Book Reviews

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Advice for Italian Boys by Anne Giardini
Nicolo Pavone isn't sure where his life is going but his grandmother is always ready to offer advice.
After River by Donna Milner
Hiring an American draft dodger to help out on the farm has long-lasting effects for a close-knit British Columbia family.
Alice, I Think by Susan Juby
A teenager decides to return to school after years of being taught at home.
Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka
Private detective Russell Quant investigates the disappearance of one of the grooms at a gay wedding. The first book in the Russell Quant series.
Angel Wing Splash Pattern by Richard Van Camp
Collection of nine short stories.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert want to adopt an orphan boy to help around the farm but a talkative young girl with an active imagination is sent instead.
Atonement by Gaétan Soucy
Twenty years ago, Louis Bapaume was chased out of the tiny village of Saint-Aldor. Now he's returned to make amends but the weather and a missing girl are making things complicated.
Bang by Norah McClintock
A man makes a citizen's arrest when he catches a boy stealing but unfortunately for him, the boy's friend has a gun.
Barrington Street Blues by Anne Emery
A rich man and a poor man are found shot to death outside of a strip club. On the surface, it looks like a murder-suicide but Halifax lawyer Monty Collins isn't convinced. Meanwhile, Monty and Maura's attempt at reconciliation takes a disastrous turn. The third book in the Monty Collins series.
Bear by Marian Engel
A summer assignment to a remote island gives a woman the chance to escape the job and the life she's beginning to hate.
Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders
The true story of an abused dog which became an international bestseller and was the first Canadian book to sell over a million copies.
Big Why, The by Michael Winter
In 1914, American artist Rockwell Kent moved to Brigus, Newfoundland. A year later, he was deported. This may have been what happened in between.
Bird in the House, A by Margaret Laurence
Eight connected short stories, featuring Vanessa MacLeod and set in Manawaka, Manitoba.
Bloodman by Robert Pobi
An FBI consultant returns home to deal with his injured father and is asked to help with a murder investigation.
Blue Castle, The by L.M. Montgomery
An unhappy woman makes radical changes to her life after learning she only has a year to live.
Boy Must Die, The by Jon Redfern
A teenager is found hanging in the basement of a house in Lethbridge and Billy Yamamoto is asked to help determine if it was suicide or murder.
Boy in the Burning House, The by Tim Wynne-Jones
A strange girl claims to know the truth about the disappearance of Jim Hawkins's father.
Chicken Doesn't Skate, The by Gordon Korman
Henrietta is supposed to be part of a science fair project but she may be needed elsewhere.
City Man, The by Howard Akler
In 1934, a reporter ventures into the world of Toronto's pickpockets.
Colour of Lightning, The by Paulette Jiles
In 1864, captives were taken after the Comanche and Kiowa raided a community in Texas and one man vowed to do whatever was necessary to get them back.
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
A young woman tries to come to terms with her past.
Curse of the Shaman, The by Michael Kusugak
Instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage for his daughter, a short-tempered shaman cursed young Wolverine, much to the delight of the shaman's grumpy animal spirit.
Darkness at the Stroke of Noon by Dennis Richard Murphy
Two members of a group of researchers are found dead in a remote part of Nunavut and RCMP Sergeant Booker Kennison is sent to investigate.
Day the Falls Stood Still, The by Cathy Marie Buchanan
A young woman meets a riverman in Niagara Falls.
Deafening by Frances Itani
The story of a deaf woman and her hearing husband during World War I.
Devil Is Loose, The by Antonine Maillet
A young Acadian woman takes on a powerful rum-runner.
Dooley Takes the Fall by Norah McClintock
Seventeen-year-old Ryan Dooley is suspected of murdering a kid from his troubled past.
Edith's War by Andrew Smith
In 1940, Edith Maguire moves in with her mother-in-law, next door to an Italian family. In 2002, Edith's sons await her arrival in Venice.
End of the Alphabet, The by CS Richardson
A dying man and his wife go on an alphabetical tour of their favourite places.
Galveston by Paul Quarrington
A group of people gather on an island to await a hurricane.
Garneau Block, The by Todd Babiak
The residents of an Edmonton cul-de-sac join together in an effort to save their neighbourhood.
