Mesdames on the Move, November 2025

cat playing in autumn leaves

Dear Readers,

We’ve got a title for our 7th anthology and more good news about another Merry Widow book and Burlington Litfest, a TIFA panel and Lisa de Nikolits’, Rosemary McCracken and M. H. Callway‘s new Editing Course.

ANTHOLOGY #7

The title of our new anthology is – ta-da! – THE POWER OF 13.  Featuring stories by 20+ Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem on the themes of luck (good and disastrous), fate, karma, risk and risk taking, gambling and games of chance…all of course, leading to mischief if not murder. Cover to be revealed in 2026.

PUBLICATIONS

Melodie Campbell
Melodie Campbell

Mme Melodie Campbell’s new book in the Merry Widow murder mystery series, The Pharaoh’s Curse Murders, will be released on April 11, 2026.

 Lady Lucy Revelstoke and her maid, Elf, are voyaging to Egypt when they encounter two rival teams of archeologistsand murder. 

 It’s now available for pre-order on Amazon. The Pharaoh’s Curse Murders: Campbell, Melodie: 9781770868274: Books – Amazon.ca

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Author Lisa de Nikolits
Lisa de Nikolits

On Sunday, November 2nd, 12:30 pm, Toronto International Festival of Authors, Mme Lisa De Nikolits will be moderating a panel discussion on the power of storytelling with Pulitzer prize finalist, Adam Haslett and four-time Giller nominee, Shani Mootoo. The event takes place at Alumni Hall, Victoria College, University of Toronto, 91 Charles Street West.

“An illuminating talk on the power of storytelling to confront memory, reshape identity, and test the familial bonds that define who we are. In his latest novel, Mothers and Sons, Haslett follows Peter, a solitary immigration lawyer, and his estranged mother as a young asylum case forces them to revisit the traumatic secret that divided them. Mootoos innovative work of autofiction, Starry Starry Night, tenderly chronicles young Anjus coming-of-age in 1960s Trinidad amid family tensions and colonial change.”

Opening Event for Burlington Litfest!

Melodie Campbell
Melodie Campbell

Make Your Prose Sing

Make Your Prose Sing: A First Course in Editing with the Mesdames of Mayhem. On Saturday, November 8th, 1 to 3 p.m.,  Mmes Lisa De Nikolits, Rosemary McCracken and M. H. Callway will be giving this engaging and practical workshop for emerging writers at Maria Shchuka Branch, Toronto Public Library, 1745 Eglinton Avenue West. On this visit, they’ll deliver the basics of crafting and self-editing novels and stories. According to the library, “This workshop is perfect for aspiring and emerging writers”.

Author Lisa de Nikolits
Lisa de Nikolits
Rosemary McCracken
Rosemary McCracken
M.H. Callway
M.H. Callway

Make Your Prose Sing: A First Course in Editing, with the Mesdames of Mayhem : Maria A. Shchuka : Program : Toronto Public Library

DON’T FORGET

Submit your short stories, novels, etc. to the CWC Awards of Excellence. Submissions close December 15th.

The Derringers have made a change in their submission rules. Authors can submit their short stories and votes for Best Anthology to the Short Mystery Fiction Society as of today, November 1st. Submissions close January 30, 2026.

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Mesdames on the Move, October 2025

Dear Readers,

Happy October

We’ve got plenty to offer in October, and it’s not just giving thanks to you for staying with us. We’ve got new books—novels, short stories and non-fiction, even some poetry to keep you reading. What’s more, we’ve got a special surprise: Our seventh anthology is in the works.

ANNOUNCING THE MESDAMES AND MESSIEURS OF MAYHEM’S SEVENTH ANTHOLOGY!

Announcing the Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem’s SEVENTH anthology, mysteriously entitled “Number 7”, with the official title to be announced in November. Our theme for this collection is gambling, games of chance, bold or foolish risks, luck—good or dire—all of which stem from or lead to dark crime, especially murder….

With stories by Mesdames and Messieurs: Catherine Astolfo, Jayne Barnard, Jane Burfield, M. H. Callway, Melodie Campbell, Donna Carrick, Lisa De Nikolits, Cheryl Freedman, Therese Greenwood, Marilyn Kay, Blair Keetch, Rosemary McCracken, Cat Mills, Lynne Murphy, Ed Piwowarczyk, Rosalind Place, Lorna Poplak, Madona Skaff, Caro Soles, Kevin Thornton, Sylvia Warsh and Melissa Yi.

