ISBN 0-88801-256-X
$14.95 Cdn/$12.95 U.S.
5 x 7-1/2, 304 pages

Order Now!

Find out more about the author

Janice MacDonald

How dangerous can words be?

The University of Alberta's English Department is caught up in a maelstrom of poison-pen letters, graffiti and misogyny. Miranda Craig seems to be both target and investigator, wreaking havoc on her new-found relationship with one of Edmonton's Finest.

The men's residence at the U of A wants to party and issues invitations to the women's residence, each with specific and terrifying consequences if female students don't attend. One of Randy's star students, a divorced mother of two, has her threatening letter published in the newspaper and is found soon after, a brutal murder followed to the gory letter of the published note.

With the help of dashing Officer Steve Browning, Randy Craig must delve into Gwen's life and preserve her own to solve this mystery. Who is trying to kill Randy—an untenured professor? An unknown student? Gwen's killer?

Sticks and Stones' accessible characters and strong sense of place help it deliver on what mystery readers are looking for: layers much deeper than a game of cat-and-mouse. Poison-pen letters, candlelight vigils and Marc Lepine figure in MacDonald's plot. Subtle references to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and a list of guilty parties longer than a bookstore lineup on the first day of school make this an engaging read.