Good House, A by Bonnie Burnard
Nearly five decades in the lives of the Chambers family.
Gravesavers, The by Sheree Fitch
A young girl helps her grandmother protect the graves of people lost in a shipwreck.
Guilty Plea, The by Robert Rotenberg
The son of a well-known family is murdered and all of the evidence points to his soon-to-be ex-wife.
Horseman's Graves, The by Jacqueline Baker
German immigrants struggle to survive in the dusty farmland of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
How to Be a Canadian by Will Ferguson and Ian Ferguson
Advice for new (and old) Canadians.
Icefields by Thomas Wharton
On a climbing expedition in 1898, Dr. Ned Byrne slipped into a crevasse in the Arcturus Glacier. What he saw while he waited for rescue would haunt him for the next 25 years.
Indigenous Beasts by Nathan Sellyn
Collection of fourteen short stories.
Inside Out Girl by Tish Cohen
An overprotective mother meets a widowed father and his unusual daughter.
Invisible Armies by Jon Evans
Danielle Leaf is in India, studying yoga at an ashram, when a friend asks her to deliver a passport to a woman in a remote area of the country. She agrees but the errand goes horribly wrong when she's stopped and framed for drug possession.
It Can Happen to You by Lynn Crymble
A woman takes part in a 'renovate your life' project for a local newspaper.
Johnny Kicker by Jeremy Beal
A fugitive starts a band and a revolution.
Joining of Dingo Radish, The by Rob Harasymchuk
Dingonaslav Marion Radashonovich, better known as Dingo Radish, lives in Bennington Falls, Saskatchewan. His parents were killed when he was eighteen and since then, he's been responsible for his promiscuous sister, Marty, and his mentally handicapped brother, Pitch. Dingo works at the local farm supply depot/feed mill. He's also a thief.
Killing Circle, The by Andrew Pyper
Patrick's son has been kidnapped and he's pretty sure he knows who is responsible.
Killing Spring, A by Gail Bowen
The head of the School of Journalism at Joanne Kilbourn's university is found dead in a scandalous position. Meanwhile, one of Joanne's students is missing and her friend Jill is not acting like herself. The fifth book in the series.
King Leary by Paul Quarrington
Percival "King" Leary, former hockey superstar, has accepted an offer to appear in a television ad for ginger ale. So he's off to Toronto with his roommate, a nurse from the South Grouse Nursing Home, and his memories.
Last Chance by Norah McClintock
Robyn's plans for a relaxing summer are abruptly changed when she is forced to volunteer at a local animal shelter.
Last Stop Sunnyside by Pat Capponi
A resident of a rooming house is murdered and her housemates set out to solve the crime. The first book in the Dana Leoni series.
Line Painter, The by Claire Cameron
A woman's car breaks down in the middle of the night in northern Ontario and she is offered a ride by a man who is painting lines on the road.
Lives We Lost, The by Megan Crewe
A deadly virus destroyed Kaelyn's island community and now it has escaped the quarantine. Book two of the Fallen World trilogy.
Lost Garden, The by Helen Humphreys
During WWII, a horticulturalist discovers a mysterious garden while working at a country estate.
Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat
Two boys set out on a canoe trip in the Canadian Arctic.
Luck by Joan Barfoot
Nora wakes up one morning to find her husband, Philip, dead beside her. Over the next few days, the artist and the other members of her household try to come to terms with their loss and each other.
Marked by Norah McClintock
Colin gets a summer job cleaning up graffiti in the neighbourhood but strange marks keep appearing where he cleans.
Megiddo's Shadow by Arthur Slade
In 1917, sixteen-year-old Edward Bathe lies about his age and joins the army to avenge the death of his brother.
Miss Smithers by Susan Juby
Alice enters a beauty pageant. The second book in the Alice MacLeod series.
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland
The story of Louise de la Vallière, mistress of Louis XIV of France.
Mob, The by Clem Martini
The annual gathering of a flock of crows is disturbed by unexpected events. Book one of Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles.
Natasha and Other Stories by David Bezmozgis
Seven connected short stories, semi-autobiographical.
No Such Creature by Giles Blunt
A pair of thieves — one old, one young — spend the summer travelling across the American southwest, visiting unusual tourist spots and robbing Republicans.
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
A fourteen-year-old girl wakes up one morning to find that her entire family has vanished.
Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg
A popular radio host is charged with the murder of his wife.
One Hand Screaming by Mark Leslie
Collection of short stories and poems.
Other Side of the Bridge, The by Mary Lawson
Arthur Dunn and Ian Christopherson live in a small community in Northern Ontario and their lives intertwine when Ian asks for a job on Arthur's farm.
Out of the Cold by Norah McClintock
Robyn volunteers at a homeless shelter and tries to discover the identity of a man she meets there. The fourth book in the Robyn Hunter series.
Placebo Effect, The by David Rotenberg
Decker Roberts knows if people are telling the truth and this talent is drawing unwanted attention. Book one of The Junction Chronicles.
Plague, The by Clem Martini
A plague has killed many crows and Kym has been captured by humans. Book two of Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles.
Queen's Court by Edward O. Phillips
Louise Bingham is recently widowed and moving back to Montreal.
Red Means Run by Brad Smith
A lawyer is murdered and the cops suspect the man who threatened him only days before. The first book in the Virgil Cain mystery series.
Red Snow by Michael Slade
A madman is on the loose in Whistler in the days leading up to the 2010 Olympics.
Saving Jasey by Diane Tullson
An unhappy home life pushes Gavin to spend most of his time at his best friend Trist's house. Trist's sister Jasey may also be part of the appeal but she hasn't been acting like herself lately.
Scarlet Rose by Julia Madeleine
Fiona's stepfather has been murdered and the cops think she did it.
Scientific Romance, A by Ronald Wright
A man learns of a time machine and uses it to go to the future. While he explores the future and tries to learn its past, we learn about his own.
Sealed Letter, The by Emma Donoghue
In 1864, a divorce trial scandalized England. Based on a true story.
Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Volume I: 1889-1910 by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Personal journal entries, covering Montgomery's life from age 14 to 36.
Shadow of Doubt by Norah McClintock
Robyn tries to find out who sent her teacher a mysterious package. The fifth book in the Robyn Hunter series.
Sign of the Cross by Anne Emery
A young woman has been murdered and all of the evidence points to Father Brennan Burke.
Slow Fix, The by Ivan E. Coyote
Collection of thirty-one short stories.
Snitch by Allison van Diepen
A girl is branded as a snitch at her inner city high school.
Sointula by Bill Gaston
A woman sets out in a stolen kayak to find her estranged son with an incompetent travel writer as her companion.
South of an Unnamed Creek by Anne Cameron
Six women make their way to Dawson at the height of the Klondike gold rush.
Spider's Song by Anita Daher
AJ, stuck in Yellowknife with her grandmother, meets a man from her mother's past.
Spin by Catherine McKenzie
A woman goes to rehab to get a story on a celebrity and, maybe, land her dream job.
Step Closer by Tessa McWatt
Emily tells the tragic story of Gavin and Marcus while dealing with relationship issues of her own.
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Xavier Bird and Elijah Whiskeyjack left Northern Ontario to serve in World War I. Now only one of them has returned to make the journey home.
Touched by Venom by Janine Cross
Book one of the Dragon Temple Saga
Trade Mission, The by Andrew Pyper
A trade mission to Brazil turns into a fight for survival. Also published as Dark Descent.
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks
On a rainy night, a 17-year-old girl arrives in a small prairie town.
Voyageur by Eric Walters
Brian, his mom, and his sister go on a canoe trip in Northern Quebec to scatter the ashes of Brian's father.
Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk
A man is brought to the Sevilla Institute for the Mentally Ill in Spain, claiming to be Christopher Columbus.
Waiting for Sarah by Bruce McBay and James Heneghan
An accident took Mike's family and his legs. Life seems pretty miserable until he meets a young girl while working on a school project.
Way Lies North, The by Jean Rae Baxter
During the American Revolution, Charlotte and her Loyalist family are forced to flee from their home.
Wenda the Wacky Wiggler by Christopher Aslan
Even grumpy townsfolk can't stop Wenda from dancing.
Wicked Woods by Steve Vernon
Collection of twenty-five ghost stories.
World More Full of Weeping, The by Robert J. Wiersema
An 11-year-old boy is missing in the woods behind his house.
Y in the Shadows by Karen Rivers
Yale discovers that she has the ability to disappear.