Victim

The prints raced around the tree, not once, but exactly twenty times, in ever-widening, almost precise, circles. Veering off directly toward the forest, the footprints became further apart, obviously running. Abruptly, the trail ended at the edge of Bahswaway Pond. Quietly, Frieda inched along the edge of the pond, studying every twig of every bush along the way. Her feet slid over the ice without a sound; her lithe body brushed against nothing as she maneuvered through the trees. A short distance along, Frieda found the first evidence. It was a small bit of fur, drenched with dried blood, caught on a twig of one of the bushes. The fear grew larger and pulsed through Frieda's head. It was the fur of a bear that she held in her hand.

Thus begins the mystery of the disappearance of Oona Nabigon and the appearance of the legendary Walking Bear. Emily Taylor, once more drawn into the unknown, must face her own secrets and fears to discover a way to unravel the mystery before there is more violence and bloodshed.

Catherine Astolfo is a retired elementary school principal who is now living her dream of writing full time. Victim is her second novel in a series of four about Emily Taylor and the residents of Burchill. The Bridgeman can be made available for those interested in reading the first mystery. Please contact sisbroandco@rogers.com to request a copy. In her spare time, she has been helping her children, Kristen and James, run a film production company - Sisbro & Co. Inc. Check out their website at www.sisbro.net. Catherine currently lives in Brampton, Ontario (where she was born), with her husband, Vince. They have 5 children between them, 6 grandchildren and 2 cats.