Erik D'Souza speaks with Shelley Adina about her nomination for the Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery for, The Engineer's Nemesis (published by Moonshell Books). Shelley discusses her steampunk mystery series featuring Lady Georgia Brunel and her aunt Millicent, in which the women solve cases while traveling on an airship. She explains her writing process, including her decision to write mysteries alongside her successful romance novels, and shares details about her upcoming books.
Bio
After a childhood spent reading Nancy Drew, and several years supporting the RCMP, Shelley Adina Bates now writes mysteries as a member of Sisters in Crime and Crime Writers of Canada. She is the author of some 60 novels—steampunk adventure and cozy fantasy mystery as Shelley Adina, deeply researched historical mystery under her full name, and as Adina Senft, she's the USA Today bestselling author of Amish women’s fiction. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University in the UK. When she’s not writing, Shelley is usually quilting or enjoying the garden with her flock of rescued chickens.
Erik D'Souza interviews Ray Critch, a lawyer from St. John's, Newfoundland, who has been nominated for the Best First Crime Novel Award, sponsored by Melodie Campbell, for his book, The Beltane Massacre (published by Breakwater Books). They explore Ray's approach to writing about grief and high-stakes mystery, his experience with public speaking, and his plans to continue writing while maintaining his legal career. Ray also shared details about his upcoming second and third novels in the Rowan McRae series.
Bio
By day, Ray Critch is a lawyer from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Practicing civil litigation with MacGillivray Injury and Insurance Law, he has appeared at every level of court in Newfoundland and Labrador and at the Supreme Court of Canada. By night, he is a happily married husband and father of two. However, every once in a while, he carves off some spare time to pop to a local sports bar and do some writing. Somehow, he has managed to write three novels, the first of which, The Beltane Massacre, was published by Breakwater Books in 2025 and is a finalist for the Crime Writers of Canada's First Book Award of Excellence.
Erik D’Souza interviews Tamara L. Miller, a nominee for the Peter Robinson Award for Best Crime Novel for her debut book, Into the Fall (published by Thomas and Mercer). They discuss how Miller's camping trip in Ontario inspired the novel's premise about a woman stranded in the wilderness after her husband disappears. Miller shares her background, her transition from academic and government policy writing to crime fiction, and how she developed her writing skills through workshops and mentorship over several years. They also discuss her new book, The Weight of Glass, which follows a mother's disappearance in a small town along the shores of Lake Superior.
Bio
Tamara L. Miller writes psychological suspense steeped in atmosphere, emotional complexity, and the stark beauty of the Canadian wilderness. Her debut novel, Into the Fall was a 2025 Amazon First Reads selection. Her second novel, The Weight of Glass (2026), follows a daughter’s perilous search for answers after her mother’s disappearance along the snowbound shores of Lake Superior. She is unbelievably honoured and humbled that Into the Fall has been shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Best Novel of 2026. Tamara holds a Ph.D. in Canadian history and draws on a lifelong love of the wilder places in her writing. She lives in Ottawa, Canada.
Erik D’Souza interviews Laury Silvers, discussing her nomination for the Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery sponsored by Jane Doe, for her book, Some Justice. The interview covers Silvers' background as a retired professor of early Islam and Sufism, her decision to set her novels in Baghdad in 1912, and the evolution of writing styles from her Sufi Mysteries Quartet to the new Ghazi Amar Medieval Mysteries series. They discuss her writing approach, which she describes as emotionally driven, and her preference for self-publishing over traditional publishing. The conversation also touches on her contemporary thriller series, written under the pseudonym Jayne Green, and concludes with Silvers expressing her shock and excitement at being nominated for the award.
Bio
Laury Silvers is a North American Muslim of Southern and New Yorker cultural origin, finally at home in Canada. She is a retired professor of early Islam, early Sufism, and early pious and Sufi women. She taught at Skidmore College and the University of Toronto. Silvers also published work engaging Islam and Gender in North America in academic journals and popular venues, was actively involved in the woman-led prayer movement, and co-founded the Toronto Unity Mosque. She has since retired from academia and activism and hopes her mysteries and thrillers continue her scholarship and activism in their own way. She lives in Toronto under Treaty 13.
Erik D’Souza interviews Alice Fitzpatrick about her nomination for the Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery, sponsored by Jane Doe, for her novel A Dark Death (Published by Stonehouse Publishing. She explains her writing process of A Dark Death, which features archaeological elements and explores the motivations of seemingly ordinary people to commit murder. The conversation also covers her upcoming Christmas-themed mystery, A Killing Cold.
Bio
Alice Fitzpatrick has contributed short stories to literary magazines and anthologies, including the Crime Writers of Canada 40th anniversary anthology, Cold Canadian Crime. She is a fearless champion of singing, cats, all things Welsh, and the Oxford comma. Her summers spent with her Welsh family in Pembrokeshire inspired the creation of the Meredith Island Mysteries, which include Secrets in the Water and A Dark Death. The Meredith Island Christmas mystery, A Killing Cold, will be released in June. The traditional mystery appeals to her fascination with what makes seemingly ordinary people commit murder. Alice lives in Toronto but dreams of a cottage on the Welsh coast.
