Book review: Murder Tales in the Ottawa Valley

At the onset of the pandemic Regina-based author, Keith Landry picked up his pen and started writing. With plenty of time on his hands, Landry studied newspapers from the early 1900s, analyzing crimes and crafting stories around them. Inspired by his research, he has written five books since the outbreak of Covid.

Landry spends most of his days writing stories and updates on his blog-style website. His stories are based on true events with a fictional spin. This isn't the first time Landry was bitten by the writing bug, in the late 1980s Landry won a contest that saw two of his short stories published in a magazine.

Retired from his career in public service, Landry is now a popular Amazon author. His first book Allumette Island Massacre is a best seller on Amazon. His subsequent five books have gained popularity and have been listed near the top in their Amazon categories. Landry’s wife, Vivian is the editor and proofreader of his novels.

Check out one of his latest novel, Murder Tales in the Ottawa Valley, a chilling narrative that explores horrific crimes in Ottawa and the surrounding region since 1879.

About the book:

Black Tuesday, September 29, 1931, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police open fire on striking coal miners parading on a major street in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The miners were from nearby Bienfait. Flying bullets hit miners and bystanders. The subsequent melee injured many police officers and miners. The gunfire killed Chad Walker’s grandfather. Afterwards, his grandmother left with Chad’s father to move to Calgary. Chad grew up in a poor area of Calgary listening to stories about Black Tuesday and his grandfather told to him by a difficult, uncaring, and alcoholic father. When Estevan’s Historical Committee published a two-volume history of Estevan and area in 1981, Chad was curious why there is no mention of Black Tuesday. Chad travels to Estevan to learn why it was omitted, only to discover more about his grandfather and the circumstances leading to the infamous day. His exploration reveals how miners and their families were treated cruelly by mine operators who forced the miners to organize and strike to survive. While doing researching, Chad falls in love with a beautiful young librarian and before long he is reconsidering his successful career in the oil patch. The story is one of self revelation.