I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Two men must solve a murder in an isolated 19th-century town in author Dwayne Brenna’s “The Laundryman.”

The Synopsis

In the frozen heart of the 1883 Canadian frontier, a single death unveils a darkness that could consume a town—and the men sworn to protect it.

Corporal Belvedere, a Mountie scarred by a brutal past, and Surgeon Virgil Montgomery, a newcomer haunted by his own doubts, are drawn into a murder investigation in the isolated settlement of Prince Albert. As winter’s grip tightens, the killing exposes a web of secrets buried beneath the snow, threatening to unravel the fragile order of the North-West Territories.

In a community steeped in mistrust, Belvedere’s unyielding quest for justice collides with Montgomery’s struggle to uphold his oath to do no harm. Each clue they uncover draws them deeper into a maze of deception, where allies and enemies blur and every step risks a deadly reckoning. As the ice on the North Saskatchewan River begins to crack, they must confront a truth that could cost them their lives—or their souls.

A gripping tale of vengeance and redemption, The Laundryman plunges you into a world where justice battles betrayal, and the truth lies buried in a frozen wilderness.

The Review

This was a thoroughly detailed, engaging mystery read. The balance of historical fiction and murder mystery, along with some crime thriller elements, kept the reader on the edge of their seat throughout most of this tale. The way the author explored survival and the social tensions in the small town at this point in history was so insightful, keeping the reader invested.

The heart of this narrative was the juxtaposition of its two protagonists. Belvedere’s struggles with his own personal addiction and his no-holds-barred approach to the investigation clashed and complemented the more philosophical and methodical approach of his newcomer partner, Montgomery. The way they were forced to work through their problems together provides deeper insight into the investigation and adds tension as the body count rises.

The Verdict

Captivating, enthralling, and truly thought-provoking, Author Dwayne Brenna’s “The Laundryman” is a must-read, compelling historical fiction-meets-murder-mystery narrative. The twists and turns the story takes, and the depth of detail, made this narrative feel like the reader was transported into this era, and every chilling revelation will stay with the reader long after the story ends. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this incredible story today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Dwayne Brenna is the award-winning author of several books of humour, poetry, and fiction. Coteau Books published his popular series of humourous vignettes entitled Eddie Gustafson’s Guide to Christmas in 2000. His two books of poetry, Stealing Home and Give My Love to Rose, were published by Hagios Press in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Stealing Home, a poetic celebration of the game of baseball, was subsequently shortlisted for several Saskatchewan Book Awards, including the University of Regina Book of the Year Award. His first novel New Albion, about a laudanum-addicted playwright struggling to survive in London’s East End during the winter of 1850-51, was published by Coteau Books in autumn 2016. It subsequently won the Muslims For Peace and Justice Fiction Award at the Saskatchewan Book Awards and was one of three English-language novels shortlisted for the prestigious MM Bennetts Award for Historical Fiction. In 2022, Pocol Press published his second novel Long Way Home, about a barnstorming baseball team travelling through the American Midwest in the eventful summer of 1934. A book of short fiction, entitled Theories of Everything, was published by Shadowpaw Press in March 2025. His short stories and poems have been published in an array of journals, including Grain, Nine, The Cold Mountain Review, and The Antigonish Review. Brenna has taught theatre and creative writing at the University of Saskatchewan.

He has acted at the Stratford Festival and has appeared on television in various nationally and internationally broadcast programs including For the Record, Judge (CBC Toronto), The Great Electrical Revolution, and The Incredible Story Studio (Mind’s Eye). His movie credits include The Wars, Painted Angels (with Kelly McGillis), Black Light (with Michael Ironside), and The Impossible Elephant (with Mia Sara). A series of character-based vignettes called The Adventures of Eddie Gustafson, written and performed by Brenna, had a five-year run on CBC Radio.

Brenna is also the author of several books on theatre research, including Scenes From Canadian Plays (Fifth House) and Emrys’ Dream: Greystone Theatre in Words and Photographs (Thistledown). His book Our Kind of Work: the Glory Days and Difficult Times of 25th Street Theatre (Thistledown 2011) was subsequently nominated for a Saskatchewan Book Award in Non-Fiction. Brenna’s entertaining academic text Nights That Shook the Stage, about forty pivotal events in theatre history, was published by McFarland Books in 2023. It was subsequently shortlisted for two Saskatchewan Book Awards. He has contributed articles on theatre to Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Notebook (London UK), The Dictionary of National Biography (London UK) and the Czech journal Theatralia.

His stage plays have been produced at Dancing Sky Theatre in Meacham, 25th Street Theatre in Saskatoon, and the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. In 2022, Brenna’s apocalyptic full-length drama The Promised Land received an Honourable Mention in the Scripts on Fire Playwriting Contest. Also in 2022, Brenna was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

https://dwaynebrenna.com/