What do you think?
Rate this book
Karl Alberg #1
The Suspect
In this, L.R. Wright's first mystery novel, we are introduced to RCMP Staff Sergeant Karl Alberg; and so begins the highly-acclaimed series featuring Karl and librarian Cassandra Mitchell.
At eighty, George Wilcox hardly expected to crown his life by committing a murder. It had happened so quickly, so easily, so unexpectedly in the sleepy town on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia: a near-perfect crime that wraps Wilcox in a web of guilt, honor, and secrets of the past. An unprovoked act that soon binds him to the warmhearted town librarian, Cassandra Mitchell, and her new romantic interest, zealous Staff Sergeant Alberg. Together, this troubled trio find themselves caught up in a crime whose solution transcends the logic of pure justice.
At eighty, George Wilcox hardly expected to crown his life by committing a murder. It had happened so quickly, so easily, so unexpectedly in the sleepy town on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia: a near-perfect crime that wraps Wilcox in a web of guilt, honor, and secrets of the past. An unprovoked act that soon binds him to the warmhearted town librarian, Cassandra Mitchell, and her new romantic interest, zealous Staff Sergeant Alberg. Together, this troubled trio find themselves caught up in a crime whose solution transcends the logic of pure justice.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 1985
2837 people are currently reading
2633 people want to read
About the author
L.R. Wright
18 books97 followersL.R. Wright was born Laurali Rose Appleby on 5 June 1939 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Known as Bunny, Wright grew up in Saskatoon and in Abbotsford, British Columbia. She worked as a reporter in Calgary before becoming a full-time writer in 1977. After publishing her fourth book, Wright returned to school, receiving an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Simon Fraser University. She taught writing at the University of British Columbia and wrote adaptations for several of her books for radio, film, and television. L.R. Wright died of breast cancer on 25 February 2001.
Series:
* Karl Alberg
* Eddie Henderson
Awards
Arthur Ellis Award: Novel
* 1991 – A Chill Rain in January – Winner
* 1996 – Mother Love – Winner
Series:
* Karl Alberg
* Eddie Henderson
Awards
Arthur Ellis Award: Novel
* 1991 – A Chill Rain in January – Winner
* 1996 – Mother Love – Winner
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
September 3, 2015
You hear about books that fit a category called 'coming of age'; well this is a book about coming of age at the other end of life's timeline. I really enjoyed the story, the main reason being that I have a home in the very neighbourhood where the mystery takes place. I read this book many years ago but the characters remain strong in my memory. The author has the Sunshine Coast well defined; it is an absolutely beautiful part of the world, quiet and very much a community of artists and retired people who love the outdoors. Sadly I see on her Goodreads page that she has died of breast cancer. I hope to be able to read all of her novels.
December 8, 2019
This seems like such a simple story — right from the get go you know who did the murder but like life, nothing is that simple. There's the reason why and that is very complicated: love, protection, anger and frustration. And that's what makes this book very interesting and gripping.
Because Karl Alberg is a Mountie in a small town, called out for the death of an elderly man. Who would have a reason to murder him? Why? And why is the story, remember that. From the beginning you know who did the deed but its at the end you find out why. That's what makes it so good.
No more to say except to urge you to try it. Its the first Canadian novel to earn an Edgar and its well deserved.
Because Karl Alberg is a Mountie in a small town, called out for the death of an elderly man. Who would have a reason to murder him? Why? And why is the story, remember that. From the beginning you know who did the deed but its at the end you find out why. That's what makes it so good.
No more to say except to urge you to try it. Its the first Canadian novel to earn an Edgar and its well deserved.
September 24, 2022
I'm not quite sure how to talk about this one! I had never heard of it before I went searching for a book to fill this specific Read Harder challenge (⇣), and I'd never heard of the author, either. I don't think it's because she was Canadian, I think it's because she was popular in the 80s and early 90s, and then she and her books faded into the place where books go when they aren't popular anymore and haven't been inducted into "the canon". (In this case I'm using "the canon" as a way to refer to books the general public has chosen to keep in the zeitgeist as worthy of remembrance and not the way the crusty old white men do at universities to refer to books they think are worthy of study, and fuck all those other books.)
