HAIL MARY BLUES
When the Victoria Conservatory's beloved classical viola
is claimed by its
new owner,
the staff, students and alumni are all devastated.
Especially the Director of Collections,
who is willing to realign her
moral compass get it back.
And to accept help from a mysterious friend from
her past.
"Hail Mary Blues"
can be found with 21 other stories
of mystery and crime
by a bunch of excellent crime writers in
Larceny & Last Chances
From
Superior Shores Press
In this story, I've taken the liberty of adding another viola to the life
work
of Anglo-Australian luthier,
A. E. Smith.
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THE FAR SHORE
1953 - Misty Pines Lodge
When New York magazine writer Jessica Innes travels to Misty Pines Lodge in
northern Ontario to write a feature article on the wilderness retreat, she
finds more story than she bargained for.
Everyone she speaks to seems to have a different take on what happened
to
the pretty, ladylike visitor from the city and the popular rugged wilderness
guide
back in 1938.
But Jessica finds herself wondering - should she even try to get to the
bottom of the tragedy?
Morningstar Lake
"The Far Shore"
appears along with more than 30 intriguing tales from talented crime writers in
Mystery Most International
a new mystery anthology from
The Mystery Patrons
April 2024
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MORT AU PRESBYTÈRE
Winner of the the 2017 Arthur Ellis Award
for Best Short Story
1823 England:
When Mr. Collins, an unpopular clergyman, dies a suspicious death while
preparing his Sunday sermon, the quick-witted Elizabeth Darcy turns detective
to come to the
aid of old her friend Charlotte.
The Collinses at Home
« Mort au presbytère »
I'm delighted that my story,
"A Death at the Parsonage",
along with 10 other Arthur award-winning short
stories,
has been
reissued in French
Les Prix Arthur-Ellis -3 (2011-2021)
from
Les Éditions Alire
November 2023
thanks to writer, editor and bookseller Peter Sellers,
This story first appeared in English in
The Whole She-Bang 3
The Arthur Ellis Awards are now known as Crime Writers of Canada Awards of
Excellence
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TAMSIN & THE CHURCH LADIES
1974. The Reverend Michael Stewart has surprised his congregation by marrying a
card-carrying feminist, Women's Studies professor Tamsin Engler.
From the start, I suspected Mrs. Eudora Corby of having a secret set of
Commandments especially for me.
-
Thou shalt wear a hat in church.
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Thou shalt not wear Birkenstocks at the ACW meeting.
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Thou shalt not encourage the Minister to deliver light-hearted
sermons by snickering at his jokes during the service.
So when the body of the People's Warden was found floating in the November
River near the rectory dock, she might well have added:
-
Thou shalt do no murder investigation
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St. Mary's by the River
"Tamsin & the Church Ladies"
is one of many intriguing stories in the latest anthology
Mystery Most Traditional
from Malice Domestic 2023
and Wildside Press
April 2023
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THE AMERICANIZATION OF JACK MACKENZIE
When a classic Canadian memoir,
The Winds of November,
is picked up by an American director, to be
filmed on location in the charming town of November Falls, it seems like a
winning
combination for everyone.
Until the mayor finds out the how much of the
story -- and the setting --
and
the hero -- will be sacrificed to Hollywood.
Clearly, something must be done.
Jack Mackenzie
local legend and beloved landscape painter
(okay, yes, that's Tom Thomson standing in for Jack)
"The Americanization of Jack Mackenzie "
can be found among the 23 stories
in
Hook, Line, and Sinker: The Seventh Guppy Anthology
by
a plethora of talented crime writers
January 2023
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Hook, Line, and Sinker
The Seventh Guppy Anthology
from
The
Guppies Chapter
of Sisters in Crime
and
Wolf's Echo Press
Finalist for the 2024 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Anthology
Release date January 27 2023
Wolf's Echo Press
paperback or ebook
Amazon.com
paperback or ebook
Amazon.ca
paperback or ebook
Kobo
ebook
Indigo.ca
ebook
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MY NIGHT WITH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
You can find this caper short story in the
Moonlight & Misadventure
(June 2021)
and
Fishy Business
(April 2019)
anthologies.
Princess Elizabeth and her gorgeous husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Dateline: Toronto, October 1951.
The lovely and popular Princess Elizabeth is making a
cross-Canada tour, standing in for her father, the ailing King George VI.
Escorting her is her glowing sun god of a husband, The Duke of Edinburgh.
Four university students decide the Royal visit to Toronto will provide an
excellent opportunity for a little political pushback against the oppression of
The Monarchy.
