When it was Cold — Howard Shrier

Howard Shrier's debut novel, Buffalo Jump, rocked the world of Canadian crime fiction in 2008. Hailed by critics across the country, it earned Shrier the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for best first novel. The sequel, High Chicago, won the Arthur for best novel, making Shrier the only author to win these awards in consecutive years. The third Jonah Geller novel, Boston Cream, received starred reviews in both Library Journal and Publisher's Weekly, and the fourth, Miss Montreal, was a finalist for yet another Arthur. Shrier's first book of stories, When it was Cold, shows why critics have long praised his characters, dialogue, settings and humour. His range has never been more apparent, with stories ranging from present day Toronto to Montreal in 1951, from Ukraine to Buffalo. Includes Done With Him, winner of the Toronto Star's Short Story Contest in 2021; Milk Teeth, singled out by reviewers of the 2017 anthology Montreal Noir; and Gringo Negro, a new Dante Ryan story. If you know Shrier's work, you'll enjoy every story in this stunning collection. If you haven't discovered his writing, this is the place to start. Shrier's crisp prose, sharp characterizations and razor-like dialogue make him a pleasure to read. – Bestselling author Linwood Barclay Howard Shrier deserves an honoured place on any shelf of Canadian fiction. He has updated the hard-boiled genre with tremendous wit, wide-ranging plots, and a keen eye for just the right details of setting… this collection should bring his stories to an even wider audience. – Award-winning author Giles Blunt, creator of the John Cardinal series There's a reason why he consistently wins the Arthur Ellis Award. He tells a really good story. – Starred review, Library Journal