The Light Of Faded Stars

by Francis-Adrien Morneault, Marie-Line Morneault (illustrator)

On his deathbed, an old detective and veteran from war, Jack Willington, in the city of Saint John, New Brunswick, is reflecting on his life and telling the tale of a curious case that fell on him and his mentor partner’s lap years ago. Many of those people and places are long gone and have vanished almost like they never existed, but the lessons they left behind are still very much alive. Through his recollecting, the theme of traces left behind by wars, relationships, towns, cities, and detective work are explored in a philosophical, poetic, and introspective – sometimes stream-of-consciousness - writing style in this original noirish novel that takes place on the East Coast of Canada, with its mesmerizing landscapes and its fascinating and history-rich communities. This existential character-driven narrative encapsulates a time and a place and offers much more than the traditional crime story.

180 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2024

About the author

Francis-Adrien Morneault is an award-winning author and IB French teacher from New Brunswick, Canada. Additionally, he is a veteran officer from the Canadian Armed Forces. His debut novel, "The Light of Faded Stars", weaves an Acadian tale of mortality and legacy, earning the International Impact Book Award for Contemporary Literary Fiction, a Reader Views 5-star seal, a Literary Titan 4-star review, and a 2025 Outstanding Creator Awards nomination. A passionate storyteller, Francis draws from his Acadian roots to craft philosophical noir with poetic grit. When not writing, he inspires students and engages readers at events like The Write Cup. Add "The Light of Faded Stars" to your shelf and join his journey!

Reviews

[Amanda Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book had a lot of good parts. There was a lot that you could stop and think over and really consider deeply.

What I did not like about this book is that the genre is misrepresented. This is a philosophical literary fiction. It is not a crime, mystery, noir, thriller novel and going into reading the book without knowing that is likely to upset the reader when they finish reading it.

The crime is simply the vehicle for the author to start the story. If you removed all the the crime portions of the story you would still get the intended message, which is, in essence, a love letter to Marcel.

[Pierre-Luc Roussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great read especially if you are from the maritimes, full of references from this territory. It brings you into a crime investigation but also toward a philosophical path, maybe even some self-realization. Refreshing to read you will not find a dull moment a true page turner.

[Josh Landry · Rating 3 out of 5]

good read the characters we well thought. out

[READER VIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all started with a crime.
That simple opening is how the book begins. Nineteen-year-old Evie MacMurrough’s body is found on the streets of Saint John, New Brunswick, murdered for no apparent reason. She has a family who loves her, a boyfriend who supports her, and dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Besides the obvious cause of death and struggle, the only real clue why she could have been killed are signs of a recent abortion. Questioning shows that no one besides Evie knew she was pregnant. Who is the father? Did Evie have other secrets she was hiding? Is this motive enough to murder someone?

From this cold opening, we step back to meet the narrator and detective on the case, Jack Willington. Jack is now over eighty years old, dying, and writing this story down from his hospital bed. As he reflects on this unusual case, he frequently recalls the words of wisdom from his mentor and partner, Marcel Beauchemin who has long since passed away.

Unlike many crime novels, where murder is the catalyst and throughline for the story, the focus of “The Light of Faded Stars” by Francis-Adrien Morneault is not on the crime. Jack and Marcel solved the crime decades ago and there aren’t any loose ends that nag Jack on his deathbed. The murderer no longer stalks the streets and cannot claim any other victims. While the reader gets the satisfaction of seeing justice served, the journey of this book is less on solving the murder and more on understanding why murder may happen in the first place.

Instead of a whodunnit, “The Light of Faded Stars” is more about a philosophical study of mortality in all its facets. The crime haunts Jack because it forces him to ask tough questions about himself and humanity. Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there a God? What is the legacy that you want to leave behind? These questions become more protracted as Jack comes face to face with his own mortality. He is forced to reflect on his whole life, taking critical lessons from the Evie murder case to disseminate his past.

Francis-Adrien Morneault takes the best parts of Faulker and makes a simple yet profound piece of noir literature. It is an accessible way to digest philosophy without all the pretentiousness or confusion found in other books. “The Light Of Faded Stars” is a powerful vignette of existence. While we may not share Jack’s story or life experiences, there is something for everyone and a specific question you must answer for yourself. I know what my question is, but you need to find your own.

I think a quote from the beginning of the book beautifully sums up this novel,

My guess is this investigation will touch your life, too, if I tell you about its unfolding.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

 This book is like a dive into the darker side of who we are and how we relate to others.
Each character felt super real, and I saw pieces of myself in them—even though they’re older.
It made me think about choices, regrets, and how relationships shape us over time. It’s inspiring and left me rethinking what I want out of life and relationships.
Totally recommend for people curious about the bigger picture. 

