Co-Winner of the 2006 Ottawa Book Award for English fiction, whose jury wrote: "The Sundog Season is a nuanced portrayal of small-town life, seen through the eyes of a young boy growing up in a northern Ontario mining town. This part coming-of-age, part mystery novel is witty and wise, packed full of memorable characters and original situations, all beautifully written."
This first novel tells the story of a boy whose life changes when a mysterious, menacing new police sergeant arrives in town. Setting out to discover the taciturn officer's secrets, the young narrator must sift through gossip, fortune telling, and signs in the sky. "The writing," W.P. Kinsella said in Books in Canada, "is exceptional, clear, straightforward, allowing us to see and hear the characters as if they were in the room." He also praised the novel's "subtle but wonderful plot twists."
The Sundog Season drew wide critical acclaim for its wintry images of Northern Ontario and its vivid characters. "Remarkable." The Gazette (Montreal). "Adept." The Globe and Mail. "Extraordinarily skillful." The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay). "A joy to read." The Ottawa Citizen.
The Sundog Season's particular appeal for young adult readers was highlighted when it was short-listed for the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award. And for its chapters that evoke the atmosphere of a small-town Canadian arena, Dave Bidini, author of The Best Game You Can Name, cited The Sundog Season in The Globe and Mail as being among the finest hockey books.