Where the Bodies Lie

A finalist for the Best First Novel Award at the Arthur Ellis Awards

“Sins don’t destroy people here. Dreams do.”

Enter the premier’s old friend Harry Asher—lawyer, former hockey star, self-styled intellectual, and recent divorcé—who is hired to dig into the incident. And it isn’t long before Asher’s investigation threatens to expose a chain of corruption that implicates many of the province’s most powerful citizens—including the province’s legendary now-senile ex-premier—as well as its most cherished founding myths.

In Where the Bodies Lie, Mark Lisac (author of Alberta Politics Uncovered and The Klein Revolution) draws upon his decades of experience as a reporter at Alberta’s provincial legislature to craft an absorbing debut novel—part political thriller, part fable—that opens up timeless themes of friendship, love, the inescapability of grief, the weight of history, and the nature of truth.

Praise for Where the Bodies Lie

"What’s remarkable about this novel is how brilliantly Lisac moves from political writing to fiction. His smooth prose and fine pacing make it a pleasure to read."
~ Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail

"Lisac’s backdrop may be the political scene, but his story is in the heart of his main characters, their flaws and aspirations. He is an elegant and efficient writer and sets lovely scenes and characters, creating a murder mystery with twists and engaging characters."
~ Samantha Power, Vue Weekly

"Where the Bodies Lie seems to carve its own genre. The mystery is always present, but...reads as a man living his life while peeling back hidden truths and unexplored layers of politics and friendships that are more complicated than they appear."
~ Jessica McIntosh, Fort McMurray Today

"A good read..."
~ Nick Martin, Winnipeg Free Press

"Political junkies will devour this book..."
~ Matthew Stepanic, Where Magazine