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Athirst to Die for
Tipped off by a court case, Clayton Greene, mp, quickly discovers that a faction of high government officials have secret Orders-in-Council, allowing water exports from Canada to the United States. Fast-paced action and nail-biting question periods mark this thrilling first mystery by Waddell.
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 4, 2008
Happened upon this book via Bookcrossing at the bus stop near UBC Hospital. An engaging read about political intrigue surrounding water shortages and (remarkably) set in Canada. I never knew the Parliament could be so sexy.
August 19, 2025
This book by the late former MP Ian Waddell grabbed right from the start and didn’t let go. Its plot is tightly woven, full of intrigue, and genuinely kept me on my toes. I’d call it a political thriller at heart, but the book also provides a bunch of sharp and witty takes on Canadian politics (and describes the inner workings of the system in a smart and accessible way) that makes the story both entertaining and, dare I say, 'educational'? What is more, the descriptions of both Metro Vancouver and Ottawa locations are a treat. Whether Downtown Vancouver and Commercial Drive or the bustling corridors of Parliament Hill, Waddell describes them to a tee. Indeed, his prose makes all the settings of this book easy to imagine. Waddell clearly knew these places inside out, and he makes them vivid without ever slowing the pace of the story.
The premise of Waddell’s book is intriguing: (NDP) MP Clayton Greene from Vancouver stumbles on evidence that Canadian water is being secretly exported to the United States under clandestine government orders. What follows is a mix of chase scenes and near-misses (and a bit of romantic tension) as we read about the MP getting hunted down, Question Period drama, and flights from Vancouver to Ottawa or drives out to Toronto or rural Quebec. While the main character being stretches believability, it all added to this extremely riveting read!
Something else that struck me was how some of the story’s themes resonate with extremely hot-button debates of our present. For instance: Canada-US tensions, internal political squabbles.
At the end of this book, Waddell does lean more heavily into critiques of the Alliance Party and even veers into manifesto-like territory. That said, this doesn’t detract from the novel, and reading the MPs impassioned speech before he is (yeah, right!) by the Governor General made me chuckle. In the words of MP Clay Greene himself: "The Canadian people are not stupid. And mostly we're a progressive people. We're northerners, not American. We're still defining ourselves, but I think we we know where we want to go. [...] We want our kids, I think, to be citizens of the world, right up there with our American friends, but a little kinder, a little gentler, more compassionate. Our weakness, I suppose, is that we don't realize we've developed a distinct culture both in English and in French. We need to have more confidence" (227). Okay, then! (There are much more exciting and page-turning parts, I swear!!!!)
After reading this, I couldn’t help but wish two things: (1) that Waddell were still alive so I could tell him how much I enjoyed the book; and (2) that there were more copies of this book around-- I’d have bought several to share with friends who’d appreciate it! This book would be great (if you could somehow find it!) for Canadian political nerds like me, but also anyone curious about the Canadian political world with an incidental appreciation for mystery, intrigue, and thriller vibes.
The premise of Waddell’s book is intriguing: (NDP) MP Clayton Greene from Vancouver stumbles on evidence that Canadian water is being secretly exported to the United States under clandestine government orders. What follows is a mix of chase scenes and near-misses (and a bit of romantic tension) as we read about the MP getting hunted down, Question Period drama, and flights from Vancouver to Ottawa or drives out to Toronto or rural Quebec. While the main character being stretches believability, it all added to this extremely riveting read!
Something else that struck me was how some of the story’s themes resonate with extremely hot-button debates of our present. For instance: Canada-US tensions, internal political squabbles.
At the end of this book, Waddell does lean more heavily into critiques of the Alliance Party and even veers into manifesto-like territory. That said, this doesn’t detract from the novel, and reading the MPs impassioned speech before he is (yeah, right!) by the Governor General made me chuckle. In the words of MP Clay Greene himself: "The Canadian people are not stupid. And mostly we're a progressive people. We're northerners, not American. We're still defining ourselves, but I think we we know where we want to go. [...] We want our kids, I think, to be citizens of the world, right up there with our American friends, but a little kinder, a little gentler, more compassionate. Our weakness, I suppose, is that we don't realize we've developed a distinct culture both in English and in French. We need to have more confidence" (227). Okay, then! (There are much more exciting and page-turning parts, I swear!!!!)
After reading this, I couldn’t help but wish two things: (1) that Waddell were still alive so I could tell him how much I enjoyed the book; and (2) that there were more copies of this book around-- I’d have bought several to share with friends who’d appreciate it! This book would be great (if you could somehow find it!) for Canadian political nerds like me, but also anyone curious about the Canadian political world with an incidental appreciation for mystery, intrigue, and thriller vibes.
February 26, 2014
Great little fiction book bringing to light a pressing current issue of the exportation of bulk water.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews