The setting is a fictional country, Murinam, which has the feel and look of a former French colony. Benny Cooperman, still recovering from the head injury that impaired his short-term memory, is persuaded to investigate the death of an old schoolmate, Jake Grange. Grange, a family man, ran a scuba diving business before he was, it seems, murdered; his widow wants Benny to find out what happened and recover important documents. Benny’s cognitive difficulties have made his own world alien to him, but, ironically, he’s willing to broaden his horizons by travelling to countries where he can’t read the signs. Benny is now a true cosmopolitan—equally out of place everywhere. Intrigue and suspense amid the denizens of Murinam make this a memorable case for Benny Cooperman.

Book 12 in the Benny Cooperman Mystery series.

HOWARD ENGEL is the creator of the acclaimed Benny Cooperman mystery series, which has been published in more than 15 languages and adapted into two TV movies produced by the CBC and broadcast around the world. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2007, won the Writers' Trust of Canada Matt Cohen award for a life in writing in 2004, and received an honourary doctorate from Brock University. Engel experienced a mild stroke several years ago, leaving him unable to read but still able to write. His experiences of this condition, alexia sine agraphia, have been written about by Oliver Sacks in The New Yorker and in a recent book. Since his diagnosis, Engel continues to write prolifically and has detailed living with his condition through a memoir (The Man Who Forgot How To Read) and in his acclaimed Benny Cooperman series (Memory Book).

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