Sunday, September 11, 2016

What's New in Canadian Crime Fiction

Anthony Bidulka
On a quiet September Sunday evening I took a look at what books have just been published or will be published by members of the Crime Writers of Canada as noted in the summer edition of Cool Canadian Crime and through a look around the worldwide web.

From June 1 of 2016 through May 31 of 2017 there were 43 books listed in CCC for release.

There were several books I am looking forward to reading from the new releases.

Later this month Anthony Bidulka is launching Set Free. The launch party will be Thursday, September 29 at the McNally Robinson bookstore in Saskatoon from 7:00 – 8:30. It is my regrets of the fall that I will not be able to go to the event. Sharon and I are flying to Calgary that weekend to visit our sons.

The book is a stand-alone thriller. Anthony provided me with some information earlier this year:

My new book, Set Free, will not have a Saskatchewan setting, with most of the action taking place in Boston and Morocco. This will be my first published work without an obvious Saskatchewan tie.

I plan to read it as soon as I can get a copy.

Currently I am reading A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny. It is the 12th book in the Armand Gamache series. It sees Armand undertaking a new position and is off to a good start.

Armand has been placed in charge of the training academy for the Sûreté du Québec.

The book is #1 on the New York Times bestseller lists for hardcover fiction and combined ebooks/print fiction for the list being published in the New York Times Book Review on September 18. (They publish the list early online.) With such a launch it could be the best selling book in the series.

I am looking forward to reading Invisible Dead by Sam Wiebe which will be his second book. I greatly enjoyed his first, Last of the Independents. He has a new sleuth in Dave Wakefield.

I am not sure what to make of the promotional headline:

Dave Wakeland isn't the usual PI. A 29-year-old ex-cop, he makes a habit of bad ideas.

I hope he is not a dysfunctional sleuth.

In February of 2017 there will be published Tumbled Graves by Brenda Chapman. In the CCC it was described as a mystery involving “Stonechild and Gundersund” which puzzled me as the series had involved Kala Stonechild and Jacques Rouleau. Further searching revealed that Staff Sergeant Rouleau is dealing with a personal crisis and sends Stonechild and Paul Gundersund to investigate the crime. Glad to solve that mini-mystery.

It will be the second book I have read with the words Tumbled Graves in the title. A few years ago I read Over Tumbled Graves by Jess Walter.

I am anxiously awaiting Heart of the City, the next legal mystery by Robert Rotenberg, which is scheduled to be published next May. It has been too long since Stranglehold was published.

As always I find myself drawn to authors I already know when reading these lists. I find it hard to look forward to a new author on a list. I will read new authors but most often on recommendations or because of awards.

I find it a reflection of how many books are being published versus how many I can read when I noted that I have read only 10 of the 43 authors.

There is a lot of Canadian crime fiction being published.

8 comments:

  1. It sounds as though there are several fabulous books coming out, Bill. I definitely look forward to reading Set Free, and I'm glad to hear that Louise Penny's latest has started off well for you. I hope you'll post a review of it when you've finished.

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    1. Margot: Thanks for the comment. There seem to be more choices to be made every year.

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  2. Enjoy all the reading you're doing, Bill! I know you're an associate member of Crime Writers of Canada, but thought I;d just remind you (and maybe tell your followers in case they don;t know) that everyone can access Cool Canadian Crime - the catalogue of all our members' releases for the year here: http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/images/CCC/ccc-current.pdf and can also sign up to receive a monthly newsletter detailing current Crime Writers of Canada members' books and events via our website: http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/ You;re right, there's a good deal to be excited about in terms of great books coming from Canadian crime writers :-)

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    1. Cathy: Thanks for the comment. There is lots of information on Canadian Crime fiction on the CWC website.

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  3. Very interesting, Bill. I look forward to your review of Bidulka's Set Free. I have the first Brenda Chapman mystery in the Stonechild and Rouleau series; I got it after I read about it on your blog. I plan to read it before the end of the year.

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    1. TracyK: Thanks for the comment. I look forward to your review.

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  4. Lots to look forward to Bill - thanks for keeping us informed.

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    1. Moira: Thanks for the comment. The winter will not be as long with fine reading ahead.

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