Whistling Past the Graveyard

Susan McKnight is an administrator with the Ontario government.

In 1992, Peter Sellers was awarded the Derrick Murdoch Award by the
Crime Writers of Canada. Subtitled “stories of bizarre crime and dark
fantasy,” his latest short-story collection features surprising twists
and turns, and characters ranging from vampires to slick sideshow
owners.

In “Murdoch’s Wife,” a contract killer outsmarts the “wily
dame,” while in “Trophy Hunter” the “wily dame” outsmarts the
overly confident private detective. The title story delivers a chilling
statement about trusting your friends and lovers. In the humorous
“Bombed,” an aging FLQ terrorist seeks revenge on an anti-separatist
English-Canadian writer. The macabre sense of humor maintained
throughout the collection makes even the least likable characters
palatable and, on occasion, wonderful.