Stand by for our cover reveal. The publication date, September 2026, is in good time for Bouchercon to be held here in Canada, in Calgary, Alta, October 21 to 25th, 2026.

PUBLICATIONS

October is a duo debut for Mme Melissa Yi. Her third Hope Sze Seven Deadly Sins thriller, Killing Me Slothly, is now available.

I signed up for this neurology rotation to learn about Parkinson’s disease.

Instead, I could lose my mind.

A cult invades our emergency department and threatens to end the world today with their mythical leader, Cthulhu.

Fear grips me, even before my first patient says, I shot someone six times in the head. I didnt kill him.

I may not survive the second patient.

Help. Please.

Dr. Hope Sze

Killing Me Slothly: A gripping supernatural thriller with Lovecraft’s monster Cthulhu (Hope’s Seven Deadly Sins Book 3) eBook: Yi, Melissa, Yuan-Innes, Melissa: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

Mme Melissa is also an Aurora award-winning poet and available this month is Cthulhu’s Cheerleader, 12 poems in the world of H.P. Lovecraft, one for every month of the year, featuring 9 pieces of original art by Glengarry artist Sara Leger,

10 poems that inspired the work, written by Shakespeare, A.A. Milne, Dorothy Parker, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Basho, and more.

Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi

And watch out for Mme Melissa’s Pride & Provocateur launching in the next week or two! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissayi/pride1?ref=1mdfbl

Mme Lisa de Nikolits will be launching her noir novel, Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon, at an event sponsored by Inanna Publications. The launch takes place on Wednesday, October 15th, 7 p.m. at the Supermarket Bar, 268 Augusta Avenue, Toronto.

Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon
Author Lisa de Nikolits
Lisa de Nikolits

Ottawa’s Capital Crime Writers have published their anthology, A Capital Mystery, where Ottawa crime writers spin dastardly tales set in our nation’s capital. A Capital Mystery is available for pre-order, will be released on October 14th and features stories by Mmes Madona Skaff and Melissa Yi.

https://www.ottawapressandpublishing.com/

October 28th is the official launch date for The Many Names of Robert Cree: How a First Nations Chief Brought Ancient Wisdom to Big Business and Prosperity to His People, written by Elder Robert Cree with Mme Therese Greenwood and published by ECW Press. The book received a strong review in Publisher’s Weekly:

“Fort McMurray First Nation chief Cree charts his path from a horrific childhood to a fulfilling life in this moving debut.” 

“Cree’s optimism rings true (‘I want you to know… the joy of letting go of anger and bitterness’), even as his blunt account of state-sanctioned abuse haunts. The result is an affecting, hard-won testament to the power of perseverance.”

The book and audiobook narrated by celebrated Canadian actor Lorne Cardinal are available on Amazon, Indigo, Audible, and in bookstores and libraries.

Therese Greenwood-Lowres
Therese Greenwood

Mme Lorna Poplak’s new book, On the Lam (Dundurn Press) about successful – and not so successful- prison breaks, launches on Tuesday, October 21st at 7 p.m. at Mezes Event Space, 456 Danforth Avenue, Toronto. Please RSVP by October 10th. It is available for pre-order.

Fascinating stories of the age-old tug-of-war between prisons desperate to keep inmates inside and the escapees pursuing freedom. Along with probing the origins, structure, and failings of a collection of historic and contemporary correctional institutions, On the Lam brings into sharp focus the attempts of masterminds, tricksters, villains, and innocents to claw their way to freedom — sometimes successful, sometimes abortive, often deadly.

https://www.amazon.ca/Lam-Great-Not-Escapes-Prison/dp/1459754379

Lorna Poplak
Lorna Poplak
Riversong crime fiction by Rosemary McCracken
Rosemary McCracken
Rosemary McCracken

Riversong, Mme Rosemary McCrackens 5th Pat Tierney mystery, is now available in paperback, hardcover and as an e-book on Amazon, Kobo and Barnes & Noble. Those who pre-ordered eBooks will have received them on Sept. 30th.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

It’s a busy month for Mme M.H. Callway, who will be reading (virtually) on Wednesday, October 8th, 7 p.m. EDT at the Short Mystery Fiction Society Watercooler. Open to all members of SMFS. She will be reading from her new publication, “The Lost Diner”, which appeared in Issue 47 of Pulp Literature Magazine.

