National Network for Equitable Library Service

Wilson spent his entire life under the radar. Few people knew who he was and even less knew how to find him. Only two people even knew what he really did. He worked jobs for one very bad man. Illegal jobs no one could ever know about. Wilson was invisible until the day he crossed the line and risked everything to save the last connection to humanity he had. One day changed everything. Wilson saved his friends and earned the hatred of a vengeful mob boss, a man who claimed he was Charles Darwin's worst nightmare.

Nastos returns on the case of a missing teen, a sadistic abuser, and a race against time

Nastos built his police career by channeling his own shadowy instincts to hunt dangerous predators. Now disgraced and off the force, Nastos reluctantly agrees to work with the brash lawyer who cleared him of murder charges. Their job? Track the whereabouts of Lindsay Bannerman, a troubled teen whose wealthy family fears the worst.

WINNER OF THE 2013 Stephen Leacock Award for Canadian Humour Writing!

This debut collection of stories — featuring a talk-show host and her talking hand, a women’s activity group that writes to prisoners, and a poncho-making nudist — is as unique as it is compelling. Set in their own melodramatic worlds, the stories take inspiration from Old Hollywood, Gothic novels, art-world gossip, and maybe a Lifetime movie or two. Balzer’s observations are as sharp as Flaubert’s, and his characters are drawn with the complexity of George Saunders (and the wit of George Sanders).

Ambition, failure, sex, and the service industry

A dark and comic novel, Congratulations On Everything tracks the struggles, frailties, and cruelly pyrrhic victories of the middle-aged owner of a bar-restaurant and a 30ish lunch-shift waitress.

Jeremy has bought into the teachings of an empowerment and success guru, hook, line, and sinker. A Toronto service industry lifer, he’s risen through the ranks until he finally takes the keys to his destiny and opens his own place, The Ice Shack.

The Judy Garland of the future tells it like she sees it

Nominated for the 2015 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel

A reformed smuggler finds himself embroiled in a mind-bending criminal conspiracy in this page-turning debut. Pastor Tommy Bosco runs a Winnipeg skid row mission that caters to ex-criminals and ex-addicts trying to make a better life. Sometimes that better life means leaving the city--and the good and bad guys--completely behind. A former smuggler, Bosco can make anyone disappear, faking deaths and extracting people across the Canada-U.S. border. But then his ex shows up, fresh from the murder of a biker-gang boss.

A high school football star who chooses a tour of duty in Afghanistan over a potentially lucrative career in the pros. A woman whose career as a nine-ball champion was cut short at the Nationals. A motorcycle accident that leaves a boy in a wheelchair. A gun containing a single bullet. Fires destroying homes throughout Regina. An elusive best friend who makes an incredible and awful sacrifice.

And Ruby Yee’s spicy black bean balls.

Beau Delaney is a bit of a showboat, a prominent lawyer whose exploits have become the subject of a Hollywood film. He's also the father of ten children (many adopted). Now he's charged with the murder of his wife, Peggy. It's another hard case for lawyer and bluesman Monty Collins. His client is keeping secrets; a mysterious eleventh child turns up and demands to take part in the trial; and the last words anyone heard from Peggy were 'the Hells Angels!' Monty isn't alone in trying to save Delaney from life in prison, and save his sprawling family from breaking up.