Northern Bull

by Michelle N. Swallow

Over the course of one bitterly cold winter day in Yellowknife, Northern Bull takes readers on a joyful and hilarious journey of love and friendship as a quirky cast of characters sets out to find a missing moose head.

It's a cold, dark January day in Yellowknife. A down-on-his-luck fisherman, Jacques, needs to convince his landlord not to tear down his ramshackle house. But when his volatile hunting buddy, Craig, accuses him of stealing a prized moose head, Jacques must put everything aside to find the bull before midnight, or there's no telling what Craig might do.

Meanwhile, Jacques's next-door neighbour Maggie is trying to face her fears by writing a story for the annual community burlesque show. But when she accidentally breaks Jacques's window, she is determined to help save his home and find the moose head--and maybe something more.

Over a single day, with flashbacks to the hunting trip that started it all and culminating in a wild night no one in Yellowknife will ever forget, we follow Jacques, Maggie and a quirky cast of supporting characters as they race against time--on snowmobiles--to find the moose, brave the stage, and take a chance on themselves and on love. A hilarious and charming ode to life in the north.

Genres: Fiction, Canada

252 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2026

About the author

Michelle Swallow is the author of The Mackenzie River Guide, which has helped numerous paddlers travel down Canada’s longest river. She is grateful to live in Yellowknife, the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the home to North Slave Metis, and Dene and Inuit from across the Northwest Territories. Michelle is a graduate of Thompson Rivers University and Royal Roads University. Northern Bull is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Kassandra DeFrancis · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!!! If you want a taste of what life in Yellowknife is like, have a read! It’s almost its own character in the book. Loved the rom-com/heist story that kept me turning the pages! I wish we would have learned a bit more background of the characters but I felt like I really knew Maggie and Jacques!
Such a fun read and would recommend if you’re looking for an easy read on a cold winter night!

[Anne Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s -40 outside, and a giant moose head has gone missing. There’s an epic snowmobile race planned for that evening, and everyone is so hung over from the night before that a double double from Tim Horton’s just won’t cut it. Northern Bull by Michelle Swallow opens with these dramatic circumstances, and although it may give all folks outside of Canada the wrong impression of what it’s like to live here, I do believe her plot runs very true to life in the far northern town of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories in Canada. This is a madcap novel that pokes fun at life in a town that most Canadians will have never / will never visit simply because of its isolation, so it was an entertaining look at a place I’ve heard much about, but not had the pleasure of seeing in person.

Plot Summary

Taking place over one raucous day, we meet a small group of characters living in Yellowknife, waking up to the messy situation described above. Jacques is on the verge of losing his rental house as it is on the verge of collapsing, and the landlord isn’t happy with how it’s being maintained by his hard-partying tenant. Maggie is Jacque’s neighbor, and she’s irritated by the fact that Jacques constantly takes wood from the pile she cuts herself, although she also thinks he’s handsome in a rugged, annoying sort of way. That evening a burlesque show is planned at the local bar, and Maggie signed up to read an erotic story she wrote, problem is she hasn’t been able to write the aforementioned story, and she’s having trouble thinking of a sexy storyline. Meanwhile, Jacques has been targeted by his unhinged friend Craig, who believes Jacques is the one who stole his missing moose head, a hunting trophy he has promised to show off to a group of visiting Japanese reporters in order to kickstart his tourism business. Jacques has no idea where the moose head is, but Craig has already burned down Jacques’ outhouse, so he’s resigned himself to driving around looking for this head in hopes Craig will lay off. Vic is a friend of both men, and he’s also excited about the burlesque show that evening, ready to become the first male stripper to make his name in town. Problem is, he can’t remember where he left his Mom’s minivan, and she won’t leave him alone to practice his routine until it’s found. Craig’s roommate Randy has lent him his fancy snowmobile for a big race that evening, all in an attempt to wow these tourists and give them a northern experience they aren’t soon to forget. As we bounce between perspectives, readers are also treated to flashbacks of the infamous hunting trip that led to bagging this beloved giant moose head, seemingly holding the key to explaining a few of the conflicts arising on this fateful day.

My Thoughts

I love a humourous novel, and the author does a great job of marrying the serious and the funny in this book. There is a subtle undercurrent of dysfunction here; the use of weapons between friends, the excessive partying, and the general recklessness that the male characters engage in on a regular basis are hard to ignore, but the book ends on a positive note with a hopeful tone and a hint of new self-awareness, so I clung to that as I laughed at these characters, not with them. The banter between the male characters is humourous with an edge, but still very believable and entertaining to read.

There’s also an impressive array of personalities on display in this book. Even though we only get short perspectives from a few different people, everyone was fleshed out really well, with rich inner lives and inner monologues, so it’s clear Swallow spent quite a deal of time thinking about the people that populate the pages. It would be easy to turn everyone into a caricature to simply move the plot along, but she resists this easy path and colours a world that makes us want to stay just a tiny bit longer, even when the adventures get a little dangerous.

