Conflagration! by donalee Moulton

Conflagration! by donalee Moulton is the Quebec installment of the Canadian Historical Mystery series being published by BWL Publishing. This historical mystery is based on the true story of an extensive fire, or conflagration, that happened in April of 1734. The fire leveled 46 buildings in Montreal’s merchants’ quarters. A Black slave woman named Marie-Joseph Angelique was accused of arson and taken to jail. Fortunately, no one died.

“… we hear banging of the drums. Francois Roy, the town crier, has an announcement…. Marie-Joseph Angelique, Black slave of Therese de Couagne de Francheville, set the town of Montreal on fire.”
p. 26

An investigation by the fictional Philippe Archambeau follows, who is appointed as a special rapporteur of the court and whose job is to leave “no stone unturned” in documenting and researching Angelique’s case. Philippe takes this job very seriously. Judge Pierre Raimbault heard from more than 20 witnesses accusing Angelique of starting the fire, but no one saw her set it or presented any definitive proof that she did.

This story introduces us to a justice system very different from the one we now know; a system where: someone can be arrested on rumours alone, lawyers were not allowed in the courtroom, evidence was not necessary, a person is guilty until proven innocent, and torture and death were acceptable forms of punishment. It also raises issues of slavery in Canada, and not just of Black people but the natives who were called Panis slaves. And most importantly, it will draw attention to the true story of the Black slave woman named Marie-Joseph Angelique who was accused and convicted of arson. She was then tortured (Brodequin), hanged, and displayed before being burned.

“On Monday, June 21, 1734, Marie-Joseph Angelique is hanged in front of the house she is said to have burned. Her body will be displayed on a gibbet for two hours. Then it will be placed on a pyre. Her ashes will be collected and scattered to the wind. It will be the final degradation.”
p. 245

Learn more about the Justice System in New France in 1734, along with Marie-Joseph Angelique’s 8-week trial, the witnesses, and their testimonies in Conflagration!

donalee Moulton is a professional writer and freelance journalist based in Halifax, N.S. Her byline has appeared in more than 100 publications, including The National Post, Chatelaine, Maclean’s, The Lawyers Weekly, and Canadian Business.

Her first mystery novel Hung Out To Die came out in February 2023. She is also the author of The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say and co-author of Celebrity Court Cases: Trials of the Rich and Famous. Her short story Swan Song was one of 21 selected for publication in Cold Canadian Crime, an anthology published by the Crime Writers of Canada.

Publisher: BWL Publishing (November 29, 2023)
Paperback 5.25″ x 8″ | 268 pages
ISBN: 9780228628491

Sue Slade

Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.