Two Vancouver Writers to Watch

Let’s do a shout-out to the debut authors. What’s a wonderful book by a first time crime fiction author you’ve read in the last six months?

by Dietrich

I’ve had the privilege of reading a couple of debut novels recently. And they’re both really good, highly recommended, and both are written by a pair of local Vancouver authors that I’m sure we’re going to hear more from.   

Hero Haters by Ken MacQueen. The first thing that struck me about Ken’s debut novel is the quality of his writing — like he’s been doing it forever. 

Jake Ockham had a dream job, vetting nominees for the Sedgewick Medallion—the nation’s highest civilian award for heroism. His own scarred hands are an indelible reminder of the single mother he failed to pull from a raging house fire; her face haunts him still. Obligations drag him back to his hometown to edit the family newspaper but attempts to embrace small-town life, and the hot new doctor, are thwarted by unknown forces. The heroes Jake vetted go missing and he becomes the prime suspect in the disappearances. Aided by resourceful friends, Jake follows a twisted trail to the Dark Web, where a shadowy group is forcing the kidnapped medalists to perform deadly acts of valor to amuse twisted subscribers to its website. To save his heroes, Jake must swallow his fears and become one himself … or die in the attempt. 

You can find out more at Ken’s website. kenmacqueen.com

To Those Who Killed Me by JT Siemens. JT penned this first-time crime novel showing a unique voice and delivering a gritty tale told with a snappy pace.

Disgraced ex-cop Sloane Donovan has relied on her job as a fitness instructor to keep her mental illness and PTSD in check — until she finds a close friend dead, apparently by her own hand. Obsessive demons triggered and doubtful of the official narrative, she teams up with Wayne Capson, a PI willing to bend the law, to find out who really killed her friend. The search leads Sloane from Vancouver's wealthiest enclaves to the street's darkest corners, questioning millionaires, tennis instructors, sex workers, former police colleagues — anyone who might provide answers.

Check out JTs website for the details: jtsiemens.ca