Rowena Grant
Created by Maurice Gagnon

"That wily redhead, private investigator ROWENA GRANT, formerly of the MUC" is called back by her former employees, the Montreal police, to help them crack the case of a serial killer who seems to be targeting newly-promoted women on the Montreal police force, in her one appearance to date, 1990's By Hate Posessed.

At first, he seems content to kill his victims with poison filled darts, but the killing soon escalate to shootings to some particularly nasty stabbings.

But "wily"?

Possibly it's the odd phrasing (a bad translation?) or the archaic tone, but I found this book rather off-putting, as though Gagnon had merely cranked out a book he thought would sell, by working through a checklist of a few hot tropes (serial killers, the recent-at the time local massacre of several women, lesbian detectives) without any real feel for, understanding of or insight into any of them.

In fact, given its surface sympathy for its female characters, there's an oddly misanthropic vibe to the whole thing.

Gagnon is the author of more than 40 novels, mostly in French, and has produced more than 60 radio and television plays for the CBC. He's also responsible for the adventures of Montreal lawyer/marine investigator Deirdre O'Hara.

NOVELS

• By Hate Posessed (1990) .. Buy this book

RELATED LINKS

• C'est ma ville, aussi...
  A listing of Montréal eyes.

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith (original report, October 2000).