Tag: Police

Quicksand – Murder Unresolved

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My latest title in the Norm Strom Crime Series is officially being released. Quicksand – Murder Unresolved is a fictional story that was inspired by a local cold case from years past.

A young mother of two who is estranged from her husband, is struck down by a hit and run driver in broad daylight out front of her workplace. There are several witnesses to the incident but no one can identify the driver of the vehicle.

The first person of interest to police is one of Norm Strom’s co-workers who was dating Annie Gladstone just prior to the the incident. Her husband later becomes the main suspect but he is not arrested until several years later.

The story unfolds in the aftermath of the hit and run, chronicling details of the police investigation, court case, and how the Gladstone family has to relive the incident day by day and year after year.

Quicksand is now available online at Amazon or your favorite book retailer. Locally, you can find a signed copy at Storytellers Bookstore in Windsor or River Bookshop in Amherstburg. You can also visit my events page for Local Events where I’ll be personally signing copies of all my books.

Quicksand – Murder Unresolved

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn Book Reviews, EntertainmentLeave a comment

My latest Norm Strom Crime novel has just been released – available in eBook on Amazon NOW. The release in paperback there and on your other favorite book site is coming soon.

Quicksand is a fictional story of an unsolved local murder that occurred in a quiet lakefront village where Norm Strom resided before moving back to Windsor, Ontario. Annie Gladstone is run down in broad daylight by a hit and run driver who is never identified or arrested.

One of Strom’s co-workers, a fellow cop, was dating Annie and is questioned about the incident. Her estranged ex-husband quickly becomes a person of interest and later the main suspect. An arrest is made several years later and the Gladstone family relives the entire event in court.

The case is still open and the murder remains unresolved to this day.

The Dark Hours – Michael Connelly

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The Dark Hours (Renée Ballard, #4; Harry Bosch, #23; Harry Bosch Universe, #36) by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Feb 09, 2024 

I gave this book four stars but I feel it was only worth 3.5.
There is nothing wrong with the story and perhaps I was less impressed because the protagonist was mostly Renee Ballard, not my favorite Connelly character.
Technically, it’s a Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch novel but the latter only makes a limited appearance later in the story as the female detective’s backup.
In The Dark Hours, Ballard juggles two cases, murder and rape, but struggles with everyone else in the “new L.A.P.D.” to get the job done. Of course, she can always count on retired Detective Harry Bosch for help.
The story picks up pace as Ballard bounces between the two cases, and then races to the finish line to wrap up all the bad guys in messy finale.

Echoes in Eternity – Street Cop Stories

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Echoes in Eternity: Street Cop Stories
by James Disser

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Oct 15, 2023  

I didn’t find this book all that interesting, perhaps because I also worked the streets for over 31 years and lived the same stories.
Having said that, Disser offers a real look into the types of calls and crimes that police officers face on a daily basis.
As an author, I think this former cop fell into the same trap I did with my first book, telling his tales as if writing a police report,without much emotion. Not that the individual stories weren’t inciteful for most people, they just lacked enough feeling to drag readers into the events he related.
For anyone who wants a real-life account of what happens during a variety of police investigations, this book is a good example.

The Bat – Jo Nesbo

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The Bat by Jo Nesbo (June 04,2013)
by Jo Nesbø (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review, Aug 01, 2023 it

I just couldn’t finish this one and struggled to give it 3 stars. The cover says it’s the first Harry Hole thriller but it’s more like a chiller. I gave up on page 200, about half-way through the book.

Having read Nesbo’s Snowman and also seeing the movie, maybe I expected too much. It was the author’s first time out so maybe he was only beginning to polish his act.

There is way too much useless fluff and character backstory – one part in particular where a whole chapter is wasted on useless information about an inconsequential person. At least twice, I had to flip back to the beginning to remember what the opening murder scene was all about.

Perhaps the story gets better in the end. Guess I’ll never know.

