Capital Crime Writers is proud to announce that we are once again sponsoring the anthology, A Capital Mystery. Volume 2 includes stories from several of our fellow members. A launch is planned for September 2026, as well as several panels and book signings.
Details will follow. Stay Tuned!
Capital Crime Writers is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026
Audrey Jessup Award.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, this year the Honourable Mentions were
awarded a prize of $50.
First Place: Kathy MacLellan for Maid of Orleans
Second Place: Wynn Quon for The Case of the Violin-Shaped Object
Third Place: Grace Quon for Secrets and Silence
Honourable Mention: Jennifer Jorgensen for A Bad Pairing
Honourable Mention: Suzan Mandla for Lucky Charm
The dinner was held at Biagio’s Kitchen, on Richmond Road in Ottawa. We’d like to
thank them for delicious food and excellent service from Abby. Thank you
also, for Art Pittman for arranging the restaurant.
From left to right: Madona Skaff, President Capital Crime Writers, Wynn Quon, Kathy MacLellan. Grace Quon, Jennifer Jorgensen and Ross Fattori.
Suzan Mandla who could not be present at the dinner.
Last week was an exciting whirlwind for many of our members. On October 15, 2025, the long-awaited A Capital Mystery anthology was officially published—much to the joy of the seventeen Capital Crime Writers among its twenty-one contributors.
The celebration began with several of our talented authors taking to the airwaves for radio interviews, where they shared behind-the-scenes stories, inspirations, and insights into the making of the book.
The momentum continued the very next day with a special meeting with the Mayor of Ottawa, who was presented with a copy of the anthology. That evening, festivities carried on at the Club SAW, where the launch party drew a standing-room-only crowd. Readers, writers, and mystery lovers alike gathered to celebrate the magic, the history, and—most of all—the mystery that makes Ottawa such a captivating setting.
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to Mike Martin, Capital Crime Writers member and the creative force who dreamed up this project and brought it to life.
Left photo, from left to right: Barbara Fradkin, Bernadette Hendrickx, Maya Valenzuela, Elizabeth Hosang, Madona Skaff, Jennifer Jorgensen, Mike Martin, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Nancy Pawelek, Anna Di Meglio, Bernadette Cox, Brenda Chapman, Joanne White; top right photo, from left to right: Mike Martin, Don Butler; bottom right photo, from left to right: Brenda Chapman, Nancy Pawelek, Kathy MacLellan, Alan Neal.
Left photo, from left to right: Madona Skaff, Lis Angus, Brenda Chapman, Katie Tallo; top right photo, Barbara Fradkin; bottom right photo, Kathy MacLellan.
Left: Melissa Yi; right: Maya Valenzuela
From left to right: Elizabeth Hosang, Jennifer Jorgensen, Bernadette Hendrickx, Anna Di Meglio
Launch Event Crowd at Club SAW
Our December 2023 meeting was a dinner at the Britannia Yacht Club (Ottawa) with our guest speaker Norm Boucher. He gave us an interesting inside look into life undercover with the RCMP. You can read more details in his memoir Horseplay: My Time Undercover on the Granville Strip
The festive dinner takes place on Wednesday December 11, 2019, beginning at 6:15 at Tony Capones (2369 Carling Avenue, Ottawa).
Our after dinner speakers are CCW authors Barbara Fradkin and Brenda Chapman.
Mysteries in the Hood: where the bodies are buried. Barbara Fradkin joins friend and fellow Kitchissippi crime writer Brenda Chapman for an entertaining conversation about the joys of writing local.
Copies of their books will be available for sale & signing.
Please email m.murphy345@hotmail.com if you plan on attending. Please include the number of persons in your party. The deadline for registration is Saturday December 7, 2019 at 5 p.m.
Emcee Mary Jane Maffini welcomes you to an evening with Barbara Fradkin, Jim Napier, Linda Wiken, Patricia Filteau, Melissa Yi, Brenda Chapman, Mike Martin, Madona Skaff and Jim Napier. The Arthur Ellis Awards shortlist will be announced. In addition the shortlist for the Audrey Jessup Short Story Contest will be announced.
The event is on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Chapters Rideau (47 Rideau St ).
Come celebrate 35 years with us in the Nation’s Capital!
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Three deliciously themed events
Thirteen Criminal Minds
A SERVING OF MURDER
Books on Beechwood
11:00 – 12:30 T.E. Wilson & Melissa Yi
12:30 – 2:00 Robin Harlick & Katherine Prairie
2:00 – 3:30 Brian Lindsay
A PERFECT CRIME
Perfect Books(Elgin St)
12:00 – 1:15 Barbara Fradkin
1:15 -2:30 Patricia Filteau
2:30 – 3:45 Mike Martin
3:45 -5:00 Melissa Yi
PLENTY OF CRIME FOR CHRISTMAS
Chapters South Keys (South Keys Shopping Centre)
12:00 – 1:00 Victoria Abbott (aka Mary Jane Maffini) & Linda Wiken (aka Erika Chase)
1:00 – 3:00 Madona Skaff & Linda Wiken
3:00 – 5:00 Jim Napier & Nick Wilkshire
WHEN: Wednesday December 13, 2017
TIME: 6 p.m.
WHERE: TONY CAPONE’S ITALIAN GRILL, 2369 Carling Ave., Ottawa.
Come for dinner & conversation about mysteries. Our after dinner speaker is CCW member Jim Napier. Jim worked in academia teaching writing and crime fiction. He also runs the web site www.deadlydiversions.com. Upon his retirement, Jim took up writing full time. His first Colin McDermott mystery, entitled LEGACY: SOMETIMES GOOD INTENTIONS AREN’T ENOUGH was published in 2017. Copies will be available for purchase.
Seating is not unlimited. PLEASE EMAIL Michael Murphy at m.murphy345@hotmail.com if you wish to reserve seats. Include your name and the number of people in your party. PLEASE RESERVE BEFORE WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6, 2017 AT 5 P.M.
CCW will convene for dinner, readings by the winners of the Audrey Jessup Short Story contest 2017 at the Barley Mow on Bank Street (1060 Bank St), https:
Prose in the Park 2017 takes place on Saturday June 10th in the Parkdale park. CCW members will be interested in the Emerging Crime panel which is moderated by Melissa Yuan-Innes (Yi) CCW member and author of the Hope Sze series. She will be joined by authors and CCW members Jim Napier who just launched his debit novel and Patricia Filteau author of the Kate Roarty P.I. series. They will be joined by Crime writers Catherine Astolpho and Michael Blair. Come and discover the wide variety of local authors. Please go towww.proseinthepark.com for directions, program and information. The festival runs 1100-1800. The Emerging Crime Panel begins at 1600. All Crime writers can be found at Tent 7 where Mike Martin, author of the Sgt Windflower series will also join this gang in crime writing. All participating authors in the Emerging Crime panel and Tent 7 have just released new novels.