“The action never flags, and as Wakeland put the pieces together, it’s almost impossible not to keep turning the pages”: with the return of Dave Wakeland, Vancouver’s mean streets feel a bit safer… for at least a minute. —Ryan Frawley reviews Guns Across the River, by Sam Wiebe (Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2026) $24.95 / 9781998526550
A writer’s first mystery novel garners the ultimate praise: “The twists and turns along the way will hold readers’ attention to the last page.” Plus, appealing characters, exotic settings, and snappy repartee don’t hurt either. —Valerie Green reviews Thirty Feet Under, by William Wodhams (Toronto: ECW Press, 2026) $24.95 / 9781770418547
Despite an author with a clear affection for the mystery genre and a globe-trotting plot, a debut work of fiction underwhelms our reviewer. Brevity might be the soul of wit, but in the case of a novel, that’s not always true. —Zoe McKenna reviews The Mosaic Key, by Archer Campbell (Victoria: Tellwell Talent, 2026) $17.99 / 9781834381039
“As the discussion heats up, one begins to feel like a dinner party guest privileged to listen in on a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation between two expert criminologists.” Richard Fyfe reviews Troubling Criminology, by Michael C. K. Ma and Mike Larsen (Toronto: Between the Lines, 2025) $34.95 / 9781771136853
A Vancouver author’s debut novel, a kind of ‘cozy spy thriller comedy’ set in the England of the ’60s, is a paradoxical offering—at once too much and not enough. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews The Queens of Kaboom, by Martin Butler (Cambridge: Pegasus Publishers, 2025) $26.99 / 9781836710257
Maternal angst, filial contempt: a Freudian field day. (And recommended for the comforts of home: “I made the mistake of reading it on an empty stomach on an unpleasant bus ride while I was already in an overly pensive mood. What Boys Learn is best read with a heating blanket, on a full stomach, ideally with the reassurance of a warm dog curled up near you.) —Jessica Poon reviews What Boys Learn, by Andromeda Romano-Lax (New York: Soho Crime, 2026) $39.95 / 9781641296915
Darkly clairvoyant, a novel envisions Vancouver in the upcoming midcentury: “It is a thought-provoking, frightening picture of the world along the Corridor, where AI assistants are the norm, where wealth is everywhere, where the Canadian health system is broken and in great jeopardy, and where a social divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ is apparent everywhere.” —Valerie Green reviews Broadway Corridor: The Great Social Divide, by John D’Eathe (Vancouver: Adagio Media, 2025) $21.99 / 9780991993079
Set in assorted time periods and on land (Australia, Italy) and water (Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea), a historical murder mystery is marked by the return of a coolly stylish PI and a cast of striking characters. —Valerie Green reviews The Italian Secret, by Tara Moss (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2025) $25.99 / 9781443461290
YA horror set at a spiritual retreat that isn’t: “Structurally impressive, mythologically rich, and recurrently dark, Cheng has carefully infused just enough humour and hope in a novel where it’s easy to root for the good guys.” —Jessica Poon reviews Beautiful Brutal Bodies, by Linda Cheng (Toronto: Listening Library, 2025) $20.99 / 9781250865816
Set in a Colorado town in the early 1990s, a sophomore novel opens with an act that leaves townies reeling. Compelling and twist-filled, this “mystery wrapped in layers of small-town politics and interpersonal grudges” is a “novel that entertains while providing ample room for contemplation.” —Trish Bowering reviews We Bring You an Hour of Darkness, by Michael Bourne (Los Angeles: DoppelHouse Press, 2025) $26.95 / 9781954600263
“Regular’s Rough & Messy Justice is an exciting read, well-written and, above all, factual…But most importantly the cautionary tale ‘raises unsettling questions … about fairness, truth, and how easily justice bends to fear and bias.'” Kenneth Favrholdt reviews Rough & Messy Justice: A Train Heist, Murder & Misdeeds, by W. Keith Regular (Calgary: Durvile & Uproute, 2025) $35 / 9781990735660
Atmospheric BC-set debut novel grows nearly hallucinatory with grotesque and supernatural elements. Teen investigators Alinta and Ruby ground a (somewhat overstuffed) story with their tight bond and quest to solve a mystery. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Woodbine Grove, by Ryan O’Dowd (Hamilton: Manor House Press, 2025) $29.95 / 9781998938193
WWII-set prequel to a book series portrays an unexpected spying assignment for young Lane Winslow. And Christmas with her grandparents! Rousing and entertaining, it’s a tale Alfred Hitchcock would have relished. —Bill Engleson reviews A Season for Spies—A Lane Winslow Prequel, by Iona Whishaw (Victoria: TouchWood Editions, 2025) $19.95 / 9781771514828
A creepy forest, lake, and cabin—not to mention abusive foster parents—are just part of the memorable scenery in a clever, atmospheric thriller with a slightly gothic feel. Here’s a debut novel with “a ripping good story.” —Trish Bowering reviews The Guest Children, by Patrick Tarr (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2025) $24.99 / 9781443473958
With all the hallmarks of an thriller, a debut novel features action, moments of comedy, manly men, double-crosses, intriguing secondary characters… and a somewhat forgettable protagonist. —Isabella Ranallo reviews In Spite of Thunder, by Thomas Mark McKinnon (Vancouver: 1083899 B.C, 2025) $24.95 / 9781069647405
A Vancouver-set debut crime novel, a “very enjoyable, fast-paced thriller that does not disappoint,” entangles a psychologist in a suspected suicide case. A whole school of red herrings ensues. —Valerie Green reviews Hired Gun: Uncovering Buried Secrets, by Bill Koch (Altona: Friesen Press, 2025) $30.49 / 97810368329448
Vancouver-set thriller, “full of gunfire and revelations,” features a shady biomedical research firm, a MacGuffin that L’Oréal would kill for, criminal intentions left and right, and a hapless RMT named Jackson Teague in the middle of it all. —Jessica Poon reviews On Borrowed Time, by Tony Berryman (N.p.: Twintree Books: 2025) $22.95 / 9781777133566
“In fact, gratitude is something I believe was on display in this enclave in the Coastal Room at the Gibson Public Market, an appreciation for the array of literary talent on the Sunshine Coast and across the province. That was certainly the message relayed by several literary award judges at this fifth annual event.” Trevor Marc Hughes reports on the recent Art & Words Festival events held in Gibsons this past weekend.
“If you’re looking for dour, deeply depressing escapism, go fish. But if you’re in the mood for humour and meta-humour…”: in this novel, self-involved TV personalities and mystery writers congregate for a festival where—gasp!—there’s a murder. Dialogue is snippy, the mood is light, and the shenanigans are frequent. —Jessica Poon reviews Killer on the First Page, by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson (Toronto: Harper Collins Canada, 2025) $24.99 / 9781443475099
With a surprising ending that’s “perfect” and a convincing portrait of a recognizably unjust present day political reality and hopeful responses to it, a debut novel thrills as it portrays bookish and venerable activists. —Valerie Green reviews Make No Mistake, by Julie Wise (Penticton: Wise Publications, 2025) $20.99 / 9781069525505