Gas of Tank – Todd Ternovan with Matthew St. Amand

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Gas of Tank: A Canadian Law Enforcement Odyssey 1979 – 2019
by Matthew St. Amand, Todd Ternovan

Edmond Gagnon‘s Review – Jun 07, 2022  

Best book I’ve read in a long time.
You might call me bias because like the author, I’m a retired police officer and also an author. But with the help of Matthew St. Amand, former O.P.P. Constable Todd Ternovan offers an emotional and insightful view of what policing it really all about. It’s about people.
If you want an honest and accurate picture of what it’s like to work the front lines in law enforcement, this is a must-read. Many of Todd’s stories brought me back to moments in my own policing career – the good and the bad.
Our paths crossed at least once or twice during our respective careers, somewhere in between 1990 to 2009 but I didn’t really know the man. Reading this chronology of his career made me realize we shared a lot of the same work ethic. He’s done an amazing job on his first book and is obviously a great story teller. His use of witty and colorful metaphors had me laughing out loud. His dry and sometimes sarcastic sense of cop humor showed through.
I thought the title was weird at first, but as Ternovan says, it is befitting the surreal, upside-down and unbelievable experiences police officers face every day.

The Vanished Man – Jeffrey Deaver

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The Vanished Man (Lincoln Rhyme, #5)
by Jeffery Deaver (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Feb 18, 2022  

I haven’t read much of Jeffrey Deaver but like his Lincoln Rhyme character. I’ve also see The Bone Collector movie. I wasn’t sure at first that I liked how the antagonist narrated his part in the story, but it was an important part of the plot and went to understanding the character’s motives.
The Vanished Man is the name of a particular illusion, performed by illusionists or magicians. And this story is all about magic and illusions – it has more surprises, twists an turns, than watching a motocross race on a dirt track.
The story is good and characters believable. I can promise that you’ll be fooled more than once reading this book and Deaver will keep you guessing right up until the end.

Two Kinds of Truth – Michael Connelly

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Two Kinds of Truth (Harry Bosch, #20; Harry Bosch Universe, #30)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 27, 2022  


This was one of three Bosch novels I traded for while in Sayulita, Mexico. All are out of order, something that happens when you pick up cheap second-hand books to read while you’re away. If that’s not confusing enough, I’ve made it worse by watching all seasons and episodes of the Bosch TV series.
So, where it was nice to read the more in-depth literary versions of certain stories, it also had me confused at times where certain characters, partners and cases have been changed or condensed for the theatrical version. Either way, it’s all Bosch and it’s all good.
This story is typical Harry, where he won’t rest until he brings a killer to justice. Throw in an old case that comes back to haunt him, worry about his daughter, the usual politics that comes with police work, and you have another good Bosch novel.

The Night Fire – Michael Connelly

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The Night Fire (Harry Bosch, #22; Renée Ballard, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #32)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 25, 2022  

When will Harry Bosch be old enough to fully retire? It mentions in this book that he’s almost 70! That means he’s been chasing killers for over 40 years. That would be way more than enough for me to want something more out of life. But then who could we count on to fight for all those lost souls…the one’s that matter because they all matter.
Even though Harry is retired from policing it doesn’t stop him from teaming up with one of his old partners (Renee Ballard) to hunt down killers. And Bosch’s brother from a different mother (Mickey Haller) gets a bit of ink in this book, now that the two of them have found some common ground to get along.
I enjoyed The Night Fire but the Ballard character just doesn’t do it for me. As usual, Bosch is the anchor that holds Connelly’s ship fast.
Hopefully the author can get a few more stories out of our favorite cop character before he gets stuck in the mud at the bottom of the ocean.

Fair Warning – Michael Connelly

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Fair Warning (Jack McEvoy, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #33)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)
Edmond Gagnon‘s review Oct 03, 2021 


Something tells me that Michael Connelly enjoys writing novels like Fair Warning, reliving his past as an investigative journalist, something we don’t see much of these days.
Jack McEvoy is likeable character who tells us a great crime story about an elusive serial killer who keeps reporters and police stumped while his list of victims grows longer.
The plot has good momentum and held my interest throughout the book.
Although in my opinion it’s not as good as a Bosch novel, I definitely recommend you add this Connelly book to your reading list.