cover image Deadmonton: Crime Stories from Canada’s Murder City

Deadmonton: Crime Stories from Canada’s Murder City

Pamela Roth. Univ. of Regina (UTP, dist.), $21.95 (220p) ISBN 978-0-8897-7426-1

In this collection of true crime accounts, Edmonton Sun reporter Roth tells the stories behind Edmonton’s most notorious homicides and details how violence affects family members and law enforcement alike in the morbidly nicknamed “Deadmonton.” Edmonton, Alberta’s provincial capital, has more than once achieved the grisly distinction of being the “Murder Capital of Canada,” thanks to its history as a haven for shady characters attracted by the promise of fast money in the oil industry. In 37 chapters, many named after the victims of resolved and cold-case murders, Roth reveals how violence in Edmonton can be personal and impersonal, methodically gangster-related and chillingly random. In one chapter, she covers the unsolved 1983 murder of 18-year-old Charlotte Bass, who perished when an arsonist burned her home and whose mother has spent decades waiting for the killer to be brought to justice. In the book’s closing chapter, Roth tells the story of RCMP Sergeant Ron Campbell, who struggled with PTSD after witnessing the murder of a fellow officer by a gunman. Roth’s reports are not for the faint of heart, but they provide a fascinating glimpse into the dark underbelly of urban Canada. (Oct.)