Maple Mysteries
A directory of mystery novels set across Canada organized by place, series, and author.
Mystery Series Set in Canada
Lake Pines Mysteries
by L.L. Abbott
The Lake Pines Mystery series by L.L. Abbott is a captivating collection of murder mysteries set in a small lakeside town…
Glenmere Box Mysteries
by Lisa Adair
A mystery series set in the 1980s small-town of Glenmere, Saskatchewan
Haven's Rock
by Kelley Armstrong
Haven's Rock is a series by Kelley Armstrong that follows Detective Casey Butler and Sheriff Eric Dalton as they build…
Rockton
by Kelley Armstrong
Don’t look for Rockton on any map of the Yukon. This tiny, off-the-grid town doesn’t exist. Neither do the people in it.…
Ellis Portal Mysteries
by Rosemary Aubert
The hero, Ellis Portal is down on his luck, fallen from his role as a respected judge and family man to the poverty-ridden…
The Falls Mysteries
by J. E. Barnard
The Falls Mysteries series by J.E. Barnard is a crime fiction series that revolves around ex-Mountie Lacey McCrae, who becomes…
John Cardinal and Lise Delorme
by Giles Blunt
The John Cardinal and Lise Delorme series by Giles Blunt consists of six novels, each set in the fictional town of Algonquin…
Small-Town Saskatchewan Mysteries
by Nelson Brunanski
The Crooked Lake series by Nelson Brunanski is a small-town Saskatchewan mystery series that captures the essence of rural…
Constable Molly Smith Mysteries
by Vicki Delany
The series follows rookie constable Molly Smith as she navigates the challenges of her new role while solving crimes that…
Klondike Mystery Series
by Vicki Delany
Series set in Dawson City, Yukon, during the Great Klondike Gold Rush of 1898
Collins-Burke Mystery
by Anne Emery
The series follows the adventures of Monty Collins, a defense attorney, and Brennan Burke, a Catholic priest, as they solve…
Gasper's Cove Mysteries
by Barbara Emodi
The Gasper's Cove Mysteries by Barbara Emodi is a cozy mystery series set in a fictional Nova Scotia town. The series…
Benny Cooperman
by Howard Engel
The Benny Cooperman series is a collection of mystery novels by Howard Engels, featuring the witty and kind detective Benny…
Operation Series
by Helen C. Escott
The Operation Series by Helen C. Escott is a bestselling collection of Canadian crime thrillers, combining fast-paced police…
Senior Sleuth Series
by Maureen Fisher
The Senior Sleuth series by Maureen Fisher follows three women of 'a certain age' who inherit a dude ranch and…
Cape Breton Mystery
by Renny de Groot
The Cape Breton series by Renny deGroot is a collection o books that follow the adventures of Detective Gordie MacLean and…
Chad Hobbes Historical Crimes
by Seán Haldane
The Chad Hobbes Historical Crime series by Seán Haldane is a collection of detective mysteries set in the Victorian era.…
Highclere Inn & Carriage House Mysteries
by Josh Hellyer
A laugh-out-loud mystery series set in the Muskoka Lakes area.
Inspector Coswell Mysteries
by Roy Innes
The Inspector Coswell Mystery series by Roy Innes is a collection of intricate police procedural novels that blend the complexities…
Detective Aunty Investigates
by Uzma Jalaluddin
The Detective Aunty Investigates series by Uzma Jalaluddin follows Kausar Khan, a charming and tenacious widow, as she investigates…
Hygge House Nordic Mysteries
by A. L. Jensen
Hygge House Mysteries: where murder meets Scandinavian comfort in a rustic northern Ontario town.
Grub-and-Stakers
by Charlotte MacLeod
The Grub-And-Stakers Mystery Series by Alisa Craig, also known as Charlotte MacLeod, is a cozy mystery series set in the…
Madoc and Janet Rhys Mysteries
by Charlotte MacLeod
The Madoc & Janet Rhys mystery series is a cozy mystery series by Canadian-American novelist Charlotte MacLeod, known…
The Shores Mysteries
by Hilary MacLeod
The Shores Mysteries is a series that immerses readers in the quirky and colorful world of The Shores, a fishing village…
Sebastian Synard Mysteries
by Kevin Major
The Sebastian Synard Mysteries follow the adventures of a private detective and tour guide, Sebastian Synard, as he navigates…
Dr. Zol Szabo Medical Mysteries
by Ross Pennie
The series follows Dr. Zol Szabo, a trauma surgeon who, after facing personal tragedy and a series of mysterious deaths,…
Chief Inspector Gamache
by Louise Penny
The series, also known as the Three Pines Mysteries, follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec as he…
Temperance Brennan
by Kathy Reichs
The Temperance Brennan series, written by Kathy Reichs, features a forensic anthropologist who investigates crimes in Montreal.…
Quill & Packet Mystery
by Elizabeth Renzetti, Kate Hilton
The Quill & Packet Mystery series, authored by Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti, follows the journey of Cat Conway,…
Dr. Bannerman Vet Mysteries
by Philipp Schott
The Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Philipp Schott is a cozy mystery series that combines the talents of a veterinarian…
Canadian Chills
by Arthur Slade
The Canadian Chills middle-grade series combines Arthur Slade’s comic genius with his ability to make your heart freeze…
Nadine Lavoie
by Chevy Stevens
Nadine Lavoie is a psychiatrist who helps others confront their inner demons while grappling with her own traumatic past.
