The Magyar Cipher Murders by former Coast resident Eugene James is my kind of mystery story. The corpse makes its appearance on page one, the unfortunate man having fallen from the 19th floor of the Marine Building in Vancouver. The key characters, towboat skipper Hank Sutter and Hungarian ballerina Tatiana Kovacs enter the scene, meet and fall in love in the first 20 pages. The book rips along after that at a lightning pace - if you're reading it on the beach you'll scarcely have time to apply sunscreen.
James is a master of amusing, lively scenes and easy, believable dialogue. The murder of the Hun-garian refugee, Tatiana's brother, takes place in Vancouver in 1957 when he inadvertently uncovers something big and nasty. The investigative trail involves a disgruntled RCMP corporal, a colourful tugboat crew, a legendary Chinese grocer and a high-speed boat chase.
This is a book that truly appeals to both guys and gals, as they called us back in 1957. Hank is a leader, a quick thinker with a sense of humour who commands the respect of his crew even as he asks them to undertake detective work. Tatiana is a strong woman who brings the iron discipline of ballet and an innate intelligence to assist in her brother's murder investigation. In all, this is a terrific read for astute mystery fans. James lived in Gibsons for 10 years where he wrote the first in this series. Since moving to Campbell River, he has kept busy with his second book, The Black Friday Gambit, set to launch before Christmas and featuring the further adventures of the ballerina and her man. As a former towboater himself, also a naval architect and mechanical designer, James' storehouse of research material gives the story its authenticity. As he says, if you want to know more about him, read his books. He's in there somewhere.
The Magyar Cipher Murders is available through the self-publishing giant Trafford (www.trafford.com) for $26.95. James will be in Sechelt this weekend at the Festival of the Written Arts to meet the public at the independent authors' table.
A few years ago, you might have met artist and author Louise Lefebvre at her Sechelt consignment clothing business and gallery. Her life changed dramatically when the former teacher followed a lifelong dream of doing humanitarian work by journeying to northern India, to the mountain town of McLeod Ganj, where she volunteered to assist Tibetan refugees.
In her self-published book, An Indian in India, she recounts her five-month stay living in one of the planet's poorest nations, becoming friends with refugees who had escaped persecution in Tibet and teaching them English in a cold, rudimentary, concrete classroom. It is also a journey of self discovery - she learns at least as much from her students as they do from her. The story is told in the present tense, as if the action is still fresh and new.
"I wanted to tell it in a personal way, as if I'm in your living room telling stories," says the author, who is now a co-ordinator of Aboriginal programs at Northwest Community College in Hazelton, B.C. As a woman of Mohawk and French descent, she had always been interested in the parallel beliefs of First Nations and Buddhists. Learning about Buddhism was another draw to this area, since the residence of the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is in McCleod Ganj.
"Their need was closest to my heart in that they were displaced people," she says. Lefebvre is honest and open in her writing; her stay in India helps her make peace with herself.
Living in India was physically challenging. In one of the most interesting of her adventures, she describes a visit to the rooftop of the world, a Gaddi village high up the mountains that she climbed on aching legs while fighting altitude sickness. The warm welcome was worth it.
An Indian in India is available at Talewind Books in Sechelt for $20 or can be ordered through [email protected]. Another book, Namaste Journal, containing 52 photos taken in India is also available for $40. Proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Tong-len Foundation in India, which serves the nation's poorest.