What better plan than to kidnap the Duke of
Edinburgh? Or at least, his waxwork effigy.
All they have to do is break into
the Royal Ontario Museum at night, and spirit him away.
What could possibly go wrong?
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DEATH OF ANOTHER HERO
When a local theatre group revives its modern interpretation of
Much Ado About
Nothing,
the playwright, cast and crew are all ready
to reprise their roles
from 25 years ago.
All except one.
Old sins cast long shadows and revenge is a dish best served cold.
A Shakespearian destiny is awaiting its cue,
as the playwright savours the
words,
I would eat his heart in marketplace.
"Death of Another Hero"
can be found among 33 stories
of theatre-based mystery and crime
by a cast of wonderful crime writers in
Mystery Most Theatrical
from Malice Domestic
Mystery Conference
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DEEP FREEZE IN SUBURBIA
The Honourable Dina Calder has it all.
She's a newly elected Member of
Parliament in a majority government, with a cushy Cabinet post and a great
view of the Ottawa River from her luxurious office in the East Block. She's
flying high.
Until a lurid true-crime paperback lands on her desk from out of the past. Her
past.
Deep Freeze in Suburbia
the trashy tell-all (or
almost
all) book about what happened twenty-seven years ago, when Dina had another
life and
another name.
There's more in there than frozen waffles and ice cream
It's clear someone hasn't forgotten. And they're ready to talk.
"Deep Freeze in Suburbia"
(my story, not the trashy true-crime novel) can be found with 21 other stories
of mystery and crime by a plethora of great crime writers in
Heartbreaks & Half-truths
From
Superior Shores Press
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SPIRIT RIVER DAM
This story of art fraud (maybe, maybe not) appears in
The Best Laid Plans,
the first mystery anthology from
Superior Shores Press
.
Tom Thompson's 1915 painting of Tea Lake Dam.
Does the mysterious work,
Spirit River Dam
look something like this?
Imogen runs a trendy art gallery in Toronto in the Sixties. She is equally
surprised and delighted and wary when her ex walks in with
Spirit River Dam,
a painting that could very well
be a long lost work by iconic Canadian artist, Tom
Thomson.
It looks right, it feels right. It ticks all the right boxes.
Except for one little detail.
Now, if they could just make that one little
detail disappear....
Tom Thomson, after a good day's fishing in Algonquin Park
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MURDER ON THE NORTHERN LIGHTS EXPRESS
My short mystery story is part of the
Mystery Most Geographical
anthology
Northern Lights Express arrives at Cumberland Bridge, Ontario
"Murder on the Northern Lights Express"
takes place in 1961, on a train journey from Toronto to Borealis Bay,
Ontario.
Writer Alice Berlin boards the Northern Lights Express for a reunion trip with
her old friends from university. The only member
of the group missing is Walter, who died in an accident two years ago.
As the train speeds northwards through the autumn countryside, Alice begins to
work on her hidden agenda, finding out who knows the truth behind
Flames Along
the St. Lawrence,
the brilliant historical work that’s taking the academic
world by storm.
The train in my book is inspired by Ontario Northland's
Polar Bear Express,
which still makes the run from Cochrane to Moosonee, on James Bay.
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Mystery Most Geographical
anthology is published by those wonderful folks at
Malice Domestic,
in connection with the
30th annual Malice Domestic Conference, 2018
Where to buy
Indigo.ca
Kobo eBook
Amazon.ca
paper or Kindle
Amazon.com
paper or Kindle
Wildside Press
paper
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THE LADY'S MAID VANISHES
I'm happy to have my
short mystery
included in
Mystery Most Historical
,
where I'm in good company with
29 other mystery writers, including Catriona McPherson, Marcia Talley and
Martin Edwards.
Vicountess Byng of Vimy
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"The Lady's Maid Vanishes"
takes place in 1931, when Lady Byng, wife of the
former Governor General of Canada, and her entourage are staying at a rustic
lodge in the Rockies. Her maid, Vaughan, goes for a walk in the woods, and
vanishes.
The story was inspired by an incident I read in the memoirs of
Evelyn, Lady Byng,
Up The Stream of Time.
In real life, Vaughan was found safe, though terrified, long after nightfall.
In my story, however, things turn out quite different, and the indomitable Lady
Byng joins forces with the local Mounties to discover what happened.
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GOSSIP
I'm so pleased my short story, "Gossip" is part of the 2017 anthology,
Fish out of Water.
