Mariner's Story is a series of 8 books set in Toronto and Hamilton that explore the gritty life of crime, police, and people in crisis.
The major character in the books, a police detective named Mariner, is a man searching for meaning and value in life. He was raised in poverty by a single mother and has a similar background as the rounders, addicts and criminals that he deals with as a police officer.
Below is a brief description of the books along with their covers.
To check out the books on Amazon click here:
Cyclist Down: A beautiful young woman has been killed riding her bicycle home from work. Was it an accident, or did the driver plan the killing? Mariner is a seasoned police investigator, and he doesn’t like the looks of this one.
He comes to believe that this simple accident involving an unfortunate young woman is a murder case? Is Mariner trying to keep the streets safe for the public or is he carrying out a vendetta against an innocent man?
You can find You can find Cyclist Down on Amazon.ca here.
Rogue Squad: There are accusations that members of a police squad have stolen money from drug dealers. The chief needs proof before he can act. Mariner is brought in to investigate, but things get complicated.
A dealer is murdered. Members of the drug squad admit nothing. And why does the chief want the investigation anyway? Sometimes things are not as they appear in this murky world of cops and criminals.
You can find Rogue Squad on Amazon.ca here.
Undercover: It’s risky. An undercover operation is launched to gather evidence against a major drug dealer. Nickie, a young, attractive female police detective, is the volunteer. She has a lot to gain if the operation is a success. But she risks losing everything if she fails.
Mariner is assigned to run the operation and protect Nickie. He knows the dangers. He’s got the best surveillance tools and a motivated team. But even he doesn’t know what is really going on. Is Nickie pursuing a criminal, trying to vindicate herself or is it something else altogether?
You can find Undercover on Amazon.ca here.
Outlanders: The Outlanders Motorcycle Gang are making money selling drugs over a wide territory. What are the chances of bringing them down, and what happened to all the money?
Hugh Banover and Mariner are determined to bring the members of the gang to justice, but guys like this are tough. The police are up against a conspiracy of silence, high-priced lawyers and murder. Can they prevail in a struggle against this powerful and ruthless biker gang?
You can find Outlanders on Amazon.ca here.
Gangs, Guns and Generals: Toronto street gangs are trafficking in drugs, and are defending their territory with guns. Skirmishes have already broken out. A west-end gang, the Generals, is plotting to take over the city’s drug trade once they have the weapons. It looks like all out gang war is inevitable.
Mariner, Nickie Caruso and Hugh Banover are leading a high-stakes police operation, desperate to prevent a drug war. If a gunrunner delivers, there will be carnage on the city’s streets. Can the Generals be stopped before war breaks out?
You can find Gangs, Guns and Generals on Amazon.ca here,
Task Force: Mariner is assigned to a Task Force led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to break a Hamilton Mafia family importing drugs into the Toronto area. Despite their resources, the Task Force cannot collect enough evidence to make arrests. Is there an informer among the police? Does the Mafia use fear and intimidation to evade arrest? And what about violence? Has the Mafia become soft, or are they waiting for the best time to strike?
You can find Task Force on Amazon.ca here,
The Tent: The police chief suspects that young people, running a safe injection site out of a tent in a public park, are dealing drugs. Mariner is assigned to investigate. What he finds is anything but pretty. Scores of addicts are dying from drug overdoses; dealers are selling drugs at will and nothing seems to stop the mayhem. Maybe the real problem is the drug legislation and how it is enforced, but what can Mariner do about that?
You can find The Tent on Amazon.ca here.
Coming Home: Mariner is assigned to be the police liaison officer for the city's hostels and shelters, working out of the low-income neighborhood where he grew up. This is a community of addicts, sex workers and the poor. It is a dangerous place. A serial killer is stalking street girls. The police are hated. Distrust abounds. They need cooperation to capture the killer before he strikes again but how can they do that when the force is led by officers who will not change?
Perhaps the crisis of the serial killer presents an opportunity.
You can find Coming Home on Amazon.ca here.
Whether I write fiction for young people, theatrical plays, adult fiction, documentary film scripts, dialogue for children’s television shows or educational videos, I struggle to make issues come alive in a way that is true to the time and the people.
Mariner's Story is a series of books set in Toronto and Hamilton that explore the gritty life of crime, police, and people in crisis. The major character, a police detective named Mariner, is a man searching for his own identity and meaning. He was raised in poverty by a single mother and he is not much different than the rounders, addicts and criminals that he deals with as a police officer. The books describe the world of people trying to survive on the mean streets of our cities.
I describe the Bains Series of books, written for young audiences, as the “real history” of Canada. These are adventure stories featuring ordinary kids in the 1870s who work in logging camps, fishing outports, railways and farms, just like the children of this period.
My non-fiction books follow a similar theme. They describe people involved in community groups and unions. Often the books provide the background to the growth and development of cities and industries. These are not books about the rich and famous. They are about people building their communities or creating organizations that will improve their lives.
I am interested in people and how conflict around work, community and politics shapes their lives. My books, in fact, reflect my own life because, like millions of Canadians, I have struggled to shape and improve the communities where I have lived and the places where I have worked. Politics, issues and social policies are important.
Today I live on Toronto Island – A Magical Place – as I call it in one of my books. The Island lifestyle, of a close-knit community where people work to strengthen relationships and the quality of their lives, has influenced my work. People, work, community – these are the essential elements of my writing.
I devote myself to writing full-time. Family and friends are important. As well as a variety of community activities, I am active with The Writers’ Union of Canada.