This isn't a traditional mystery—we know from page one who the murderer is. The conflict here is finding out why George Wilcox has murdered a man he's known for decades, and watching Karl Alberg track him down. The book feels very grounded and person, almost like a character study, and the police work didn't feel flashy like a lot of it does in mystery novels nowadays. George's story is a fascinating one, and and Karl is an interesting main character to follow. We also get POV from Cassandra Mitchell, a librarian in the small Sunshine Coast town they all live in, in British Columbia. Cassandra has ties to both George and Karl, so it was interesting seeing how everybody's loyalties played out over the course of the story. I also liked going back in time to the year I was born and seeing what life was like back then. Of course, that also has its downsides.
Which brings me to my only complaint, and that's the blatant homophobic slur used by one of the secondary characters. I should have expected something like this, but I didn't because I was all caught up in the nostalgia of it, and because I wasn't, it really threw me off and soured the book for me. I had to put it down for a while. It was made worse by Karl being present when the character uses it, and Karl doesn't in any way show he's disapproving of it. Also, it came completely out of nowhere! There weren't even any gay characters in this story, so she just decided to insert it in there for, what, "color"? It was a small moment, but it really did not go over well. This is especially aggravating because I was having such a good time with the book otherwise.
[3.75 stars, rounded up]
Read Harder Challenge 2022: Read an award-winning book from the year you were born.
This isn't a traditional mystery—we know from page one who the murderer is. The conflict here is finding out why George Wilcox has murdered a man he's known for decades, and watching Karl Alberg track him down. The book feels very grounded and person, almost like a character study, and the police work didn't feel flashy like a lot of it does in mystery novels nowadays. George's story is a fascinating one, and and Karl is an interesting main character to follow. We also get POV from Cassandra Mitchell, a librarian in the small Sunshine Coast town they all live in, in British Columbia. Cassandra has ties to both George and Karl, so it was interesting seeing how everybody's loyalties played out over the course of the story. I also liked going back in time to the year I was born and seeing what life was like back then. Of course, that also has its downsides.
Which brings me to my only complaint, and that's the blatant homophobic slur used by one of the secondary characters. I should have expected something like this, but I didn't because I was all caught up in the nostalgia of it, and because I wasn't, it really threw me off and soured the book for me. I had to put it down for a while. It was made worse by Karl being present when the character uses it, and Karl doesn't in any way show he's disapproving of it. Also, it came completely out of nowhere! There weren't even any gay characters in this story, so she just decided to insert it in there for, what, "color"? It was a small moment, but it really did not go over well. This is especially aggravating because I was having such a good time with the book otherwise.
[3.75 stars, rounded up]
Read Harder Challenge 2022: Read an award-winning book from the year you were born.
October 12, 2024
I wanted to read this after I started watching the intriguing series on Hulu. The show is better than the book, but the book is fairly good too. I appreciate the updates the show provides as well as the social context, as the book uses derogatory terms that don't reflect what's currently acceptable nor what is right.
July 4, 2021
I read this in one setting. A "why dunnit" as we know the who and when and how on page 1, but lovely characters (including the murderer) and well-written. My first book by the author, but I am planning on reading more.
September 28, 2024
It's always a risk to re-visit an old favourite that you haven't read in 15 years. If it hasn't stood the test of time, not only have you wasted the read, but you've also lost the memory of a favourite. So it was with some trepidation that I picked up a Kindle version of an old favourite, L.R. Wright's first Karl Alberg book, The Suspect. How wonderful to discover that it has stood the test of time and it's still as wonderful a read as it was 15 years ago. There's a reason Laurali Wright's books have won so many awards -- they're just darned good mysteries, with interesting characters and a wonderful sense of location. Highly recommended.
October 6, 2024
I enjoyed this book! I even watched the first episode of the television series which covers this mystery but it didn’t spoil the book for me since the book is so beautifully written. Mr. Wright’s writing is the closest to Louise Penny’s approach to fiction. He dives into the inner life of his characters and their motivations. I felt empathy for the killer as well as the main character, the RCMP officer in charge of solving the homicide.
