Short-listed for the 2009 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel
Christine Morris is awakened early on a chill November morning by a phone call from one of her colleagues, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Leo Forgach. His daughter, Deirdre, is missing. Despite the fact that she and the doctor have never seen eye to eye, Christine agrees to help him search for Deirdre – only to discover her brutally strangled body in the lake.
Heartbroken, Leo tells Christine that his daughter was deaf and had recently given birth to a child she had deliberately ensured would be deaf. As a militant suporter of the Deaf Culture, Deirdre wanted a deaf child to make a political statement. Although some people supported her stand, many did not – including Deirdre’s own father. Christine must use her new kills as a forensic profiler to discover the killer.

Maureen Jennings was born in the UK and now lives in Toronto. Best known for the Detective Murdoch books, which have been adapted into the long-running television series, Murdoch Mysteries; she is also the author of the Tom Tyler and Christine Morris books. Her books have been translated into other languages, including Polish, Korean, French, German, Italian, and Czech. Murdoch Mysteries has been aired in many countries, including the UK, the US, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, and the Baltics. Jennings was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from Heritage Toronto in 1998 and the Grant Allen award for on-going contribution to the genre in 2011. She has received a total of eight nominations from the Crime Writers of Canada, for best novel and best short story of the year. Jennings lives in Toronto with her husband, photographer Iden Ford, and her dog, Murdoch.

Maureen Jennings' profile page

• Short-listed, Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel

A light, but fun read.

Packet & Times

Maureen Jennings is a mystery writer of imaginative precision, and The K Handshape enhances this reputation. It is well plotted, with cleverly placed clues and dialogue that shape the characters and highlight the tension. Sub-plots enrich the multilayered story - - a hallmark of Jennings' consummate skill as a storyteller ... Jennings' writing merges solid procedural work with atmosphere and character interaction. She is a humane observer of the circus of life. The K Handshape offers a challenging conclusion and is a most satisfying read.

Don Graves

This is a well-written book, full of energy, excellent characterization and a great plot. Jennings' new series is on its way to success.

Ken Kilpatrick

Jennings’ new series is on its way to success.

I was utterly fascinated by Maureen Jennings' depiction of deaf culture in K Handshape ... Some really nice detective work on Christine's part, with her colleagues offering their forensic profiling skills at their regular meetings, makes this a super read.

Talented author Maureen Jennings shows us a world we know little about and the difficulties in communicating with the deaf friends of the victim in the search for a motive and a killer. Recommended as a read for any mystery fan who likes to venture into different worlds and subcultures ... Enjoy. I did.

Anne K. Edwards

Jennings is highlighting an aspect of modern police work that is understood by few.

The Paris Star( Ontario)

Jennings unravels her narrative with deliberate precision, setting up a cavalcade of possible suspects and intriguing plot twists.

Quill and Quire

... a remarkably poignant story about the murder of a young deaf woman who was simply trying to break down discriminatory barriers for the hearing impaired ... Jennings is a master at drawing out her characters, here introducing new ones along with some from the past whom she brought to life in Christine Morris's first case.

Mike Gillespie