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The Ottawa Way: Guilty by Gender in Canada's Capital
Demetrios (Jim) Angelis does not make for a typical criminal: a religious Greek Orthodox Christian born in Montreal, a law-abiding man, a doting father of two with two master's degrees in administration, who speaks four languages, and who lived in New York City and Montreal before moving to Ottawa to study in local universities and work for the federal government. A jury convicted him in 2010 of murdering his unfaithful wife in 2008, and obliged the judge to sentence him to life in prison at the notorious (but now-closed) Kingston Penitentiary, home to Canada's worst criminals. The jurors were convinced that he intentionally suffocated Lien Le in front of their kids while they sat on the living room couch watching TV. The social and news media mocked, shamed, and condemned the former nurse (who was nearly castrated by his wife Lien) even before the jury returned with their guilty verdict. But was it really murder, or was it something else?
776 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 30, 2024
Personally I would give it five stars. But the book is too heavy. I mean why so much description about oottawa family members? Is it necessary?
He is guilty of murdering his wife . But is it really that much? Oh man, this book tells the in depth details of every family member with their interviews the history and all.
I stopped somewhere took a break and completed it .it was well worth it.
It also tells how the system works also. So totally worth it .
He is guilty of murdering his wife . But is it really that much? Oh man, this book tells the in depth details of every family member with their interviews the history and all.
I stopped somewhere took a break and completed it .it was well worth it.
It also tells how the system works also. So totally worth it .
March 16, 2024
Seven hundred and seventy-six pages are bulky—a mountain of a book in a world where most busy people have a mole-hill size of time for reading. Busy as I was, I didn't realize this book was that bulky until I got to the last page. I was enraptured, glued to whatever position I found myself in while reading, and this was because of a trifecta of fantastic writing style, emotional story, and rich history.
"It wasn't worth it! What good is affordable university education and free health care if your legal rights to ensure your safety and that of your children at home are ignored?" Indeed! Rather than admit any wrongdoing, the people who live and/or work in Ottawa, Canada, found ways to blame me for what happened on June 8, 2008! Am I truly the guilty one? Read my family's tragic story and decide for yourself. You be the judge!
The above is a declaration, a rhetorical question, yet a call for the reader to venture into the intrigue that definitely simmered in the pages that followed. These were the last paragraphs of the short biography that began the book The Ottawa Way. And this was where my own reading journey began.
A short prologue, which I initially thought was unnecessary, became my favourite part of the book. In it, the reader is told what to expect—in the Author's words, the book could be any of these: Job's Travail, Jesus's Trial, or even a modern retelling of a Greek tragedy. In other words, the caveat meant that the reader should prepare for heart–wrenching moments.
The first thing I noticed as I began to thumb through the pages from Chapter 1 with its self–declarative title, Ottawa: A Historic Glance, is that this is a book steeped and dripping with history. Chapter 1 is a treasure trove of history for history lovers. The Author led the readers through the paths that the first explorers, the French, travelled through in the year 1610, the year of the Ottawa area's discovery. Like all odysseys, this chapter concluded in 2015. If the Author hadn't apologized in the prologue about the “history” in the chapter being much more than a glance, I would have thought the chapter title was more of a joke. Like all biographies, I assumed the writer was setting an extensive background for "where" it all happened.
In Chapter 2, with the 'where' already established, the 'who' became the most logical follow-up. The Author delves into personal quarters. Here, the reader will find out the answers or an inkling to the other w- questions, such as when and why his parents came to Canada.
The reader will also later learn about the family’s failed attempt to blend into a system that was almost antithetical to them.
From my experience, most biographical accounts like this are entirely narrational; one only learns about the Author's life. But this continued in its peculiar fashion of unfurling history and more history.
In Chapter 3, the reader meets the Author's family, starting with (as the Author described her) his children's mother.
For detail-oriented people like me, I must say how impressed I was with the details here. The Author leads us through her journey from being a laboratory partner to becoming the Author's wife. Some books are narrational; they just tell a story; others are informational; they inform the reader. This book is the best of both.
Chapters 4 and 5 are the tail ends of the book, and they, for me, are the most important parts. They are the parts of the book that the writer warned the readers to brace themselves for in the prologue. The consecutive tragedies and injustices that have plagued him, his parents, children and loved ones were described here.
The author was right. It was just like Jobs' experience—the trials, the seven years. At this point, readers might slam the book shut to wipe a tear or two. Or they might be lost in thoughts, wondering about racial injustice, man's inhumanity, and the role of divinity in allowing such occurrences. Or they might continue seeking what follows.