April 10, 2025
O my I loved this book! A murder mystery with lots of character development and sense of place near Vancouver. I would call it literary with much thoughtful writing and even some humor. Eager to start another of this author’s books, apparently some of his are a current Netflix series.
October 10, 2025
October 2025 - a very good book.
December 29, 2019
PROTAGONIST: Staff Sgt. Karl Alberg
SETTING: Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
SERIES: #1
RATING: 4.25
WHY: George Wilcox is 80 years old and kills his neighbor, Carlyle, in a fit of temper. George doesn’t expect to get away with it, but he’s a crafty old man who does his best to elude the police. Staff Sgt. Karl Alberg strongly suspects Wilcox, but proving it is a whole other matter. The book made hash out of what I expected about the people and relationships several times. I more or less expected something cozyish, but that wasn’t the case at all. Although we knew the murderer right away, that didn’t take away from an engaging plot and a fine character study. The characters were likeable with the exception of the victim.
SETTING: Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
SERIES: #1
RATING: 4.25
WHY: George Wilcox is 80 years old and kills his neighbor, Carlyle, in a fit of temper. George doesn’t expect to get away with it, but he’s a crafty old man who does his best to elude the police. Staff Sgt. Karl Alberg strongly suspects Wilcox, but proving it is a whole other matter. The book made hash out of what I expected about the people and relationships several times. I more or less expected something cozyish, but that wasn’t the case at all. Although we knew the murderer right away, that didn’t take away from an engaging plot and a fine character study. The characters were likeable with the exception of the victim.
June 28, 2016
Enjoyed this book and I'm pleased that it is the first in a series featuring a Canadian Mountie. His love interest is a librarian! Both characters are sort of loners and say what they think. I am looking forward to reading more and seeing them solve the crimes. Takes place on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.
September 2, 2019
Well, yeah, I guess it is a murder mystery: It won the Edgar Award in 1986, and there sure as hell is a murder! But it’s also an unusual story that takes its time, and a character study of three people I came to care a good deal about. And there’s a garden. I really enjoyed it.
October 27, 2025
This Edgar Award (1986) winning novel is currently the basis for the TV show Murder in a Small Town. I started watching the show before realizing it's based on a book. I'm meh on the show and mostly meh on this book, with the book in a slight lead. Although the show has updated a few parts of the book to meet 2025 standards, I find it a good adaptation of the story (at least in the first episode) overall.
I understand why this was a huge hit and continues to have a cult following. It's well written. I think I wish I'd read the book first as part of my problem with it was imagining the show characters as the book characters. I don't think the chemistry or the acting on the show is that great, so it kind of tainted what I think about the book.
I understand why this was a huge hit and continues to have a cult following. It's well written. I think I wish I'd read the book first as part of my problem with it was imagining the show characters as the book characters. I don't think the chemistry or the acting on the show is that great, so it kind of tainted what I think about the book.
January 15, 2025
RCMP police Sgt Karl Alberg is a good investigator.
4 stars
Happy Reading.
4 stars
Happy Reading.
December 13, 2024
This is all about the atmosphere, the setting, and the writing…there’s no mystery here at all. I don’t much care for the main character in the series…but I’m intrigued enough to read the next installment.
January 13, 2013
“He wanted to go home. he wasn’t ready yet for the hustle and bustle of being arrested. He was too tired to answer people’s questions, to explain to his lawyer, who had never handled anything more complicated than a will or a real estate transaction, that he now had a murderer for a client. He had to have time to rest to prepare himself.
Gradually, as he sat thinking, it occurred to George that to give himself up was pointless. Even stupid. When they caught up with him, fine. He’d go to trial and to prison without complaining, with dignity, even. But to spend more time locked up than absolutely necessary – it made no sense.”
No, that isn’t a spoiler. It’s a short extract from the first chapter of an Edgar winning novel. A chapter that has the murderer narrate his murder.
So this isn’t a whodunnit. It’s a why did he do it? It’s a how will he cope afterwards? It’s a will he get caught? And it’s a very good book.
