July 19, 2021
This winsome comics mystery from Girard (Petty Theft) introduces an unconventional detective duo: Rebecca, a new mom on maternity leave, and Lucie, her eight-month-old daughter. Though a schedule of childcare, checkups, day care interviews, and baby yoga keeps Rebecca on her toes, she craves intellectual stimulation. She finds plenty of it when, during a late-night feeding, she witnesses something shady out her window, involving a man loading something into an unmarked van. Soon she’s off, investigating the suspicious disappearance of her neighbor Eduardo. Trying on aliases and talking her way into offices and apartments, she uncovers a web of crime. Lucie, with her mop of golden curls, assists in opening up conversation via cuteness, though one source snarls, “I certainly don’t have time to babysit an amateur detective and her child!” The languid pace gives equal time to a stroller fitness class and the hunt for spots where a murderer might dump a body. Loose, squiggly art, tinted in bright watercolors, imbues a friendly feel that belies the dark undercurrents Rebecca discovers running through her sunny Quebecois community. Despite an abrupt ending, the foray succeeds as both a mystery and a chronicle of day-to-day parenthood. Readers won’t be disappointed if this evolves into a series of offbeat mother-daughter mysteries.
July 1, 2021
Girard spins a slice-of-life story about a new mom getting bored with maternity leave into an oddball detective story in this wry comic. Rebecca's gotten the hang of motherhood, toting her eight-month-old daughter, Lucie, to exercise classes, shopping, and cafes, which is where she hears about her neighbor, Eduardo, who's gone missing. Lucie's about to start daycare, and Rebecca has some time on her hands, so she takes it upon herself to investigate. Girard follows some classic PI-story beats, as Rebecca confronts suspects with accusations and makes some risky choices to uncover clues, but he also neatly folds in some very relatable new-mom experiences--pelvic-floor physiotherapy sessions; feeling defensive about breastfeeding in public; a slow drift away from her partner, who's clearly disappointed. And yet, even as her amateur detective work starts to spiral out of control, it also helps her build confidence, maybe even fierceness. The combination is comical with a bittersweet touch, and Girard's quavery line quality and pleasantly schlubby figures give his watercolor artwork warm charm.
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