Ida Linehan Young is one of my favourite Newfoundland authors, and until recently had penned historical fiction novels set in Newfoundland. She recently published her first foray into speculative fiction with The Room Upstairs (Flanker, 2023) and now she has taken some furtive steps in the crime thriller genre with Blinders. Not only that, but she has also started up her own publishing company, Seaweed Publishing, and Blinders is the first book out of the gate.
Blinders is an ambitious crime novel that spans decades, and Ida Linehan Young has done an excellent job of storyboarding it so that it not only keeps you guessing, it keeps your interest up until the final page. This is not an easy thing to do in this day and age of countless murder mysteries to read and watch on TV.
Beginning in 1969 with a young woman locked in the trunk of a car, which is then pushed into Shadowed Pond, it quickly jumps ahead to the present day when a long drought lowers the water level in the pond (actually a “lake” to us main landers). Not one, but three vehicles are recovered, all with bodies behind the wheel.
If those two story lines are not enough, there’s a missing teen, Jessica Boulder, the daughter of Captain Patrick Boulder of the St. John’s Constabulary. News of the recovered vehicles has Patrick and his wife Diane concerned that one of the bodies may be their Jessica. The last person to see Jessica alive was Simon Parsons, a likeable young man down on his luck who sharpens skates at the arena where Jessica goes. They have struck up a relationship and Simon often walks her part way home when the arena closes. Patrick is so convinced that Simon is responsible for Jessica’s disappearance that he wears figurative blinders. His friend and colleague, Detective David Crosby, strives to keep Patrick reined in:
“Patrick, you know your rule, or do I have to remind you?” Crosby finished with words that Patrick had reinforced so often the object of the sentiment moved their lips to his utterance: "Don't get personally invested in cases. It taints your perspective.'"
“Perspective be damned.” Patrick grabbed the chair arms and fought to control the rage that threatened to explode. “That kid killed my Jessica. I'll move heaven and earth to bring him in and get the truth out of him. I was too soft on him before. How's that for tainting perspective?”
The fact that Simon has suddenly disappeared as well only adds to the mystery (and reinforces Patrick’s suspicions).
Overall, Blinders was an easy and engaging read, showcasing Ms. Linehan Young's skill in crafting a multithreaded narrative. While the numerous characters, spanning both the past and present, including descendants of the murdered, initially presented a slight challenge for me, this is more a reflection of my personal preference when it comes to character-driven stories. It is not a fault of the author.
Blinders deals with themes of vigilantism (due to a perceived lack of justice) and the sexual abuse of women and young girls. There are no trigger warnings, but to its credit, Blinders contains no graphic scenes of rape or violence and no profanities, which is always worth an extra star in my book. A well-crafted crime thriller.
About the Author
Ida Linehan Young lives on the majestically rugged and beautiful island of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. She has an avid interest in the history of her province. Matching that love of history with the art of storytelling passed down from her father and her maternal grandfather, Ida weaves fictional characters through events and places that you might not believe were real.
About the Reviewer
James M. Fisher is the Editor-in-Chief of The Seaboard Review of Books. He lives in Miramichi New Brunswick with his wife Diane, their Tabby cat Eddie and Buster the Border Collie. James works as an MRI Technologist at the Miramichi Hospital.
Book Details
Publisher : Seaweed Publishing
Publication date : July 31 2025
Print length : 278 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1069446619