The Masons' Most Worshipful Grand Master is murdered. His body, laid out in the ritualistic Chamber of Reflection at the Masonic Temple, is surrounded by centuries of secrets. Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Staff Sergeant Nicholas Myra and Constable Donna Whiffen dig through thousands of years of history, secrets, scandals, and symbols in a hunt for the killer. Their search leads them back to the Temple of Solomon and the first Masonic murder. Rumours of hidden tunnels under churches and buildings in the centre of old St. John's lead to an unbelievable hunt for a treasure at the heart of the Ecclesiastical Circle—one which a lot of people would kill for. This is the historical backdrop to Helen C. Escott's engrossing and well-researched new novel, Operation Masonic. This gripping thriller is exceedingly clever and compellingly truthful. "The killer is always the one who is not getting what they want," Staff Sgt. Myra informs his team of investigators, "who must have what they can’t have."

Helen C. Escott is the author of the widely read blog-turned-book I Am Funny Like That, which has over 222,000 readers, and two bestselling crime thrillers: Operation Wormwood, which was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Crime Novel in 2019; and Operation Vanished, which was the Silver Medal Winner for Best Regional Fiction, awarded by the 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Both Operation Vanished and Operation Wormwood have appeared in the Atlantic Books Today top 5 bestsellers lists. Her fourth book is, In Search of Adventure: 70 Years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Newfoundland and Labrador, which profiles retired RCMP members and commemorates their service. And her fifth book, Operation Wormwood: The Reckoning, is the exciting conclusion to the crime novel Operation Wormwood.Helen is used to blazing trails. She is a retired civilian member of the world-renowned Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). In 1998, she created the RCMP’s Media Relations/ Communications Unit in Newfoundland and Labrador, and she became the first female senior communications strategist and media relations spokesperson for the RCMP in that province.Escott was the communications lead on high-profile events, including the RCMP’s Newfoundland and Labrador response on September 11 after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City. During her service, she wrote and implemented the Atlantic Region Communication Strategies to combat organized crime and outlaw biker gangs, created the Media Relations course and guidebook used by the RCMP, and was invited to teach the Media Relations course for senior management and RCMP members at the Canadian Police College, Ottawa. Helen is regularly asked to teach this course to other uniformed services. She also served as a communications strategist at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.Before joining the RCMP, Helen C. Escott worked in the media for 13 years in various positions, including reporter, on-air personality, marketing, and promotions.In 2017, she was presented with the CLB Governor and Commandant’s Medallion in recognition of her achievements of excellence in volunteering and fundraising work, including creating the idea and concept for the Spirit of Newfoundland dinner theatre show Where Once They Stood, a tribute to the Church Lads’ Brigade members who served at Beaumont Hamel.Helen also volunteers with St. Mark’s Anglican Church and created a successful communication strategy to bring people, especially families and members of the LGBTQ community, back to the church.In 2019, she was presented with the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.

Helen C. Escott's profile page