Barry Coulter
A Cranbrook author is launching her first novel at a public event on Friday, February 5, at the Manual Training Centre in Cranbrook, next to the library.
"The Saint and the Soul Slayer," is a novel by R.W. Wells, which is the pen name of Dorothy McKay. McKay chose to write under the pen name as the book is based on events witnessed during her long career as a police officer in a major Canadian urban centre.
"It's about some of the events, both funny and sad, that happened during my 30 years as a police officer," she said.
"The names have been changed to protect the innocent — and the guilty."
The book took three years to write. "It started as a story and expanded from there."
"The Saint and the Soul Slayer" is the first in a planned series, centred around the character of Xavier O'Malley.
"He's compassionate, and has a lot of empathy," McKay said of her character. "He has been affected by a terrible tragedy in his life — but as time goes on, he has gotten over it.
In "The Saint and the Soul Slayer," O'Malley has been promoted from Constable to detective, and is working in the Guns and Gangs unit. He becomes friends with Rose, a prostitute and a voice of the streets, and O'Malley gets drawn deep into the underworld.
The book launch will be held Friday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will include a reading from the book, as well as readings of the poems of the late Cranbrook artist and writer ManWoman.
The book itself is currently available on Amazon, and at Friday's event. It will soon be available at Cole's in Cranbrook.
Friday's book launch is being held under the auspices of the Cranbrook and District Arts Council.