A Mother’s Betrayal: The Murder of Karissa Boudreau and the RCMP Investigation that Uncovered the Truth By John Elliott
The title pretty much tells it all, as that’s exactly what this startlingly readable non-fiction …
true crime
Bill Arnott’s Showcase, a Visit With Bestseller Eve Lazarus
Bill Arnott interviews Eve Lazarus, author of the book, Cold Case BC.
Hangman: The True Story of Canada’s First Official Executioner by Julie Burtinshaw
John Radclive hates being called Hangman. He is no murderous thug; he is a highly trained executioner who relies on science to bring God’s mercy to condemned criminals.
The Beatle Bandit: A Serial Bank Robber’s Deadly Heist, a Cross-Country Manhunt, and the Insanity Plea that Shook the Nation by Nate Hendley
On July 24, 1964, twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, hoisted a semi-automatic rifle, then held up a bank in North York, Ontario.
The “Mr. Big” Sting: The Cases, the Killers, the Controversial Confessions by Mark Stobbe
The “Mr. Big” Sting is essential reading for anyone interested in unorthodox approaches to justice, including their successes and failures. It sheds light on how homicide investigators might catch and punish the guilty while avoiding convicting the innocent.
Three Non-Fiction Flash Reviews
Flash reviews of three recent non-fiction books that deal with WWII, the Atomic Bomb and a Victorian-era serial killer from Canada.
Murder on the Orford Mountain Railway by Nick Fonda
On a warm August evening in 1905, a 12-year old boy is shot in the back and killed near the Orford Mountain Railway construction site in rural Quebec.
Twice to the Gallows: Bennie Swim and the Benton Ridge Murders by Dominique Perrin
Billed as “A New Brunswick Non-Fiction Novel” Twice to the Gallows by Fredericton author Dominique …
Pinkerton’s and the Hunt for Simon Gunanoot by Geoff Mynett
Pinkerton’s and the Hunt for Simon Gunanoot throws new light on the extensive manhunt for an accused murderer in northern British Columbia in the early 1900s. After a double murder in 1906, Gitxsan trapper and storekeeper Simon Gunanoot fled into the wilderness with his family. Frustrated by Gunanoot’s ability to evade capture, the Attorney General of BC asked Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency in Seattle to assist in the pursuit.
The Seventh Shot: On the Trail of Canada’s .22-calibre Killer by Ann Burke
Drawing on faded archival copies, hours of interviews and first-hand accounts, Ann Burke follows the life of Ronald Glen West, once referred to as ‘Canada’s .22-Calibre Killer’.
The Ann Burke Interview
Ann Burke’s The Seventh Shot (Latitude 46 Publishing) is a recounting of two grisly Ontario …
Daring, Devious, and Deadly: True Tale of Crime and Justice from Nova Scotia’s Past by Dean Jobb
The stories in Daring, Devious, and Deadly are drawn from communities across the province, from Sydney and Amherst to Halifax, from the rugged coast of the Eastern Shore to the historic town of Annapolis Royal.
The Laura Churchill Duke Interview
Laura Churchill Duke is the author of Two Crows Sorrow (2019, Moose House Publications) the true story of a grisly murder that took place in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley in 1904. It is currently on the 2020 longlist for “The Very Best!” Book Awards for Best Non-Fiction. I wanted to know more about Ms. Churchill Duke and the research that went into telling Theresa McAuley Robinson’s story.
First Degree, From Med School to Murder: The Story Behind the Shocking Will Sandeson Trial by Kayla Hounsell
If you like true crime, then you’ll enjoy First Degree by Kayla Hounsell.
The Boy on the Bicycle: A Forgotten Case of Wrongful Conviction in Toronto by Nate Hendley
Readers of true crime will be happy to hear that Nate Hendley is back with …