Finally, in Chapter 6, there's a sense of hope, some light after that torturously dark tunnel. But there is no denying the losses or the effects they leave behind. At this point, I took some days off.
The Epilogue is where the journey approaches a bend, as I am sure the end of the Author's story is far from over. Sorry for the spoilers so far.
The Epilogue is five pages, and it begins with this sentence:
From April 2008 until June 2015, three generations of the Angelis family have suffered at the hands of those who turned their backs on us because they either chose to ignore my pleas for help or (for one reason or another) chose to side with my wife and oppressor.
This is enough information for some people who would rather peruse the Epilogue than read the book from the beginning. It is an indictment and a rant.
In the last paragraph, which describes the Author driving away from a country where they had hoped to find a home, one would only hope that he would be leaving behind a world filled with betrayal, racial injustice, and institutionalized abuse. Sadly, that's not the case.
Everyone should read this book. Youngsters who are curious about their world, adults who are considering moving to Canada or are already in Canada and hoping to intermarry with its indigenes. Yes, research students and everyone who loves autobiographies.
I think another name for the book would have been the grass is certainly not greener on the other side.
"It wasn't worth it! What good is affordable university education and free health care if your legal rights to ensure your safety and that of your children at home are ignored?" Indeed! Rather than admit any wrongdoing, the people who live and/or work in Ottawa, Canada, found ways to blame me for what happened on June 8, 2008! Am I truly the guilty one? Read my family's tragic story and decide for yourself. You be the judge!
The above is a declaration, a rhetorical question, yet a call for the reader to venture into the intrigue that definitely simmered in the pages that followed. These were the last paragraphs of the short biography that began the book The Ottawa Way. And this was where my own reading journey began.
A short prologue, which I initially thought was unnecessary, became my favourite part of the book. In it, the reader is told what to expect—in the Author's words, the book could be any of these: Job's Travail, Jesus's Trial, or even a modern retelling of a Greek tragedy. In other words, the caveat meant that the reader should prepare for heart–wrenching moments.
The first thing I noticed as I began to thumb through the pages from Chapter 1 with its self–declarative title, Ottawa: A Historic Glance, is that this is a book steeped and dripping with history. Chapter 1 is a treasure trove of history for history lovers. The Author led the readers through the paths that the first explorers, the French, travelled through in the year 1610, the year of the Ottawa area's discovery. Like all odysseys, this chapter concluded in 2015. If the Author hadn't apologized in the prologue about the “history” in the chapter being much more than a glance, I would have thought the chapter title was more of a joke. Like all biographies, I assumed the writer was setting an extensive background for "where" it all happened.
In Chapter 2, with the 'where' already established, the 'who' became the most logical follow-up. The Author delves into personal quarters. Here, the reader will find out the answers or an inkling to the other w- questions, such as when and why his parents came to Canada.
The reader will also later learn about the family’s failed attempt to blend into a system that was almost antithetical to them.
From my experience, most biographical accounts like this are entirely narrational; one only learns about the Author's life. But this continued in its peculiar fashion of unfurling history and more history.
In Chapter 3, the reader meets the Author's family, starting with (as the Author described her) his children's mother.
For detail-oriented people like me, I must say how impressed I was with the details here. The Author leads us through her journey from being a laboratory partner to becoming the Author's wife. Some books are narrational; they just tell a story; others are informational; they inform the reader. This book is the best of both.
Chapters 4 and 5 are the tail ends of the book, and they, for me, are the most important parts. They are the parts of the book that the writer warned the readers to brace themselves for in the prologue. The consecutive tragedies and injustices that have plagued him, his parents, children and loved ones were described here.
The author was right. It was just like Jobs' experience—the trials, the seven years. At this point, readers might slam the book shut to wipe a tear or two. Or they might be lost in thoughts, wondering about racial injustice, man's inhumanity, and the role of divinity in allowing such occurrences. Or they might continue seeking what follows.
Finally, in Chapter 6, there's a sense of hope, some light after that torturously dark tunnel. But there is no denying the losses or the effects they leave behind. At this point, I took some days off.
The Epilogue is where the journey approaches a bend, as I am sure the end of the Author's story is far from over. Sorry for the spoilers so far.
The Epilogue is five pages, and it begins with this sentence:
From April 2008 until June 2015, three generations of the Angelis family have suffered at the hands of those who turned their backs on us because they either chose to ignore my pleas for help or (for one reason or another) chose to side with my wife and oppressor.
This is enough information for some people who would rather peruse the Epilogue than read the book from the beginning. It is an indictment and a rant.
In the last paragraph, which describes the Author driving away from a country where they had hoped to find a home, one would only hope that he would be leaving behind a world filled with betrayal, racial injustice, and institutionalized abuse. Sadly, that's not the case.