On Wednesday, October 22nd at 7 p.m., she will be in person, reading at Queer Noir at the Bar, at the Black Eagle, 1st Floor, Back Room, 457 Church Street, Toronto.

And on Tuesday, October 28th at 6:30 p.m., she will be reading at Drunk Fiction, hosted by author Emily Weedon, at The Caledonian Pub, 856 College Street, Toronto.

M.H. Callway
M.H. Callway
Lorna Poplak

Mme Lorna Poplak will be hosting Des Ryan’s Brews and Clues on Thursday, October 9th, 6:30 pm at the Stout Irish Pub, 221 Carleton Street, Toronto.

Melodie Campbell

On Sunday, October 19th at 2-3 p.m. Mme Melodie Campbell will be at the Burlington Public Library with Vicki Delaney, Maureen Jennings and Hannah Mary McKinnon, 2331 New Street, Burlington, to talk about the appeal of crime fiction, what it’s like to be part of the crime-writing community, and what goes into imagining and researching murder and mayhem before putting it on paper to shock and delight readers.

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NEWS FLASH: More September Mayhem!

For members of Crime Writers of Canada: you don’t want to miss Mme Melissa’s webinar on how to get the medicine right in your murder! As a special bonus, Melissa is giving a beginner’s intro to forensic pathology.

Dr. Melissa Yi could slice your throat and sew it back up again. Legally, because she’s an emergency doctor. She is the author of the Hope Sze medical crime series and the winner of the Derringer Award for Best Crime Story for her short story, “My Two Legs”. Her work spans many genres: crime, speculative fiction, romance, fantasy and even poetry!

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MESDAMES ON THE MOVE, SEPTEMBER 2025

Cat in autumn leaves

Summer is fading, dear Readers, but this fall offers new books, short stories and, of course, Word on the Street.

CONGRATULATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Mme Rosemary McCracken’s  Riversong, the newest instalment in the Pat Tierney Mystery Series, is here! The print edition is available now on Amazon, and the Kindle edition can be pre-ordered there as well and will be released Sept. 30. Riversong is published by Carrick Publishing. https://www.amazon.ca/Riversong-Rosemary-McCracken/dp/1772422231/ref=sr_1_1

Rosemary McCracken

MURDER GRABS THE HEADLINES AND PAT TIERNEY IS ON THE CASE!

Financial advisor Pat Tierney’s new client appears to live a charmed life. Monika Lentz is beautiful, wealthy, and enjoying a successful career as the star columnist at the Toronto World newspaper. When she confides that she is pregnant, Pat’s heart goes out to her, knowing that raising a child alone can be challenging. Soon after her meeting with Pat, Monika fails to make her newspaper column’s deadline. She is later found strangled in her bed.

Matt Ryder, a Toronto World police reporter, is devastated by the news of Monika’s murder. He and Pat set out to learn who took this vibrant woman’s life—and why.

Mme Lisa de Nikolits’ new novel, Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon, is now available for pre-order on Amazon:  Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon: de Nikolits, Lisa: Amazon.ca: Books

Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon
Lisa de Nikolits

Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon is a noir, darkly comedic caper set in current time but written as a 1950’s hard-boiled suspense thriller. The central plot is a series of age-old cons playing out in real time. The reader isn’t sure who to trust. Is our stylish heroine an unreliable narrator? One thing’s for sure, she’s got a backbone of steel. What about her sister? Is she a killer with a fondness for nose candy? And you don’t want to mess with the mob boss antagonist, Vincenzo Esposito, a gangster, whose love for a murder photographer finds its way into his business dealings. Greed drives the stakes higher and higher, complicated by sibling rivalry, doomed love affairs and unresolved parental cruelty.

The Capital Crimes team are bringing out A Capital Mystery, an anthology of crime stories set in our nation’s capital, Ottawa. The book features stories by two Mmes:  “Pressure Point” by Mme Madona Skaff and “Cold Shoulder” by Mme Melissa Yi.

Madona Skaff
Madona Skaff
Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi

A Capital Mystery celebrates the magic, complexity and, above all, the mystery of Ottawa. Published by Ottawa Press and Publishing and edited by Mike Martin, the anthology will be available on October 15th at local bookstores across the city. The anthology is sponsored by Crime Writers of Canada and Capital Crime Writers. 

