Description
This time he’s staying out of the States.
Howard Shrier’s acclaimed Jonah Geller series continues with Miss Montreal, the Vintage World of Crime trade paperback original and sequel to Boston Cream.
After what happened in Boston, P.I. Jonah Geller can’t show his face in the U.S. again. Which is fine with him. He’s got a new case in Montreal, one of the world’s most colorful and scandalous cities. An old friend has been brutally murdered there in what looks like a hate crime, and the police investigation is stalled. With an election looming and tensions seething, Jonah and former hit man Dante Ryan have to battle religious fanatics, gun runners and a twisted political dynasty to get to the truth.
Finalist, Arthur Ellis Award*, Best Novel
Finalist, Bony Blithe Award*, Best Mystery
“Maturing as one of recent crime fiction’s shining stars, his latest effort will resonate with anyone who knows [Montreal], and earn Shrier many new followers… a topical plot full of twists and virtually nonstop action… the strongest entry in an already very strong series.” – Jim Napier, January Magazine
“A great crime romp through our city. Shrier gets Montreal right. The grittiness, the contradictions, the corruption, the politics — even the potholes.” – Francois Lauzon, Montreal Gazette
“Alongside the thrills, we get a trip through a city that Shrier knows intimately and loves utterly. Montreal is more than a background, it’s a character in the novel, as L.A. is to Chandler or Boston to Parker. This is the best Jonah Geller book yet.” – Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail
“The best and liveliest [Geller book] so far… Crime novels featuring able, sympathetic investigator bonded with rough-and-tumble, harder-edged buddy constitute a familiar formula, but it’s a formula that, done right, can be winningly fun to read. In Miss Montreal, Howard Shrier does it right — and does so thoughtfully, in the context of some important, current issues while he’s about it.” – Joan Barfoot, London Free Press
“Shrier cooks up all sorts of trouble for Jonah Geller in Miss Montreal… A smart mix of deduction, instinct and being in the worst place at the best possible time.” – Sarah Weinman, National Post
“Montreal’s hectic vibrancy, ethnic tensions and political shenanigans are well-captured and should translate exotically south of the border… Geller’s perilous and hilarious exploits with ex-contract killer Ryan (surely one of the more inventive rich crime-lit pairings) muscle this tale along… Go, discover Geller. Because Shrier is in hot pursuit of a best-novel three-peat.” – John Sullivan, Winnipeg Free Press
“Shrier portrays the city with the eye of a true connoisseur. His characters are as vivid as the streets – smart, wisecracking and less than squeaky clean. And Geller is that perfect mix of tough and compassionate. Miss Montreal is one of those books you can’t put down. It’s a great addition to the world of crime fiction and a must-read for fans of La Belle Ville.” NNNN – Lesley McAllister, NOW Magazine
“Geller’s voice is smart, funny and contemporary. This summer read features fast cars, wisecracks and guns galore — what more could a reader ask for?” Joann Alberstat, Halifax Chronicle Herald
“Shrier has clearly not lost touch with Montreal and its ever-volatile social, political, cultural and crime scenes… It’s his knowledge of the city’s inner workings that makes his latest caper so credible — and frighteningly so.” – Bill Brownstein, Montreal Gazette.
“My pick of the month for June… Well worth reading. Someone should make a movie out of this.” – Richard King, Global TV (AM Reads Book Club)
“This fast-paced mystery features both action movie-worthy car chases and a nuanced portrayal of tensions between Quebec’s cultural groups — with vivid accounts of the city’s famous neighbourhoods and seedy underbelly.” – Jillian Bell, Chatelaine (Summer book club pick.)
“Shrier’s books are consistent in tone and depth, smartly written mysteries that rarely telegraph where they’re going. Miss Montreal deftly focuses on Canada’s most unique city, dealing with its perpetual nationalistic French-English divide, current immigration concerns including integrating a sometimes hostile Muslim population as well as harkening back to the city’s storied past. It’s another ambitious but successful book, proof positive that Shrier is one of the finest mystery writers extant.” – Shlomo Schwartzberg, criticsatlarge.ca
“Readers who enjoy hardboiled detective novels with expert pacing and rich physical details will delight in Miss Montreal. Those who also hold the city of Montreal dear – potholes and all – will be in heaven.” – Sarah Lolley, Montreal Review of Books
“Howard Shrier has done a fantastic job with the setting. Descriptions of Montreal, the inhabitants and the current atmosphere are all detailed and ring true. The plotting was excellent and frighteningly believable. Simmering racial and cultural tensions on many fronts, the separatist movement, political machinations, terrorism and more populate this fast-paced novel. Fans of the crime genre, I encourage you to discover this award-winning Canadian series.” Luanne Ollivier, A Bookworm’s World
*Awarded by the Crime Writers of Canada
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