Saturday, August 09, 2008
Calling on Your Collective Memory
Before we leave here tomorrow, does anyone know of a series or even a crime writer whose stories are set in Halifax or Nova Scotia? A book store owner said there was none but admitted he didn't read crime. If there is any, I want to grab one before we leave. Thanks.
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There's a good historical novel with somewhat of a crime angle to it, called THE RIVER THIEVES. It's by a Canadian poet named Michael Crummey. If I remember correctly, it's set in N.S. Or maybe Labrador.
Patti:
Couldn't think of any Halifax crime novels. On checking the Nova Scotia Writers Federation, I did spot one by Alfred Silver titled Clean Sweep. Know nothing about it, but Silver, who used to live in Winnipeg, but now is in Nova Scotia, wrote other mysteries including one that won a Arthur Ellis Award years ago. Although his work is set in Cape Breton, you might want to track down something by Alistair MacLeod. Another Maritimes author worth checking out is New Brunswick's David Adams Richards.
Anne Emery. She won an Arthur Ellis Award last year for best first novel for "Sign of the Cross," and her latest, "Obit," is very good. They both take place in Halifax.
"Sign of the Cross" is now out in trade paperback.
I know some Canadian crime writers but not sure if they're set in this area or not. Ted Wood, with Corkscrew, is one of them, but I'm not sure of his location.
Thanks, guys. I have been in five used book stores but yet to find a new one. Is this a anew thing. All new books available online only?
Well, the indie bookstores have been bemoaning chain competition for quite some time, and the big chains have been going belly-up (Crown, largely due to family infighting among the Hafts) or are retrenching (the Killer Bs and their little siblings, the older B. Dalton and WaldenBooks chains, with the latter often being retrofitted into Borders Express), to some extent whining about Amazon. I imagine Canada feels similar pressures.
All that came to mind for me was MAGNUM, P.E.I, starring John Candy as Johnny LaRue. Not too directly relevant.
I checked with Crime Fiction Canada (http://www.brocku.ca/crimefictioncanada/) and found a few more: Brad Kelln, Stephen Kimber, James Robert Lotz, Linda Moore, and Lynn Turner. Looks like some good reading to add to my list.
My geography's not all that good, but what about THE SHIPPING NEWS by Annie Proulx. Set in Newfoundland.
http://www.curledup.com/shipping.htm
I had an idea that there was also an Anita Shreve novel set in that area.
All the bookstores close here at 6 so I'm out of luck. I will order from an online one on my return. Thanks for the help. Patti
All I can think of is North By Northwest, but that takes place at the opposite end of Canada.
Patti, please drop by my blog. Also, I'm almost ready for next Friday.
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