 For more information about the anthology: https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=122136487748927255&id=61577817650494

Mme Melissa Yi has a story in the September / October issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.  “The Sailing of the Serpent Goddess” features Melissa’s character, Merry Bennett, from Melissa’s updated version of Pride and Prejudice.

Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi

Mme Madona Skaff’s speculative fiction story, “Silence is Platinum”, was published in Outside In: Can Live With It. This anthology celebrates over 30 years of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and features 171 stories related to all 171 episodes of the show. Madona’s story is inspired by the episode, “The Muse”.

Madona Skaff
Madona Skaff

 ATB Publishing – non-fiction books about your favorite fictional worlds

Lorna Poplak

Mme Lorna Poplak was published in the Toronto Star on August 23rd. Her article explored whether Yonge Street or Queen Street is the quintessential Toronto strip!

DON’T MISS!

Word on the Street’s 36th Annual Festival is on at the David Pecault Square, Toronto, September 27th and 28th.

Join Mme Melodie Campbell, featured panelist, on Saturday, September 27th at 5:00 PM for The Grounding Power of Escapist Fiction.

Melodie Campbell
Melodie Campbell

ANNOUNCEMENTS

This February, Lorne Tepperman, Crime Writers of Canada’s Ontario rep, launched a newsletter for members where we share writing advice, book reviews and naturally, our book promotions! Many of the Mmes have been regular contributors for a while now including: Mmes Melodie Campbell, M. H. Callway, Rosemary McCracken, Lynne Murphy, Madona Skaff and Melissa Yi. If you’re a CWC member, be sure to sign up!

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NEWS FLASH: Upcoming August Events!

Record hot temperatures outside, Readers. The intrepid Mesdames are beating the heat with terrific events.

Read on!

FINGERS CROSSED FOR AWARDS AT KILLER NASHVILLE

Marilyn Kay



Congrats to Mme Marilyn Kay, whose unpublished manuscript is up for a Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Best Investigator Manuscript.

Sylvia Maultash Warsh
Sylvia Maultash Warsh

Congrats also to Mmes Sylvia Maultash Warsh and Melissa Yi. Sylvia‘s book, The Orphan, and Melissa‘s The Red Rock Killer are in contention for Killer Nashville’s Readers’ Choice Award. Voting ends on August 18th.

Melissa Yi

EVENTS

On Sunday, August 17th, Mme Melissa Yi will be at Readers Take Cornwall held at the Best Western Hotel, 1515 Vincent Massey Drive, Cornwall, Ontario, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is now SOLD OUT!! Melissa will be presenting her latest novels in the Glengarry Guards hockey/figure skating romances!

Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi

Mme Lisa de Nikolits joins legendary crime writer, Giles Blunt, on Tuesday, August 26th at DRUNK FICTION. Lisa will be reading from her upcoming noir crime novel, Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon. She joins Giles, who has just launched his historical literary novel, Bad Juliet.

DRUNK FICTION is a continuing series of readings by acclaimed authors held monthly at the wonderful Caledonian Pub.

Lorna Poplak
Lorna Poplak
The Don Jail

On Monday, August 25, at 7:00 p.m. at TPL’s Pape/Danforth Branch, 701 Pape Ave., Mme Lorna Poplak presents her book, The Don: The Story of Toronto’s Infamous Jail, which investigates the origins and evolution of the Don Jail in Toronto from its inception in the mid-1800s to the present day.

This presentation includes information on what brought the author to write about the Don Jail, the narrative arc of the book, the characters that appear on its pages, an examination of some thorny issues, and what the author hopes people take away from the book.

This is a drop-in program. No registration required.

PUBLICATIONS

Pulp Literature Issue 47 is now available for purchase through the Magazines-Pulp Literature bookstore. Mme M. H. Callway‘s story, “The Lost Diner”, appears in this volume.

M.H. Callway
M.H. Callway

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MID-MONTH MAYHEM: Food and Royalty!

Mme. M. H. Callway Met the Queen!

Mme Mad

You might think public health is boring, but it’s anything but! At Disease Control, I was a real-life detective hunting down the sources of disease outbreaks and dangerous chemical exposures.

For several years, I also helped to ensure safe food handling for VIP visits to Ontario. I mean, what could be more embarrassing to Canada than giving food poisoning to the Royal Family or the Pope or the Aga Khan at a banquet in their honour? And, as the police officers on security told us, one of the most effective ways to knock out an army is to give the soldiers gastro-enteritis.

