“A grave injustice.” Those are the words in the letter sent to Charlotte Frayne, P.I., on a cold March morning.

The newspapers have reported on the arrest of two Black teenagers in a burglary, but did the pair actually commit the crime? Not according to the letter’s sender, Mrs. Olivia Brodie. A resident of the Toronto House of Industry — “the poor house” — Mrs. Brodie was running an early morning errand when she witnessed, on the morning of the crime, two men behaving in a suspicious manner near the burgled home: two white men.

Meanwhile, Charlotte is investigating another theft — this one at the home of a woman on the opposite end of the social hierarchy. As she juggles her investigations, Charlotte finds unexpected links between people and personal histories, along with more than one “grave injustice.”

Maureen Jennings was born in the UK and now lives in Toronto. Best known for the Detective Murdoch books, which have been adapted into the long-running television series, Murdoch Mysteries; she is also the author of the Tom Tyler and Christine Morris books. Her books have been translated into other languages, including Polish, Korean, French, German, Italian, and Czech. Murdoch Mysteries has been aired in many countries, including the UK, the US, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, and the Baltics. Jennings was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from Heritage Toronto in 1998 and the Grant Allen award for on-going contribution to the genre in 2011. She has received a total of eight nominations from the Crime Writers of Canada, for best novel and best short story of the year. Jennings lives in Toronto with her husband, photographer Iden Ford, and her dog, Murdoch.

Maureen Jennings' profile page

"An enjoyable and comfortable detective novel, March Roars cleverly blends what appears to be two diametrically opposed cases using good, solid storytelling and world-building with believable, relatable, and likable characters."

Novels Alive

“I will always have a special place for William Murdoch, but I now see Charlotte and Jack as amongst my favourite of her characters. I loved this book and this series. It is a great crime mystery historical fiction that I can easily recommend.”

Book Reviews and More

“The characters are masterfully written, and the story is highly addictive. I could hardly put the book down.”

Book Reviews and More

“This is an easy-going, page-turner of a story that boasts a couple good mysteries, an interesting cast you'll look forward to seeing again and again and a hearty dose of Canadian history. The Paradise Café series should be on all mystery buffs' TBR.”

The Baking Bookworm

“[March Roars] is an invitation to maintain hope in dark times.”

Reviewing the Evidence