George Wilcox was a quiet man. An octogenarian, a widower, a gardener, a library user, a hospital visitor. What possessed him to kill Carlyle Burke? A newcomer to the town, a man who kept himself to himself.
The story of what happened next is told from three perspectives.
There’s George himself, of course.
There’s Karl Alberg, a middle-aged, divorced, very capable policeman. He senses that there is something amiss as soon as he talks to George, but there is little evidence and little credence given to his professional instinct.
And there’s Cassandra Mitchell, the town librarian, who began a tentative relationship with Karl after he answered her lonely hearts advertisement and who has regular chats with George in the library.
The story is propelled by Karl’s growing suspicions about George, his attempts to prove his guilt, and his digging into the past to prove that the two men had history and that the motive for murder lay there. It’s very well done, if a tiny bit predictable.
But the real strength of the book comes from other things:
From the perspective, completely free of any questions about who or how.
From the setting, on Canada’s ‘Sunshine Coast’, an area known for its temperate climate and beautiful coastline. It felt a little like Cornwall, a little like home.
And most of all from perfectly drawn characters, well handled relationships, that offered a lovely balance of intrigue, humour, and real life.
The prose was clear, brisk and very readable, the story was moving along steadily – a lovely mix of cosy mystery, police procedural, psychological study, and human story – but then came a well executed twist and an increase in intensity.
I suspected that Karl and Cassandra were offering the foundation for a series – and I’d be glad to meet them again – but it was George and his story that stayed with me.
The Suspect isn’t quite perfect: there’s no real mystery, no real shocks, and a slightly unconvincing motive. But as a character driven study of a crime it works beautifully.
Gradually, as he sat thinking, it occurred to George that to give himself up was pointless. Even stupid. When they caught up with him, fine. He’d go to trial and to prison without complaining, with dignity, even. But to spend more time locked up than absolutely necessary – it made no sense.”
No, that isn’t a spoiler. It’s a short extract from the first chapter of an Edgar winning novel. A chapter that has the murderer narrate his murder.
So this isn’t a whodunnit. It’s a why did he do it? It’s a how will he cope afterwards? It’s a will he get caught? And it’s a very good book.
George Wilcox was a quiet man. An octogenarian, a widower, a gardener, a library user, a hospital visitor. What possessed him to kill Carlyle Burke? A newcomer to the town, a man who kept himself to himself.
The story of what happened next is told from three perspectives.
There’s George himself, of course.
There’s Karl Alberg, a middle-aged, divorced, very capable policeman. He senses that there is something amiss as soon as he talks to George, but there is little evidence and little credence given to his professional instinct.
And there’s Cassandra Mitchell, the town librarian, who began a tentative relationship with Karl after he answered her lonely hearts advertisement and who has regular chats with George in the library.
The story is propelled by Karl’s growing suspicions about George, his attempts to prove his guilt, and his digging into the past to prove that the two men had history and that the motive for murder lay there. It’s very well done, if a tiny bit predictable.
But the real strength of the book comes from other things:
From the perspective, completely free of any questions about who or how.
From the setting, on Canada’s ‘Sunshine Coast’, an area known for its temperate climate and beautiful coastline. It felt a little like Cornwall, a little like home.
And most of all from perfectly drawn characters, well handled relationships, that offered a lovely balance of intrigue, humour, and real life.
The prose was clear, brisk and very readable, the story was moving along steadily – a lovely mix of cosy mystery, police procedural, psychological study, and human story – but then came a well executed twist and an increase in intensity.
I suspected that Karl and Cassandra were offering the foundation for a series – and I’d be glad to meet them again – but it was George and his story that stayed with me.
The Suspect isn’t quite perfect: there’s no real mystery, no real shocks, and a slightly unconvincing motive. But as a character driven study of a crime it works beautifully.
October 9, 2025
It was a good story, but I would have liked more suspense/mystery.
