• Reading age: 18

Ted Ballantyne's profile page

This is Ted Ballantyne’s first novel. It draws from his background of thirty-two years in the financial services industry where he had interactions with the Canada Revenue Agency on matters of interpretation and with the Department of Finance on tax policy issues affecting personal financial and retirement planning. He has an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Masters of Law (Taxation) from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (retired). Ted lives in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife and life partner, Jane. They have three adult children and one grandson.

I was truly amazed at all of the background knowledge that went into the construction of what could have been a very basic plot. From cover to cover, Ballantyne details every phone call, connection, and favor called in in order to bring Gerber down. The author writes in a style that is technical and specific to the profession of tax investigation but manages to keep the dialogue from becoming bogged down in verbiage above the reader’s head.

This is quite a different style of realistic fiction and isn’t for all readers. I can’t say the book is anticlimactic, but readers who are looking for a book with drama or action will not find his particular style up their alley. Ballantyne has put a lot of work into creating a very specific type of read, and he has succeeded in creating a book for fans of technical writing–not drama.

Ballantyne’s characters are well written, his plot engaging, and the technical way in which he writes about tax laws is thoughtful and shows an unmatched dedication. The Case of the Golden Helmet is a compelling crime novel with a unique mystery that will hook fans of crime procedurals.

- Literary Titan (excerpt)