The visiting Royals always met and thanked operations and security staff personally – truly a class act. That’s how I met the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – and have a framed photograph with them to show my grandchildren!

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NEWS FLASH! RECOGNITION FROM SILVER FALCHION AWARDS

SYLVIA WARSH
MELISSA YI

Huge congratulations are in order: Mmes Sylvia Warsh and Melissa Yi’s YA novels, The Orphan and The Red Rock Killer made it to the list of the Judges Best Picks for the Silver Falchion awards.

Here is how they describe the Judges Best Picks category:

These selections highlight manuscripts that our judges wished could have made the Finalists lists, but with limited finalist slots, intricate cuts must always be made. Despite the sheer number of entries this year, our dedicated judges went above and beyond once again. On their initiative, they submitted a list of titles they felt deserved extra recognition: manuscripts they felt should be on everyone’s reading list.”

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Mesdames on the Move: July and August 2025

July kitten

The summer months of July and August are a time for looking back on the first 6 months of 2025 and also looking forward to more stories and books, bigger ideas and more ways to share with you, dear Readers.

CONGRATULATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Lisa de Nikolits
Lisa de Nikolits

Mme Lisa De Nikolits’ noir novella, Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon (Inanna Press) will be available for purchase on Amazon. The official launch will take place on October 15, 2025. Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon: de Nikolits, Lisa: Amazon.ca: Books

Madeleine Harris Callway

Mme M. H. Callway’s story, “The Last Diner”, will be published on July 15th in Issue 47 of Pulp Literature Magazine. Stand by for the cover reveal and the links to purchase.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mme Rosemary McCracken will be appearing at Bookapalooza 2025 in Minden, Ontario, on Saturday, July 12th.  She’ll be at her book table at the Minden Community Centre, 55 Parkside Street, Minden, Ont., from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is FREE. Hope to see you there!

https://www.haliburtonarts.on.ca/bookapalooza

Crime Writers of Canada Interviews

Mmes Cathy Astolfo, Therese Greenwood and Melissa Yi were finalists for CWC awards this year.

Check out the links below to hear them interviewed by Erik D’Souza, social media and webinar coordinator for Crime Writers of Canada.

Auntie Beers cover
Catherine Astolfo
Catherine Astolfo

Mme Cathy Astolfo for ‘Farmer Knudson’ from Auntie Beers: A book of Connected Short Stories, Carrick Publishing

 Catherine Astolfo is nominated for The Best Crime Short Story

13th Letter
Therese Greenwood-Lowres
Therese Greenwood

Mme Therese Greenwood, winner of the CWC award for Best Short Story for ‘Hatcheck Bingo’, The 13th Letter, Carrick Publishing

 Therese Greenwood, Nominated for Best Crime Short Story

Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi
The Red Rock Killer

Mme Melissa Yi for the ‘Longest Night of the Year’, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and The Red Rock Killer Melissa Yi, Nominated for Best Crime Short Story and Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book

Marilyn Kay

Mme Marilyn Kay’s manuscript, Love Thy Neighbor, is a finalist for Killer Nashville’s 2025 Claymore Award for Best first 50 pages of an unpublished manuscript, play, or screenplay in the Best Investigator (includes procedural, serious P.I., detective, and noir) category.

MOTIVE Update

Mme Melodie Campbell and Maureen Jennings discussed Murder, Mystery and Mistaken Identities.

Mme Lisa De Nikolits was moderator for Tea, Cake and Murder with authors Hannah Mary McKinnon and Eliza Reid.

The CWC book booth ran the entire conference thanks to the dedicated work of Mmes Rosemary McCracken, Lorna Poplak and Madona Skaff and more CWC members. Rosemary also took part in the CWC readings on Sunday June 30th.

Rosemary McCracken
Rosemary McCracken
Lorna Poplak
Lorna Poplak
Madona Skaff
Madona Skaff

DON’T MISS

Our July Mid-month Mayhem will feature surprising secrets shared by Mme M. H. Callway.

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MID-MONTH MAYHEM: Ballet, Shoes and The Heart of Darkness

Mme Jane Burfield met two of the world’s most infamous tyrants!

Mme Jane Burfield

People often ask, “Where do you get your ideas for your stories?”I get eager to write when two seemingly unrelated experiences, thoughts or ideas inexplicably to rub up against each other, especially if they’re humorous…or murderous. I often use my personal experiences in my stories.