Another busy morning in Carpathia, Ontario
Amy Hartman, a successful artist, returns to the small town she left behind her
nearly twenty years ago, having heard a surprising revelation about her
reputation.
She's back to set the story straight, but soon finds it's not easy to root out
what really happened.
Especially when the Church Bazaar Ladies get down and dirty with the
gossip.
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THE WHOLE SHE-BANG 3
Two of my stories,
"A Death at the Parsonage"
and
"Family Traditions"
, along
with
those of 17
other Canadian crime writers, are included in the newest anthology from
Canadian Sisters in
Crime.
A DEATH AT THE PARSONAGE
Winner of the 2017
Arthur Ellis Award
for best Short Story
from the Crime Writers of Canada
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News flash 2023: This story has been republished in French as
« Mort au presbytère »
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1823 England:
When an unpopular clergyman dies a suspicious death
while preparing
his Sunday sermon, a quick-witted lady turns detective to come to the aid of her
friend.
The story is based on characters from
Pride and Prejudice
(as if no
one has done that before) because I feel that Charlotte deserves better in life
than to be stuck with Mr. Collins forever, though she explains her low
expectations to Elizabeth:
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I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and
considering Mr. Collins's character, connection, and situation in life, I am
convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can
boast on entering the marriage state. (P&P, Chapter 22)
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Mr. Collins proposing to Charlotte, in happier times
It was inevitable, perhaps, that someday someone would get fed up with the
"conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man" (as Elizabeth roundly
describes him) and take a swing at him.
When the finger of guilt points to Mrs. Collins, it's fortunate that her
dearest friend, Elizabeth Darcy, is on hand to set matters straight.
Perhaps not surprisingly, no one who's read this story seems to feel any
sadness over the loss of Mr. Collins.
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From the Toronto Star whodunnit reviewer, Jack Batten:
"Then we have Susan Daly, the prize of the collection, who presents a clever
and funny take on Jane Austen...."
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FAMILY TRADITIONS
Stuck in the kitchen on the biggest Turkey and Football and Santa Claus Parade
day of the year, Terri, a
long-suffering housewife, takes a new look at sacred family traditions, and how
they all seem to conflict with each other.
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The Whole She-Bang 3
is the collaborative work of members of Toronto Sisters in
Crime, co-ordinated by Helen Nelson, edited by Janet Costello and brought to
life by a tireless team of volunteers.
The anthology features works by 20
Canadian crime writers, and is (can you tell by the title?) the third in the
Whole She-Bang Series.
All are available from your favourite on-line booktores.
Where to buy
The Whole She-Bang 3
Rakuten Kobo
ebook
Lulu.com
paper
Amazon.ca
paper or Kindle
Amazon.com
paper or Kindle
Smashwords
ebook
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THE WHOLE SHE-BANG 2
November 2014 saw the start of my life of crime, when my short story "Poetic
Justice" was published in
The Whole She-Bang 2,
an anthology from Canadian Sisters in Crime.
Following the 2011 success of the first book,
The Whole She-Bang
, the Canadian
members of
Sisters in Crime
decided to publish a second anthology of crime
stories by Canadian writers, from first offenders to hardened veterans.
I had a ton of fun writing "Poetic Justice" and couldn't resist basing it on
recent, crazy events in Toronto. Jack Batten of the Star said,
Susan Daly presents a juicy story of confrontations between characters based on
Rob Ford and Margaret Atwood.
Doughnut shops vs. libraries, anyone?
Editor Janet Costello and her crew have pulled together 24 stories ranging from
cosy to noir, from deadly serious to dying laughing. I'm thrilled to be
included among such a talented crew of sisters and brothers.
What other writers are saying....
The Whole She-Bang 2 is wonderful! With accomplished short stories that
range from hilarious to gruesome to downright unsettling, this is a collection
sure to appeal to any taste. It does Canada's female crime writers proud.
Louise Penny,
New York Times Bestselling author
Thoughtful, well-written and above all, entertaining, this collection of short
stories by established and up-and-coming crime writers is as Canadian as a
polite little murder on a winter's afternoon.
Elizabeth J. Duncan,
award-winning author of the Penny Brannigan series.
Are the stories in this new collection by Sisters in Crime ingenious?
Check. Well written? Check. A delight, a surprise, and unputdownable, story
after story? Check, check, and check. If ever there was an anthology worth
checking out, this is it.
Scott Mackay,
Arthur Ellis Award winner for best
short mystery fiction
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Libraries will get you through times without money
better than banks will get
you through times without books
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