Erik D’Souza interviews Barbara Fradkin about the nomination of her story, Cold Shock, which appears in A Capital Mystery Anthology, published by Ottawa Press and Publishing. They explored Barbara's fascination with why ordinary people resort to desperate actions, her creation of tension and atmosphere in beautiful settings such as the Rideau River, and her long-running Inspector Green series set in Ottawa.
Bio
Barbara Fradkin is a retired child psychologist with a fascination for why we turn bad. She has published seventeen novels, over thirty short stories, and four Rapid Reads short novels. Twelve of her works have been shortlisted or won Awards of Excellence from Crime Writers of Canada. Besides her Amanda Doucette wilderness thrillers, she is best known for her gritty, long-running series featuring quixotic Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green.
Erik D’Souza interviews Madeleine Harris-Callway, discussing her nomination for the story, The Lost Diner (published in Pulp Literature issue 47), in the Best Crime Short Stories category, sponsored by Crime Writers of Canada. Madeleine explains her story about a 62-year-old woman driving cars across the border for a criminal organization, sharing her character's background as a former repo specialist. Madeleine also updates us on her work with Les Madame et Messieurs de Mayhem collective, mentioning their upcoming seventh anthology titled "The Power of 13" scheduled for release in September ahead of Bouchercon in Calgary.
Bio
M. H. Callway’s crime fiction has won or been short-listed for several leading awards including the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, the Debut Dagger, and the Derringer. Her thriller, Windigo Fire (Seraphim Editions), was a finalist for the CWC Best First Novel Award. In 2013, she and Donna Carrick of Carrick Publishing co-founded the Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem, a collective of established Canadian crime writers. They are the subject of the critically acclaimed CBC documentary, The Mesdames of Mayhem, which you may view on CBC GEM or YouTube.
Erik D'Souza interviews Iona Whishaw, whose novel, The Cost of a Hostage (Published by TouchWood Editions) is nominated for the Whodunit Award for Best Traditional Mystery, sponsored by Jane Doe. They discuss her Lane Winslow mystery series set in 1940s British Columbia. They explored how Lane's character evolved from being inspired by Iona's mother to developing her own distinct personality.
Bio
Iona Whishaw is a Canadian author known for her Lane Winslow mystery series, drawing inspiration from her diverse background as an educator and social worker. She began writing the Lane Winslow mystery series at the age of 64, inspired by her mother's adventurous life, which included her involvement in intelligence during World War II. The series features Lane Winslow, a former British spy who seeks a quieter life in British Columbia after the war. Iona's writing is characterized by its historical accuracy and rich character development, drawing from her extensive research and personal history, making her works resonate with readers who appreciate both mystery and historical context.
Hear her earlier podcast, where we focused on Cost of a Hostage: Crime Writers of Canada - Podcasts on Crime Writing - Iona Whishaw, The Cost of a Hostage
Erik D’Souza interviews Lis Angus, who is nominated for two awards. Her novel, That Other Family (published by Next Chapter), is nominated for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada, sponsored by Shaftesbury. And her story, Under the Circumstances (published in A Capital Mystery Anthology by Ottawa Press and Publishing), is shortlisted for Best Crime Short Story, sponsored by Crime Writers of Canada. They discuss Lis's writing approach and her themes around family, protection, and ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Lis explains her extensive rewriting process and how she pares down her stories. The interview concludes with Lis mentioning her current work on a third novel, though it's still in early development stages.
Bio
Originally from Alberta, Lis Angus has also lived in Germany, Ottawa and Toronto. Before turning to fiction, she worked with children and families in crisis, and later as a business writer, conference organizer, and policy advisor while raising two daughters. Her two suspense novels, Not Your Child (2022) and That Other Family (December 2025), have been well-received. She lives in a small town south of Ottawa with her husband.
Website: Lis Angus
Erik D'Souza interviews John L. Hill about his nominated book, Acts of Darkness, Notorious Criminals, Their Defenders, Prosecutors, and Jailers (Published by Durvile & UpRoute), which is nominated for The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book, sponsored by David Reid Simpson Law Firm in Hamilton. John, a retired criminal and prison law lawyer, discusses how the book critically examines the Canadian justice system through real cases he's handled. They explored two chapters in detail: one about two businessmen wrongfully convicted of cocaine smuggling due to procedural errors, and another about the mistreatment of Indigenous youth in provincial facilities, including chaining and inhumane transportation practices. John emphasized the need to reform how society treats lawbreakers, particularly youth, arguing that punitive measures often create more problems than they solve and calling for better treatment to ensure safer communities.
Bio
John L. Hill is a retired criminal and prison law lawyer. He taught correctional law at the Queen's and University of Windsor Law Schools. But in private practice, he dealt with some of Canada's most notorious criminals as well as with some of Canada's best prosecutors and defence lawyers. In retirement, he has become a nonfiction writer. He is a columnist for Law 360 Canada (formerly The Lawyer's Daily), an online newspaper for the legal community. He has also published three books: Pine Box Parole: Terry Fitzsimmons and the Quest to End Solitary Confinement, The Rest of the [True Crime] Story, and Acts of Darkness. He has also published a story dealing with slavery in southeastern Ontario in a Florida-based magazine. John is the Ontario Central/East/Ottawa Regional Rep. for the CWC.