Canadian Crimes by Max Haines

Did you know that there has been many world-famous murders right here in Ontario? There are also many Canadian murder cases that remain unsolved, such as the Steven Truscott case, which began in Clinton, Ontario in 1959.

Canadian Crimes by Max Haines is perfect for those who are seeking a creepy, late-night read and I recommend it for those students who are interested in the history of crime in Canada.

Canadian Crimes is one of Haines' more recent works. It is a compilation of forty-two small chapters, each chapter representing a different Canadian criminal or pair of Canadian criminals. There are also eight chapters at the end of the book that explore the cases of some Canadians who have disappeared over the past hundred years or so.

Some of crimes that are featured in Canadian Crimes go as far back as the pioneer days, such as the murder of the Donnelly family. This murder took place in February of 1880, in Lucan, Ontario. More recent cases, such as the famous Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka murders are also summarized. The pair was responsible for the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, among other crimes in St. Catherines in 1991.

Another infamous case involves the disappearance of Mabel Crumback in 1950. It took place in a Willard Avenue home, which is now referred to as the “Mystery House” in Toronto. Crumback simply disappeared during the night and was never seen again. This case and seven others are expanded upon in the final eight chapters of Canadian Crimes.

An experienced and excellent true-crime writer, Haines' books are well organized with an element of humor. He presents each case in a witty and unique manner, and his writing is never difficult to follow. Each chapter provides the reader with enough detail to gain a good understanding of what happened without going so much into detail that it becomes boring. Many people are concerned with the goriness of true crime books, however Canadian Crimes contains no unnecessary descriptions of the misfortunes that befell the victims.

The book is written very objectively, in that Haines has made some attempt to highlight both the good and bad qualities that exist among the criminals and victims in each chapter. The crimes are explained in varying amounts of detail, as well as the accounts of the resulting legal proceedings. Surprisingly, many of the criminals in this book went unpunished or under-punished. Haines' excellent understanding of the Canadian legal system, both past and present, is evident in his accounts of the legal proceedings of each case.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime stories, or to anyone who is looking to try reading something different. Canadian Crimes requires very little commitment, in that it is divided into very small chapters that can be read in five to fifteen minutes each. This book is perfect to take along for your morning bus ride, or for your long wait at the financial aid office. I guarantee that you will not be able to put this book down once you pick it up.

Although Canadian Crimes is not available at the Fanshawe College Library, another of Max Haines' books entitled Murder Most Foul: Crimes from Canada and Around the World is available. I have read this book as well, and it is very similar to Canadian Crimes, which can be purchased at Chapters for $10.99.

Some other great books by Max Haines include Multiple Murderers, Multiple Murderers II and Murder Most Foul.