIntire returns to 1950s St. Adele, MI, where he takes on the job of constable. Usually lacking for significant cases, he finds his intellect challenged by the apparent accidental death (owing to an allergic reaction) of an old school chum on his fishing boat. Several details bother John, who begins an investigation even before the coroner concedes the possibility of murder. Crisp prose, fanciful plotting, and an emphasis on character, descriptive detail, and Scandinavian influence make this debut mystery well worth reading.

—Library Journal

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"Hills, in ''Past Imperfect''(Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95), uses small-town Michigan in the 1950s to frame her story. A career military man returns to his childhood home to retire as the town constable. His boyhood chum dies, and as the constable looks into what appears to be an accidental death, he comes to suspect murder. The more he pokes and pries, the more secrets he discovers in the seemingly innocent town. This, too, sounds like a cliche, but Hills handles her plot beautifully, and she is particularly good at capturing speech, which is fitting for a retired speech pathologist. I look forward to more."

-Robin Winks, Boston Globe