Norman’s Conquest

by Don Butler

The much-anticipated follow-up to A LIFE OF BLISS !

After narrowly surviving a heart attack in Greece, Norman Pugsley, the grizzled managing editor of the Ottawa Daily Advocate, anticipates a quiet retirement. But fate has other plans as he becomes entangled in a decades-old murder mystery. As he delves deeper into the investigation, sparks fly with his former boss, a woman he once couldn't stand.

In this witty and heartfelt sequel to Don Butler's well-received début novel, A Life of Bliss, readers are whisked into a world of eccentric journalists, travel adventures, and a protagonist who unexpectedly discovers his inner feminist.

The tale unfolds against the backdrop of unlikely romance and unforgettable encounters — from a spirit bear to a former prime minister. Join Norman Pugsley's journey, where the past collides with the present, and every twist and turn brings him closer to solving the murder.

“With satisfying twists and turns, the story takes us from Greece to Canada’s far north, to the streets of Ottawa, to the lakes of Algonquin Park.” —Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

“There’s everything Pierre Trudeau. Canoes, Spirit Bears, Tom Thomson, an unsolved murder . . . and a damned good read.” —Roy MacGregor, bestselling author of Paper Trails.

236 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2024

Reviews

[Debbie Horsfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with a good twist. Well written book that kept me glued in the last 40 pages. The only critique I have was that the chapters flipped back in time and the forward too much and found I sometimes got a bit lost.

[Frances O'Malley]

Just finished Norman's conquest. I devoured it...it was delicious 😋. Please sir may I have another!

[Doug Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a longtime colleague of the author, I recognized more than a few of the people we knew in those days in the characters who populate the newsroom of the "fictional" Daily Advocate in Norman's Conquest. But you didn't have to be there to enjoy the fun. There's murder, mystery, romance, grittiness and lots of bantering dialogue wrapped up in a fast-paced story. Even Zoftique Laframboise makes an appearance!

[Jay Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part mystery, part romance, part travel adventure and part humourous examination of life at a big city newspaper. Don Butler has written a charming page-turner
.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, maybe 3 ½ stars. But for different reasons than it‘s prequel, ‘A Life of Bliss’. In Bliss, the reader is obliged to suspend belief to engage in a truly quirky novel featuring the ‘immortal’ Maria Callas. Norman’s Conquest is a much more satisfying murder mystery. Both feature the same gang of stereotypical journalists and editors from some mythical newspaper, the Ottawa Daily Advocate. And both ultimately are about the redemption of two mal-formed males. In both cases the males are clichés, but so exaggerated that their conversion to assertive thoughtful males seems a bit unlikely. (This may be to lever the humour aspects.) In Norman’s Conquest we’re hard pressed to like Norman, the crude and uneducated crime detective cum managing editor, and it’s hard to reconcile his career success with his lack of sophistication. Nevertheless Butler takes on his journey and we quietly cheer Norman on with his conquest of his baser self.

The mystery itself is cleverly unravelled as Butler goes back and forth in time describing the crime itself, and Norman’s career, until solving the crime in his retirement, and discovering his more refined self through an unlikely love affair.
Overall, Some capable writing, some satisfying Canadian geographical references, some light humour, and a crime that echoes an actual event in Ottawa decades ago.

[Ken MacQueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author and ex-journalist Don Butler has crafted in Norman’s Conquest a love story for the news biz in all its shopworn glory.
With a nod to Ben Hecht’s classic The Front Page, Butler throws newsman Norman Pugsley into a near-contemporary adventure of cops, scoundrels, bent politicians, and a cold case murder. It’s a tale of love lost and found—with a guest appearance by the canoe obsessed ex-Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
This is Pugsley’s second outing, after Butler’s debut novel A Life of Bliss. In that novel he was as lost and unhealthy as, well, his employer, the Ottawa Daily Advocate.
In Norman’s Conquest, Pugsley graduates from secondary character to protagonist, and makes a stumbling path to redemption, and love.
It’s a story filled with humour, heart and office politics. You don’t have to have been a newshound to appreciate the dysfunctional dynamics at the Advocate.
That said, for anyone who chased the news in Canada’s capital city, there’s some juicy, if thinly disguised characters who operated with near impunity in Ottawa newsrooms and the late-lamented National Press Club. You know who you are!
Butler has whipped up a delightful summer read, highly recommended.

[Norman Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mostly harmless romp of a novel. I might look for other books by the author.

The reasons for the 2 stars are 2 in number.

First, the author is a skilled journalist and does know how to write - like a journalist. In his normal field he has to tell a story but in fiction the advice is usually that the author should show, not tell. There was very little in this book that wasn't telegraphed well in advance. Newspaper articles are written so that they can be cut short by an editor (or abandoned in flight by a reader) so the writers try to let you know up front what happened. Good in a newspaper, not good in a mystery novel. I was never surprised by the course of events, except - spoiler! - that Pierre Trudeau's canoe overturned.

Second, Butler has lived in Ottawa, a bilingual city, for decades - where I live as it happens. His character, Norman Pugsley, has too. I find it really hard to believe that a newspaper writer, in all that time, in this milieu, would be unfamiliar with things like soufflé or crême brulée, let alone all the other things of which he is supposed to be unaware. Seriously, Pugsley could not be so ill-informed and still be a managing editor of a newspaper.

The book is a bit of easy reading, but it isn't literature.

