During an epic storm in the Gulf of Maine a lone woman races--first by car, then by a life-threatening sea crossing--to the island of Grand Manan. Her father is dying—will she make it in time?
Others also venture out into the maelstrom that night, including a mysterious band of men and women who gather on Seven Days Work, the sheer cliff that overlooks the wild sea. A housekeeper, a pastor, and a strange recluse are also wandering about out in the tempest. Who else risks being out in the turbulent black night? And how many murder victims will be revealed at the break of dawn?
Such questions will engage retired Montreal detective Ã?mile Cinq-Mars. He and his wife seek shelter from the same storm as they make their way to the island for a rare summer vacation from both his police work and her horse stable. With a mounting death toll, a lengthy list of suspects, and a murder in the deep past that somehow affects the present, Cinq-Mars is drawn into uncovering ancient secrets that have led to murder. When the villainy turns against him, another race ensues, this timeto solve the crimes before his visit to the island ends in tragedy.
John Farrow'sSeven Days Dead continues the Ã?mile Cinq-Mars series of crime novels, whichBooklist has called “one of the best series in crime fiction,”; Die Zeit in Germany has suggested it might be the best of all time.

JOHN FARROW is the pen name of Trevor Ferguson, who has written nine novels and four plays and has been named Canada’s best novelist in both Books in Canada and the Toronto Star. Under the name John Farrow, he has written two other novels featuring Émile Cinq-Mars, City of Ice and Ice Lake. He was raised in Montreal and lives in Hudson, Quebec.

John Farrow's profile page

Praise forSeven Days Dead:
A gale-force thriller.Seven Days Dead had me hooked from the first howling chapter. —Kathy Reichs
"John Farrow is the kind of effortlessly skilled writer who takes you gently in hand then leads you in the wrong direction. With a set up that reads and feels almost like classic Agatha Christie,Seven Days Dead takes you to a remote island on a dark and stormy night where murder and mystery await. The writing is elegant and atmospheric, the characters seem like real people and the story is beautifully told. If you're not a fan of Farrow already then readSeven Days Dead and you soon will be." —Simon Toyne, author of the bestsellingSanctus Trilogy
"The dramatic first chapters ofSeven Days Dead—set on Canada’s wave-washed Grand Manan island—caught me up like the relentless tides of the Bay of Fundy. John Farrow is a master of setting and suspense who understands that the darkest landscape is the human landscape. Intriguing characters and swirling action drew me on to the literal cliff-hanger of a climax." —Paul Doiron
Praise for The Storm Murders:
“Smart...enthralling.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
“One of the best mysteries from Canada in some time, this fourth book in a strong series is equally good at capturing the atmosphere of New Orleans and the distinctive qualities of Montreal.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Farrow has written an excellent thriller in which characters, plot, and setting score a triple for suspense.” —Library Journal (starred)
“With thought-provoking passages ... threaded throughoutThe Storm Murders,one might be forgiven for struggling to recall what life was like before this particular detective entered one's mind. For this reader, Cinq-Mars is there to stay.” —Criminal Elements
“Farrow brings a literary fiction writer's sensitivity to nuance and feel for landscape to this fine, character-rich thriller with a bang-up finish. Add Cinq-Mars to your shortlist of favorite retired Montreal detectives, including, of course, Penny's Armand Gamache.” —Booklist
“This terrific story, with sympathetic characters and Farrow's crisp prose, is some of the best fiction to come out of Canada. Louise Penny won't be bumped off the podium, but she'll have to clear some space next to her.” —Bookpage
“John Farrow has given crime-fiction fans something they haven't had for a long time: a well-conceived, well-written locked-room puzzle mystery combined with an engaging thriller that deftly explores the depths of human evil...Farrow is a skilled writer, and in THE STORM MURDERS he has brought his formidable talents to bear in creating an atmospheric, intense and sometimes graphic story that draws on recent history for it's narrative power.” —Reviewing The Evidence