I don’t mind a true crime book now and then. I definitely prefer the fictional thriller or detective novel over the factual, but every once in awhile a case catches my interest, and Murder at Teal’s Pond by David Bushman and Mark T. Givens did just that. It describes the murder and investigation of the…
What feels like ages ago now, when I worked at the literary festival here in Calgary we hosted Wayne Johnston, a bestselling Canadian writer. If I had known then what I now know about him, I would have likely seen him in a whole different light when we met in person. He’s been writing for…
The blurb depicting The Nightingale Affair by Tim Mason as a “Victorian detective thriller” is what influenced me the most, as I was in the mood to read a classic mystery after a few of the modern domestic thrillers I had been through recently. I was delighted by the moody puzzle of this book; the…
A few weeks ago, our kitty Makita (pictured above) gave us a little scare. She stopped eating and drinking for almost 6 straight days, and was in and out of the animal hospital. It was finally determined she was suffering from a bad sinus infection, so luckily a week of antibiotics has returned her to…
Better known for her ‘Still’ series, Canadian author Amy Stuart has just released a new domestic thriller titled A Death at the Party, perfect for those looking for a fast-paced read that covers the usual tantalizing menu: affairs, long-held secrets among family, a hint of sinister periphery characters. But just because I’ve read a book…
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing four other books from the Murder She Wrote paperback series written by “Jessica Fletcher” the tv character and Donald Bain, the writer and publisher who sadly passed away in 2017. Each was delightful, mimicking the tv series perfectly but offering up another side of Jessica that…
Bizarre. Creepy. Horrific. Sarcastic. All these words can be used to describe Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality by Lindsay Wong, a collection of short stories that will likely strike every reader differently. To me, these stories came across as a blend between satire and horror. I’m still struggling to decide how I really felt…
Here in Canada we are lucky to have a rich publishing landscape of Indigenous voices, and the numbers are only increasing. In fact, many books on the current and previous bestseller lists are Indigenous writers. I don’t see the same representation in American publishing, and I heard the Native American writer Tommy Orange speak when…
A great big doorstop of a book, Homecoming by Kate Morton was a work of historical fiction I had to prepare myself for. Some people love the prospect of digging into a giant family saga such as this, but I was hesitant about the length. It’s one of those historical books that switches back and…
While preparing for a ‘spring books to watch’ segment on my monthly radio appearance, I chose The Fake by Zoe Whittall for two reasons; one, I keep seeing it mentioned everywhere, so obviously the publisher has been successful in creating ‘buzz’. Secondly, it’s a work of fiction about a con-artist, which is always a fun…
Growing up in Ontario means I’m still learning about the Western Canadian books that everyone has read. I moved out west to Calgary 14 years ago now, and even though I’m firmly embedded in our publishing world here, I’m not familiar with what’s considered a ‘classic’ and what all the kids read in high school….
Described as a locked-room mystery, The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell is a debut novel that delivers exactly what it promises; a fun story with some quirky characters and a rich setting that ties it all together nicely. Its publisher compares it to the bestselling mystery The Maid by Nita Prose, another whodunit that’s written…
