Book description
Retired Toronto detective Charlie McKelvey runs from a cancer diagnosis
and the violent memories of the big city and retreats to his hometown. A
small declining mining centre, Ste. Bernadette offers McKelvey a chance
to resolve old family issues, including his fathers involvement in a
deadly wildcat strike in the late 1950s.
When the local police force enlists his help in tracing an upswing in
youth violence and vandalism, McKelvey stumbles into the hornets nest of
a crystal meth industry. The timing couldnt be worse for the town to
expose its drug problem to the world: the mayor is hoping a new
transmission line will be built through the town, bringing power line
jobs and construction dollars; the police chief is trying to closing a
deal to truck Detroits garbage to a local site as well as vying for the
mayors job; and a sleazy businessman is attempting to buy up the towns
land to open a casino and resort.
Despite searches and seizures, the flow of drugs continues, leading
McKelvey to suspect a local is manufacturing the drug. The Devils Dust
holds a magnifying glass to the current decline of rural life, the
scourge of meth, and what happens when an entire town loses faith.
“Forrest realistically weaves the intricacies of small town character,
politics, and police life…” C. B. Forrest's first literary crime
novel, The Weight of Stones
, was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. His
second McKelvey novel, Slow Recoil
, was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. He
lives in Ottawa, Ontario.
