Intrepid coroner Bern Fortin faces murder and secrets in small town British Columbia in a debut novel already recognized by the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).

When respected ex–Canadian Forces commander Bern Fortin cuts short his military career to take a job as the coroner for a small mountain town in the heart of BC, he’s hoping to leave the past behind. Bern’s looking forward to a quiet life, but the memories of what he witnessed during his stints in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries haunt him still.

When the body of one of the workers is found floating in the huge bottle-washing tank at the local brewery, Bern is called in for a routine investigation. What first appears to be a tragic accident takes a menacing turn when the body of the worker’s girlfriend is discovered in a nearby field. Bern needs the help of brewery safety investigator Evie Chapelle, who, burdened by tragedies she might have prevented, is more determined than ever to keep her workers, and their tight-knit community, safe. Soon, Bern and Evie find themselves risking their jobs—and their lives—to uncover a killer hiding in a place where it is awfully hard to keep a secret.

Deryn Collier’s debut novel is a taut mystery full of suspense. Confined Space was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for best unpublished first crime novel by the Crime Writers of Canada.

Deryn Collier has dreamed of writing mystery novels since reading her first Nancy Drew in the second grade. She has written two previous novels: Confined Space, which was nominated for a Best First Novel Award by the Crime Writers of Canada, and Open Secret.

After moving to Montreal as a teenager, Collier instantly fell in love with the city, later graduating from McGill University. These days she lives in a small town in the mountains of British Columbia with her family, and though she has lived there for many years, she still considers Montreal to be home.

Collier enjoys gardening, sewing, and swimming year round in a glacier-fed lake and regularly overshares about these hobbies on Instagram. She writes a newsletter to her readers called The Aunt June Files, where she shares a behind-the-scenes look at her work and research in progress. Visit her website at www.deryncollier.com to subscribe.

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"The kind of book to curl up with and savour...but maybe not with a beer. Bern Fortin is an enigmatic coroner with a deeply layered past. Believable characters and a multi-layered plot. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Deryn Collier's debut novel keeps you up late reading to find out more."
-Peggy Blair, Author

“Fans of Dana Stabenow and Deborah Crombie rejoice! Deryn Collier's maiden outing is superbly written, densely layered, and marvelously suspenseful. Confined Space is a tour-de-force heralding an explosive new series guaranteed to please the traditional mystery lover.”
-Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times-bestselling author of One Was a Soldier

“A great debut novel. Confined Space perfectly captures the unique beauty of the Kootenay area of British Columbia as it introduces two conflicted, engaging, completely realistic characters."
-Vicki Delany, Author