National Network for Equitable Library Service

TouchWood Editions is proud to introduce the first female sleuth in our selection of mystery novels. Author Gwendolyn Southin uniquely blends the charm of gumshoe techniques with the fresh perspective of a developing female detective. The Margaret Spencer Mysteries offer action and suspense, with a human subtext. At age fifty, Margaret Spencer's empty nest and empty marriage prompt her to answer an ad for part-time office work at the office of private investigator Nat Southby.

It’s the winter of 1884, and five hundred Canadian Pacific Rail workers have halted their push through the Rockies at Holt City, an isolated shantytown in the shadow of the Continental Divide. The men are tired and cold, and patience is as scarce as the rationed food. Then, Deek Penner, a CPR section boss, is brutally murdered at the end of the track. His body is found frozen on the banks of the Bow River. Durrant Wallace, a veteran of the celebrated March West by the North West Mounted Police a decade earlier, is returned to active duty to investigate the murder.

In this new mystery series set on the islands off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State, Noel Franklin and Kyra Rachel team up to form Islands Investigations International. Quickly they come to realize that some crimes respect no boundaries. Their first job takes Noel and Kyra to Gabriola Island and the unsolved murder of an art gallery groundskeeper. The vicious rumours surrounding the case take several sinister turns, leading them into grave personal danger.

Zachary's Horses picks up where Zachary’s Gold left off and continues the adventures of Zachary Beddoes. It is 1870, and the ex-lawman is hiding out in the capital of colonial British Columbia, using the name Lincoln Zachary. He soon befriends a series of locals: a young woman with a mysterious background; a pair of young English gentlemen, who are travelling through the area; a manic, alcoholic notary from the Washington Territory; and a rich but unscrupulous local business family, who are organizing what they think will be the horse race of the decade.

Elizabeth and Tom Drummond are living quietly in Mill Bay, B.C., when their tranquil existence is disrupted by a singular event: out of the ashes of 9/11, borne by a person believed long dead, come riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams. But with the wealth comes danger-lies, secrets, insidious temptation and relentless pursuit by a grim figure whose motives may be a lot darker than justice. Fear, guilt and loyalty mean that Elizabeth and Tom are on their own. All they desire, finally, is to be rid of the dreadful fortune-and to survive the attentions of those who would be rid of them.

In May 1936, George Dalziel flew far up the Nahanni River to check on Bill Eppler and Joe Mulholland, who were working one of his traplines. He found their cabin burned to the ground and no sign of them anywhere. What had happened to the healthy young men? Had there been an accident, or was a killer on the loose? Dalziel, known as The Flying Trapper, had a successful trapping operation along the Flat, South Nahanni and Liard rivers.

I knew that if I dived deep enough, the bullets would lose their killing velocity. I heard, or sensed, another explosive blast. My left arm was useless. I kept diving, down and out into deeper, blacker water . . . Coast Salish investigator Silas Seaweed is back in another suspenseful page-turner. What begins as a missing-person investigation takes a nasty turn when party girl Jane Colby is found drowned, strangulation marks around her neck. Silas soon discovers that some of Jane's friends would benefit by her death.

High Rider is the historical novel based on the life of John Ware (1845–1905). Born a slave on a rice plantation in South Carolina, John Ware became one of the most successful independent ranchers in southern Alberta through the sheer force of his will and through his incredible skill at the cowboy trade.This fascinating historical novel details his adventures, as well as his trials and tribulations, on the long road that took him from South Carolina to Texas to Montana and finally north to Canada. High Rider is the compelling story of a truly great, yet unsung, Canadian hero.

Trained as a nurse and midwife, Elizabeth Evans never wanted to help set up the fledgling town of Aspen Coulee, Alberta, but travels there with her father when he agrees to become the town doctor. Housekeeper at the Evans’ house, Ann Montgomery hoped to keep all her San Francisco secrets locked in her ancient wedding chest. It is 1907, and the Canadian Pacific Railway is driving the engine of the west.

A collection of stories chronicling the characters and dramas that capture life in small coastal communities. In this story collection, Pat Carney follows the rhythms of day-to-day life in coastal BC. Featuring a revolving cast of characters—the newly retired couple, the church warden, the musician, the small-town girl with big city dreams—Carney’s keen observations of the personalities and dramas of coastal life are instantly recognizable to readers who are familiar with life in a small community.