All of that gardening talk in my last post reminded me… if you happen to be a crime writing fan AND a gardening buff, you absolutely have to read Deryn Collier’s new book, Confined Space.

I read the entire thing in 24 hours, though I did have to take a couple breaks near the end to breath deeply until my heart rate slowed down. (I get scared even in Disney movies. There’s a reason I write children’s books.)

Now, I’m not usually a follower of crime fiction, but my dad is. Since I have what Min calls “Reader-Willi Syndrome” (ie. I read everything in sight), I’ve read quite a few detective tales in my day. And I have to say, Confined Space is one of the best. The characters are so real and so likeable… I’m already waiting for book two.

Besides all this, Confined Space is set in a fictional place called Kootenay Landing which, though smaller and more company-centric, bears a remarkable resemblance to my hometown. Deryn says, “all places and characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.” To which I say… right. Of course.

Just as, purely coincidentally, the fictional town of Webster in my young adult novel bears a resemblance to the same small town. And yet… the descriptions are vastly different. When my novel eventually emerges, you’ll have to check them both out and compare. Then you can road trip to Creston and decide for yourself!