Crime Writer Margot Kinberg

Québec is a unique Canadian province. It’s got a culture and history that are different in several ways to the rest of the country. Most of the province was part of New France for a long time, so it still anchors the French culture and language on the North American continent. Québec is home to stunning natural landscapes, rich history, fine museums and other cultural attractions, delicious food, and more – like crime. A quick look at crime fiction shows that there’s plenty of (at least fictional) crime in the province, no matter how beautiful it looks on the surface.

Brian Van Norman’s Betrayal Path takes place beginning in 1756. It’s a time of great turbulence in the British and French North American colonies as the French and British governments fight over land claims. War has broken out, and loyalties are being tested. Against this background, we meet a British spy called Alan Nashe. He is sent to Québec to find out as much as he can about the French defenses and make plans to sabotage them. It’s a clear and straightforward mission, at least at first. But then, Nashe grows very fond of the Québécois culture, and especially fond of one Québécoise in particular. Now, he faces a dilemma. Will he betray these people he’s come to like and respect? Or will he fulfill his original mission and stay loyal to his own people? Along with his personal conundrum, Nashe has to navigate the very dangerous world of espionage. This is, admittedly, more a spy thriller than a crime novel, but certainly crimes are committed, and it’s a look at the history of the province.

Peter May’s Entry Island introduces readers to Sergeant Enquêteur Sime Mackenzie of the Sûreté du Québec. He is assigned to go to one of Québec’s islands, often called Entry Island, when James Cowell is murdered there. One of the reasons he was tapped for the job is that Entry Island is one of the few places in the province with a majority-anglophone population. It’s believed Mackenzie will have an easier time getting information from the locals than would one of his francophone colleagues. Mackenzie feels drawn to the place right away and begins having vivid dreams involving one of his ancestors, also called Sime, who emigrated from Scotland in the 19^th Century. As the modern-day Mackenzie investigates the murder, talks to witnesses, and so on, we learn about that other Sime’s upbringing, voyage to Canada, and what happened when he arrived. In the end, the two plot lines merge and we see how they are related.

R.J. Harlick’s Death’s Golden Whisper takes place at Three Deer Point in Outaouais, in Western Québec. Meg Harris has recently left an abusive relationship and is now living in a house she inherited from her Great-Aunt Agatha. Like Aunt Agatha, Meg is cultivating a positive relationship with the Migiskan people who live in the area. So far, she’s largely succeeded in building a solid rapport. Miskigan Band Chief Eric Odjik is relying on that bond when he visits Meg to ask for her help. A company called CanacGold wants to follow up on stories that there is gold on Whisper Island, which is very near Three Deer Point. Many of the Migiskan people do not want CanacGold to drill. Some are concerned about the impact on the land and the Migiskan people’s ways of life; others don’t want the company to profit from gold that, by rights, belongs to them. Either way, it’s an unpopular plan. There might be a way out, though. If the land legally belongs to someone, then the company can’t drill. And Odjik thinks Meg’s Aunt Agatha owned Whisper Island. If so, that means Meg owns the land and can prevent drilling. One plot thread of this book concerns Meg’s search for the truth about the land, and her discovery of some dark family secrets. In another plot thread, Meg’s friend and employee, Marie Whiteduck, goes missing. Then, her husband Louis is found dead. Now, Meg’s drawn into a dangerous set of mysteries – secrets that someone does not want her to discover.

Jeannette de Beauvoir’s Asylum features Martine LeDuc, the director of public relations for Montréal. Her job is to create and promote a positive image for the city. That becomes difficult when the body of a young woman is found posed on a park bench. Within the next few months, three other women’s bodies are discovered, all displayed on area park benches. People are now really beginning to take notice, and the media is looking for answers, so there’s a great deal of pressure both on the police and on Martine’s office. She is ‘volunteered’ to serve as a liaison between the police and the mayor’s office, so that it’s clear that the city is taking these murders seriously. So, she works with Lieutenant Julian Fletcher to co-ordinate efforts and find out the truth. The truth turns out to be dark and ugly, and it’s related to a tragic part of Montréal’s past. As the two get closer to that truth, it becomes clear that someone has not forgotten that past.

Of course, I couldn’t do a post about crime fiction set in Québec without mentioning the work of Louise Penny. Her Three Pines series has gained millions of fans all over the world. In fact, there are Three Pines tours of places in the province that inspire Penny, and plenty of people who think the small, rural town in which this series is based is real. As you’ll no doubt know, the series features Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. In Still Life, the first novel of the series, he’s sent to investigate when a beloved former teacher is killed. As the series goes on, his life becomes entwined with the town’s life, to the point that when he retires, he and his wife, Reine-Marie, move to Three Pines.

See what I mean? Québec is a beautiful province with a rich tapestry of history, culture, a unique way of life, and stunning natural attractions. But safe? Not always, at least if you read crime fiction…

ps. Thanks, Bonjour Quebec, for the lovely photo!

*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from Georges Dor’s La Manic. In English, it means, ‘Tell me what’s happening in Trois-Rivières’