It’s the season where—more than ever—we want captivating reads; books that keep us riveted on the beach, that are top of our suitcases, or that simply let us rediscover reading during a quieter part of the year. Look no further than these thrillers, mysteries, and crime novels from BC publishers that you’ll be sure to devour!
To Track a Traitor by Iona Whishaw (TouchWood Editions)
One of Canada’s best loved mystery writers has done it again. This is Whishaw’s 10th instalment in the Lane Winslow mystery series, and is a transatlantic tale of sibling rivalry, infidelity, and espionage. With events spanning both world wars, To Track a Traitor follows Lane as she travels back to Scotland after her grandfather’s heart attack, only to find her estranged sister caught up in mysterious circumstances. As Lane follows the thread leading from South Africa to Aberdeen to the War Office in London it becomes apparent that her sister is on the run, and that keeping secrets seems to be a Winslow family trait…
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Citizens of Light by Sam Shelstad (TouchWood Editions)
If you’re looking for a guaranteed attention-grabber, this exceptional debut is an ideal choice. Winner of the 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Best Crime First Novel Award, Shelstad has also received accolades from the likes of Sheila Heti, who explains, “Sam has a funny, lively, engaging, peculiar mind—charming and surprising.” Set in Southern Ontario, Citizens of Light captures call-centre life, faded tourist attractions, suburbia, and the undercurrents of melancholy and the truly bizarre that can run beneath even the most seemingly mild-mannered lives. Think of this book as a cross between Twin Peaks and the works of Ottessa Moshfegh and early Kate Atkinson. An original and sharp literary crime novel.
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Scandal at the Savoy: A Priscilla Tempest Mystery, Book 2 by Prudence Emery and Ron Base (Douglas & McIntyre)
Prepare to be transported to the iconic Savoy Hotel in swinging ’60s London! It’s here that the rich and famous are gathering, including a Broadway producer with anger issues, a demanding Indian raja, and a gorgeous film star with certain kinky predilections. Their plans are upturned when the murder of a showgirl threatens to scandalize the hotel—and it’s up to Priscilla Tempest, press secretary to the hotel, to find out who’s behind it. Within a series described as “light, frothy…perfect escapist fare” by Publisher’s Weekly, this is a charming sequel to savour.
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The Descendants by Robert Chursinoff (Nightwood Editions)
Robert Chursinoff’s remarkable debut is a moving tale of love, loss, intergenerational trauma, and ultimately redemption, set in one of Canada’s most enigmatic and misunderstood ethno-religious communities. Within these pages, members of the Doukhobor religious group have a brutal encounter with the Hells Angels which will reverberate within their family and across the region. As Kinnie Star shares, “This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys precise, unflinching, and intimate storytelling and wants to know more about what makes British Columbia what it is.”
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Sunset and Jericho: A Wakeland Novel by Sam Wiebe (Harbour Publishing)
The fourth thrilling instalment of the Wakeland detective series explores the depths of Vancouver’s criminal underworld. Amidst class warfare on the streets, PI Dave Wakeland is searching for a missing gun, stolen from an attacked transit cop. The mayor’s brother is missing, a new series of graffiti tags are appearing, and there’s a new underground group on the rise. How are these elements connected? And can Wakeland find the gun without crossing every ethical line he’s drawn from himself? Wiebe has loyal fans of his writing and this series—and this latest work underscores why.
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TRUE CRIME
Clara at the Door with a Revolver by Carolyn Whitzman (UBC Press)
A true story that’s chilling for its prescient illumination of prejudice and racism, Whitzman’s lauded work “brings to life a spectacular 1894 Toronto true crime case” (Zoomer). When Black single mother Clara Ford was wrongly accused of murdering a member of a well-to-do Toronto family, she testified on her own behalf in trial and was ultimately acquitted despite systemic racism and town rumours. This is a compelling story of a courageous woman fighting for justice—and an unsettling reminder that our society that has not changed enough in the 125 years since such events.
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YOUNG ADULT
Frame & the McGuire by Joanna Weston (Tradewind Books)
In this mystery set on Vancouver Island, Frame and her brother, Ranger, discover their Uncle Tam’s body in the river, and wonder if his death really was an accident. Their suspicions are confirmed when they find a knife under a rock. Clues mount up after they discover that their neighbour, Mr. McGuire, is mistreating Uncle Tam’s dog, Sandy. This is one of a number of books from Joanna Weston, and a work sure to thrill YA readers.
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