Eric Wright has written more than a dozen crime books, but his newest novel, Finding Home, is not so easily categorized. While it contains elements of a mystery, it is also an English travelogue and a kind of Canadian history.

In it, Will Prentice returns to England after 30 years in Canada. His return is prompted by his mother’s funeral, but also offers him a respite from his disastrous home life. (His wife has recently asked for a divorce.) The two changes in his life serve as a point of reflection for Will. The rest of the novel takes place while he tours parts of England with his uncle’s grandson, Fred. The mystery they casually investigate concerns money missing from Will’s mother’s estate, but also involves a side of her life that she managed to keep secret from everyone.

As Fred and Will tour through various locales – some of which Will remembers from his childhood, some of which he visits as a tourist – there is also an odd substory: Fred is interested in Canada, and has Will tell him about the country. The result is an interwoven tapestry of Will’s views of England and Canada, all of which are highly personal.

While a trip through the English countryside spent discussing key Canadian political figures may not sound thrilling, Wright keeps things entertaining with his easily readable style and the characters’ constant movement. The deepening mystery of his mother’s secret life is more than enough to pull the reader through, as is his family’s situation: Who is his wife sleeping with, anyway? How will his kids handle it? Is his daughter pregnant?

Eventually, the mystery is solved, and Will makes his decision as to which country he wants to spend the rest of his life in. The conclusion is optimistic, and shows that, though Will may feel he doesn’t truly belong to either country, he’s at least made a home for himself with his family.