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Light Faded Stars, Morneault has the ability to take the reader through a journey filled with philosophical and societal questioning while easily demonstrating the importance of stong relationships and friendships. Filled with East Coast references, The Light Of Faded Stars was a good read.

[Muriel Morneault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done!

[Elvin Deng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book, it is very classy. But although this book is excellent, it is still too literary. The author is also very tasteful and the articles he writes are very elegant.

[Chris.Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to read

[Maryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

really nice book! attracts you from the first pages and makes you want to read it asap. recommend it!

[Willard Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon beginning THE LIGHT OF FADED STARS, one easily settles into a little noir-esque crime story featuring a couple worn-out cops and a loving synopsis of the setting, Saint John. However, it becomes clear that Morneault's designs are far loftier, more clever, and more soulful than pacing his readers through a breezy genre page-turner. The crime backdrop to THE LIGHT OF FADED STARS is merely Morneault's sandbox. Sure, with his set up, he's more or less bound to playing within the genre archetypes, tropes, and expectations. BUT where THE LIGHT OF FADED STARS really sings, and where I think Morneault shines as a writer is via the thoughtful examinations of the main character's own motivations and actions. So rather than merely playing within the detective genre sandbox as has been done a million times, Morneault uses the familiarity of wunza buddy cops, crime scene investigations, and tragic shadows of a burdened city to unlock insightful personal reflections.

The case sparks the main character Jack's personal dialog. He reflects on his partner, his careers as a soldier and a cop, his NB heritage, his relationships, and his own personal growth. Jack's sense of discovery and inner opining slowly lead him into connecting his own personal dots--and through Morneault's writing, the reader (or at least this reader) can easily ride along these thought processes through those oh-so-common questions that torture us in the middle-aged demographic. I can completely appreciate that for some THE LIGHT OF THE FADED STARS may betray expectations. What begins as a crime story transitions into a beautiful self-litigation. An exploration of the middle-aged human condition and the burning desire to make sense of the world when more than a formative part is in the rearview mirror while plenty of life and questions about the future still lie before the windshield. Morneault is a skilled wordsmith. He's got lush, vivid metaphors and symbols on each page--all of which help capture Jack's, and possibly the author's, ambition for growth, if not meaning. It may not seem like a big deal for a character, but tearing down barriers to achieve certain levels of honest-to-God empathy and agency in one's life are very satisfying life goals--and literary outcomes for a character.

It wasn't the crime-noir page-turner I thought I was getting myself into. I was curious if I was reading a CSI: SAINT JOHN episode (and nothing wrong with that). As it turned out though, THE LIGHT OF THE FADED STARS was more special than that. I had to attune myself to what was really interesting to the author, and when I did, I was rewarded by Morneault's casual, accessible discussion on the human condition.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Light of Faded Stars is a detective novel, but it’s also a sprawling, introspective meditation on memory, mortality, and the quiet devastation of time. The story follows Jack Willington, a retired detective on his deathbed, as he reflects on his final, unsolved case—the brutal murder of a young woman named Evie MacMurrough. With the help of his eccentric, bookish partner Marcel, Jack recounts not only the details of the investigation but also the philosophical undercurrents that haunted both men as they waded through the shadows of humanity and themselves.

I was floored by how the book balanced grit with poetry. The crime scene where Evie is found is brutal, but not gratuitous. It’s haunting. And the prose reads like noir. The first-person voice has this almost cinematic texture—world-weary, vulnerable, even funny in that grim detective kind of way.

What really pulled me in, though, was the relationship between Jack and Marcel. Marcel is the type of character you both want to strangle and protect at all costs. He’s maddeningly intellectual, forever quoting French authors and waxing philosophical about death and dreams. But there’s a tenderness underneath, a haunted soul just trying to hold it together. The scene where Jack catches him hiding in his office, surrounded by French literature and cold coffee, was weirdly beautiful.

Another thing I really appreciated is how the city becomes its own character. Fog City, as they call it, is sad, damp, and falling apart. But the descriptions are lush and honest. There’s a passage during a drive where Jack describes the industrial buildings exhaling smoke and the morning sun fighting through the fog like it’s battling to be seen. It’s so rare to see a city rendered with such gritty affection. It's not romanticized, but it’s not dismissed either.

Jack’s memory wanders. But it fits the voice. He’s dying. He’s reflecting. It’s messy because life is messy. Some readers might get impatient, but if you lean into the detours—into the tangents about dreams, wars, childhood, guilt—they’ll reward you with insight.

