Canadians have a well-cultivated image for being nice, and their public persona certainly backs up that assumption by the world. However, when it comes to crime fiction, Canadian writers can get down and gritty like the best of them. Here are two must-read gritty Canadian crime novels.
Needles by William Deverell
First published in 1979, this was a book very much ahead of its time. It features a lawyer Foster Cobb who is investigating an Asian drug boss who is operating on the streets of Vancouver. However, Cobb himself is locked in a heroin habit he is struggling to shake. While try to bring down the drug trade in the city, he finds himself getting deeper into a seedy underworld of prostitution, murder and drugs.
This gritty novel is a thrilling, tightly-wound mystery which features gut-punching twists and jaw-dropping revelations.
Helpless by Barbara Gowdy
Even in its conception, this is a daring book. Gowdy takes an unconventional approach to crime-writing by telling a story from multiple points of view and challenging the reader to examine their preconceptions. It firstly looks at life through the eyes of a paedophile called Ron who is saving a nine-year-old while battling his own inner-demons. Gowdy also tells the story through the eyes of the girl, whose own life is further complicated by her mother’s relationship with her boyfriend.
What is Ron saving the girl from and how can she put her trust in such a man. A challenging and fearless story plays out in the hands of a master of her craft in this often uncomfortable but utterly compelling novel.
For more gripping Canadian mystery check out the books at www.plottake.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment