This is the 21st book in the Joanne Kilbourn mystery series by Gail Bowen. In the newest outing in this series, we are introduced to Libby Hogarth, a lawyer and old acquaintance of Zack's, Joanne's husband. Many years previously, Zack and Libby were articling students both working for the same lawyer who was suffering from an alcohol addiction. Libby's legal career and success in defending the rich and famous is well known and she is regarded as the lawyer to hire when you need the very best defense. Shortly after she successfully defends a national radio host of sexual assault charges, (very reminiscent of the Jian Ghomeshi and Marie Henein trial) she comes to Regina, Saskatchewan to give a lecture. There she meets up again with her old friend, Zack and his wife, Joanne. who try to protect her from the vitriol that is the fallout from the sexual assault trial.

I have been a huge fan of Gail Bowen's work with this series and believe that she has done an incredible job over the years with developing the characters of Joanne and Zack, along with their family unit and I have always looked forward to picking up the newest edition to this series. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit flat with me - I just wasn't interested in the character of Libby and the results of the in-real-life trial of Jian Ghomeshi in Canada, which the trial in this book seems to be loosely based upon, still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

While I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves mysteries and good character development in their books, I say that the reader wouldn't miss a lot if they passed this book over.

What’s Past Is Prologue by Gail Bowen
Narrator, Marcia Johnson
Thanks to NetGalley
This is book 21 in a long running series. I have read most but not all of the preceding books. This one was a minor letdown for me but because I love the series so much, I cannot really give it a bad review. There did seem to be several references to things that happened in previous books so this would not be a good place to start this series and it really would not read well as a standalone. Also if you are looking for a rip roaring murder mystery, be aware that the murder does not take place till the book is almost 2/3 finished.
All in all, not my favorite so far although the cover is beautiful.

In this long-running Joanne Kilbourn series, it's New Year's Day when top trial lawyer Libby Hogarth arrives at Zack Shreve's and Joanne's Regina home. Zack and Libby once had close links when they were the last two students to article with brilliant alcoholic lawyer Fred C. Harney. Libby is in town to deliver the prestigious Mellohawk Lecture but is facing lots of hostility from a recent case. Libby had successfully defended national radio host Jared Delio against charges of sexual abuse by three Regina women. Now one of them, Eden Sass, is planning on confessing to perjury. Zack and Joanne's desire to help Libby are amped by the appearance of Libby's new associate Sawyer MacLeish. Sawyer is like another son to Joanne and she fears he will suffer collateral damage from any attack on Libby.

While I do enjoy reading about the evolution of the various family members and friends in the series and various social interactions, this delays the occurrence of the heinous crime until almost the end of the story.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and ECW Press. All opinions are my own.

Sigh. I've only read one of the books in this very long running and beloved series. Regrettably, once again I found myself lost in the characters,the family, and all the details I know others will relish. The mystery is topical and I clung to that for a bit but ultimately sank and DNF. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. My bad not Bowen's.

Two years ago, Lawyer Libby Hogarth, ensured that Jared Delio, was cleared of rape. Now one of the accusers has confessed to perjury, and Libby will be her defence lawyer. Many people had excoriated Libby’s cross-examination in the Delio case, and some still threaten her on Social Media. When she is invited to give the prestigious Mellohawk Lecture, there is an upswelling of this anger, especially when her topic is the legal position surrounding the viewpoint that rape is an act of violence; it is not a proof of masculinity; no means no. She formerly had close links with Zack Shreve, because they had both articled with Fred Harney, though not at the same time, and seeks his advice on this and other legal matters. His wife, Joanne Kilbourne-Shreve, welcomes her into their home and world, especially when it turns out that Libby’s “Second Chair” in an upcoming case is Sawyer Macleish a family friend since his childhood. However, there are other potential problems in that the girl confessing to perjury, Eden Sass, is the daughter of another legal family, alienated from her father and brought up by her aunt, Devi Sass. Eden is also known to Joanne who had been second reader on her Master’s thesis. We know that this is a mystery story, because it says so on the cover. What we don’t know is which of these players is of primary importance. Indeed there are so many other characters that even quite late on we still have no serious crime. Everyone seems to behave according to type.
And those additional characters, their relationships to Joanne (all roads lead to Joanne) are extensively, and to some extent repetitively, woven into the fabric of the city of Regina, where everything happens. This is not that surprising because this is the twenty first book in the series (plus 4 others on the periphery) so there are lots of back stories. Sometimes it feels like all of these are designed to hide what is basically quite a simple plot. In this case the major mystery does come as a surprise, and that works quite well, the minor mysteries aren’t very complicated, and I have doubts about the final reveal. Still, twenty five books over thirty two years has to mean a lot of invested readers. However, as a reviewer of mysteries dropping in, the everyday story of Regina folk is a bit too incestuous for me.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

