Deny, Deny, Deny: The Rise and Fall of Colin Thatcher

Fay Lando was Projects Officer at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food in Toronto.

Here are elements of a thriller (revenge, intrigue, and murder) and a varied cast of characters (politicians, con artists, attractive women, and innocent children) in settings as diverse as Moose Jaw and Palm Springs. But unlike a thriller the outcome of this story is known to anyone exposed to Canadian newspapers, radio, and television between 1983 and 1985.

The story of Colin Thatcher is that of an only son of a wealthy politician father who survived paternal reserve and ridicule to become, like his father, a wealthy politician. Then Colin Thatcher was charged with the first-degree murder of his former wife, JoAnn Wilson.

The murder investigation and trial make up most of the book. Those involved with Thatcher personally, as well as investigating officers, the Crown prosecutor, and the defence attorney, are described with warmth and in detail. Anecdotes enhance the descriptions. The time and opportunity aspects of the case are clearly presented. The authors’ sympathies lie with the prosecution, but their bias does not detract from this work.

The Thatcher arrest and trial caused other issues to surface, such as the integrity of the judicial system, the responsibility of the Legislature, and authority within the Regina police force.

This is a well-written, coherent account by a senior partner of a Regina law firm and a writer who covered the Thatcher trial for the press.