You’ll have to suspend your disbelief for only some of the situations; the character development that Maggie in particular goes through is somewhat unbelievable, as she struggles with feelings of social anxiety yet finds herself running from a trigger happy local known as Ol’ Lady Peggy when Jacques drags her along on his hunt for the moose head. I personally didn’t find her willingness to follow him around all that believable, although I have heard of writers doing much worse to avoid getting back to a blank page, so perhaps I’m not giving her (Maggie AND the author) enough credit here. It’s all in good fun though, and the word ‘romp’ is the perfect way to describe this novel, which is why I enjoyed it so much.

To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what exactly the genre would be called, but I am an absolute fiend for books that take place over the course of one day in a down-on-their-luck town a la Headshot and The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships. Northern Bull is in that same vein. It's a brutally cold, snowy day in a small town in Canada, the cast of characters intertwine throughout the day as three events play out: a fisherman anticipates a visit from his landlord and is hoping to convince him not to tear down the house, a search for a missing taxidermied moose head is launched, and a woman attempts to write an erotic short story to perform at that evening's community burlesque show.

I loved the atmosphere and mood, I just wanted a little more -- the blurb described this book as "hilarious" and I didn't quite get that. Quirky, yes, but not laugh-out-loud funny.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Northern Bull is a cozy and deeply funny book set in the heart of winter in Yellowknife Canada. This book follows five incredibly unique characters through one day in the snowy town of Yellowknife. Oh- and a prized moose head goes missing as well. On the quest to find this moose head, each character (told from their own unique perspective) crosses paths. I thought this book was very cozy and almost nostalgic, as I also live in a snowy small town. I loved the atmosphere and pacing of the book. There wasn't a really strong plot visible to me, but the characters and setting kept the story entertaining. I also really enjoyed the small romance side-plot. Some parts of the story felt a little slow, especially in certain characters' point of views. This story is perfect for anyone who wants a good laugh and a fun story to read on a cold day! Overall, this story was a very warm and cozy read with unique setting and characters.

[Shireen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Taking place over the course of 24 hours, this story set in Yellowknife, Canada is a supremely humorous romp through a rather unfortunate day in the life of several town residents. There's a delightfully kooky cast of characters; they had me laughing out loud a few times. As a Canadian myself, I can certainly appreciate the rugged environment as its own discrete character and the shenanigans that occurred throughout the day had me shaking my head chuckling, "Only in Canada!" This is definitely a worthwhile read if you're looking for some fun Canadian content with a lot of heart.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Michelle Swallow, and Freehand Books for granting me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the bitterly cold winter setting, there was something so joyful, warm, and addictive about this book! Over the course of a freezing day in January, a unique group of characters sets out to find a missing moose head. It's hilarious and at times, utterly ridiculous, but SO much fun!

Set in the snowy town of Yellowknife Canada, a treasured moose head has gone missing. The story is told from multiple perspectives, with flashbacks to the hunting trip that started it all. These characters continuously cross paths as they race against the clock to search for this moose head.

I could not set this book down, there was so much buffoonery afoot, plus a side of romance, and I was just absolutely hooked.

Overall this was such a cozy and funny book. I wouldn't be mad if Michelle Swallow wrote a whole series of books set in this small town with these quirky characters getting into hijinks. I genuinely intend to read this book every winter! It's a fun, quick read that I've been recommending to everyone.

Pick this one up if you want a day in the life type story that will totally charm you with its humour and heart!

[Heather Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this one had me holding back so I didn't laugh out loud. There was ridiculousness, nonsense, crazy people, and off-the-wall characters, who made this book a delight to read. It's kind of a screwball comedy but with an up-north flavour and I'm sure I would have gotten more out of it if I actually lived up north. That being said, I don't think you have to, in order to get what these people are going through and how they tackle their problems.

Recommended for fans of Roost or The Figgs, anyone who's lived in northern Canada, and anyone looking for a wacky story with wacky characters that will make you laugh.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel has everything: mystery, romance, humour, and suspense. I felt like I was dropped into this community of misfits and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. An incredibly entertaining story packed into a short read ❤️

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute and quirky overall. It felt a bit anticlimactic at times, and occasionally a little over the top in a way that seemed forced (I won’t get into specifics to avoid spoilers). I especially loved the Yellowknife nostalgia.

[Enid Wray]

Let’s just say that I’m not the reader for this title.

DNF

[Dharani · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine, but the writing style is kinda boring and bland. I thought it would be funnier. Not great and not terrible.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!

[Susi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. A version of Trailer Park Boys set in Yellowknife in the middle of winter - entertaining read.