Everyone should read this book. Youngsters who are curious about their world, adults who are considering moving to Canada or are already in Canada and hoping to intermarry with its indigenes. Yes, research students and everyone who loves autobiographies.
I think another name for the book would have been the grass is certainly not greener on the other side.
July 6, 2024
This review was written in connection with Booktasters!
When I first began this book a few months ago, my knowledge of the Canadian city of Ottawa began and ended with the fact that the Ottawa Senators were a persistent thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh Penguins every time the NHL playoffs came around. Players like Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza always gave Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin a run for their money.
Now, having read "The Ottawa Way," I feel like I have a general understanding of the various political, social, and economic contexts that exist in that city. However, while you will get a detailed history lesson from Mr. Angelis while reading his book, this pales in comparison to the rest of his story. At its core, this the story of how the cultural system of Ottawa destroyed the Angelis family after Mr. Angelis was found guilty and later acquitted of his wife's murder.
The book itself is extremely long, coming in at over 700 pages. However, Mr. Angelis makes it clear at the start that if you are purely interested in his story minus the full context, you should skip to the appropriate sections of the book. In order to give the book an honest and thoughtful review, I read it from start to finish and in doing so, came to an understanding of why Mr. Anglelis made the book so lengthy and picked up some interesting "nuggets" of information along the way. Essentially, I attribute the book's length to Mr. Angelis's desire to be thorough and provide a clear context of the conditions and acts he experienced during his time of tribulation. Once I made this realization, the length of the book appeared less daunting. Additionally, I got to pick up interesting bits like how Mr. Angelis attended a Catholic grade school in New York with Andrew and Chris Cuomo.
Outside of the book's length, Mr. Angelis's story is heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, and full of courtroom drama of the highest order. I cannot begin to imagine his pain and suffering, watching first-hand the destruction of his family. However, in written form, those passages describing the events surrounding the death of Lien Angelis and Mr. Angelis's trial and re-trial read fast and rival the best fictional thrillers and TV shows for the grip they place on the reader.
Overall, the true strength of this book lies in the ability of its content to be discussed among those who have read it. In my mind, this book is prime book club material. I imagine so many rich discussions occurring on the topics of: generational trauma, "pink men" (gender roles), unconscious and conscious bias, fault/blame in the legal system, and the role of the rule of law. From my perspective, one of the hallmarks of a solid book is its ability to provide windows and mirrors into our society while inviting us to discuss and take action to change what we see. "The Ottawa Way" does just that.
Remaining steadfast in the face of unspeakable odds requires immense courage as does taking the time to relive pain and trauma while engaging in the act of writing. As such, I thank Mr. Angelis for sharing his story with us and hope that the act of writing has given him solace and closure.
When I first began this book a few months ago, my knowledge of the Canadian city of Ottawa began and ended with the fact that the Ottawa Senators were a persistent thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh Penguins every time the NHL playoffs came around. Players like Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza always gave Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin a run for their money.
Now, having read "The Ottawa Way," I feel like I have a general understanding of the various political, social, and economic contexts that exist in that city. However, while you will get a detailed history lesson from Mr. Angelis while reading his book, this pales in comparison to the rest of his story. At its core, this the story of how the cultural system of Ottawa destroyed the Angelis family after Mr. Angelis was found guilty and later acquitted of his wife's murder.
The book itself is extremely long, coming in at over 700 pages. However, Mr. Angelis makes it clear at the start that if you are purely interested in his story minus the full context, you should skip to the appropriate sections of the book. In order to give the book an honest and thoughtful review, I read it from start to finish and in doing so, came to an understanding of why Mr. Anglelis made the book so lengthy and picked up some interesting "nuggets" of information along the way. Essentially, I attribute the book's length to Mr. Angelis's desire to be thorough and provide a clear context of the conditions and acts he experienced during his time of tribulation. Once I made this realization, the length of the book appeared less daunting. Additionally, I got to pick up interesting bits like how Mr. Angelis attended a Catholic grade school in New York with Andrew and Chris Cuomo.
Outside of the book's length, Mr. Angelis's story is heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, and full of courtroom drama of the highest order. I cannot begin to imagine his pain and suffering, watching first-hand the destruction of his family. However, in written form, those passages describing the events surrounding the death of Lien Angelis and Mr. Angelis's trial and re-trial read fast and rival the best fictional thrillers and TV shows for the grip they place on the reader.
