Creating a fictional thriller novel inspired by a true Mafia whistleblower by John Christmas – Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm (EDT).

John Christmas is a former banker whose banking career ended when his whistleblowing against his employer Parex Bank of Latvia was covered up by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Parex was later named by the Spanish court in the Tambovskaya Mafia prosecution as the money launderer for that St Petersburg gang which was closely connected with Vladimir Putin. Christmas was witness for the FBI following the cover up. He earned a BA at Dartmouth College and MBA at Cornell University. He is co-author of the ‘KGB Banker’ novel which won ‘Best Conspiracy Thriller 2022’ from Bestthrillers.com and ‘Best Fiction Novel 2022’ from Royal Dragonfly Awards. The other co-author William Burton McCormick was a previous guest on Capital Crime Writers.

I started off in banking expecting a safe career. I was surprised to learn serious organized crime and corruption information while at work. This led to a life of threats, slander, cover-up, FBI meetings, and never posting where I really am on social media. Lesson: don’t count on regulators, auditors, or even the FBI to take action when it’s important. My life as a whistleblower has been scary and frustrating at times. However my story makes for an excellent thriller novel with betrayals and twists. My transition into writing went well with ‘KGB Banker’ winning two awards. I just produced a documentary film about the real whistleblower story which isn’t premiered yet. My next project is making ‘KGB Banker’ into an action thriller movie. I’d like to develop ‘KGB Banker’ into a full brand with more books and films in the future.

It’s Criminal! Adding Comedy to Crime by Melodie Campbell – Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 7:00 pm (EDT)

In this fun talk, Melodie Campbell will discuss the different types of written humour in fiction, and gives practical pointers on how you can add humour to your stories.  She’ll also touch on the difference between writing comedies vs writing crime with humour.

Called the “Queen of Comedy” by the Toronto Sun, Melodie Campbell was also named the “Canadian Literary heir to Donald Westlake” by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.  Melodie has won ten awards, including the Derringer (US) and the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, and has been featured in USA Today. Her publications include over one hundred comedy credits, eighteen novels and sixty short stories, but she’s best known for The Goddaughter mob caper series. The Silent Film Star Murders has just been released by Cormorant Books.

My plunge into the dark world of true crime by Lorna Poplak – Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 7:00 pm (EDT)

In addition to discussing her circuitous journey as a writer and the importance of research in her work, Lorna will share stories and images of the Don Jail, and reveal how she copes when things get really dark.

Lorna Poplak is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and researcher drawn to the sombre side of history. With a background in law, literature, information technology, and technical communications, Lorna has written medical and historical articles, travel pieces, short fiction, and a radio play. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Mesdames of Mayhem.

Lorna’s two true crime books are Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada (2017) and The Don: The Story of Toronto’s Infamous Jail (2021), which was nominated for the Ontario Speaker’s Book Award and shortlisted for both the Crime Writers of Canada Excellence Award and the Heritage Toronto Book Award. Her latest book, On the Lam: Great (and Not So Great) Escapes from Prison, will be published in Fall 2025.

Write What You Know: My Journey from Music to Mystery by David Barber – Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 7:00 pm (EDT).

I’ve been a musician since boyhood, even graduated university with a music degree. I’ve also always wanted to be a writer – and for many years was able to combine those two pursuits. But only more recently have I been able to achieve another lifelong goal – that of becoming a mystery writer.

David W. Barber is a journalist and musician and the internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen books of music (including Accidentals on Purpose; Bach, Beethoven and the Boys; When the Fat Lady Sings; Getting a Handel on Messiah, Bach, Beethoven and the Grrrls) and literature (including Quotable Sherlock, Quotable Alice and Atonement and other stories). He’s also written two Dugan Heywood murder mysteries, Hedshot and Mugshot. Formerly a writer and entertainment editor of the Kingston Whig-Standard, editor of Broadcast Week magazine at the Toronto Globe and Mail and the assistant editor of arts and life for Postmedia newspapers, he is currently a freelance writer, editor, musician and composer. As a composer, his works include two symphonies, a jazz mass based on the music of Dave Brubeck, a Requiem, several short choral and chamber works and various vocal-jazz songs and arrangements. He sings with the Toronto Chamber Choir and various other choirs on occasion. In a varied career, among his more interesting jobs have been short stints as a roadie for Pope John Paul II, a publicist for Prince Rainier of Monaco and a backup singer for Avril Lavigne.

Writing a Mystery Series by Mike Martin – Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 7:00 pm (EDT).

The challenges of writing a mystery series. And keeping it going.
From where to start to getting through the middle to not losing the plot along the way.
Does it get easier? Sometimes
Does it get harder? Often
When will the series stop? Good question

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is the award-winning author of the best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 15 books in this light mystery series with the publication of Too Close for Comfort. A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. All That Glitters was shortlisted for the LOLA 2024 Must Read Book of the year award.

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Capital Crime Writers.

In December we had a dinner meeting at the Britannia Yacht Club in Ottawa. Our guest speaker, RCMP Superintendent (retired) Steven Foster, gave us an exciting behind the scenes look into several fraud cases that he worked.

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday! See you in January where our meetings will return to Zoom.

My long and winding road on the way to a life of Crime (writing) by Maureen Jennings – Wednesday November 13, 2024 at 7:00 pm (EDT)

It has seemed like a long road, and it certainly has taken lots of turns.  Along the way, I’ve learned lots of things I can share. – how to get lucky; how to find workable ideas for stories; how the TV show Murdoch Mysteries came about; how to stay writing fresh, (reasonably).

Maureen Jennings was born in England and emigrated to Canada as a teenager, eventually settling in Toronto. She acquired a B.A. in philosophy and psychology from Assumption University in Windsor. Wandered around in career confusion, taught high school; got an M.A. from U. of T. more teaching at college level then trained as a psychotherapist and practiced for many years until finally settling into a career as a writer in the crime genre. Eighteen novels three plays, fourteen scripts for television later, she feels lucky to have finally landed.  She lives in Toronto with her husband, photographer, Iden Ford, and their dog, a labradoodle named Murdoch.

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES: How Living Abroad Affected My Thriller Writing by William Burton McCormick – Wednesday October 9, 2024 at 7:00 pm (EDT)

William Burton McCormick is an Edgar Award-nominated writer whose short fiction regularly appears in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and elsewhere. Twenty-four of his best stories are included in his new collection Deeds of Darkness from Level Best Books. 

William is a graduate of Brown University, earned an MA in Novel Writing from the University of Manchester and was elected a Hawthornden Writing Fellow in Scotland.  He is the author of the acclaimed thrillers House of Tigers, A Stranger from the Storm and KGB Banker. His historical novel of the Baltic Republics, Lenin’s Harem, was the first work of fiction added to the permanent library at the Latvian War Museum in Rīga. A native of Nevada, William lived nearly twenty years in Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia and Russia for writing purposes.

William will be talking about his experiences living in Eastern European countries and how his time there influenced his use of setting and served as research and inspiration for fiction of all lengths and in many genres.