The Light of Faded Stars isn’t just a mystery. It’s a story about the damage we carry and the traces we leave. It’s for anyone who’s ever looked back and wondered what it all meant. I’d recommend it to readers who loved The Road by Cormac McCarthy, or those who like their crime novels with a side of existential dread and a dash of heart.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francis-Adrien Morneault’s The Light of Faded Stars* is a haunting meditation on mortality, justice, and the fragile threads that bind human existence. While the novel opens with the brutal murder of nineteen-year-old Evie MacMurrough in Saint John, New Brunswick, it quickly becomes clear that this is not a conventional crime story. The detective at the heart of the narrative, Jack Willington, now in his eighties and confined to a hospital bed, revisits the case not to solve it—justice was served long ago—but to grapple with the existential questions it unearthed.

Evie’s death, marked by its senselessness and the discovery of a hidden pregnancy, serves as a catalyst for Jack’s deeper introspection. As he reflects on the case, he recalls the wisdom of his late mentor, Marcel Beauchemin, whose philosophical musings echo throughout the narrative. The book’s true focus lies not in the “whodunnit” but in the “why”—why do we inflict pain on one another? What does it mean to live a meaningful life in the face of inevitable death? These questions resonate with the same raw, unflinching honesty found in the works of David Adams Richards, whose influence is palpable in Morneault’s exploration of human frailty and redemption.

Morneault’s prose is spare yet evocative, reminiscent of the bleak, introspective tone of True Detective’s first season, where crime serves as a backdrop for deeper philosophical inquiry. Like Rust Cohle’s nihilistic ruminations, Jack’s reflections on the Evie case force readers to confront uncomfortable truths about existence. The novel is less about the crime itself and more about the shadows it casts—on Jack, on Evie’s loved ones, and on the reader.

A quote from the book’s opening encapsulates its essence: “My guess is this investigation will touch your life, too, if I tell you about its unfolding.”Morneault’s work is a mirror, reflecting not just Jack’s story but the universal human struggle to find meaning in a world often defined by chaos and suffering. “The Light of Faded Stars” is a profound, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page.

[James Mullinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light of Faded Stars by Francis-Adrien Morneault

Francis-Adrien Morneault’s debut novel thunders a new voice across the Maritimes and beyond. It boasts all of my favourite things in one deliciously dark package. Great literature, the grime of crime and glorious prose. If you love Saint John and critically acclaimed crime books, you will devour this masterful tome by a pool or lake or river or ocean as quickly as I did.

This is a story about memory, inheritance and the scars we carry from generation to generation, both visible and invisible. But unlike so many stories of trauma and loss, Morneault gives us something far more precious: grace. And hope. And light, even in the most faded of stars.

Set in Saint John, New Brunswick - our oldest city, our grittiest gem - the novel follows Jack Willington, an aging detective and war veteran on his deathbed, as he reflects on one final, curious case that had occurred years earlier. As he drifts between lucidity and memory, Morneault guides us through Jack’s recollections of a city that once was and the people, now vanished, who shaped it. Some were criminals, some comrades, some just collateral damage in the endless unravelling of time.
This is not a crime novel in any conventional sense. Yes, there’s a mystery. There are detectives. But Morneault is less interested in who did what and more concerned with what it all means. The style (poetic, introspective, often drifting into stream-of-consciousness) feels like reading a fogbank: sometimes opaque, sometimes dazzling, always haunting. Regrets, relationships, towns, wars, wounds. Morneault reminds us that everything leaves a trace, even if the people and places are long gone. It’s not about solving a mystery; it’s about understanding the cost of trying to.

This isn’t just a Maritime novel; it’s a universal one. But it’s rooted here, in our streets and salt air. And for that, we should be profoundly proud. Francis-Adrien Morneault has not only written a great piece of Maritime literature; he’s redefining what the genre can be.

$24.49 | Friesen Press | friesenpress.com

[Angel Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francis Morneault’s debut novel, The Light of Faded Stars, is nothing short of a remarkable achievement. Through the lens of Jack and Marcel’s experiences, Morneault paints a complex and, at times, heart-wrenching portrait of two characters haunted by ghosts of the past—by war, relationships, and their own internal conflicts. The book is rooted in detective fiction, which usually isn’t my chosen genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. Morneault succeeds in avoiding the clichéd tropes that are often written into detective and mystery novels. Instead, he captures something uniquely human in Jack and Marcel. His prose delves into the psychological and the philosophical without feeling heavy-handed. It's a difficult balance to strike, but Morneault does so beautifully, which in my opinion, highlights his gift for exploring complex themes with nuance and subtlety. Morneault’s careful incorporation of philosophical themes and musings on life, the past, and death are reminiscent of Raymond Chandler’s depictions of characters who grapple with the darker aspects of human nature.

Descriptive writing is clearly something Morneault excels in. Each scene in the book is written with a careful attention to detail, and this allows the reader to experience the story rather than just read it. Descriptions of the moon being “at war with the darkness” and of humanity being “a long unfurling ribbon” allow us to see the mundane in a new light. The everyday is transformed and infused with meaning as you see the world through Jack’s eyes. Marcel, one of the main characters, reflects on how reading brings him to “the great beyond.” Much like Marcel’s beloved books, The Light of Faded Stars transports readers through time and quietly guides them on an exploration of what it means to be human in a world where morality isn’t always so black-and-white.