Overall, the true strength of this book lies in the ability of its content to be discussed among those who have read it. In my mind, this book is prime book club material. I imagine so many rich discussions occurring on the topics of: generational trauma, "pink men" (gender roles), unconscious and conscious bias, fault/blame in the legal system, and the role of the rule of law. From my perspective, one of the hallmarks of a solid book is its ability to provide windows and mirrors into our society while inviting us to discuss and take action to change what we see. "The Ottawa Way" does just that.
Remaining steadfast in the face of unspeakable odds requires immense courage as does taking the time to relive pain and trauma while engaging in the act of writing. As such, I thank Mr. Angelis for sharing his story with us and hope that the act of writing has given him solace and closure.
March 18, 2024
I saw somewhere that to read every word that Charles Dickens published it would take the normal reader 5 months, reading 24 hours per day. I own a copy of Will and Ariel Durant's The Story of Civilization, a history that comes in 11 volumes. One day, I will have read them all. Based upon the Ottawa Way, it would appear that Demetrios Angelis is a writer in the Dickens/Durant genre. This voluminous history/autobiography contains descriptions of, to my knowledge, the administration of every prime minister in the history of Canada. Do you wish to know why Ottawa became the capitol? The explanation is here. The Ottawa Way is a history of Greece from the time of the gladiators, and a history of Vietnam from the period of the Chinese Song Dynasty. The book actually names the first person of Greek descent to settle in Canada. And all of this is just background information.
The Ottawa Way includes in-depth descriptions of Angelis family members, including their lives, their motivations, their moves, their jobs, everything you might need to know. The author's sense of Canada comprises a substantial portion of the book. It is a land where people "do not question governmental authority," where elections are held but both parties hold basically the same beliefs - that government must play a key role in protection of citizens' economic and social well=being - so little gets accomplished. Angelis perceives a "Quebec Syndrome", a sense of citizen inferiority, which will prevent multiculturalism. He contends that Greeks, and indeed most outsiders, are not treated as equals, being referred to as "allophones" (speakers of other than English or French), harassed by police and government workers.
Angelis describes his marriage and his family life. His trial for his wife's murder is harrowing, yet again remarkably detailed. If ever there was a book written to lend the reader the total sense of the author, this is it.
Personally, I would have left out some of the detail as either too personal or less essential to the autobiography, and I would have forgone the occasional use of one-word sentences with exclamation points (Catastrophe! Smooch! Baklava!) but these were author choices which did not detract from the story.
The Ottawa Way includes in-depth descriptions of Angelis family members, including their lives, their motivations, their moves, their jobs, everything you might need to know. The author's sense of Canada comprises a substantial portion of the book. It is a land where people "do not question governmental authority," where elections are held but both parties hold basically the same beliefs - that government must play a key role in protection of citizens' economic and social well=being - so little gets accomplished. Angelis perceives a "Quebec Syndrome", a sense of citizen inferiority, which will prevent multiculturalism. He contends that Greeks, and indeed most outsiders, are not treated as equals, being referred to as "allophones" (speakers of other than English or French), harassed by police and government workers.
Angelis describes his marriage and his family life. His trial for his wife's murder is harrowing, yet again remarkably detailed. If ever there was a book written to lend the reader the total sense of the author, this is it.
Personally, I would have left out some of the detail as either too personal or less essential to the autobiography, and I would have forgone the occasional use of one-word sentences with exclamation points (Catastrophe! Smooch! Baklava!) but these were author choices which did not detract from the story.
March 11, 2025
In a book like this, where so many stories are told, so many characters are named and the socio-historical context of each event is explained, it is essential for the narrative to be very fluid and well-structured. This requirement is certainly met. This was the first thing that caught my attention and what made me want to keep reading.
The descriptions of the Ottawa jail and the different situations that are detailed are also very well-crafted. I found original the particularity of summarizing what is described in a sentence with an adjective between exclamation marks at the end, providing emphasis and a distinctive touch to the narrative style.
Through the pages, I was able to learn about the history of a country I was unfamiliar with, and the way it affected the life of a particular family, which led me to think about how the general historical context marks so many personal stories that need to be told. It is the kind of book that enriches our cultural knowledge, invites us to develop our critical thinking, and raises awareness of realities we often ignore.
For those who enjoy historical literature and reflections on the impact of political, socio-cultural, religious and economic aspects on society and its values, this book is sure to be of interest.
The descriptions of the Ottawa jail and the different situations that are detailed are also very well-crafted. I found original the particularity of summarizing what is described in a sentence with an adjective between exclamation marks at the end, providing emphasis and a distinctive touch to the narrative style.
Through the pages, I was able to learn about the history of a country I was unfamiliar with, and the way it affected the life of a particular family, which led me to think about how the general historical context marks so many personal stories that need to be told. It is the kind of book that enriches our cultural knowledge, invites us to develop our critical thinking, and raises awareness of realities we often ignore.
