Fiction Pick of the Week: The Killing Circle

The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper 2008

Widowed father of a young son, Patrick Rush has gradually sunk (often in a drunken stupor) from book reviewer at a national Canadian newspaper to watching endless tapes of mindless reality shows in his new position as TV critic. He decides to act on his old ambition to become a published author by joining a writing circle in his home of Toronto where everyone is advised to write what they know. Patrick is unable to come up with his own story but is inspired by that of another member of the group and eventually commits the crime most heinous to writers. While it is initially a thrill to finally be a celebrated author, Rush begins to realize that he is actually involved in a real-life thriller blurring the lines between fiction and reality. A suspenseful read with a shocking ending, made even more haunting by the familiarity of the Ontario locations in which the novel is set. Nominated for OLA’s 2009 Evergreen Award.