It Happens in Nova Scotia - 3 hot debut novels with local settings

Roost (M)
by Ali Bryan

"Roost is hilarious....Bryan gets so much right. The details — of setting, of interaction, of the endless tumult of family life — are spot-on. It’s easy to underrate both the comedic and domestic spheres, but Bryan’s domestic comedy, laced with grief, unearths the complexities of the daily grind." - Sue Sinclair, National Post

"Claudia, single mom of two, pines for her past independent life. Her ex, after all, has moved on to a new wardrobe, new hobbies and - worst of all - new adult friends. But in Claudia's house she's still finding bananas in the sock drawer, cigarettes taped to wrestling figures, and colourful doodles on her MasterCard bills. Then Claudia receives the unexpected news that her mother has died. Shared through the hilarious, honest, and often poignant perspective of a single mother, ROOST is the story of a woman learning about motherhood while grieving the loss of her own mother." - Publisher

The Rest is Silence : a novel (M)
by Scot Fotheringham

"Subtle, heartbreaking, chilling, fascinating and confidently written, Fotheringham’s debut novel is a success on every level." The Globe and Mail

"In the backwoods of Nova Scotia, a man slowly withdraws himself from the world. He fills his days with planting a garden. Building a cabin. Carving out friendships. Falling in love. His nights are for storytelling. A saga of youthful passions, of idealism and hope, of science and rebellion. Outside the forests, news reports trickle in. A worldwide catastrophe is brewing. People are frightened. Governments are in turmoil. The future is uncertain. And as the story unfolds, we learn the consequences of believing we were ever ready to open Pandora's Box." - Publisher

No Lying Quiet (M)
by Hugh G. Allison

"This tightly-plotted, edge-of-your-seat thriller sends you hurtling through the centuries as the repercussions of an ancient crime ripple through the generations. The action is fast and furious – the pages practically turn themselves. Be prepared to stay up late to find out what happens next!" -Sara Gruen

"The year is 2000 and aunt Lily's death is more than an occasion for family sorrow. Lily's wartime past conceals a tale of violence and deception which becomes all the more threatening with her passing. As Jim Riach, her nephew, uncovers the clues to her life he is confronted, by Guthrie, the malevolent Glasgow underworld boss who is bent on destroying Jim's family. Jim finds more secrets buried generations-deep in both Scotland and Nova Scotia, to which his forebear Roderick Mackay had fled in 1773 after breaking out of Inverness jail. Life in the new territories was hard and the loss of an important Native American artefact seemed to place a curse on the family which Jim now sets out to lift. Ancient lore and modern greed collide with explosive results on both sides of the Atlantic. Hugh Allison's first novel is an action-packed ride on which he cleverly weaves dramatic twists turns. Many of the events and characters are based on historical fact, adding grit and drama to this modern family saga." - Publisher

Please take note that Ali Bryan will be reading at The Company House on Tuesday evening April 30th and Scot Fotheringham is part of a reading panel at the Keshen Goodman Library on May 15th