How I learned to love the killers in my life

So maybe it’s an exaggeration to say that I learned to love the killers in my life. I certainly learned how to tolerate them, to interrogate them and to expose them, in some cases. It’s part of the story you’ll hear if you pop by the John Dutton Theatre at the main branch of the Calgary Public Library (616 Macleod Trail S.E., Calgary) this Saturday (February 1) where I’ll be speaking about life as a writer of true crime stories – which includes many tales of murder. My talk, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., is one of six on Saturday that is part of the Writer’s Weekend. All of the sessions are free, though you should register at the library’s website. If you attend, I’ll explain the remarkable backstory of that charming fellow (inset), one of the many strange characters I’ve met during a crime-writing career of 20+ years.

I’ll also share insight about the Shafia mass murder case, the subject of my book, Without Honour: The True Story of the Shafia Family and the Kingston Canal Murders. Copies of the book will be available for sale at the session ($19). Hope to see you there. Here’s the complete agenda for the Writer’s Weekend presentations on February 1.