Dubious Alliance

• Simon and Schuster
• ISBN: 9781439163726
• July 2012
• Trade paperback 19.99

It is the fall of 1837, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada are on the eve of open revolt. Lieutenant Marc Edwards has been sent with a force of British soldiers to subdue the increasingly hostile French rebels. But as the smoke from the battle clears and political pressures build, Marc begins to question whether the sacrifices he has made in the name of Crown and country have been worth the cost.

On his return trip to Toronto, a recovering Marc is accompanied by a group of seemingly innocent civilians. But as tensions in the provinces escalate and personal grievances within the group arise, it becomes clear that not everyone Marc is traveling with is who they appear to be. Soon, mysterious death threats are issued and Marc finds himself the target of an unknown assassin. And when a member of the group is found murdered in the woods, Marc realizes that he may not have just one killer to worry about.

Don Gutteridge’s series is a vivid portrayal of Canada as a fledgling colony loyal to Britain, determined to avoid American annexation, and consumed by a burgeoning desire for autonomy. Readers will come to view Marc Edwards as a hero and a man who comes to realize that the only true allegiance he owes is to those closest to his heart.