For those who enjoy historical literature and reflections on the impact of political, socio-cultural, religious and economic aspects on society and its values, this book is sure to be of interest.
March 17, 2024
It's an amazing book.it's a log page book but at the same time you will enjoy it. In every part it was suspenseful to me.. I really respect the author. And I'm grateful for them to write such an amazing book..
April 25, 2024
The author, Demetrios (Jim) Angelis does not make for a typical criminal: a religious Greek Orthodox Christian born in Montreal.
A law-abiding man, a doting father of two with two master's degrees in administration, who speaks four languages, and who lived in New York City and Montreal before moving to Ottawa to study in local universities and work for the federal government.
A jury convicted him in 2010 of murdering his wife in 2008 and obliged the judge to sentence him to life in prison at the notorious (but now-closed) Kingston Penitentiary, home to Canada's worst criminals.
The jurors were convinced that he intentionally suffocated Lien Le in front of their kids while they sat on the living room couch watching TV. The social and news media mocked, shamed, and condemned the former nurse (who was nearly castrated by his wife Lien) even before the jury returned with their guilty verdict. But was it murder, or was it something else?
The author shares his experience.
"𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝?" 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝/𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐰𝐚, 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚, 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 8, 2008! 𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞? 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞!”
The above is a declaration, a rhetorical question, yet a call for the reader to venture into the intrigue that simmered in the pages that followed.
These were the last paragraphs of the short biography that began the book The Ottawa Way. And this was where my reading journey began.
The Ottawa Way includes in-depth descriptions of Angelis family members, including their lives, their motivations, their moves, their jobs, and everything you might need to know.
The author's sense of Canada comprises a substantial portion of the book. It is a land where people "do not question governmental authority," where elections are held but both parties hold the same beliefs - that government must play a key role in the protection of citizens' economic and social well-being - so little gets accomplished. Angelis perceives a "Quebec Syndrome", a sense of citizen inferiority, which will prevent multiculturalism. He contends that Greeks, and indeed most outsiders, are not treated as equals, being referred to as "allophones" (speakers other than English or French) and harassed by police and government workers.
𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭.
A law-abiding man, a doting father of two with two master's degrees in administration, who speaks four languages, and who lived in New York City and Montreal before moving to Ottawa to study in local universities and work for the federal government.
A jury convicted him in 2010 of murdering his wife in 2008 and obliged the judge to sentence him to life in prison at the notorious (but now-closed) Kingston Penitentiary, home to Canada's worst criminals.
The jurors were convinced that he intentionally suffocated Lien Le in front of their kids while they sat on the living room couch watching TV. The social and news media mocked, shamed, and condemned the former nurse (who was nearly castrated by his wife Lien) even before the jury returned with their guilty verdict. But was it murder, or was it something else?
The author shares his experience.
"𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝?" 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝! 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝/𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐰𝐚, 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚, 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 8, 2008! 𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞? 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞!”
The above is a declaration, a rhetorical question, yet a call for the reader to venture into the intrigue that simmered in the pages that followed.
These were the last paragraphs of the short biography that began the book The Ottawa Way. And this was where my reading journey began.
The Ottawa Way includes in-depth descriptions of Angelis family members, including their lives, their motivations, their moves, their jobs, and everything you might need to know.
The author's sense of Canada comprises a substantial portion of the book. It is a land where people "do not question governmental authority," where elections are held but both parties hold the same beliefs - that government must play a key role in the protection of citizens' economic and social well-being - so little gets accomplished. Angelis perceives a "Quebec Syndrome", a sense of citizen inferiority, which will prevent multiculturalism. He contends that Greeks, and indeed most outsiders, are not treated as equals, being referred to as "allophones" (speakers other than English or French) and harassed by police and government workers.
𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭.
December 21, 2025
The Ottawa Way, from the title, cover image and the story within, is a vast, quite complex tale of one man's fight through the Canadian justice system. A rather in-depth background exploration could be very interesting.
However, the inclusion of historical and autobiographical details might also feel excessive, although I hasten to add, some details such as the family dynamics, are necessary. Like me, though, you might prefer a book that dives straight into the crime.
Aside from all of this, The Ottawa Way is a well-written novel and it is hard not to feel sympathy towards the author for the difficulties he and his family had to experience.
However, the inclusion of historical and autobiographical details might also feel excessive, although I hasten to add, some details such as the family dynamics, are necessary. Like me, though, you might prefer a book that dives straight into the crime.
Aside from all of this, The Ottawa Way is a well-written novel and it is hard not to feel sympathy towards the author for the difficulties he and his family had to experience.
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