
Not That Kind of Place
A Novel
Michael Melgaard(Author)
House of Anansi Press Ltd ,Canada
Published on 12. October 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-4870-1117-8 (ISBN)
Description
In May 1997, eighteen-year-old Laura McPherson left her house for a run and didn't return ...
Twenty years later, a reporter arrives in the small town of Griffiths to write an article about the unsolved murder of Laura McPherson. He is the most recent in a long line of journalists, podcasters, and amateur sleuths seeking new insights into what really happened to Laura.
Laura's younger brother, David, a repressed and stuck thirty-something, is dealing with the recent death of his mother when the reporter comes knocking. The last surviving family member, David has lived a sheltered life, protected from the prying eyes of the media by his mother. But David cannot escape the past forever, and soon finds himself confronting the lasting impact of his sister's death. As David learns more about his sister and the history of Griffiths, his eyes are opened to the casual violence, misogyny, and racism that lurk just below the surface of his seemingly placid community.
Provocative and haunting, Not That Kind of Place is a literary anti-mystery, a compelling exploration of our obsession with true-crime stories and the devastating effects of systemic violence on our most vulnerable populations.
Twenty years later, a reporter arrives in the small town of Griffiths to write an article about the unsolved murder of Laura McPherson. He is the most recent in a long line of journalists, podcasters, and amateur sleuths seeking new insights into what really happened to Laura.
Laura's younger brother, David, a repressed and stuck thirty-something, is dealing with the recent death of his mother when the reporter comes knocking. The last surviving family member, David has lived a sheltered life, protected from the prying eyes of the media by his mother. But David cannot escape the past forever, and soon finds himself confronting the lasting impact of his sister's death. As David learns more about his sister and the history of Griffiths, his eyes are opened to the casual violence, misogyny, and racism that lurk just below the surface of his seemingly placid community.
Provocative and haunting, Not That Kind of Place is a literary anti-mystery, a compelling exploration of our obsession with true-crime stories and the devastating effects of systemic violence on our most vulnerable populations.
Reviews / Votes
"Not That Kind of Place utterly captivates ... David's journey to understanding is low-key, almost laconic, but this approach only adds power to the narrative, leaving it to the reader to carry the weight of his new understanding. It's a brilliant approach and a brilliant novel." - Quill & Quire, STARRED REVIEW "Melgaard is interested in peeling back the placid surface of small-town life to expose the rot and decay beneath." - Toronto Star "Not That Kind of Place is almost certainly unlike any murder mystery you've read ... An amazing work." - Winnipeg Free Press "Not That Kind of Place is not true crime, of course, but it offers a thoughtful and complicated send-up of the genre." - The Tyee "This is not a conventional who-done-it ... The hunt here isn't so much the search for the murderer, as the revelation of the collective malaise. We don't live where we think we live. We are not who we think we are." - Miramichi ReaderMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Concord
Canada
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 200 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
322 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4870-1117-8 (9781487011178)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
MICHAEL MELGAARD is the author of the short story collection Pallbearing. His writing has appeared in Best Canadian Stories anthology, as well as Joyland, Lithub, and elsewhere. He is a former book columnist for the National Post. Originally from Vancouver Island, he currently lives in Toronto.