[Tabitha Henninger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light of Faded Stars follows Jack Willington, a former cop and veteran of the Afghan war, while he is on his deathbed as he speaks about a case that stuck with him. He and his partner, "the old man" Marcel, found a girl named Evie dead. The plot often weaves between this case and other points of Jack's life, such as his affair, his divorce, his daughter Grace, the war, and others. His relationship with Marcel is beautiful, heartwarming, and overall just makes this book wonderful. I teared up at the end of the novel, and instead of looking at this in more of an analytical way, I put down the pen and just absorbed the book. This book is an experience of life, of love, of loyalty, of heartbreak, and much more. It is worth the read, if only for the poetic wisdom of Jack Willington and his friendship to the philosopher, Marcel.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the book! The metaphors and the beautiful language were so powerful. I was especially moved by how the author wove so many meaningful themes, religion, war, crime, relationships, personal choices, and life in general, into a mystery novel. It made the story so rich and thought-provoking. One quote that really stuck with me was: “We are not born human, we become it through empathy.” That line hit me deeply and really made me think. It was truly an inspiring read. Highly recommend!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

💫The Light Of Faded Stars reflects on relatable human experiences, struggles and emotions. The complexities of human relationships and moral dilemmas represented in this book will make you re-think your identity and the impacts and footprints you have on the earth. This book explores the aging process, cynicism, love, faith, hope, loss and human nature. The authors use of rhetorical devices are artistic, poetic, add vivid emphasis and truly speak to the heart of the reader. Repeated suggestive imagery provided by enhanced themes allow the reader to engage more deeply by creating emotional connections and interpretations. Understanding the author’s life and context which he lives provides the reader with ‘clues’ to meanings. The authors use of exploring human experiences and understanding different perspectives reflects on ‘what it means to be human’ and is empathetic. This book can be easily connected across different timelines and cultures. Francis-Adrien Morneault has done an exceptional job at making sure we stay human! An excellent representation of internal struggles that define human experiences!👌🏼

Some of my favourite excerpts:
“To truly love is to remain cozy and ignorant forever”
“Be like a child, always”
“To share is to live”
“Every sane human being is looking for redemption regarding something they did, thought about doing, or should have done”
“I guess the secret of it all is that you must find the right cage, the right winged companion, and the right songs to sing in harmony”

Bravo❤️
J’adore ca❤️‍🔥

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself relating to multiple characters and their diverse perspectives, each one shedding light on different roles we play—as partners, parents, colleagues, and friends. This book serves as an inspirational guide through midlife questions, urging readers to reevaluate their purpose and identity with newfound clarity and empathy. Highly recommend for anyone contemplating life’s big questions!

[William Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light of Faded Stars is a great read. For me, it was a also a good, deep read meaning that, after reading some sections, I would lay the book down and think about what I had just read. Sometimes, I would even go back to particular chapters paragraphs later to get everything I could out of them, and there was lots to get out of them. Francis Morneault builds a thoughtful and sensitive story about the touching relationship between the two main characters around a police story in an interesting place thereby providing just the right amount of context.

[Jonathan Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light of Faded Stars is like taking a slow waltz through a misty night, blending crime fiction with deep, soul-searching musings. Forget about whodunit; this one's all about the "whys" of life. If you're into moody, character-rich tales that make you ponder life's big mysteries, you're in for a treat. But if you're hunting for a quick and tidy mystery, you might find yourself wandering through its dreamy detours.

[Paul McLellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light of Faded Stars is a poetic, introspective novel blending mystery with deep philosophical themes. Following an aging detectives reflections, in the beautiful city of Saint John, NB, Morneault masterfully explores themes of war, memory, and identity.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is on his deathbed so he remembers his past and working through what happened. He looks back and wonders if he could have done something different to what he did. A great read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and interesting to see how he sees things now

[Sacha Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Morneau grabbed my attention immediately, with his wit, thought-provoking commentary on society and murder mystery storyline.
This was worth the time investment, as I enjoyed it immensely. Fantastic read!

[Santiago Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The imagery was incredibly vivid. A storyline that deals with various philosophical and moral themes. Francis also makes it even more special by connecting it to the Maritimes and his own experience with the military. Highly recommended!

[Sébastien Chauzu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pair of larger-than-life investigators, a sordid crime, an introspective novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

[Brody Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super interesting and had me on my toes from the start. Definitely recommend this book!

[Richard Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done characterization and conveys powerful emotions. The plot is interesting and engaging.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was thought out perfectly!! I`m in love....

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring!
Experience it!