Carpenter

This stunning debut novel is set in the 1980s in a small, God-fearing Ontario town, rife with poisonous secrets, grudges passed through the generations and an undercurrent of danger. The carpenter, Lee King, is returning after a lengthy stay in maximum-security prison to a community that still recalls his horrendous crime. His mother is dying and he wants to see her and his sister, Donna, after so many years. But things are still not quite right in the town, as Stan, the retired cop, knows. Not only does he vividly remember Lee’s unexplained violence from years before, but he is also caught up in a new, mysterious case. A young woman, Judy Lacroix, has just been found dead in a car at the site of the old drive-in, and the cops are saying it is suicide. Stan just can’t help getting involved, though his policing days are long over. And what about Lee King—will Stan ever understand why he became a murderer?

A taut and compelling story about family secrets, revenge, retribution and forgiveness, The Carpenter received stunning critical response on first publication.