July 19, 2022
Wright's book is an inverted mystery. We know from the outset that eighty-year-old George Wilcox has bashed his not-so-very-near neighbor Carlyle Burke over the head. What we don't know is exactly why and whether or not Canadian Mountie, Staff Sergeant Kurt Alberg will discover the evidence to prove he did it. Oh, we have a vague sense of the trouble between the two men--something about Wilcox's sister and some dark secret about Wilcox that Burke was about to blurt out. But it will take the entire book to get all the details.
Wilcox didn't go to Burke's house that day with murder in mind. If he had, well, as he says in a posthumous letter to Alberg
...just think how much harder [to try an pin it on him] it would have been--MIGHT have been--if I'd planned it--if I'd planned the whole thing. I'm a pretty good planner.
But he didn't plan it. Oh, he never like Burke. Not since he first met him. He'd always stayed out of the man's company as much as possible and kept the irritation to a minimum. And then Burke called him and asked him to come visit. He told Wilcox he thought he was dying and had something he just had to say to him before he died. And for whatever reason Wilcox went. Burke talked...and wouldn't shut up. So, Wilcox picked up a handy little WWII souvenir and bashed the man over the head.
At first he just assumes the police will catch him, but then he realizes that he just might get away with it. So he grabs the murder weapon and its match (it's one of a pair of shell casings) and heads home. He deals with what blood stains he's acquired; has a bit of a nap; and then arranges to discover the body. From then on it's a cat and mouse game between Wilcox and Alberg...along with Wilcox's wrestling match with his own sense of justice. He knows he's committed murder and shouldn't get away with it...and, yet, he also feels justified in having dispatched Burke. It's an interesting psychological study and description of the whys of murder and the "what happens next" of investigation and cover-up.
I am not a huge fan of inverted mysteries. I much prefer being presented with the evidence, clues, and suspects along with the detective and then trying to beat him or her to the solution. But I have to admit to the power of the characterization and the motivations behind the crime. It was, I am sure, even more powerful for the time it was written. If I found inverted mysteries as compelling as the characters, then I would have been willing to up the rating a bit. ★★★ and 3/4 (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
Wilcox didn't go to Burke's house that day with murder in mind. If he had, well, as he says in a posthumous letter to Alberg
...just think how much harder [to try an pin it on him] it would have been--MIGHT have been--if I'd planned it--if I'd planned the whole thing. I'm a pretty good planner.
But he didn't plan it. Oh, he never like Burke. Not since he first met him. He'd always stayed out of the man's company as much as possible and kept the irritation to a minimum. And then Burke called him and asked him to come visit. He told Wilcox he thought he was dying and had something he just had to say to him before he died. And for whatever reason Wilcox went. Burke talked...and wouldn't shut up. So, Wilcox picked up a handy little WWII souvenir and bashed the man over the head.
At first he just assumes the police will catch him, but then he realizes that he just might get away with it. So he grabs the murder weapon and its match (it's one of a pair of shell casings) and heads home. He deals with what blood stains he's acquired; has a bit of a nap; and then arranges to discover the body. From then on it's a cat and mouse game between Wilcox and Alberg...along with Wilcox's wrestling match with his own sense of justice. He knows he's committed murder and shouldn't get away with it...and, yet, he also feels justified in having dispatched Burke. It's an interesting psychological study and description of the whys of murder and the "what happens next" of investigation and cover-up.
I am not a huge fan of inverted mysteries. I much prefer being presented with the evidence, clues, and suspects along with the detective and then trying to beat him or her to the solution. But I have to admit to the power of the characterization and the motivations behind the crime. It was, I am sure, even more powerful for the time it was written. If I found inverted mysteries as compelling as the characters, then I would have been willing to up the rating a bit. ★★★ and 3/4 (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
April 4, 2017
This is a quick read. One afternoon and you are done. It is not a mystery, because you start out with the murder taking place. And it doesn't take the policeman long to figure out who did it, either. The policeman doesn't get the evidence that he needs to take the case to court. So what this book is really about is examining the life of the old man who committed the crime, to try to figure out why he did it. That is interesting and makes you thing about life and the ways we delude ourselves about what is really happening around us.
In the end, after examining his entire life, the old man decides that the worst thing he ever did was to not let the murder victim become his friend. People aren't perfect, but we should accept them the way they are and be kind to them anyway. It is useless to hold lifelong grudges against people.