Verona Montero
by Kayleigh Suggett
Wisecracking PI Verona Montero takes on outrageous cases with sharp instincts, sharper humour, and a talent for stumbling…
Lane Winslow Mysteries
by Iona Whishaw
The books are set in 1946 in a charming backwater community in BC that the author lived in as a child. It is a community…
Tom & Liz Austen Mysteries
by Eric Wilson
The Tom & Liz Austen Mysteries series by Eric Wilson is a collection of young adult detective novels that follow the…
Charlie Salter
by Eric Wright
The Charlie Salter mystery series by Eric Wright follows Toronto police inspector Charlie Salter through 11 compelling investigations…
Stand-alone Canadian Mysteries
All Rise For Murder
by Roz Nay
Maude Kirby has recently been dumped by her diplomat husband and has returned to her quirky hometown of West Elk, BC, to live with her ever-optimistic, fashion-forward mother, Val. Struggling financially and managing her confrontational fifteen-year-old daughter, Rhette, Maude lands an unexpected clerking job at the local courthouse. Though she is instructed to remain professional during proceedings, Maude finds it impossible not to get emotionally invested when eighteen-year-old Levi is charged…
Blood Typed
by Jane Doucet
Val Jenkins is stuck. A journalist for the Halifax Post, she's been writing a local books column for over a decade. But ever since she was a precocious Nancy Drew wannabe, she's longed to cover the crime beat. When the gala ceremony approaches for the annual NOVA Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Canada, Val anticipates more of the same old thing: authors in various interpretations of "formal" wear, hiding their simmering jealousies while dreaming of the life-changing prize money.…
City of the Muse
by Kate Hilton
A gripping dual-timeline novel about the mysterious death of an indomitable female papyrologist during an archaeological dig in the early 1900s and an aspiring young female researcher’s present-day quest to find out who killed her.
Dunk River Murders
by Katie Mac
Maggie, a mediocre angler, is escaping burnout by way of fly fishing. When dead bodies start popping up in her river, she feels compelled to solve the murder if only to regain some peace in her favorite fishing spot.
Let it ride
Vernard ‘Get’ McGetty is back from serving in Afghanistan, back dealing drugs in Detroit and looking to move up with his buddy JT, a guy he met in Kandahar who also happens to be the leader of the Saints of Hell—a notorious Ontario biker gang currently in the process of taking over all North of the border drug traffic. Commuting weekly across the line into the center of JT’s high flying empire, Get hooks up with Sunitha, a decidedly independent woman who’s gone from working seedy massage parlors…
Lies that Bind
Tulla Murphy's life has unraveled. Spurred by a loss that forces her to rethink all her plans, she retreats to the town where she grew up, even though she vowed never to go back. She soon discovers that Parnell is still the petri dish of old secrets and simmering resentments of her youth as she reconnects with her three childhood friends: Leo, Kat, and Mikhail. Their friendship once insulated them from the treacheries of the schoolyard and the treacheries of the town, but Tulla isn't sure if it…
Little Spoons
After the unexpected death of her grandmother, Mary inherits her property and returns home to western Newfoundland with her young son. When she uncovers curious items that may be clues about her grandmother’s fate, Mary begins to unravel the secrets surrounding a string of suspicious disappearances and deaths in the community—deaths that always seem to involve women. Demons from the past catch up with Mary as she learns of her grandmother’s isolation from her peers. Discovering stories of witchcraft…
Memo to Murder
Heidi MacDonald is not qualified for her new job at the Legislature with Official Opposition. She has never voted, or can’t remember when. Her research experience amounts to one letter published in a sewing magazine. She lives in her parents’ basement with a cat named Gilbert. Her direct supervisor considers her a useful fall guy, her chief of staff plays solitaire all day, and the MLA she’s been assigned to, spends most of his time at the Legion. Then an anonymous message appears on Heidi’s office…
Moonrise Over Woolly Island
In the rural community of Beacon, Newfoundland, Rebecca Blake's plans for her summer vacation are interrupted when she becomes intrigued by the fate of an old, abandoned homestead once owned by Beacon's most powerful family. She learns that despite the plan for demolition, several visitors to the community are fiercely determined to claim the property. One Saturday morning, the calm of the community is shattered by the discovery of a dead body, a victim of foul play. What secrets do the visitors…
Murder as a Fine Art
When artists, writers, and performers gather at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the serene mountain setting is meant to inspire creativity. However, the peace is shattered when playwright Alan Montrose is found dead. While initially dismissed as an accident, the subsequent fiery death of artist Erika Dekter makes it clear that a killer is lurking within the colony. Aspiring painter Laura Janeway takes it upon herself to investigate, but as she navigates a web of professional jealousies, secret affairs,…
