by Anne Emery
“This is a wonderful yarn, full of amazingly colourful characters, dialogue that sweeps across the pages like a tsunami, a story that will keep you reading late into the night, and a plot as devious as a lawyer’s mind.” — Waterloo Region Record
Praise for Obit
“Emery tops her vivid story of past political intrigue that could destroy the present with a surprising conclusion.” — Publishers Weekly
“Strong characters and a vivid depiction of Irish American life make Emery’s second mystery (in a projected trilogy) as outstanding as her first. The Irish Catholic flavor is reminiscent of Robert Daley’s books and will appeal to his fans.” — Library Journal, starred review
“Emery has concocted an interesting plot . . . Her depiction of the gregarious Burke clan rings true . . . it is a pleasure to spend time with them.” — Quill & Quire
Praise for Sign of the Cross
“A complex, multilayered mystery that goes far beyond what you’d expect from a first-time novelist.” — Quill & Quire
“This startlingly good first novel by a Halifax writer well-versed in the Canadian court system is notable for its cast of well-drawn characters and for a plot line that keeps you feverishly reading to the end. Snappy dialogue, a terrific feel for Halifax, characters you really do care about, and a great plot make this one a keeper.” — Waterloo Region Record
“Anne Emery has produced a stunning first novel that is at once a mystery, a thriller, and a love story. Sign of the Cross is well written, exciting, and unforgettable.” — The Chronicle-Herald
copyright © Anne Emery, 2011
Published by ECW Press
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416-694-3348 / [email protected]
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any process — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and ECW Press. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Emery, Anne
Death at Christy Burke’s : a mystery / Anne Emery.
ISBN 978-1-77090-091-2
Issued also in the following formats:
978-1-55022-988-2 (print); 978-1-77090-092-9 (PDF)
I. Title.
PS8609.M47D43 2011 C813’.6 C2011-902903-0
Cover and text design: Tania Craan
Cover image © IIC/Masterfile.com
Typesetting: Mary Bowness
The publication of Death at Christy Burke’s has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts which last year invested $20.1 million in writing and publishing throughout Canada, and by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities, and the contribution of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit. The marketing of this book was made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.