Yesterday's Lies

by Jan Field

Finding a dead body impaled on a tree thirty feet in the air would be enough to rattle anyone…
But Matt Brennan isn’t rattled. He has other worries — like getting Lonely Lake Lodge opened and sold, so he can return to his career as an RCMP officer. This body isn’t his problem. Or is it?
When his brother Brian is charged with the murder, Matt’s priorities change. Mired in the day-to-day challenges of operating a remote wilderness lodge, he must somehow find the murderer and clear his brother’s name, all while being relentlessly pulled into a web of long-buried secrets. And then, Mother Nature picks a fight with him. Now he’s rattled.
Follow Matt Brennan on his journey through this rugged landscape; where the past and the present collide, and the weight of yesterday’s lies, threaten to unravel the future.

"Set in the imagined town of La Cloche, surrounded by the White Mountains and pink granite shores of the Canadian Shield, this story captures the majestic essence of Northern Ontario. Yesterday’s Lies invites you to make yourself at home in the lodge’s great room for a Magic Hour cocktail, then lifts you to dizzying heights over the sparkling blue waters of Georgian Bay.
Jan Field’s first book in the Matt Brennan mystery series will have you hooked and eager for your next trip up north."Gail Treasure, Author of Wife by the Hour

340 pages, Paperback

Published October 29, 2025

About the author

Jan Field is the author of the Matt Brennan mystery series set in Northern Ontario. The first book, Yesterday’s Lies, was released in October 2025, and the second book, Silence of the Deep, is to be released in 2026.

She was born in Sudbury, Ontario, attended Laurentian University and spent her working life involved in marketing tourism accommodation, both in northern and southern Ontario. Jan returns to her roots to create the Matt Brennan world, which is set in the remote northern landscape of Georgian Bay, Killarney, and the North Channel.

She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters-in-Crime, Toronto Chapter, and the Writers Community of Durham Region and currently lives in Durham Region.

Reviews

[Gail Treasure]

An excellent mystery set in Northern Ontario in 1994. For fans of Iona Wishaw and Louise Penny. I really enjoyed this first book in the Matt Brennan Mystery Series. Looking forward to Book 2!

[Valerie Cober]

I thoroughly enjoyed Yesterday's Lies with its vivid descriptions of Northern Ontario, well-developed characters, and the warmth of a large family rooted in a small-town setting, even as the story unfolds around a murder.

What impressed me most about this book though, was the author's talent for constant misdirection: there were multiple plausible suspects and just enough well-timed clues to make me second-guess myself again and again—but never so many that it became confusing.

Overall, this was a smart, engaging read that held my attention the whole way through. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.

[Angela Breemen]

Extraordinary Debut Novel

I enjoyed every page of Yesterday's Lies by Jan Field. The book is masterfully written with just enough tension to keep the reader curious to turn the next page, sprinkled with the right amount of clues to "solve" the case along with Matt Brennan, a new and exciting protagonist. I particularly loved the beautiful descriptions of northern Ontario. Also, unique was the setting in the early 1990s. I found it refreshing to read a book without modern technology; it reminded me of more innocent times. I forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Kerry Craven]

I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I found the premise intriguing. A body found in a tree. A remote fly in fishing community. All a great set up for a fascinating tale. I loved how fully developed the characters were. Although I've never been somewhere so remote, the setting is the essence of the Canadian experience. Reading about it gave me an escape into the call of the wilderness, but without the black flies and mosquitos. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

[Terri-Lynn]

A wonderful sense of place is one of my favourite aspects of this book. I loved that the rugged landscape of Northern Ontario is as much a character in the plot as the people! Looking forward to the next instalment in the series.

[Reader]

Thoroughly enjoyed the book. Was hooked on the first few pages. Am really looking forward to Book 2!

[Ron Roy]

Excellent book!
The author gets you engaged right away.
Great characters, great story and wonderful setting. Northern Ontario well represented.
I can't wait for the next book from this author.