A Naturalist’s Journey Through the Seasons
Michael Runtz, an adventurous photographer of superior skill, is close to Nature both physically and in understanding. Without his captivating book, even Algonquin Park aficionados may never see Beavers use split claws to comb their fur, or aptly-named Crossbills prying open pine cones.
There’s little space for your message on a postcard, but that does not mean it can’t convey a lot of information. The scene depicted can itself be worth a thousand words. With Lake of Bays heritage leader Bruce MacLellan’s remarkable collection of century post cards, this is doubly true, as they are enhanced by his rich accounts about the time and place of these cards, those who wrote them, and the culture they convey.
Memories of Norman Angus MacKay
The author's own adventures as a teamster in local lumber camps combine with his stories of early Dorset to present a lively picture of one of first places in the Muskoka-Haliburton region settled by Europeans.
Ian Murdoch’s debut on the murder mystery scene begins with the deeply saddened man resting at his Lake Muskoka island cottage trying to recover from the death of his wife. When a body floats ashore, he is immediately thrust back into his role as a homicide investigator for the Ontario Provincial Police. Along with the young female officer assigned to help him, Murdoch is rapidly drawn into a web of intrigue and treachery that involves the histo- ry of Second World War German prisoners at Camp 20 in Gravenhurst, the oldest operating steamboat on the continent, and an elderly lady with an astounding secret she has kept for nearly 60 years.
ISBN: 9781778049323 / softcover, 188 pages / LIST PRICE: $22.95
A mysterious Lake Rosseau suicide may be the tip of something far more sinister. It soon commands Ian Murdoch’s attention. Desperately searching for proof of murder while implicated in a disgusting crime, Murdoch finds himself up against a world of wealth and influence. With the convergence of old friends and old cases, the OPP inspector’s entire team becomes con- sumed in their most difficult investigation ever. And when the criminals will stop at nothing, it becomes a race against time and a test of endurance.
ISBN: 9780973620849 / softcover, 178 pages / LIST PRICE: $22.95
Amidst the quiet beauty of a Muskoka autumn, crews demolishing an old hotel near Port Carling discover a skeleton clutching an Irish relic – and Ian Murdoch suspects it may be connected to his own boss. At the same time, a murdered Toronto lawyer leaves his young mistress holding a dangerous secret, and the man who killed a former colleague reappears. With the crim- inals out to get each other, and innocent people caught in the middle, Mur- doch faces the challenge of protecting the life of one young woman while preoccupied with the disturbing memory of another.
ISBN: 9781778049354 / softcover, 190 pages / LIST PRICE: $22.95
Inspector Ian Murdock has just survived a Muskoka winter. Now, with spring in the air, he is summoned to help Xiomara de Sa, a beautiful friend he thought he had lost. With his colleagues obsessed with an unusual death and the backstory of a Gravenhurst prisoner-of-war camp, and old cases coming back to haunt him, once again the indomitable detective uncovers more than granite beneath Muskoka’s pine forests. This time it is treachery, death, and diamonds.
ISBN: 9781778049330 / softcover, 180 pages / LIST PRICE: $22.95
The day begins innocently for Inspector Murdoch when he rescues a strand- ed boater on Lake Muskoka – unaware the man has just stolen a fortune in gold coins from Jose de Sa, a wealthy Florida crime boss. De Sa and his stun- ning young bride, Xiomara, quickly track the missing treasure to Muskoka. Bodies pile up faster than answers, and Murdoch finds himself the target not only of Jose de Sa’s hired thugs, but of the irresistible charms of the lovely Xiomara. Once again, he must deftly navigate the treacherous shoals of greed as the action speeds through the rocky channels of Lake Muskoka.
ISBN: 9781778049347 / softcover, 189 pages / LIST PRICE: $22.95
Just released, Nuggets gathers magazine features written over several decades by Muskoka historian J. Patrick Boyer. His wide-ranging subjects were assigned by savvy Muskoka publishers attuned to topics of popular appeal. Richly illustrated with 149 photographs and 15 illustrations, the 14 “nuggets” include Chief Musquakie, Muskoka Bridges, Muskoka’s Hospitals, First Bank, Photographing Muskoka, Muskoka Electricity, Gold Diggers, Treating Tumours, Bigwin Inn, and Windermere House.
This unexpected saga begins with Ian Murdock relegated to investigate the death of a lonely senior citizen. He has concluded that past sins have stalled his career as an Ontario Provincial Police inspector. There is no way the brass will let him near an investigation of any importance. However, they cannot foresee the far-reaching implications of a lonely senior citizen’s death, or that a body could just disappear. He finds himself increasingly drawn into a web of intrigue whose implications reach far beyond the walls of a Musko- ka nursing home. In this concluding book of the Murdoch series, authors Dwyer and Hammond reveal a shocking tale of rage, political intrigue and, finally, retribution.
ISBN: 9780973620863 / softcover, 189 pages / LIST PRICE: $22.95
![Nokomis: A Novel [a Muskoka murder mystery]](https://www.muskokabooks.ca/media/zoo/images/Nokomis_Specht--Muskoka_fiction_57a6bec5e55c6ad70bd20c295ea1cdf4.jpg "Nokomis: A Novel [a Muskoka murder mystery]")
Cottage property in Muskoka, it turns out, is something to die for. Douglas Specht lived much of his life connected with newspaper work, so not sur- prisingly he kicks off his novel with a front-page story from the Muskoka Sen- tinel: MISSING BOATER’S BODY FOUND IN LAKE. A tragic boating acci- dent can require an unconventional murder investigation to reveal how real estate transactions in the district sometimes unfold. Being elderly property owners along the shores of Muskoka’s largest lake may be less a retirement asset, more a magnet for trouble. It is not a spoiler to this artfully crafted murder mystery to know that Nokomis is Ojibwe for grandmother.
ISBN: 9780973620870 / soft cover, 205 pages / LIST PRICE: $19.95
From Indigenous Wayfinding to Satellite Imaging
Between Samuel Champlain’s first map in 1615 and today’s satellite images of Muskoka from outer space lies a centuries-long drama which proves that putting Muskoka on a map was neither easy nor simple.
Canada’s Abandoned National Dream
It took challenging decades to build the St. Lawrence Seaway. It took even longer to not build the Georgian Bay Ship Canal – although it's promise was much greater. Muskoka author Ray Love documents this dramatic saga about “Canada’s Abandoned National Dream.”
Father of Muskoka
This deeply researched work by Muskoka historian Richard S. Tatley portrays the career of hard-working visionary Alexander Peter Cockburn who appeared in Muskoka at the opportune time to become a principal driver of the district’s development. A merchant and entrepreneur, Cockburn launched Muskoka’s first steamship, then persevered to expand his Muskoka Lakes Steamships to the largest inland steamer line in North America.