When artists, writers, and performers gather at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the serene mountain setting is meant to inspire creativity. However, the peace is shattered when playwright Alan Montrose is found dead. While initially dismissed as an accident, the subsequent fiery death of artist Erika Dekter makes it clear that a killer is lurking within the colony. Aspiring painter Laura Janeway takes it upon herself to investigate, but as she navigates a web of professional jealousies, secret affairs, and long-held grudges, she realizes that in this tight-knit community, she must view everyone as a suspect to uncover the truth.
John Bishop Ballem (1925–2010) was a distinguished Canadian author and legal expert celebrated for his high-stakes mystery and thriller novels centered on the oil industry. A World War II navy pilot and 1949 Dalhousie Law School graduate, Ballem masterfully blended his professional legal background with compelling fiction. He authored over a dozen novels, including the acclaimed Murder as a Fine Art and the popular Oil Patch Quartet. His work, which often explored the complex world of resource extraction, earned him significant recognition and a dedicated following within the Crime Writers of Canada.