In the end, after examining his entire life, the old man decides that the worst thing he ever did was to not let the murder victim become his friend. People aren't perfect, but we should accept them the way they are and be kind to them anyway. It is useless to hold lifelong grudges against people.
April 16, 2021
This book really transported me, as an Atkinson.
July 31, 2021
Once again an award winning book has bored me to tears. I had high hopes for this book but sadly couldn't finish it. I would read three pages and find my mind wandering. No good.
April 16, 2025
Dear GR friend I couldn’t agree with you more ! Thanks for finding this one
December 24, 2024
Well-written, smoothly written, believable. Certainly good, though a little way short of excellent.
Perhaps I had expected a little more because of the blurb on the back cover, which was misleading to the point of inaccuracy: "...the investigating officer soon discovers that the victim's past was filled with unusual events..." erm, actually, no he doesn't. And the quote from the ''Cleveland Plain Dealer'': "The climax is horrifying enough to jolt even veteran crime-novel fans..." Not really. A neat, slightly surprising twist, perhaps, but horrifying? No. And IMO not enough of a reason to justify the crime even as an impulse killing.
I know it's not the writer's fault that this PR work misled me as a reader, but it did leave me feeling a little cheated. Still, as I said, a good piece of writing, and worth four stars at least.
Perhaps I had expected a little more because of the blurb on the back cover, which was misleading to the point of inaccuracy: "...the investigating officer soon discovers that the victim's past was filled with unusual events..." erm, actually, no he doesn't. And the quote from the ''Cleveland Plain Dealer'': "The climax is horrifying enough to jolt even veteran crime-novel fans..." Not really. A neat, slightly surprising twist, perhaps, but horrifying? No. And IMO not enough of a reason to justify the crime even as an impulse killing.
I know it's not the writer's fault that this PR work misled me as a reader, but it did leave me feeling a little cheated. Still, as I said, a good piece of writing, and worth four stars at least.
January 24, 2025
This book won The Edgar Prize in 1985, much to the surprise of all the other nominated authors and publishers. I thought I would read this book for that reason and because I enjoyed the series opener that was on television this fall. The book is very well-written, but really the pace is quite slow and we already know who the murdererer is in the first chapter. It surprised me too that it won this award. But for someone who enjoys cozy mysteries and loves Canadian literature, I did enjoy the premise. The book is set along the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, so the setting for this series is in one of Canada’s nicest locations. I wasn’t quite as enthralled with the characters in the book. I found it difficult to warm up to them. Therefore, I’m not sure whether I will continue with this series or not.
October 9, 2024
The series on Fox's first episodes follows this plot pretty faithfully.
September 3, 2022
Great little cat and mouse detective mystery in a picturesque setting. It ties up nicely and I’ll look for #2 in the series.
July 15, 2021
A great read! I liked the way the author tells us in the first couple of pages "who did it" and the rest of the book is the RCMP trying to figure it out. It was interesting to be "transported" back to a time where there were no cell phones, no computers etc.
December 26, 2021
I saw this being compared with some Scandinavian noir and I don't see it, myself. The characters were neither interesting nor likeable and I think for that comparison to work, they would need to be one or the other (if not both). It was ultimately fairly unsatisfying. We know who did it from the start so it's hard to reveal much and it wound up just not being all that interesting, largely due to weak characters. I'm not sure I'll read any more in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
I started reading this series b/c I watched the television show. The show is good and so is the book. However, it was hard for me to read at first b/c the book followed the television show. After reading the book, I rewatched the television show to see what was changed from the book. I'm ready to start the second book in the series.
October 27, 2025
I started watching the TV show, Elsbeth when it first came on. I didn’t like the quirky main character and her outrageous clothes. But most of all I didn’t like that the show let you know whodoneit right at the start of the show, and you got to watch Elsbeth figure it out over the next hour. So I was really disappointed that this story had the same structure. I almost quit reading and move on to something else to read, but I kinda got hooked by the characters and their back stories. It ended up being OK.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews