Fall from Grace by Wayne Arthurson is Library Journal‘s Mystery Debut of the Month and receives a starred review in their April 1st issue! Below is the full review.
“Edmonton, Alberta, reporter Leo Desroches gets the inside scoop on the dead body story handed to him, but after that he fights hard for every clue. The victim—a local prostitute of Native heritage—was strangled and dumped, and not a lot more is known. Leo, a deeply flawed, recovering gambling addict, questions the system when he realizes a serial killer has been knocking off prostitutes and disposing of them for at least 20 years in fields around the region. Seemingly, no one in law enforcement has cared enough to investigate a possible pattern. As Leo obsesses about the victims, grapples with his own Native heritage, and interviews sources, his own life is threatened more than once. Arthurson slowly pulls in all the elements to conjure the writing of a feature story, but his pace picks up exponentially, and this makes for a very satisfying debut. Leo’s gambling addiction is alive and well, which adds yet another unsettling element. VERDICT Think Nancy Pickard for region and atmosphere, Brad Parks for journalism, and Timothy Hallinan for social concerns and attitude. Highly recommended.”
Fall from Grace is available now.
