Bloody Relations — Don Gutteridge

Don Gutteridge's fifth action-packed Marc Edwards mystery vividly portrays Canada struggling to become a nation.

It is July of 1838, and an uneasy peace hangs over Upper and Lower Canada. The provinces have suffered two rebellions, and the unresolved grievances of the local population still linger beneath the fragile calm. Britain has finally taken note of the situation, and Lord Durham is dispatched as the temporary commissioner of both colonies, tasked with finding a resolution amongst the disputing factions.

News of the impending change is greeted with a mix of fanfare and malice, and to Marc Edwards the new appointment signals an opportunity to unite the country for which he has long fought. But when Lord Durham's nephew is discovered in bed beside a dead woman, the murder weapon in his hand, it seems as though any hope for progress is lost. Unwilling to jump to conclusions, Marc soon finds himself embroiled in the investigation that ranges from Toronto's elite mansions to its most violent slums.

With the fate of a country resting on his search, Marc races to uncover the truth behind the murder before time runs out. As Marc and police constable Horatio Cobb thread their way through the political backrooms and seedy barrooms of the city, they will come face-to-face with the desperation embraced by those who have nothing -- and everything -- to lose.

Don Gutteridge's series is a vivid portrayal of Canada as a nation-to-be struggling to find its identity and autonomy, and in Marc Edwards readers will see the courage and integrity that helped to give birth to a country.