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Book Cover for: Barrington Street Blues, Anne Emery

Barrington Street Blues

Anne Emery

Two men are found dead outside a bar. Helped by Father Brennan Burke and hindered by his femme fatale law partner, Monty Collins investigates people desperate to cover up a series of parties that got way out of hand.

A rich man and a poor man are found dead from gunshot wounds outside a seedy bar on Barrington Street in Halifax. The police declare it a murder-suicide, but bluesman/lawyer Monty Collins -- hired to represent the victims' families -- suspects it's a double murder.

The case gets complicated when the police link the gun to the suspicious death of a high-flying lawyer named Dice Campbell. Helped by his friend Father Brennan Burke, and hindered by his femme fatale law partner Felicia Morgan, Monty explores the dark side of Halifax society: hookers, drug addicts, boozers, gamblers, and people desperate to cover up a series of parties that got way out of hand.

Monty's investigations lead him to a ruthless businessman with street connections, a preacher who's been seen cruising for young people, and an oddball psychotherapist who may have overstepped the boundaries of therapy with more than one person in the case. As the story unfolds, Monty finds himself returning again and again to trade barbs with Dice Campbell's hard-drinking widow, Mavis, whose motives are not as clear as they initially seem to be. But the murder isn't the only thing on Monty's mind.

A secret from the past and turmoil with his estranged wife Maura have Monty singing the blues, lashing out at his closest friends, and spending far too much time in the bars of Halifax.

About the Collins-Burke Mysteries

This multi-award-winning series is centred around two main characters who have been described as endearingly flawed: Monty Collins, a criminal defence lawyer who has seen and heard it all, and Father Brennan Burke, a worldly, hard-drinking Irish-born priest. The priest and the lawyer solve mysteries together, but sometimes find themselves at cross-purposes, with secrets they cannot share: secrets of the confessional, and matters covered by solicitor-client confidentiality. The books are notable for their wit and humour, and their depiction of the darker side of human nature ― characteristics that are sometimes combined in the same person, be it a lawyer, a witness on the stand, or an Irish ballad singer who doubles as a guerrilla fighter in the Troubles in war-torn Belfast. In addition to their memorable characters, the books have been credited with a strong sense of place and culture, meticulous research, crisp and authentic dialogue, and intriguing plots. The novels are set in Nova Scotia, Ireland, England, Italy, New York, and Germany. The series begins with Sign of the Cross (2006) and continues to the most recent installment, Postmark Berlin (2020).

Book Details

  • Publisher: ECW Press
  • Publish Date: Apr 1st, 2008
  • Pages: 328
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.28in - 6.52in - 1.01in - 1.28lb
  • EAN: 9781550228137
  • Categories: Mystery & Detective - General

About the Author

Anne Emery is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie Law School. She has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter, and researcher. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband and daughter. Her Collins/Burke mysteries include Sign of the Cross (2006), winner of the 2007 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel, Obit (2007), Cecilian Vespers (2009), and Children in the Morning (2010).

Praise for this book

"Highly recommended." --"Library Journal"
"Highly recommended." --"Library Journal"
"Emery makes it easy to root for Monty, who solves not only the mystery that pays the bills, but also the one that tugs at his heart." --"Quill and Quire"
"This is a wonderful yarn, full of amazingly colourful characters, dialogue that sweeps across the pages like a tsunami, a story that will keep you reading late into the night, and a plot as devious as a lawyer's mind." --"Waterloo Region Record"
"Anne Emery has given readers so much to feast upon in her latest novel. . . . She dares to challenge those readers who are so fond of anticipating the outcome of the plot. "Barrington Street Blues" should earn Anne Emery the right to fly first class from this point on." --"The Chronicle-Herald"
"The writing is lean, linear, and concise . . . [the] understated treatment of setting gives credence to the theory that less detail can often mean more mood. . . . However, it is perhaps Emery's use of character dialogue that gives the book its weight, masterfully chronicling Collins's descent into his own personal underworld." --"Atlantic Books Today"
"Emery builds on the strength of her first two novels to create another memorable tale." --"Shelf Life"
"Arthur Ellis award-winning author Anne Emery succeeds admirably in bringing readers a compelling tale of crime and punishment involving characters of real substance and believability." --"Scene Magazine"
"Combines a strong sense of place with a layered plot that holds your interest from the very first page. Deftly combing action and crackly dialogue, Anne Emery is an author to watch for." --"The Sherbrooke Record"