Grizzly Lies

Couglan's mystery novel has a focus on the beauty of the Banff area. She has captured the daily routine in the village, which guards the eastern entrance to the oldest national park in Canada. What makes Grizzly Lies a page-turning mystery is the death of Hellie MacConnell's landlord, who has just returned from a trip to Africa... . This CIS-type mystery takes Hellie to the steamy life of back alleys in Calgary, a hike in the wilds of Banff only to confront a grizzly and her cubs, and on the neighborhood streets of Banff... .

... .an excellent read.

Grizzly Lies

Freelance journalist Hellie MacConnell is house-sitting for her uncle Doc Rivard, who has gone to Africa. She is dumbfounded when his dead body is discovered under the gazebo; there is no indication of foul play, but what was he doing under the gazebo?

Hellie has been given the assignment of writing about big-time Texas hunter Ansel Rock, who pays unbelievable amounts of money (a million dollars) every year for the privilege of trying to shoot an Alberta bighorn sheep. This is a big assignment, because it means an opening door to the major writing markets.

In the process of trying to figure out whether or not Doc was murdered, Hellie begins a turbulent and querulous interview process with Hunt. He quickly discovers her anti-hunting feelings, and they proceed to spar about this throughout Grizzly Lies. Coughlan does an admirable job of presenting many sides of that prickly issue, although one does rather suspect her personal feelings lie more with Hellie than with Ansel.

Grizzly Lies is set in Banff, and one quickly gets a feeling for the beauty and majesty of that environment. There is also some subtle discussion of the developer vs preservationist issues that invariably arise when long-term dwellers in any kind of paradise are discovered by the rest of the world. Again, Coughlan is fairly even-handed.

I found Grizzly Lies to be entertaining, thought-provoking, and full of plot twists. While I could see some of the denouements coming, there were one or two moments when I was blind-sided. It's worth tracking down. Well worth it. I am hoping there are more Hellie adventures in the pipeline, because I'd like the pleasure of watching Coughlan grow as a writer.

It's not often that you meet a person who proudly speaks of bringing a murder mystery to Banff but that's one way to describe Eileen Coughlan.

The Calgary-based mystery novelist does exactly that in her new book Grizzly Lies, for which there is a book launch Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Banff Book & Arts Den.

Grizzly Lies is the fictional tale of a big city journalist who flees for the peace and tranquility of Banff after leaving her fiancée at the altar.

"She was just kind of looking for some place peaceful but when her landlord turns up dead and her grizzly bear loving neighbour disappears she finds herself at the heart of a murder investigation," Coughlan says dramatically. "It's a book about greed, loyalty and in the end letting go," she adds. Coughlan says Banff was not only a perfect setting for the novel, it also served effectively as inspiration.

"I spent a lot of time at The Banff Centre writing. My time there made me appreciate the area even more," she says.

"I like books that are set in Canada first of all because we Canadians just don't seem to like to talk about ourselves much, it's really part of who we are." says Coughlan.

"I really enjoy reading a book that is set in Canada so, of course, if I'm going to write something I'm going to set it where my heart is and that's clearly in Canada and I love Banff. I absolutely love the area."

Grizzly Lies is Coughlan's second book. Dying By Degrees, another mystery set in Alberta, was shortlisted for a prestigious Canadian Crime Writers Association award and a semi-finalist for the Chapter/Robertson Davies Prize for first unpublished novel in 1999.

Coughlan admits she has a unique approach to writing. "With both of my books I didn't know the end when I started, I only knew the end myself when I wrote it," she says. "So I don't know who the real villain is until I actually get to that part and write it."

Coughlan says the publication of Grizzly Lies was the culmination of four years of effort. Its actual release date was May 27.

"To be honest I've been really surprised with the reactions people have had. When I sat down to write this book it was just simply about writing a murder mystery," she says. "I've been pretty overwhelmed by the response. It's been great. Everyone who has called me said they've cried at the last chapter. Of course, they've all been women," adds Coughlan. "I don't know if everybody else is going to cry."