Overview
Fall from Grace from Wayne Arthurson marks the debut of Leo Desroches, one of the most unusual amateur detectives ever to appear in Canada or points south, this fast-paced, enthralling mystery is the story of a man who had everything, lost it all, and is trying to get it back.
Leo Desroches doesn’t look like a native, but his mother was Cree, and he understands the problems of indigenous Canadians of the First Nations. Which is probably why the Edmonton newspaper decides he should be their Aboriginal Issues reporter. He has his own issues to deal with: the compulsive gambling that cost him his wife and children and the risk-taking that threatens to derail him every time he starts to get his life back together. But during a newspaper strike, Leo caught a break, getting hired as a reporter. Since then, he’s managed to resist the urge to gamble. But he still hasn’t stopped taking risks....
When he’s assigned to cover the murder of a young native prostitute, it’s just one more article...until the cop in charge lets him view the corpse, something the Edmonton police never do. Leo’s article starts a chain of events that leads him to a much, much bigger story, one that could bring down the entire police department...if it doesn’t get him killed.
Editorials
From the Publisher
“A very satisfying debut. Think Nancy Pickard for region and atmosphere, Brad Parks for journalism, and Timothy Hallinan for social concerns and attitude. Highly recommended.”—Library Journal, Starred Review, Mystery Debut of the Month“Canadian journalist Arthurson’s impressive first novel…demonstrates a fine sense of place and casts a sympathetic but informed eye on Edmonton’s varied cultures.” —Publishers Weekly
“This is a genre-bender, its twists all the more startling for being unexpected.” —Booklist
“The way Arthurson blends disparate elements together in his winning debut augurs well for future efforts. Here’s hoping Arthurson brings the troubled Leo Desroches back for an encore, and soon.”—Mystery Scene
“Wise and compassionate, vivid and witty, Leo is the kind of character you feel you’ve known a long time, and Wayne Arthurson is a writer to watch. What a great read. I couldn’t put it down.” —Sparkle Hayter, bestselling author of the Robin Hudson mysteries
Publishers Weekly
In Canadian journalist Arthurson's impressive first novel, journalist Leo Desroches, a recovering compulsive gambler whose life and career were nearly destroyed by his addictions, receives unprecedented access to the body of Grace Cardinal, a young Native prostitute found in a cold Alberta field. Half Native himself, Leo uses the opportunity to publicize what would otherwise be a quickly forgotten murder. It soon becomes clear that the police have missed a serial killer who targets marginalized women whose murders won't attract determined investigation. When the trail points directly at the Edmonton Police Service, Leo finds himself kidnapped by rogue cops and taken on a trip that may prove his very last. Arthurson demonstrates a fine sense of place and casts a sympathetic but informed eye on Edmonton's varied cultures. Only one detail—the manner in which Leo deals with his need for thrills—rings false in an otherwise exceptional debut. (Apr.)Library Journal
Edmonton, Alberta, reporter Leo Desroches gets the inside scoop on the dead body story handed to him, but after that he fights hard for every clue. The victim—a local prostitute of Native heritage—was strangled and dumped, and not a lot more is known. Leo, a deeply flawed, recovering gambling addict, questions the system when he realizes a serial killer has been knocking off prostitutes and disposing of them for at least 20 years in fields around the region. Seemingly, no one in law enforcement has cared enough to investigate a possible pattern. As Leo obsesses about the victims, grapples with his own Native heritage, and interviews sources, his own life is threatened more than once. Arthurson slowly pulls in all the elements to conjure the writing of a feature story, but his pace picks up exponentially, and this makes for a very satisfying debut. Leo's gambling addiction is alive and well, which adds yet another unsettling element. VERDICT Think Nancy Pickard for region and atmosphere, Brad Parks for journalism, and Timothy Hallinan for social concerns and attitude. Highly recommended.Kirkus Reviews
Newspaper gumshoe yarn from the author ofFinal Season(2002).
Fighting compulsive gambling and consequent mental problems, estrangement from his wife and children and homelessness, Leo Desroches—half Cree, half French-Canadian—has dragged himself off the streets and into the newsroom of a busy Edmonton daily newspaper. When Leo's first on the scene when a corpse is found in a field outside the city, a sympathetic detective gives him unprecedented access to the crime-scene tent, and his scoop is that the victim was a young Native prostitute. Unfortunately, Leo is still a compulsive gambler and robs banks to feed his addiction—all it takes is a note passed to the teller and a look of determination. The police drag their feet over the case, yet Leo learns from the victim's friends that girls all avoid a yellow pickup. More, Leo finds a series of similar crimes going back decades, but again the police show no interest. The paper's editor, whom Leo once hired, gives Leo the job of Aboriginal Issues reporter, an assignment he accepts reluctantly, though it does help him reconnect with his Cree roots. Then a retired detective, Mike Gardiner, gives Leo an old, stolen file whose contents threaten to expose wrongdoing among swaths of the Edmonton Police Service's brass. Regrettably, watching Leo piece his life back together is far more rewarding than observing his fitful and inexpert investigations of typical crimes where motives are obvious, evidence lacking and suspects in short supply.
A promising protagonist is marred by tepid sleuthing and an ending that leaves a bad taste in the mouth.