Open Season (Luc Vanier Series, the)

Fiction. Winner of the 2016 Arthur Ellis Prize for Best Novel. A Guatemalan journalist is kidnapped, and the only message from her kidnappers is the murder of her lawyer. In a race against time, Luc Vanier sets about reconstructing her life, through the sordid world of human trafficking, the secretive underbelly of a multinational mining corporation, and the hiding places of desperate refugees. When Vanier is brutally warned off the investigation, he throws away the rule book and goes after the villains with a vengeance.

"Of the 82 novels we read for the Best Crime Novel category, many met our criteria for excellence, fulfilling their promise with interesting puzzles, believable stories and memorable characters. All five of our short-listed titles were outstanding, each in their own way, but OPEN SEASON, by Peter Kirby, stood out as especially strong.

"OPEN SEASON is a smart page-turner with a complex, skillfully drawn plot and an engaging puzzle. Inspector Luc Vanier must untangle the tentacles of human trafficking, government and corporate corruption, from the highest halls to the underpasses of Montreal, to the mining villages of Guatemala. The story features vivid, suspenseful action scenes—for example, the moments when a desperate young prostitute is being hunted down by the Russian mob are almost unbearable.

"This is a police procedural, gritty and noirish, with an extra spark that compelled each of us to read it almost all in one go, from the stunning opening scenes to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. Vanier himself has great depth—he is sharp, believable and human, with a willingness to bend the law to exact vengeance, but he remains a moral centre in a troubled world.

"OPEN SEASON is the third of Peter Kirby's Luc Vanier novels. You don't need to read the previous books to enjoy this one—but you will want to."—Jury of the 2016 Arthur Ellis Prize for Best Novel