In 1973, when I was 16, I had two experiences that exploded my mind and shyness. I was part of a ten day international YMCA conference in Uganda – and we were required to have dinner with notorious dictator, Idi Amin. (Learn the full details in our documentary, The Mesdames of Mayhem.) And in that same year, I had to dance in front of Imelda Marcos. Oh, and she did wear lovely shoes.

I had to perform the bamboo dance in front of her in the Philippines. If I hadn’t taken ballet for nine years as a very young child, I might have had two woefully bruised ankles and been hobbled for life. I might have developed a hesitancy to seek out new adventures. And that would have been terrible because adventure and risk lead to personal growth in life – and to a good crime story!

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MESDAMES ON THE MOVE, JUNE 2025

May and June are super months for our Mesdames and Messieurs. We are celebrating Therese Greenwood’s win for her short story in our 13th Letter anthology. Cathy and Melissa were finalists. More publications are coming, including a workshop on publishing and Melodie, Lisa and Rosemary are involved with the 3-Day MOTIVE Festival.

CRIME WRITERS OF CANADA AWARDS ANNOUNCED!

Therese Greenwood-Lowres
Therese Greenwood

Huge congratulations to Mme Therese Greenwood!  Her wonderful tale, “Hatcheck Bingo” won the CWC award for Best Short Story. “Hatcheck Bingo” was published in our very own anthology, The 13th Letter!!

Here’s what the CWC website had to say:

“Hatcheck Bingo” is fresh and original with deeply Canadian historical roots. The post-WW1 period is effectively woven through the action. Our hat-check girls are clever and resourceful, moral if not entirely law-abiding. Underlying the effervescent Prohibition-era atmosphere are serious undercurrents invoking postwar PTSD, sex discrimination for jobs, and ruthless cross-border power struggles over lucrative booze trafficking routes. The jury specially commends the masterful use of these themes as essential drivers to the deliciously twisty crime story. Wit and humour sparkle to the last bubble, like the best smuggled champagne.”

And big congrats to Mmes Cathy Astolfo and Melissa Yi for their nominations!

Cathy Astolfo
Catherine Astolfo
Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi

We also just learned that The 13th Letter beat out 250+ entries to be a finalist for the Derringer Best Anthology Award!

CONGRATULATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Madeleine Harris Callway

Mme  M. H. Callways story, “The Lost Diner”, is scheduled to appear in the July Issue of Pulp Literature Magazine.https://pulpliterature.com/

Perfect for Pride month. Check out Mme Melissa Yi’s Pride & Provocateur, her queer Pride and Prejudice, with Lixie the glass dildo artist vs. Mr. D’Arcy the tech billionaire in Dildo, Newfoundand.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissayi/pride1?ref=1mdfbl

Melissa also has a Bookbub on June 14th. Stockholm Syndrome, will be free on all platforms June 14th. https://windtreepress.com/portfolio/stockholm-syndrome/ 

Stockholm Syndrome
Melissa Yi
Melissa Yi

Stockholm Syndrome was selected as one of the best crime novels of the season by CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter’s Mystery Panel.

Two doctors. One killer. One woman in labour. A killer infiltrates the obstetrics ward of a Montreal hospital, taking one pregnant woman and one resident doctor hostage at gunpoint. Dr. Hope Sze struggles to deliver her patients baby with blood on the floor and death in the air. And when Dr. Tucker tries to rescue their tiny crew, only to end up hostage material alongside them, Hopes heart just might break, even before the kidnapper drills a bullet through her skull.”

MESDAMES ON THE MOVE

Lorna Poplak
Lorna Poplak
The Don Jail

Mme Lorna Poplak will present her book, The Don: The Story of Toronto’s Infamous Jail at the Toronto Public Library’s Don Mills branch at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Topics will include what brought her to write the book, its characters, and an examination of some thorny issues. Register by calling the branch at (416) 395-5710.

As part of the Festival of Bizarre Toronto History, Lorna also appeared on a virtual panel with moderator Adam Bunch and fellow-author Ed Brown on June 3, where they explored the grisly history of the Don Jail. For more details about the festival and Lorna’s session, visit www.bizarretoronto.com/.

