Who’s your favourite Canadian author?

In addition to me, of course.

I recently realized that my novels are influenced by the original Canadian internationally recognized best-selling writer, Arthur Hailey. You may remember him from Hotel,  Airport, and Wheels (1965-71) or his final books, The Evening News (1990)  and Detective (1997).

My own novels, the Dale Hunter Series, are about a young Montreal entrepreneur and his Somalian vigilante partner fighting crime and corruption in the international computer business of the 1980s. My writing style and the themes are an eclectic blend of the writers I most admire for their non-traditional crime fiction that includes interesting historical or background information, some social commentary, and inspirational life lessons in addition to being well-written and an entertaining read – Ian Hamilton, Kathy Reichs, Ian Rankin, John Farrow, Robert Crais, John Le Carré, and John Grisham. If Ian Hamilton, Kathy Reichs and John Grisham can create appealing protagonists who are accountants, scientists, and lawyers, why not an entrepreneur?

The only Canadian on my list for “business fiction” is Ian Hamilton with his Ava Lee novels. Kathy Reichs is not Canadian, but has received the Order of Canada and her original Bones Series is set in Montreal, like mine.

The other outstanding Canadian authors whom I can recommend to you and whose work also inspires mine are Linwood Barclay, Rick Mofina, and Louise Penny. It’s a short list, and doesn’t include the more famous literary stars of Canada from Margaret Atwood to Yann Martel. They set a high standard of exceptional writing which I can learn from but cannot aspire to.

Who do you enjoy and recommend among your favourite Canada authors?