Nightshade
A Sam Montcalm Mystery
- Publisher
- Dundurn Press
- Initial publish date
- Aug 2010
- Category
- Hard-Boiled, Police Procedural, Private Investigators
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781770705241
- Publish Date
- Aug 2010
- List Price
- $6.99
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781459704763
- Publish Date
- Aug 2010
- List Price
- $11.99
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781554887149
- Publish Date
- Aug 2010
- List Price
- $11.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Short-listed for the 2011 Shamus Awards
Deadly nightshade – the poison plant par excellence – and in historic Quebec City at an important scientific conference concerning the genetic manipulation of trees it means murder!
Police, RCMP, and a mysterious FBI agent from Washington converge on the scene. But the sharpest eye belongs to Sam Montcalm, a despised "bedroom snooper" from Ottawa whose primary concern is to clear a First Nations activist of the crime. Sam is middle-aged, tough, and sophisticated, yet he’s also a lone wolf who feels displaced nearly everywhere, and his relations with his colleagues, the police – and with women – are always complicated. "You’re a psychic wound without a health card," a friend comments
The story moves to its surprising climax as Montcalm follows the trail of murder back to Canada’s capital and into the Gatineau Hills, his deep sense of cynicism about human nature confirmed as he closes in on the killer and struggles to come to terms with himself.
About the author
Tom Henighan is the author of 17 published books, including Mercury Man, shortlisted for the Red Maple Award; Viking Quest and Viking Terror, two historical novels set in medieval Canada; and more recently, Demon in My View and Doom Lake Holiday. In 2008 he was awarded the Victor Tolgesy Prize for lifetime contribution to the arts in Ottawa, where he lives.
Awards
- Short-listed, Shamus Awards
Editorial Reviews
Henighan's exploration of environmental concerns is timely, lively, sincere
London Free Press
This is a slick little mystery set in Quebec City and Ottawa, with an engaging PI who looks destined to return in a seriesThis one is lots of fun.
The Globe and Mail
This first mystery from Henighan introduces Ottawa snooper Sam Montcalm, and its a solid debut.
The Globe and Mail
Tom Henighan has crafted a multi-layered story with a very human, very imperfect protagonist, a wonderful descriptive writing style, and a tale of crime and passion for our times.
Mystery Maven Canada
Montcalm is modern and sensitive, espousing Henighans own values concerning the environment and development.
Unfolding Arts in Ottawa