Created by Pierre Saurel Pseudonym of Pierre Daignault Other pseudonyms include Jacques Régent, Hercule Valjean, Paul Verchères (1925-2003) A popular Montréal P.I., ALBERT BRIEN, appeared in an astonishing number of stories, collectively known as Les Aventures Policiéres d'Albert Brien, created--but not all written--by Pierre Saurel, starting way back in 1944. Albert is a celebrated Montréal … Continue reading Albert Brien
Tag: Quebec
Robert Brien
Created by Pierre Saurel Pseudonym of Pierre Daignault Other pseudonyms include Jacques Régent, Hercule Valjean, Paul Verchères (1925-2003) When his astonishing run (over a thousand stories over twenty-odd years) featuring Montreal private eye Albert Brien (“Le détective national des Canadiens française!") was drawing to a close in 1966, Québecois pulpster Pierre Saurel decided to spin … Continue reading Robert Brien
Jack Carter (Les aventures tumultueuses de Jack Carter)
Created by Sylvie Lussier and Pierre Poirier Non-Montrealers may think the lead character in the Radio-Canada private eye TV show Les aventures tumultueuses de Jack Carter is some sort of hands-across-the-water homage to Michael Caine's character in the iconic 1971 Brit noir Get Carter. But they'd be wrong. It's all given away by numerous publicity stills which … Continue reading Jack Carter (Les aventures tumultueuses de Jack Carter)
Eugène Duchamp
Created by Marie-Ève Bourassa Pas pire. Pas pire... In her first foray into crime fiction, Marie-Eve Bourassa brings it on home with Red Light: Adieuu, Miognonne (2016), scoring an Arthur Ellis for Best French novel and -- even better -- introducing an intriguing new private eye to Montreal's ranks. It's the 1920s, and former cop, … Continue reading Eugène Duchamp
Bill Yates
Created by Malcolm Douglas Pseudonym of Douglas Sanderson Other pseudonyms include Martin Brett (1922- 2002) At first I thought I'd discovered a long-lost Montreal eye here. And in a way I have. And in a way I haven't. BILL YATES is actually just Douglas Sanderson's Mike Garfin with a different name, released by another publisher … Continue reading Bill Yates
Hard, Tough and More Than a Little Nasty
Martin Brett's Mike Garfin Novels An Overview by Kevin Burton Smith For a homesick Montréaler like me, Stark House's 2006 reprinting of The Deadly Dames (originally published in 1956) and A Dum-Dum for the President (1961), the third and fourth books to feature ma ville's greatest private eye, Martin Brett's Michel "Mike" Garfin, provides an embarrassment … Continue reading Hard, Tough and More Than a Little Nasty
Mike Garfin
Created by Martin Brett Pseudonym of Douglas Sanderson Other pseudonyms included Malcolm Douglas (1922- 2002) "This is a dangerous town, did you know?" A Montreal eye! Born of an Irish-Canadian father and a French-Canadian mom, MICHEL "MIKE" GARFIN was left an orphan at an early age, and raised by the nuns (it's better than … Continue reading Mike Garfin
Nat Lawson
Created by John McFetridge Oh, John, you're such a tease... If there's one thing that gets my shamus senses tingling, it's a Montreal private eye. And Toronto author (and Montreal ex-pat) McFetridge delivers just enough with the short story "Barbotte" to get me all hot and bothered. It's 1946, and NAT LAWSON is just back … Continue reading Nat Lawson
Elliot Forsman & Rivka Goldstein
Created by Gary Raymond Coffin When we first meet him in Ogrodnik (2016), the first in the series, long-time Montreal criminology professor (he teaches a course in "Logical Deduction" at the university) and part-time private eye ELLIOT FORSMAN is at loose ends, growing older and going nowhere. He's living on plastic cheese, packaged salami of … Continue reading Elliot Forsman & Rivka Goldstein
Maxwell Dent
Created by Kenneth Orvis Pseudonym of Kenneth Lemieux "God help us, Dent – the thing is, my daughter has become a dope fiend." Montreal private eye MAXWELL DENT studied law at McGill and served in the RCAF and Intelligence M-5 during the Korean War, where he took down a drug ring. He’s got a reputation for … Continue reading Maxwell Dent