Magpie's Smile (A)

ISBN 13: 978-1-897126-42-4
356 pages, paperback
Spring 2009

Mystery

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about this book

When the scalped remains of a Jane Doe are discovered within the rubble of a demolished house, Detective Jake Fry is assigned the task of hunting down Calgary’s most disturbed murderer. Working against a rising body count and police department politics, Fry must relentlessly pursue a murderer with an agenda no one but he can comprehend.

During Calgary’s first economic boom, people flocked from all corners of the country to the city rumoured to have streets paved in gold. Explore the dark side of this boom in A Magpie’s Smile, a tautly chronological police thriller and cinematic portrait of the frenetic Calgary of the 1970s.

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awards

Shortlisted for Best First Crime Novel, Arthur Ellis Awards

reviews

The Calgary Herald: Eugene Meese talks about the Calgary setting.

In the month of July, A Magpie's Smile was featured in the Whodunit Book Club. They said about the book:
"All of the characters in the novel, both primary and secondary, were fully rounded out. The detail was sharp but not monotonous. The sights and smells came through with deftly placed words that evoked a sense of place not often found in first novels."
Click here to read more.

"...a solid debut ... Fry seems ready for a return engagement. I look forward to it. " The Globe and Mail

Click here to read the review from The Hidden Staircase: Mysteries Reviewed

excerpt

> "May 2, 1977, 7:45 am"

Download a sample of the book here