The Carnivore opens with a dramatic description of a flooded intersection in downtown Toronto during the first hours of Hurricane Hazel’s 1954 descent on the city. In this early stage of the storm, no one was taking the weather very seriously – young men swam through the streets with machismo and drunks lobbed beer bottles onto the road to watch them bob along the rising waters. Readers versed in Toronto’s history, however, will know that such nonchalant attitudes did not persist along with the rain.

In his grim reimagining of this iconic Toronto event, author Mark Sinnett parallels the storm’s destruction with the breakdown of a couple’s marriage. Ray, a cop, is reluctantly thrust into the spotlight after saving numerous lives during the hurricane, yet he is tortured by a secret love affair and his inability to confess his unseemly deeds. Mary, a nurse who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, revels in her husband’s heroics.

As the story unfolds, deceit and betrayal come to the fore. Sinnett employs a back-and-forth storytelling method, moving between the years 1954 and 2004, and alternating between the points of view of the two main characters. Although this seesaw movement should help elevate the novel’s suspense, it feels too deliberate and systematic, and in fact diminishes the tension.

For a story containing many key aspects of a blockbuster thriller (massive storm, dirty secrets, and torrid sex), the plot drags significantly, especially in the middle. The character development also frequently falters. One of the book’s most interesting characters, Ray and Mary’s daughter, Jenny, could have been used to further demonstrate the destructive nature of her parents’ relationship, but instead her scenes seem extraneous.

The book’s setting is its strongest and most captivating element. Descriptions of various Toronto locations are abundant, providing the reader with a vivid picture of the city and the legendary storm that ravaged it.