We are pleased to announce that A Garden of Thieves, by author, Dean Unger, is now also available in E-Book format (Mobi, EPub and PDF), at $3.99 a copy.
An epic murder mystery novel, set in 19th century colonial British Columbia, featuring Eve Walker, Canada’s first female journalist, and lead reporter at the Coast Miner newspaper, on Texada Island, British Columbia. In the late 1800s, Vananda is the second largest city in North America and became a waystation for miners on their way home from the Klondike gold rush.
Early one Spring morning, in 1888, the body of Ernie Tsan washed ashore with the tide and landed at the feet of a young newspaper reporter, Evelyn Walker. Eve is on her first assignment as writer for the Coast Miner Newspaper. By virtue of her discovery, she quickly finds herself in the middle of a scandal that threatens to erupt into social violence, between the Tla’amin and sister Salish nations, and the government of the newly formed province of British Columbia. Eli Tomas, the only son of Salish Tla’amin Chief, Israel Tomas, is arrested for the murder and in all likelihood, will be sentenced to hang.
Tensions between the Salish and local businessmen, in the City of Vananda, rise to a fevered pitch. The Provincial Police seem uninterested in solving the crime, and by all accounts, it seems the government itself may also be complicit. Eve follows what few leads come, to the doorstep of Heidi Tsan, wife of the murdered man, and only daughter of Chief Tomas. Heidi insists on her brother Eli’s innocence, and warns Eve that she is in danger; that her husband’s death was racially charged, and is merely a harbinger of things to come.
Hidden-graveyards, a brutal man-hunt, and through a crucial autopsy that will shed a damning light on Tsan’s death, Eve plunges onward in her search, to the estate of Christian Maddox, a ruthless and violent mine-owner; and to the heart of Victoria City itself, to do battle with Amor de Cosmos, the second premier of the young province of British Columbia.
Together, Eve and Heidi race to uncover evidence that will save Eli from execution and stop the impending First Nations uprising that is being led by a group of young Salish braves.
“British Columbia is a province that has an incredibly rich history, not only the last two hundred years, but well-before, extending well into the mists of time, when the First Nations people here lived by the pulse of the planet and the tides. Our archives are laden with layers of legend, myth, and historic events that, to date, have gone largely unexplored. Most of these remain hidden. I took my time writing A Garden of Thieves, and its sequel, Blessed Be The Bones, because I wanted to ensure the story, was steeped in fidelity and accuracy, and that the social fabric that existed at the time is accurately portrayed.” Dean Unger
A world-class murder mystery novel, that gets it right on many levels. Eve Walker is the first woman in Canada to take on journalism, an industry populated by men. By virtue of her Scottish heritage, and her natural command presence, Eve takes the reader on a riveting and compelling journey, set in 19th century British Columbia.