What’s Past Is Prologue is Gail Bowen’s 21st book in the Joanna Kilbourn Shreve series. This is one of my favourite series and I love reading about the evolution of the various family members and friends. I have watched Joanne’s children become parents themselves and successfully navigate the tribulations of adulthood. As in all her books, Bowen touches on current subjects and in this case the issue of consent, sexual assault and the role of society’s view towards victims is addressed. Bowen shows the human side of difficult topics and she does not minimize it. Her characters have become good family friends to me, people who are complex and real. I love being transported in Joanne and Zack’s sophisticated world and often envision myself sharing a delicious meal, attending a gala event, or relaxing in the ultimate cottage community of Lawyers Bay. Although this series is classified as a mystery the underlying theme is family. Looking at the issues through the lens of the matriarch Joanne, brings a certain comfort and a feeling that no matter what difficulties you face, you will always have the loving support of your family and friends. Whether it is the dynamic world of trial lawyers, powerful figures in politics, media, the Art world, or even the impoverished people of Regina, Bowen represents each group in a deeply humanizing manner. Although this is a Canadian book that takes place in the city of Regina and other parts of Saskatchewan, Bowen creates a world where any person can identify with it, no matter where you live. I highly recommend What’s Past is Prologue and the previous books in this riveting series.
(Advanced digital copy from NetGalley and EWC Press)

What’s Past is Prologue is a wonderful new book written by Gail Bowen who is my favourite mystery writer. I have read all her books in the Joanne Kilbourn mystery series and watching the characters grow up and evolve, especially her family members and friends is very satisfying.I love all the characters in her books, but I have to admit my two favourite characters are Zach Shreve and Taylor Love- Shreve. Her latest instalment, What’s Past is Prologue is by far my favourite book in this incredible series and reading Gail’s books are comforting and watching the characters grow through the years is what makes this series interesting and makes the reader coming back for the next book in the series. There is a mystery, murder, art and a lot of great food in this book and love. Thank you NetGalley and Alex for this early arc e- book copy of Gail Bowen’s latest book and future readers are in for a treat because Gail Bowen is an amazing Canadian mystery writer. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in two days. Bravo Gail and can’t wait to read your next book and thank you for so many wonderful books over the years. 🇨🇦🥰📚💐🍷😍👍🌻

I was so excited to receive this ARC copy from NetGalley as I'm a huge Gail Bowen fan, and this book does not disappoint. I live very close to the setting of her books, and as such her characters have become friends and neighbours. I'm always excited to read her latest so I can catch up on what's been happening in their lives.
This latest work starts out with a long time friend of Joanne's son, now a young gun lawyer, returning to Regina as co-counsel in an upcoming trial. His boss, the lead lawyer has gained notoriety for her successful defense of a former radio host in his sexual assault trial. This success has lead to hate mail and threats that have escalated since she was asked to deliver the key-note lecture at the local school of journalism. The lecture is a triumph but the next night at a gallery opening for Joanne's daughter, Taylor's new work, there's bloodshed. A life is lost and others changed irrevocably.
While I love Bowen's work and her cast of characters, sometimes her gift of weaving the story and the characters lives together takes over and the mystery and murder take second stage. This is one of those times. It's still worth the read as Bowen is a master at her craft and long time fans won't be disappointed.

Well written with a good plot. . Realistic characters with interesting dialogue and a good amount of suspense held my interest until the end. It was an easy and relaxing read that I recommend it to all who enjoy this genre.