Crime Writers of Canada's Podcast

Erik D'Souza

A bi-weekly podcast by a national professional association for mystery and crime writers in Canada.Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) is a national non-profit organization for Canadian mystery and crime writers, associated professionals, and others with a serious interest in Canadian crime writing. Our mission is to promote Canadian crime writing and to raise the profile of Canadian crime writers with readers, reviewers, librarians, booksellers, and media.Hosted by Erik D'Souza

  1. Melodie Campbell, The Pharaoh’s Curse Murders

    Jun 10

    Melodie Campbell, The Pharaoh’s Curse Murders

    Erik D’Souza speaks with author Melodie Campbell about her Merry Widow Murders series set in the 1920s. Melodie discusses her latest book, The Pharaoh’s Cursed Murders (published by Cormorant Books), which features her protagonist, Lady Revelstoke, solving a murder aboard a cruise ship bound for Egypt while exploring themes of women’s rights and the ethics of archaeological digs. She explains how she incorporates comedy through her character, Elf, who serves as a comedic foil to the book’s serious mystery elements, and describes her extensive research into Egyptology to ensure the book’s historical accuracy. Melodie also mentions her new novella series, Pizza Wars, published by Gemma Open Door, a literary publisher. She discusses the challenges of engaging young readers in fiction in the current digital age. Bio Compared to Agatha Christie by The Toronto Star, Melodie Campbell was also named the “Canadian Literary heir to Donald Westlake” by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Winner of 10 awards, including the Derringer (US) and the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, she has multiple bestsellers and was featured in USA Today. Her publications include over 100 comedy credits, 21 novels, and 60 short stories. Her third book in the Merry Widow series, The Pharaoh’s Curse Murders, has just been released by Cormorant Books. She is the past executive director of Crime Writers of Canada. Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    20 min
  2. Vicki Grant, nominated for Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book

    May 28

    Vicki Grant, nominated for Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book

    Erik D’Souza interviews Vicki Grant, discussing her book, Death by Whoopi Cushion (published by Tundra Books), which is nominated for Best Juvenile/YA Crime Book, sponsored by Superior Shores Press. They examine Vicki's writing approach for reluctant readers, her character Manya Brown, and the humor-mystery-science balance in the book, and briefly touch on Vicki's adult mystery novel, These Are the Fireworks.   Bio  Vicki Grant is a Canadian writer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She began her professional life in advertising and television, creating short ads and scripts before transitioning to full-length novels. Her first novel, The Puppet Wrangler, was published in 2004, marking the start of her career in young adult and middle-grade literature. In 2006, her book, Quid Pro Quo, won the Award of Excellence (then called the Arthur Ellis award) in the category of Best Juvenile / YA Crime Book. She has written twenty-one books, including titles for reluctant readers and award-winning novels.  Website: vickigrant.com/ Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    18 min
  3. Lorna Poplak, nominated for The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime

    May 27

    Lorna Poplak, nominated for The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime

    Erik D’Souza interviews Lorna Poplak about her book, On the Lamb, Great and Not-So-Great Escapes from Prison" (published by Dundurn Press), which is nominated for The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book, sponsored by David Reid Simpson Law Firm (Hamilton). Lorna discusses fascinating prison escape stories and her research methods. Lorna describes her book's focus on both the prison systems and the human motivations behind escapes, leaving readers to consider what constitutes a successful prison escape.   Bio Lorna Poplak is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and researcher drawn to the dark side of history. With a background in law, literature, information technology, and technical communications, Lorna has written scientific 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 has written three true crime books: Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada, The Don: The Story of Toronto’s Infamous Jail, and On the Lam: Great (and Not So Great) Escapes from Prison. The Don was shortlisted for both the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) Excellence Award and the Heritage Toronto Book Award.  For more information about Lorna and her work, visit www.lornapoplak.com/  Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    18 min
  4. Angela Douglas, nominated for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada

    May 26

    Angela Douglas, nominated for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada

    Erik D’Souza interviews Angela Douglas, whose debut novel, Every Fall (published by EOB Publishing), is nominated for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada, sponsored by Shaftesbury.  They discuss the book's plot, which follows a police officer and his wife as they move to a new house and experience strange phenomena, told from both characters' perspectives. Angela explains how the story is set in fictional Canadian cities and features RCMP officers, making it uniquely Canadian. They also talk about Angela's book marketing efforts, including her work with Eyes on Books, a book marketing hub she founded. Angela gives us a sneak peek of her upcoming second novel, The Mentor.  Angela Douglas is an award-winning author of psychological thrillers, based in the Okanagan, BC. Her debut novel, EVERY FALL, has been recognized by the Crime Writers of Canada Excellence Awards, the Canadian Book Club Awards, the Pen Craft Awards, and the National Indie Excellence Awards. She is also the founder of Eyes on Books, a Book Marketing Hub. When she isn’t working or hanging out with her family, she hides in her studio, writing her next book. www.angeladouglasbooks.com Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    12 min
  5. Barbara Stokes, nominated for Best Unpublished Crime Novel

