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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780425184028
ISBN: 0425184021
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2002-01-01
Publisher: Berkley
Studio: Berkley

A fallen hero forced to live on the streets, former judge Ellis Portal is the "appealing and offbeat" (Denver Post) star of Rosemary Aubert's award-winning mystery series.

When a famous movie director is murdered-and his teenaged daughter disappears-disgraced judge Ellis Portal ventures into the dark nether worlds of Toronto to find answers.

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Yawn.
Review: Maybe this is a better book for those who have read the others. But let's look at the problems I had with it:

- I was able to figure out the identity of the shooter and the Ferryman very early on.
- Having lived in Toronto for 10+ years, I wasn't that impressed by the specifics. OK but nothing special.
- By the end I grew tired of Matt West as the author's "ah, but what I haven't told you is .." device.
- The ending seemed a bit facile, especially in tying off a few loose ends - but explaining would be spoilering so I won't.
- The paperback edition I read had more tha a few errors ("softwear" for example).

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: An enjoyable read with an different perspective
Review: Aubert's lead character gives you interesting insights into the lives of the homeless. It is nice change to have a bit of an atypical lead character, as opposed to the typical good-looking but hard-nosed cop with a heart of gold that you normally find as the lead of mystery novels.

You won't feel like you already know the answer to the mystery by the 5th page, which is great, and the hints leading up to the final chapter aren't so blatant that they knock you over the head.

The ideal target reader for this book: a Canadian living in Toronto or someone with a love of or interest in Toronto, as Aubert does a superb job of bringing Toronto to life.

Extra kudos to the author for setting this storyline in Canada!

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Great insight into the homeless, but weak characters
Review: Former Judge and former homeless person Ellis Portal descends once again into the world of the homeless to track down a girl who vanished when her father was shot. He discovers teen gangs, evil corporations, drug dealing, and the physical underbelly of Toronto.

I loved the way author Rosemary Aubert described the lifestyles of the homeless, their ability to survive and their schemes to protect themselves. Aubert is certainly a talented writer and THE FERRYMAN WILL BE THERE is a pleasant read.

The problem with this book is that although Portal and the other characters express ample emotions, the reader hears about them rather than feeling them. Aubert missed the chance to increase the reader suspense by giving Portal only a tangential direct stake in the outcome. Because Portal doesn't really care, neither does the reader. Finally, this is supposed to be a mystery. Aubert doesn't give us any misdirection to let the readers buy into the solution.

I enjoyed this book, but I could have enjoyed it so much more.

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