Lisa de Nikolits
Lisa de Nikolits
Madeleine Harris Callway
Madeleine Harris-Callway
Rosemary McCracken
Rosemary McCracken

Mesdames Lisa De Nikolits, M.H. Callway and Rosemary McCracken will be presenting How to Get Published on Saturday, June 21st, 1 to 3 p.m. at Maria A. Shchuka Library, 1745 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto.

Join them for a workshop about writing, editing and getting published. Participants will learn how to traverse the full landscape of writing, from story creation, to writing, to editing, to finding a publisher and staying published. They will also look at the necessary relationship between authors and the online experience, as well as the hurdles women face in the world of publishing versus that of men. Q and A to follow.

To register, please call Maria A. Shchuka Library at 416-394-1000.

If you identify as a person with a disability and require an accessibility accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Accessibility Services by email at accessibleservices@tpl.ca or voicemail, 416-393-7099, to make a request. Please contact us at least three weeks in advance.

MOTIVE CRIME FESTIVAL

MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival is back for another exciting weekend,  Friday, June 27th to Sunday, June 29th this time TIFA will be roaming the mysterious halls of Victoria College on the University of Toronto’s campus! With cosy crime, police procedural, psychological thriller and true crime taking the stage, the Festival will be a weekend of suspense, twists and turns as we uncover the secrets behind some of the world’s most gripping stories. Meet the masters of mystery over the long weekend with criminally good conversations, readings, book signings, workshops and more. https://festivalofauthors.ca/motive-2025/

Check out the Mesdames at the events below:

Murder, Mystery & Mistaken Identities: Melodie Campbell and Maureen Jennings

On Saturday, 28 June, 5 PM. – 6 PM murder has never been so moreish. Mme Melodie Campbell joins Maureen Jennings for Murder, Mystery & Mistaken Identities, moderated by Janet Smyth.

“From luxury liners to Torontos underbelly, two of Canadas finest mystery authors return to the MOTIVE stage to take us on journeys back into the past. With The Silent Film Star Murders, Melodie Campbells glamorous and gleeful high-seas mystery, theatrical rivalries, silver screen scandals and one extremely suspicious snake set the stage for murder. Lady Lucy Revelstoke and her quick-witted maid, Elf, return to investigate whos playing a deadly role aboard the Victoriana. In stormy 1930s Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries creator, Maureen JenningsP.I. Charlotte Frayne faces two crimes on opposite ends of the social ladder in March Roars. With wrongful arrests, hidden biases, and tangled personal histories, Charlottes pursuit of truth forces her to confront a justice system in crisis. Whether its champagne-fueled drama or razor-sharp noir, this event delivers the intrigue, wit, and social history that make classic mysteries feel brand new.”

A book signing will follow this event.

Tea, Cake & Murder: Fatal Friendships, Deadly Acts: Hannah Mary McKinnon and Eliza Reid

Lisa de Nikolits
Lisa de Nikolits

On Saturday, June 28, 11:00 AM – 12 PM, start your day with tea, cake and murder as Lisa de Nikolits interviews Hannah Mary McKinnon about her book Only One Survives and Eliza Reid (former First Lady of Iceland) about her book, Death on the Island. Both are fabulous reads.

What happens when survival comes at the cost of those you love? Join bestselling thriller queen Hannah Mary McKinnon and former First Lady of Iceland and dazzling author, Eliza Reid as they pull back the curtain on two gripping tales of betrayal, ambition and murder. From a snowbound cabin with a doomed rock band in McKinnons Only One Survives to a deadly diplomatic dinner party on an isolated Icelandic island in Reids debut fiction Death on the Island, both authors explore the razor-thin line between loyalty and self-preservation when no one can leave, and everyone has a secret worth killing for. All served with tea, coffee and a slice of cake! “

A book signing will follow this event.

Crime Writers of Canada in Conversation

Rosemary McCracken
Rosemary McCracken

Mme Rosemary McCracken will be in the CWC Author Tent at MOTIVE Mystery & Crime Festival 2025 on Saturday, June 28 and on Sunday, June 29, 11 AM until 4 PM, at University of Toronto’s Victoria College, 73 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto.

From 4 to 5 PM on Sunday, June 29, Rosemary will join six Crime Writers of Canada outdoors on the Victoria College campus, where she will read from her new Pat Tierney mystery, Riversong, which will be out this year.

Mid-Month Mayhem

Our Mid-Month Mayhem spotlight for June will be on Mme Jane Burfield!

Jane Petersen Burfield
Jane Petersen Burfield
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