In The Solitary Friend, Bowen brings back her long-standing sleuth, Joanne Kilbourn, for what is billed as the penultimate volume of the series. Joanne is pulled into personal territory when a friend’s discreet escort-service becomes entangled in scandal and threat. The investigation opens up into bigger issues — power, media, loyalty — all played out against the prairie landscape Joanne knows so well. One of the novel’s chief strengths is its grounded protagonist. Joanne is both seasoned and real-world: a mother, a political scientist, not some invincible super-detective. Bowen writes her with warmth, integrity and a dash of cynicism. As the stakes escalate, Joanne’s personal life (friends, family, past decisions) remains woven in — which raises the experiential tension as much as the external mystery. The plot itself marches steadily. It’s not a break-neck thriller, rather a well-crafted mystery in which the threats feel chilling not because of gratuitous violence but because they clash with small-town trust and the public faces people must present. Joanne’s investigation into messages, photos and a former client’s behaviour lingers in the mind: who is friend, who is foe, and how far will someone go to protect their reputation or their silence? The storyline tackles modern elements (podcasting, digital scandal) with a comfortable familiarity for Bowen’s long-time readers.

Bowen excels at setting and tone. The Saskatchewan backdrop remains more than scenery — the local politics, the press, the social connections matter. The supporting cast is familiar enough to feel like part of Joanne’s universe yet complicated enough to keep things fresh. Some newer threads—particularly the technology/social-media elements—are less deeply developed than Joanne’s inner life, but that choice keeps the story centred where Bowen does best: character first.

For readers who have followed the Kilbourn series, this instalment feels rich. There’s weight: the sense of legacy, of what Joanne has seen and been through; the fact that this is near the end of the series adds a subtle resonance. New readers might find some background references skimmed over, but the mystery stands on its own as a competent and compelling entry.

If there’s any caveat, it’s that the pace sometimes slows in order to accommodate reflection and character nuance rather than plot momentum. Readers expecting a non-stop race may find moments where the narrative pauses for life rather than murder. But for those who relish a mystery with consideration and soul, that is a feature, not a drawback.