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Desperate Acts

(Marc Edwards Mystery #8)

Don Gutteridge (Goodreads Author)

4.14 · Rating details · 7 ratings · 3 reviews

In November 1839, the final debate on the future of Upper Canada (later Ontario) and Lower Canada (later Quebec) is taking place in the Assembly. Marc Edwards is writing pamphlets for Robert Baldwin and supporters of Lord Durham’s recommendations for the way they are to be governed. When a sleazy blackmailer preys on elite members of the Shakespeare Club, it skews the deli ...more

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Published March 9th 2015 by Smashwords Edition

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Jul 31, 2017 Cybercrone rated it liked it

3.5 - a good, fun read.

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Jun 14, 2019 Monica rated it really liked it

Really 4.5 🌟. To see full review go to Marc Edwards Box Set 7 -12.

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Feb 27, 2016 Don Gutteridge rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Desperate Acts continues the history of the Durham Report and its aftermath, thereby fusing this novel satisfyingly with the previous, The Bishop's Pawn, and therefore the whole Marc Edwards mystery sequence. Don Gutteridge's use of that traumatic event, the 1837 Rebellion -- its causes, unfolding, and consequences, so vital to the shaping of Canada -- is inspired. Each of the Marc Edwards mysteries is like a milestone on the road to nationhood. It's a toll road, though. In each Marc Edwards mys Desperate Acts continues the history of the Durham Report and its aftermath, thereby fusing this novel satisfyingly with the previous, The Bishop's Pawn, and therefore the whole Marc Edwards mystery sequence. Don Gutteridge's use of that traumatic event, the 1837 Rebellion -- its causes, unfolding, and consequences, so vital to the shaping of Canada -- is inspired. Each of the Marc Edwards mysteries is like a milestone on the road to nationhood. It's a toll road, though. In each Marc Edwards mystery, somebody certainly is destined to pay a toll. This time the blind sword of justice takes aim at a close friend of Marc's.
But what if there are too many suspects? "Hang `em all" is not the appropriate response. "Canada" does not yet exist in 1839, but Marc Edwards demonstrates a caring and sensitivity that are in the best of Canadian legal traditions. He may be new at lawyering, but goes up against the experienced and skilful Kingsley Thornton in a delightful battle of two good legal minds. Marc's strategy, however, is derailed by the heavy shadow of Family-Compact-tainted politics. What to do? Horatio Cobb has moved ahead, proving he has the mind of a detective and a fundamental skill at acting. Putting the latter at the service of the former, he and Marc roll the dice. Desperate Acts continues the Tory-Radical conflict, a story fleshed out with clashes of comedy and class, our familiar families, and another Gutteridge intricate mystery, in 1839 Toronto.

Reviewed by Jim French

Don Gutteridge's Desperate Acts is a classic whonunnit which, while beginning in leisurely fashion with necessary background, soon becomes a genuine page-turner. Marc Edwards, the maturing hero of Gutteridge's series, is now a lawyer, circa 1840, and he combines forces once more with the amusing Constable Horatio Cobb to solve an intriguing murder of which Edwards' young friend, Brodie Langford, is logically accused; although the reader knows full well he is innocent, circumstances point irrefutably to his guilt. But dark as the case against Brodie seems, Edwards is convinced of his friend's innocence, and acting as his counsel (there's a cracking good courtroom scene), discovers there are actually a bevy of suspects, all of whom appear to have been targets of the murder-victim's blackmail. The plot thickens, indeed, and here is where Gutteridge deploys his extensive knowledge of Canadian history: Edwards ability to defend his friend is maddingly is compromised by the complex political situation of the time - and so the historical background becomes not simply an adjunct to but an integral part of the plot. Thus Desperate Acts gives the reader not only a gripping whodunnit but also an interesting slice of Canadiana. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Bruce Ashdown ...more

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About Don Gutteridge

Don Gutteridge

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Don Gutteridge was born in Sarnia and raised in the nearby village of Point Edward. He taught High School English for seven years, later becoming a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Western University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He is the author of twenty-two novels. including the twelve-volume Marc Edwards mystery series. Don is also an accomplished poet and has published twen ...more