A Killing Winter

Gangs, gambling, and murder. Leo Desroches, a half-Cree, half-French Canadian reporter in Edmonton, Alberta, returns in A Killing Winter, the sequel to Wayne Arthurson's lauded debut murder mystery Fall from Grace. Leo, working undercover for a series of articles about the homeless of Edmonton, has his hands full. In his personal life, he's trying to reconnect with his estranged son while fighting his urge to gamble. And at the newspaper, he is consumed by a story that turns into a personal crusade: a search for a missing Native street kid he's befriended. When the boy is found brutally murdered, Leo realizes that in order to tell the victim's story and bring him justice, he has to plumb the depths of First Nations street culture in the local gang to which he belonged. But as Leo delves deeper into the gang and the inner workings of tribal politics, secrets emerge that threaten not only the survival of the tribe, but also Leo's sanity…and his life. “A Killing Winter is a must-read. Watch closely: This is a series with magnetic drawing power.” ― Hamilton Spectator. “So much is good here: an understanding of the pleasures as well as the horrors of addictions; descriptions of the Canadian cold that send one seeking a radiator; masterful action scenes. Give it a chance, delight in its successes, and wait for Arthurson's next one.” ― Booklist. “[Leo's] phoenixlike ability to rise again makes for compelling reading, plus a cliff-hanger ending demands resolution.” ―Library Journal.