For fans of true crime, an unsolved mystery of missing persons, police conspiracies, and private investigations in an Indigenous community in northern Canada. Metis leader James Brady was one of the most famous Indigenous activists in Canada. A communist, strategist, and bibliophile, he led Metis and First Nations to rebel against government and church oppression. Brady's success made politicians and clergy fear him, and he had enemies everywhere. In 1967, while prospecting in Saskatchewan with Cree Band Councillor and fellow activist Absolom Halkett, both men vanished without a trace from their remote lakeside camp. For 50 years rumours swirled of secret mining interests, political intrigue, assassination, and murder. Cold Case North is the story of how a small team, with the help of a local Indigenous community, exposed police failure in the original investigation, discovered new clues and testimony, and gathered the pieces of the North's most enduring missing persons puzzle. "This engrossing account charts the efforts of three dedicated people to determine the fate of two missing Indigenous men in the north of Canada. [...] Meticulously researched, this smoothly written tale of injustice showcases the authors' tenacity and arouses the reader's indignation. This is a scathing rebuke of the RCMP's failure to take the case of missing Indigenous people seriously." - Publisher's Weekly "Like too many cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people, authorities failed to ensure that Brady and Halkett's deaths were properly investigated. This book helps get to the bottom of the fate of these two men, and demonstrates why investigators should never dismiss the knowledge of Indigenous peoples." - Darren Prefontaine , author of Gabriel Dumont " Cold Case North is an enthralling search for intimate answers and broader social accountability. Essential reading." - David Chariandy , author of I've Been Meaning to Tell You " Cold Case North is part true crime thriller, part gripping mystery about the disappearance of Metis legend James Brady and Absolom Halkett in northern Saskatchewan. It is also about Indigenous knowledge, investigative incompetence, and the stuff of legend." - Paul Seesequasis , author of Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun "A fascinating search for the truth, Cold Case North unravels the layers of a decades' old mystery. It is about how communities hold knowledge for generations, and how missing loved ones are never forgotten." - Katherena Vermette , author of River Woman and The Break
Industry Reviews
"Like too many cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people, authorities failed to ensure that Brady and Halkett's deaths were properly investigated. This book helps get to the bottom of the fate of these two men, and demonstrates why investigators should never dismiss the knowledge of Indigenous peoples." Darren Prefontaine , author of Gabriel Dumont
"This engrossing account charts the efforts of three dedicated people to determine the fate of two missing Indigenous men in the north of Canada. [...] Meticulously researched, this smoothly written tale of injustice showcases the authors' tenacity and arouses the reader's indignation. This is a scathing rebuke of the RCMP's failure to take the case of missing Indigenous people seriously." Publisher's Weekly
"Cold Case North is part true crime thriller, part gripping mystery about the disappearance of Metis legend James Brady and Absolom Halkett in northern Saskatchewan. It is also about Indigenous knowledge, investigative incompetence, and the stuff of legend." Paul Seesequasis , author of Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun
"A fascinating search for the truth, Cold Case North unravels the layers of a decades' old mystery. It is about how communities hold knowledge for generations, and how missing loved ones are never forgotten." Katherena Vermette , author of River Woman and The Break
"While Cold Case North doesn't offer a lot of answers about James Brady and Absolom Halkett or any of the others who have lost their lives so that southern Canada could have seemingly endless supplies of energy it does include many important lessons about this country, then and now." Literary Review of Canada "Cold Case North peels back over five decades of history by revisiting the cold case that has hung like an impenetrable cloud over La Ronge, Saskatchewan, since 1967." Prairie Books Now "Blending historical narrative and true crime, this is compelling reading for anyone interested in First Nations cultures or cold case research." Library Journal " Over the years the disappearance has touched many people who weren't even alive at the time and has become part of the narrative of missing Indigenous peoples in Canada." SaskBooks "The diversion from a traditional narrative (court documents and media reports) not only emphasizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge and leadership but also uncovers new perspectives and truths in the case." NUVO Magazine " Cold Case North makes readers care about the disappearance of James Brady and Absolom Halkett, and leaves them with the ache of knowing that there remain unanswered questions." Winnipeg Free Press "A careful and thoughtful piece of investigative journalism." Ali's Book Club, CTV Saskatoon
Shortlisted, Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book, 2021
"Cold Case North is an enthralling search for intimate answers and broader social accountability. Essential reading." -- David Chariandy, author of I've Been Meaning to Tell You