    May 25

    Barbara Stokes, nominated for Best Unpublished Crime Novel

    Erik D'Souza interviews Barbara Stokes, discussing her nomination for Best Unpublished Crime Novel manuscript written by an unpublished author, sponsored by ECW Press, for her manuscript, Death Scent. Barbara discusses her character Doc, a retired Black Lab cadaver dog, and the protagonist Em, a former RCMP officer turned private detective. Barbara explained that her writing takes a gritty approach with a feminist agenda, and she is already working on a second book titled Ladykillerz, featuring the same main character. A professional writer for her entire career, unpublished author Barbara Stokes has penned a wide variety of materials, from political speeches to poetry.  At the tail end of COVID, standing in a parking lot on a hot Saskatoon day, Barbara Stokes listened to a man tell the story of how he was almost arrested when his identity was stolen by a wanted man. Inspired by what she heard, Barbara expanded the parking lot story into Death Scent, a crime novel featuring a female ex-RCMP officer, Em Tremblay, and her sniffer dog, Doc. The story is set in the southern prairies, as an unrelenting heat dome bakes the fictional towns of Valmont and Milk Creek.  Four years later, with the number of rewrites impossible to count, Barbara is honoured that Death Scent has joined the CWC shortlist for books by an unpublished author. Barbara is currently at work on her second book, featuring the same main characters, also set in Saskatchewan, with the working title Ladykillerz. Barbara Stokes lives with her husband in Aldershot, Ontario, and makes frequent visits to the Prairie provinces, where beauty and inspiration are everywhere. In 2026, her goal is to find a publisher for Death Scent. Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    11 min
  6. Steve Laflamme, finaliste pour Meilleur livre de crime en langue française

    May 24

    Steve Laflamme, finaliste pour Meilleur livre de crime en langue française

    Cette entrevue en français a eu lieu entre Francisca Bullock et Steve Laflamme, finaliste du Prix d'excellence 2026 de Crime Writers of Canada dans la catégorie Meilleur livre policier en langue française, commandité par Carrick Publishing, pour son roman La mémoire du labyrinthe (publié chez Libre Expression).  Bio  Steve Laflamme enseigne la littérature (policière, entre autres) au Cégep de Sainte-Foy, à Québec. Il est l’auteur de dix romans policiers et à suspense chaudement accueillis par la critique. À temps perdu, il est également guitariste et chanteur dans un band de blues ne se produisant que dans des bars paumés. Surtout, il est papa de deux adolescents dont il est encore plus fier que de son réputé sucre à la crème.   *Biographie et photo de www.editionsdruide.com Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    24 min
  7. Jan Field, nominated for Best Crime First Novel

    May 23

    Jan Field, nominated for Best Crime First Novel

    Erik D'Souza interviews Jan Field about her novel, Yesterday Lies (published by La Cloche Publishing), which has been nominated for Best Crime First Novel, sponsored by Melodie Campbell. They discuss the novel's 1994 Northern Ontario setting, the unique crime scene involving a body in a tree, and the importance of family in the story. Jan explains her decision to keep the story in the 1990s era and describes her upcoming second book, Silence of the Deep, which is already written and heading to the editor.  Bio  Jan Field grew up in the mining town of Sudbury, Ontario, in a large, close-knit family that has kept her grounded and laughing (and reading) her entire life. Now retired from a career in marketing tourism accommodation in both northern and southern Ontario, Jan returns to her roots to create the Matt Brennan world, which is set in the remote northern landscape of Georgian Bay, Killarney, and the North Channel. The complexities of crime fascinate her: what makes ordinary people make horrible, life-altering decisions and what motivates others to seek out the truth and address the injustices of criminal action. She is incredibly honoured and humbled that ‘Yesterday’s Lies’ has been shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada’s Best Crime First Novel.  She is a member of CWC, Toronto Sisters-in-Crime, and the Writer’s Community of Durham Region. ‘Yesterday’s Lies’ was published in October 2025, and ‘Silence of the Deep’, Book II of the Matt Brennan Series, is to be released in September 2026. Website: www.janicefield.com/ Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    17 min
  8. Kathleen Lippa, nominated for the Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book

    May 22

    Kathleen Lippa, nominated for the Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book

    Erik D'Souza interviews Kathleen Lippa, discussing her book, The Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horn Against Children in Canada's North (published by Dundurn Press), nominated for the Brass Knuckles Award for Best Non-Fiction Crime Book, sponsored by David Reid Simpson Law Firm (Hamilton). Kathleen explains that Ed Horn was a school teacher and principal who sexually abused Inuit children in the Canadian Arctic from 1971 to 1985, with over 100 victims, though the crimes remained unknown to the wider public until her book brought attention to them. She describes the challenging process of writing about such sensitive topics and the significant impact the crimes had on entire Arctic communities.  Bio Kathleen Lippa is the author of critically-acclaimed book, Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horne Against Children in Canada’s North, published by DUNDURN PRESS. Born in Toronto and raised in St. John’s, Kathleen studied dance at a professional level at The Quinte Ballet School and The School of the Toronto Dance Theatre before embarking on a journalism career. At Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she graduated with a B.A. (English) in 1998, Kathleen was a reporter for the student newspaper, The Muse. During her newspaper career, Kathleen (has)worked as a reporter, photographer, page-designer, headline writer and copy editor for The Hanover Post, 24 Hours (Toronto), The Calgary Sun, and The Express (St. John’s) where she won a Canadian Community Newspapers Association Award (2001) for Arts Reporting. While serving as Bureau Chief of Nunavut News/North in Iqala witluit, Kathleen heard about the crimes of Ed Horne. She would spend the next 20 years of her life seeking the truth about what happened – building trust with contacts in Inuit communities, and getting the story on paper. Kathleen and her husband, Arctic historian and author Kenn Harper, spent many years living and travelling in the Canadian Arctic. They now divide their time between Ottawa and St. John’s. Learn more about Crime Writers of Canada at:  crimewriterscanada.com Find past video interviews  at: youtube.com/@crimewritersofcanada1279

    20 min
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About

A bi-weekly podcast by a national professional association for mystery and crime writers in Canada.Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) is a national non-profit organization for Canadian mystery and crime writers, associated professionals, and others with a serious interest in Canadian crime writing. Our mission is to promote Canadian crime writing and to raise the profile of Canadian crime writers with readers, reviewers, librarians, booksellers, and media.Hosted by Erik D'Souza

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