Book ~ "Turning Secrets" (2019) Brenda Chapman

From Goodreads ~ Former teenage runaway and new single mother, Nadia Armstrong, moves to Kingston to turn her life around. But six months after she rents a low-end apartment, her body is found on a concrete slab at an isolated construction site.

Major Crimes begins piecing together her last days, uncertain if this is a case of suicide or murder. To make matters more difficult, a member of the team is leaking information to reporter Marci Stokes, putting Staff Sergeant Rouleau in a precarious position.

Meanwhile, Officer Kala Stonechild’s niece, Dawn, is secretly corresponding with her father, who’s out on early parole. Dawn’s friend, Vanessa, is also keeping a dangerous secret - her relationship with an older man named Leo, who preys on young girls. And it’s not long before he has Dawn in his sights.

Nadia, a young single mother, is found dead at a construction site and at first everyone assumes it's suicide.  But as the Kingston police start to investigate, they suspect she's been murdered.  As they dig into her background, they discover she has a past doing drugs and prostitution.

Police officer Kala Stonechild is taking care of her teenage niece, Dawn, while Dawn's mother is in prison.  Dawn's father has recently been released from prison and heads to Kingston to connect with her before he heads east to get away from some guys he owes money too.

Kala is attracted to a fellow officer (and the feeling seems to be mutual) but things are complicated because his ex-wife has returned to town and is living with him.

Dawn's sorta friend, Vanessa, has been acting funny since she started dating an older guy named Leo.  Leo has a friend who would like to date Dawn but she's creeped out and not interested.

This is the sixth (and latest) in the Stonechild and Rouleau series and I enjoyed it.  Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone and you don't need to have read the previous ones to read this one (there is enough background given).   It's always nice to read a book that is happening in Ontario (these characters live in Kingston and the author doesn't hide this fact).  I liked the writing style and found the storyline interesting.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus on the various characters wherever the action was happening.

I look forward to reading future books in this series and by this author.