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For fans of Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries.

"Wright is a master of the psychological thriller."—Booklist

Karl Alberg, currently at his wits' end, was a big-city cop before moving to sleepy little Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast of Canada. He solved crimes involving gangsters, drug lords, real low-lifes. He can’t possibly be stumped by a murder in this sweet little town... But he is.

The woman was found propped against a tree, her pretty face scrubbed clean, and her slender neck slit from one side to the other. And that is all anyone can tell Alberg. Her name? Not so much. So Alberg hires a local artist to draw her picture; maybe someone will recognize her without, you know, the sliced-up neck. It’s a brilliant idea. The answers pour in. And they all point to one potential suspect, which should make Alberg very happy... But it doesn’t.

“Excellent writing, inventive plots and realistic characters distinguish Wright's mysteries... The suspense becomes tormenting as the author leads readers through blind alleys and, finally, to an astounding revelation adroitly concealed until the story's close.”—Publishers Weekly

L.R. Wright's profile page

L.R. Wright ("Bunny" to her family and friends) was best known for her celebrated mystery series set in a little town on Western Canada's Sunshine Coast, featuring Karl Alberg of the Canadian police. In 1986 the first book in the series, The Suspect, won the Edgar Award for Best Novel of the Year, making Wright the first Canadian to be so honored. Two other books in the series- A Chill Rain in January and Mother Love -won Arthur Ellis Awards (now the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence). Wright died in 2001, and in 2024 the Alberg & Cassandra series was adapted for television as Murder In a Small Town .

“This is a very fine book...the sense of compassion and melancholy engage the reader” —Boston Globe

“Excellent writing, inventive plots and realistic characters distinguish Wright's mysteries....The suspense becomes tormenting as the author leads readers through blind alleys and, finally, to an astounding revelation adroitly concealed until the story's close.” —Publishers Weekly

“An excellent story” —Tacoma News-Tribune

“Another atmospheric story by L.R. Wright...in a smooth, assured style that rings true” —Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Highly dramatic...very moving” —The Indianapolis News

“Gives Ruth Rendell a run for her money” —The Toronto Star