Hummingbird Dance - Garry Ryan

A Hummingbird Dance begins with a disappearance connected to an unsolved murder.  When Detectives Lane and Harper investigate the death of a sixteen-year-old First Nations man, they begin to unravel a series of killings. They must also deal with complex family issues while risking their lives to uncover the truth behind the killings.

More on this book and Garry Ryan


This book was given away to a mystery reader at Bloody Words thanks to funding support from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Grizzly Lies - Eileen Coughlan

Grizzly Lies - Eileen Coughlan
Sumach Press

Hellie MacConnell retreats from a troubled relationship in Toronto to the quiet town of Banff, Alberta where life is peaceful and nature abounds. But when her landlord turns up dead and her bear-loving neighbour Arthur Elliott disappears, Hellie finds herself at the heart of a murder investigation. Is Arthur a dangerous extremist who will do anything to protect 'his' grizzly bears? Is someone lurking in wait for Hellie, too? And what dark history is shared between Arthur and a visiting Texan hunter. A truly Canadian mystery set in spectacular Banff, Grizzly Lies charms with small-town legend and chills with dark secrets. As Hellie delves deeper into the mystery of her landlord's death, she learns to listen to stories of others, heal herself and let go of the past.


Copies of this book were given out courtesy of the author and of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Amuse Bouch - Anthony Bidulka

Amuse Bouch - Anthony Bidulka

2003 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel Finalist
2003 ReLit Award shortlist

A gay wedding gone bad. A missing groom. An unsullied reputation at risk. Enter Russell Quant, cute, gay and a rookie private detective. With a nose for good wine and bad lies, Quant is off to France on his first big case. 


This book was given out thanks to the generous support of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Only Shadow on the House - Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

The Only Shadow on the House
Joan Donaldson-Yarmey


In this fast-paced sequel to Illegally Dead, Edmonton travel writer Elizabeth Oliver is excited to get back on the open road to research a new article when, suddenly, an unexpected romance leads to a new murder mystery!
Though she is determined to stay focused on her writing, Elizabeth can't ignore the familiar goose bumps she feels when handsome wheelchair basketball coach Jared asks for her help to find out the truth about his mother's death. 
Purchased through the generosity of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Some Welcome Home - Sharon Wildwind

First book in the Elizabeth Pepperhawk/Avivah Rosen Viet Nam veteran mystery series.

Captain Elizabeth Pepperhawk survived Vietnam, but will she survive Fort Bragg? Whoever dressed a body in a World War II uniform, and put it in her bed at Normandy House, wants to shorten not only her military career, but her life.

Copies of this book were given away courtesy of the author and of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

Mooning over 'The Moonstone'

Bony Pete contest coordinator Chris Bullock chose Wilkie Collins'  The Moonstone as his Alberta book.

Now, as we all know, Wilie Collins was not an Albertan--but Broadview Press, which released this edition of The Moonstone and donated this copy to the Bloody Words promotion, is an Alberta publisher. Steve Farmer, the editor, is in the English Department at Arizona State.

The Broadview edition of The Moonstone got rave reviews for the commentary and supporting materials that Steve Farmer provided. The annotation of the text has been applauded, as has the inclusion of the full text of Collins' dramatic adaptation of the novel. A reader who wants to delve deeply into this novel will certainly find the commentary and the appendices to be enormously useful.

Broadview offers a number of classic mysteries, all with the commentaries and supporting materials that help the reader to full understand the novels in their own context. Other works in this series include Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of the Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles; and Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White.

Anne Jayne

And the Grizzly goes to....

Joan Donaldson-Yarmey chose this novel by her fellow Sumach Press author, Eileen Coughlan.

Review of Grizzly Lies here

Copies of this title were provided to the Bloody Words promotional team by the author and with funding provided by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.