Death by
Triangulation
Motorcycle-riding poet Aaron Miles makes some of his daily bread as a cultural investigator. He likes nice little cases with an element of art or literature, and no violence, thank you very much.
But a wealthy Toronto family hires him to wrap up the affairs of their recently deceased black sheep uncle, a notorious anti-Papist and man of letters. In particular, they want him to erase any traces of a past conspiracy the uncle had alluded to. Rich families hate scandal.
Against his will, Miles uncovers a plot, both large in scope and decades old, to keep the lid on the truth about a major mystery of the 20th centiury.
Set mainly in Prince Edward County, the story accelerates to Toronto, upstate New York, and the Dominican Republic as Miles tries to stay ahead of the secret's shadowy enforcers.
Published by Neopoiesis Press in July, 2015.
Price: $16.95 US or $20 Canadian, plus $5 shipping and handling.
Orders for signed copies can be sent to the author via the Contact Page. Payment may be made via Interac email transfer or Paypal.
BLURBS
"This fast-paced mystery is a witty and rollicking ride to the heart of the crime of the last century, peopled with enough funny and fascinating characters to keep you turning the page. Think Raymond Chandler meets Robert Pirsig with a bottle of brandy on the grassy knoll. A delightful read. " -- Seamus McGraw, journalist and author of The End of Country: Dispatches from the Frack Zone, and Betting the Farm on a Drought: Stories from the Front Line of Climate Change.
"John Oughton’s first novel, Death by Triangulation, is a seriously hilarious fictional romp inspired by history. The clues are in the humour and the solution is an existential twist. " -- Elana Wolff, author of four poetry books including You Speak to Me in Trees, winner of the F. G. Bressani Prize.
"Oughton gives crime writing a hot, new twist balancing a private eye’s jaundiced view with the accomplished poet’s sure-handed voice and easy charm. Add the fact our man Aaron Miles rides a cool old motorcycle and digs bands like The Fugs, and D by T is a funny, smart, addictive read." -- Basil Papademos, author of Mount Royal, winner of the BiLines Book Award.
REVIEWS
"Established poet John Oughton's first novel is a fresh, funny and smart read that is not your average murder mystery (hint: it's way cooler) - nor is its protagonist, Aaron Miles, your average P.I.; as Miles puts it in the novel's first paragraph: "I'm a poet and a private investigator; poverty is my business."
Miles has been assigned to investigate a death which may be linked to the Kennedy assassination. As a poet, he's the perfect P.I. for this case since the deceased left his clues in the form of a poem, which begins with the first line: "I predict that which is past..."
Death by Triangulation is full of interesting historical and cultural tidbits that will have you reaching for Google (or Aaron Miles' preferred search engine Dogpile). But the true joy of this novel is Oughton's writing: his empathy and his poetic eye for beauty.
Death by Triangulation is the perfect summer read for those who like a little wisdom with their wit." -- Heather Babcock, on Goodreads.com.