The Smiling Buddha Reunion: A Doctor Annick Boudreau Mystery #3

French Canadian psychologist Dr. Annick Boudreau helps patients in her West Coast cognitive behavioral therapy practice, solving crimes along the way.

When Dr. Annick Boudreau’s clinical partner teams up with a Vancouver musical legend—1980s hardcore punk icon turned late-middle-aged Zen sage “Wobbly” Robbie Milne—to launch a mindfulness app, she is supportive, if a little skeptical. After all, she’s got other things to focus on: like a baby on the way and a father-to-be who seems ready to fully domesticate their lives with or without her. But when one of Wobbly Robbie’s former bandmates is shot dead, suspicions soon turn to another ex-member of the group, and Robbie, true to his punk rock roots, doesn’t trust the police with the investigation. He’s heard about Annick’s unique skills, and very quickly, the doctor finds that she is drawn in, despite her better judgment. When, in the midst of all this, an old flame from her Montreal days appears, Dr. Boudreau may finally be in over her head.

The Smiling Buddha Reunion is the third in a series of mysteries starring Dr. Annick Boudreau and exploring themes of mental health—this time, anxiety. In a refreshing take on the sleuth genre, author (and longtime CBT patient) Charles Demers deftly reveals a particular aspect of psychology practice in each book, illuminating shadowy subject matter with masterful sensitivity and sharp wit.