Off Season
by Amber Cowie
While recovering from a professional setback, documentary filmmaker Jane Duvall stays at a remote hotel during the off season with her new contractor husband, Dom, and his daughter, Sienna. Surrounded by an immense forest and the mighty Fraser River, Jane wants nothing more than to bond with her new family. But she’s unsettled by the cold, quiet presence of the hotel’s owner, Peter, who is overseeing Dom’s renovations. When she starts asking questions, Dom grows distant and Sienna becomes belligerent.…
Road to Heaven
Patrick Bird, police academy burnout turned PI, works divorce cases, using his camera to catch the unfaithful and the lonely looking for love in rented rooms. But his easy routine is shattered by a new case involving a missing girl. Sixteen-year-old Abbie Linklater hasn’t been home for two days. Her stepmother believes Abbie’s getting an abortion. Her twin brother thinks she’s studying at the library. Her best friend couldn’t care less. Her father has no idea; he just wants her home without involving…
Taking Down Names
In the aftermath of her sister Mia’s untimely death, journalist Jacky Careen struggles to find meaning in both her life and her work reporting on local news. As Jacky’s grief consumes her, dark karmic parallels begin to emerge in her increasingly desperate investigations into local crimes, all of wh... ich are deemed “unfortunate accidents” by police. At first, Jacky believes only she notices these coincidences, but as the deaths continue, Jacky must confront the story unravelling before her . .…
Terrible Tide
The tiny New Brunswick village was a lifetime away from the world of a New York fashion model, but a freak accident had sent Holly Howe there to recover in seclusion and take a job as a servant at the mysterious Cliff House. Perched high above the bay, the gloomy mansion is filled with priceless antiques, a bedridden woman, and unexplained bumps in the night. Though Holly doesn't believe in ghosts, she becomes unsettled by eerie happenings during the full moon and the high tides. As she navigates…
The Chambermaid's Key
Set in 1929, Rosie Ryan dreams of escaping Toronto’s rough Ward neighborhood by securing a position as a chambermaid at the prestigious Dominion Hotel. Her life takes a dangerous turn when she falls for Damien, a charismatic waiter, and becomes entangled in the dark dealings of a wealthy gangster profiting from the impending economic crash. When a friend is murdered, Rosie is thrust into a web of betrayal that threatens her very existence. In the present day, building inspector Bridget Kelly is…
The Judas conspiracy
The Judas Conspiracy by John Ballem is a political thriller set against the backdrop of an Alberta separatist movement. The story begins when Peter Groves arrives in Calgary during the Stampede, only to be drawn into a dangerous conspiracy led by Charles Thompson and the Thompson group. As they orchestrate a plot to separate Alberta from Canada, Groves must navigate high-stakes tensions that threaten the nation's unity and energy security.
The Laundryman
Corporal Belvedere, a Mountie scarred by a brutal past, and Surgeon Virgil Montgomery, a newcomer haunted by his own doubts, are drawn into a murder investigation in the isolated settlement of Prince Albert. As winter’s grip tightens, the killing exposes a web of secrets buried beneath the snow, threatening to unravel the fragile order of the North-West Territories. In a community steeped in mistrust, Belvedere’s unyielding quest for justice collides with Montgomery’s struggle to uphold his oath…
Tumblin' Dice
The High, a band with a few hit songs in the late 1970s, have reunited to play the nostalgia circuit at casinos. But for bassist Barry and lead singer Cliff, this tour promises to be unforgettable and even more worthwhile than ever. In this fourth installment of the Toronto series, these two band members turn the tables on the gritty underworld of casinos, as they rob the loan sharks and drug dealers who work at every stop of the tour. After finding their old manager who had swindled millions from…
Venom Lake
by Emma White
On a weekend getaway for their true-crime book club, four women retreat to the sole cottage on isolated Snakebite Island. But what was supposed to be a fun weekend of getting trashed on rosé and talking serial killers takes a dark turn when a member of the group is found dead on the shore. Murdered. By one of her supposed friends. Under the surface, there’s turbulence in the group. Blackmail, affairs and addiction. Financial misconduct. A missing husband. All of the women are hiding dangerous secrets,…
Voted Most Likely to Murder
by Lacey Moone
Belinda Bishop is unemployed and single. At thirty-two, her journalism career feels stuck, and let’s not even speak about her love life, which isn’t helping her look forward to her upcoming high school reunion. Stuck working at her parents' seaside cottage and RV park in Nova Scotia for the time being, she needs time to regroup and come up with a killer story to get her career and her life back on track. When she literally stumbles across the dead body of the philandering class jock at the reunion,…