National Network for Equitable Library Service

Calgary, Canada’s booming oil capital, is caught in the grip of terror as a serial killer with the chilling nickname TLC stalks its streets and pathways. His rampage has put intense pressure on Homicide Detective Chris Crane, the lead investigator in the case. TLC can seemingly strike at will, blatantly displaying the obscenely mutilated bodies of his victims in city parks. As the body count steadily mounts, TLC zeroes in on Chris, acknowledging him as a worthy opponent in the deadly game. But are the taunts really from TLC? Or are they the work of a sick impersonator?

Short-listed for the Forest of Reading Red Maple Award, 2012 Before you judge me, there are two things you should know about why I did it. Shana Tremain is a good kid. She knows right from wrong and she’s never been in any serious trouble. But when her best friend, Carrie, comes to her for help, Shana agrees to break the law to save Carrie from a molester. She even feels good about it for a while. Then trouble starts. Someone in their group of friends is stealing from the others.

Nina Dolgoy leads her neighbours on a campaign to renovate the community pool, but the only way she can think to raise money is to rob a bank. Unfortunately, she isn’t very good at it. In a part of town so beaten down that even prostitutes and drug dealers have written if off, Nina Dolgoy imagines that if the local pool wasn’t boarded up, her little daughters could use it to burn off their wayward energy and avoid falling into utter degradation.

Well into his forties, Derrick Rowe finds himself chasing stray women and stealing cash from the bookstore he manages. Having decided it’s time to stop spinning his wheels, he’s recently turned to robbing banks. Meanwhile, he bails his friend Jack Lofton out of jail, a burly fellow in an alcoholic free-fall of his own. Rowe soon enlists both Lofton and a tough young clerk at the bookstore in another heist, setting the stage for an armed bank robbery, a drive-by shooting, and further complications for all.

In this dark and gritty crime novel, the vacant Skyward Fairgrounds loom in the background as regional police officers pursue a stolen car and its unpredictable driver. A dangerous, high-speed chase unfolds. A few miles from the frozen highways, relentless Detective Kyle McVeigh pushes the boundaries to arrest local troublemaker Stan Hill; McVeigh is convinced Hill is responsible for three abductions that occurred at the Skyward Fair. The peculiar life of the pursued unfolds as he taunts and dares his pursuers, while the single-minded McVeigh moves ever closer to taking down his suspect.

A once regional, blue-collar town, Peacefield has surrendered its soul to the illusion of affluence. But for some, ideological differences still simmer, and losing streaks have become expected. Tension and division are a way of life. Then, one night, the otherwise bucolic town explodes with gunfire. Hostages are taken and the local police department, hampered by budget cuts, is caught flat-footed. Constables Grant Ambler and Arnold Strauss are both new to the department, and stuck in the orbit of their troubled personal lives as they walk, unaware, into the ensuing mayhem.

Greg is a once-respected journalist searching for a high-profile story that will help revive his career. Chloe is the missing girl he wrote about six years earlier who has just returned home to a world she no longer recognizes. Instead of leading police to her captor, Chloe turns to Greg to share her story. Unfortunately for him, Chloe won't provide names or locations, and instead dictates exactly how the story should be told. But Chloe has become an international celebrity—both respected and scrutinized by the public—and they all want to know, who is her kidnapper?

Jean Mason has a doppelganger. She's never seen her, but others swear they have. Apparently, her identical twin hangs out in Kensington Market, where she sometimes buys churros and drags an empty shopping cart down the streets, like she's looking for something to put in it. Jean's a grown woman with a husband and two kids, as well as a thriving bookstore in downtown Toronto, and she doesn't rattle easily—not like she used to. But after two customers insist they've seen her double, Jean decides to investigate.

Most of the things Pillow really liked to do were obviously morally wrong. He wasn't an idiot; clearly it was wrong to punch people in the face for money. But there had been an art to it, and it had been thrilling and thoughtful for him. The zoo was also evil, a jail for animals who'd committed no crimes, but he just loved it. The way Pillow figured it, love wasn't about goodness, it wasn't about being right, loving the very best person, or having the most ethical fun. Love was about being alone and making some decisions. Pillow loves animals. Especially the exotic ones.

Graham Marshall looked upon himself as one of the winners in the rat race, comfortable and content, with a secure future. At forty-one, he discovered that a rosy future was a mirage, and he committed his first, almost accidental, murder. At work and at home, his circumstances had begun to look less rosy and he wanted to take revenge on those who had humiliated him