[Stewart Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don Butler’s Norman’s Conquest is a delight of a mystery, and I regret not yet having read its predecessor, A Life of Bliss. But I’ll get to it. Butler's latest is one in a rising number of books, particularly in the crime/mystery genres, to be set in Ottawa. And it’s a fine addition. Set largely in the newsroom of a struggling newspaper, the book chronicles journalist Norman Pugsley’s rise through the ranks across more than two decades. His career is asterisked by an unsolved murder and his bumbling role in its initial investigation—an investigation that gains new life as Norm retires. Puglsey is drawn unwillingly back into the case, which re-opens old wounds and a few fresh ones. He’s a lovable lout, unsophisticated but honest and dependable. Butler does an excellent job seeding the story with clues to reward the observant reader. There’s a gala scene about halfway through that had me laughing out loud, and for much more than the necktie Pugsley chose to wear to the event. As someone of his era, I can empathize with the character’s heartfelt attempts to stay apace with gender politics. I highly recommend this book, and eagerly await more from Don Butler.

[Christina Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entertaining novel is a follow-up to Don Butler's A Life of Bliss and in my opinion it's even better. (Full disclosure: I helped edit Norman's Conquest -- and the author dedicated it to me so I may not be the most objective of observers ..:) Some of the same quirky newspaper characters appear as in the first novel, but this one is written as a cold-case mystery, focused on a cynical, world-weary journalist who nonetheless finds new motivation and energy as he works to solve a decades-old murder. It's funny in many places — and will take you to some great Canadian locales. Amid the humour, there's serious character evolution going on as well, and a social message. You don't have to have read the first book to enjoy Norman's Conquest (but it made me want to reread the first one).

[Veronique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I met the author when he was signing copies at an Indigo, and got to talking with him about his novels. I bought the book for my dad, and he also really liked it, then I read it.

I loved the writing style, the characters were interesting and the character development was very well done. The mystery aspect was very interesting and kept me guessing until a specific clue lead me to the right person. The back and forth between timelines was a bit confusing at first but I quickly got used to it, and it ended up being very fun. All in all it was a very fun read!

[Mark Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don Butler knows his newspapers, and the Ottawa Daily Advocate is a delightful place to spend some reading hours. The newsroom is quirky, dysfunctional, passionate, and accurate, and there’s an unsolved murder to bring to light. Butler’s gentle sense of humour and gift of canny perception follows the many dubious travails of Norman Pugsley after his introduction in Butler’s debut novel Life of Bliss, and it’s a joy to meet him again for this exceptional mystery tour.

[Ros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don Butler’s newest novel, Norman’s Conquest has a murder, sex, ambition, toxic newsroom politics and a slow-simmering romance. What’s not to love? There are passages that will make you laugh out loud, others that will make you wince. But the mystery of who killed an Ottawa prostitute decades ago will keep you turning the pages. A delightful, well-written read.

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published as a summer read, I can vouch for Norman's Conquest by Don Butler as a great winter afternoon read too. It's an enjoyable light-hearted mystery with characters and a backdrop capturing the bad old good old days of journalism. If you're not sure what that means, read the novel. :)

[Marc Rosove · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I truly enjoyed the read. Large chunks of tension, excitement, thrill. Unfortunately, I felt there were a few passages and plot points that were clumsy.

All that said however, I will be seeking out this author's other novel.

[Jim Working · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful well written story mixed with some history. Great characters, and an ever present who done it murder mystery. Kept me guessing until the end. Enjoyable from start to finish.

[allother · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book about a very good amateur detective. Norman was a bit of a curmudgeon in 'Life of Bliss', but retirement, a woman, and a murder seemed to mellow him out. Really good read.

[Valerie Haggart · Rating 1 out of 5]

story relied too much on its Ottawa setting and name dropping.

[Jean-Francois Delorme · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair book, although I struggled with the disjointed nature of it at first. I’ll admit not a major fan of the characters and how they developed, thought the ‘grumpy ex cop that only eats steak and potatoes’ was overdone

You could tell from about mid way who did it so suspense was waning, quick wrap up ending that reached a bit…

[Anne Trueman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it is because I am now retired, but books like “A Man Called Ove,”and now Don Butler’s “Norman’s Conquest” are significant to me because there is a deeply gratifying redemptive arc that can often only come with time when more of daily life turns inwards.

We did meet Norman Pugsley in Butler’s first novel, “A Life of Bliss.” He is the well-worn Managing Editor of the Ottawa Daily Advocate— who has managed his life to date rather less well. We left him in Greece after he suffered a heart attack.

Here we get to know Norman’s many flaws as we watch him try to solve a cold murder case he reported on many years before and one that left his career and marriage in shambles.

The Advocate’s newsroom is a character composite of many journalists, like Norman, that I met in the ‘80s and ‘90s when there were many fewer female journalists and the old boy’s club was in its heyday. Butler cleverly chronicles the early introduction of political correctness and its slow evolution into conversations about race, gender and sexual identity and relationships we continue to have today. Newsrooms and some of the people I knew in them, were not always early adopters of compliance.

The book flows naturally between Norman’s early climb up the corporate ladder and his newly found retirement, with a wonderful sprinkle of humour, a little romance, fun historical tidbits, and ultimately Norman’s awakening.

The phrase “ you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” doesn’t apply to Norman. And for that, I am eternally grateful as I reflect on what my retirement and self reflection look like.