I wasn’t expecting ghosts. I took the train to Stratford from Toronto to launch my book, The Man with the Black Valise, and everything was lining up nicely. The next day would be the 125th anniversary of the murder of Jessie Keith, a girl who lived north of Stratford in Listowel. Her killer had stood trial at the Perth County Court House, then been hanged at Stratford Jail, both a few blocks from where I was to speak.

Writing is a lonely effort. While the raw material for Blamed and Broken came from countless hours spent talking to other people, translating their words into a coherent and undeniable narrative fell solely to me. It was difficult. Not just because the scope of the book spans more than a decade in the lives of so many people. Not because it required a fresh look at thousands of pages of documents that had either been hidden or carted off to archives.

“The Old Neighbourhood” – we’ve all got one, don’t we? Someplace that we remember fondly, even though we might be looking at it through rose-coloured nostalgia glasses. I only lived at Queen and Spadina for five years, but man, those five years were intense. This is the neighbourhood where Jack Palace, fictional protagonist of my new crime thriller Yard Dog, hangs his head.

Lee Mellor sits down with us to talk about his most recent book Rampage and what he's reading right now.

Caitlyn: Tell us a little about the overarching theme of your work, and why you felt compelled to explore it.

Today we have an interview with Edward Butts, who is the author of numerous books, but today we're talking mostly about his latest book Wrong Side of the Law.

Caitlyn: Tell us about your book

In 1919 Dr. Charles Norris becomes the first coroner/medical examiner in New York City who was actually a trained scientist!  Before he got the job coroners only had to be friends with the mayor, with no scientific expertise.  Instead of just stamping death certificates, Norris set about turning the office into a tool of scientific justice. 

On Saturday evening, November 12, 1912, Asa Crawford left his house and was never seen again.  On Sunday afternoon, his son, Lemuel, found his hat on Water Street, near the Burrell-Johnson Iron Foundry. An extensive, but unsuccessful, search was made.  Asa Crawford had disappeared.

We are excited for all the new titles and authors. Read all about Dundurn’s purchase of Thomas Allen Publishers in the links below.

National Post, Afterword online article Dundurn Acquires Thomas Allen Publishers, July 31, 2013

Quill & Quire.com, Dundurn Press Buys Thomas Allen Publishers, July 31, 2013

Open Book Toronto, Dundurn Press Purchases Thomas Allen Publishers, July 31, 2013

Flutter flutter flutter!

Great White Fleet by John Henry is praised by Montreal Gazette for being a “Porthole into our passenger ship past.”