Summer time at The Reader always comes with a peek at some of the novels that have been set within our beautiful shores. Enjoy once again a fictional tour of our province.

The Deception of Livvy Higgs  (M) by Donna Morrissey features octogenarian Livvy Higgs who lives in Halifax and, in her old age, has become dependent upon a neighbour. As he health weakens, she is drawn back to her childhood growing up on Newfoundland’s french shore, with her Haligonian mother who was isolated because she spoke only English. Secrets and lies are revealed as Livvy grows closer to death.

Not far from Halifax, in beautiful St. Margaret’s Bay is a community called Indian harbour. In Murder at Indian Harbour (M) by Janet A. Couper, Pat Murphy’s Pub is the scene of a suspicious death. Detective Eli Connors investigates the crime that has shaken this normally quiet town which uncovers hidden family secrets.

A Garden in the Wilderness: a novel  (M) by Edeana Malcolm is set in Upper Musquodoboit in Halifax County way back in 1795. The author based the story on her own family’s history. The Deans, a well-known name in Upper Musquodoboit, arrive from England seemingly unprepared for life in Nova Scotia. Susan Kirke, accustomed to life in an English manor house, has married her father’s gardener who is more accustomed for fancy gardening for the rich rather than clearing untamed land.

Blood on a Saint  (M) by Anne Emery is the seventh in her long established mystery series featuring Halifax lawyer Monty Collins and Father Brendan Burke. Unwelcome pilgrims arrive when a young woman claims to see an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Problems intensify when a body is found at the site and a talk show host, who has been an annoyance to Father Burke is the suspect.

Set in Windsor, Nova Scotia Runaway Horses: a novel  (M) by Alfred Silver tells the story of two teenagers who escape their difficult circumstances by joining up with the Halifax Expresss whose task it is to deliver information by horseback across Nova Scotia from Annapolis Royale to Halifax.

Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World  (M) by Janet E. Cameron tells the story of Stephen Shulevitz who is having a bit of hard time in small town Nova Scotia in the 1980s. Stephen is not only going through an awkward phase but is also in love with his friend Mark who is religious, homophobic and who possesses a fierce temper. This is a coming of age story that is insightful and funny and deals with complex issues like bullying, abuse and homophobia.

In Roost: a novel (M) by Ali Bryan Claudia, single mother of two, must come to terms with her own mother’s death while coping with the loss of her partner who has moved onto a new life, leaving her behind to raise the two children on her own.