This stunning debut novel is set in the 1980s in a small, God-fearing Ontario town, rife with poisonous secrets, grudges passed through the generations and an undercurrent of danger. The carpenter, Lee King, is returning after a lengthy stay in maximum-security prison to a community that still recalls his horrendous crime. His mother is dying and he wants to see her and his sister, Donna, after so many years. But things are still not quite right in the town, as Stan, the retired cop, knows. Not only does he vividly remember Lee’s unexplained violence from years before, but he is also caught up in a new, mysterious case. A young woman, Judy Lacroix, has just been found dead in a car at the site of the old drive-in, and the cops are saying it is suicide. Stan just can’t help getting involved, though his policing days are long over. And what about Lee King—will Stan ever understand why he became a murderer?

A taut and compelling story about family secrets, revenge, retribution and forgiveness, The Carpenter received stunning critical response on first publication.

Born in Orillia, Ontario, MATT LENNOX first pursued a military career, becoming a captain in the Canadian army. He was posted to Afghanistan between 2008 and 2009, during which time he wrote many of the stories in his first collection, Men of Salt, Men of Earth. It was published by Oberon Press in 2009 and was shortlisted for the 2010 ReLit Award (the title story had been previously published in Best Canadian Stories in 2006). He has completed an MFA at the University of Guelph and lives in Toronto. For more information, visit Matt’s Facebook page.

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