Bay of Blood

by A.M. Potter

World-renowned painter Thom Tyler is murdered in Georgian Bay, Canada. The consensus is that Tyler had no enemies. Why would anyone murder him?

Detective Sergeant Eva Naslund goes to work with a homicide team from OPP Central. They find no useful blood, print, or DNA evidence. They turn to financial forensics and criminal psychology. Tyler’s paintings are worth millions, yet he’s deeply in debt to banks and his art agent. Just as the investigation opens a new lead, courtesy of Tyler’s friend, J.J. MacKenzie, MacKenzie is murdered. The team is back to ground zero—with two murders to solve.

Genres: Mystery, Canada

350 pages, Paperback

Published March 23, 2019

About the author

A.M. Potter writes detective fiction, which he calls North Noir, set in Northern USA and Canada. He grew up in Canada and the USA (Nova Scotia and Boston). He's traveled the world, working dozens of jobs. Like any good detective, he knows both sides of the thin blue line.
As for reading, he reads everything: all genres, fiction & nonfiction.

NEW SERIES. The first novel in A.M. Potter's new DETECTIVE/MYSTERY SERIES set in New England was released on March 20, 2023.
TITLE: The Color Red
PUBLISHER: Stark House Press, California, USA.
The second novel in the series was released on September 4, 2024.
TITLE: Silver Moon Rising
PUBLISHER: Stark House Press, California, USA.
Silver Moon Rising was submitted for consideration for an Edgar Award (Best Original Paperback) and an International Thriller Writers (ITW) Award (Best Series Novel).

“Impressive series launch. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.” - Publishers Weekly

For more info, see A.M.'s author site and the blog posts below.

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an elegantly written mystery with a well-organized, complex, twisty plot. It was a great addition to Canadian-Noir. The book was atmospheric with a vivid sense of place. It is a tribute to the landscapes that inspired the world-renowned Group of Seven Canadian landscape artists and to the great artist Tom Thompson who died in a canoe accident in 1917 and influenced their style.

The story is set on and around Georgian Bay. Eva Naslund has recently joined the homicide team. She is a compelling and engaging character, admirable for her dedication and her intuitive and logical thinking. She was determined to solve the mystery, and I hope we meet her again in a future book. I also enjoyed DI Moore with his horrible interview technique.

Famed modern-day landscape artist Thom Tyler has been brutally murdered. His body was found in the Bay with an anchor fastened to his leg. Before he drowned, he was savagely injured. His killing was followed by the murders of a couple of individuals close to him. As the investigation into early and likely suspects unfolds, possible motives for the murders are revealed. Thom's past life, secrets, and personality become better known. New suspects are discovered while some of the earlier ones are gradually cleared of the crime. Thom belonged to a group of artists called the Gang of Eight. Were any of them involved?

This was a well-researched, multi-layered mystery. Included in the puzzle was a sleazy art dealer, a jealous rival painter, dissatisfied and betrayed women and sinister Russians. Possible reasons for the murder may be long-held grudges, debt, greed, fraud, or hopes of inheriting his paintings and home, etc.

The plot was mostly fast-paced, but I became totally bogged down and lost with the technical nautical terminology, types of boats and their riggings. For readers with this knowledge, this would enhance their reading experience. I found the forensic expert and coroner's descriptions of the bodies ghastly but informative and interesting.

I do hope this is just the beginning of a new Canadian crime/police procedural series. I want to read more about the detectives introduced in this book. I hope there are more books in the future from A. M. Potter.

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having visited the area where this story takes place many times over the years, I was very happy to read this book. Many thanks to the author for directing me to his website where I was able to download a copy of Bay of Blood and transfer it to my Kindle. I can't believe the author doesn't live in this area; it seemed to me he described it so very well. This was a very good mystery story, based on the death of Tom Thomson, a Canadian painter who died suspiciously in 1917. I enjoyed the character of Eva Naslund. She seems to walk a fine line between being obsequious and following her own instincts which are bang on more often than not. I even grew to have a grudging respect for the abrasive Inspector Moore; he made me chuckle more than once. And we should all have a friend like JJ. Many twists and turns kept me on my toes and the ending was very satisfying. I look forward to reading more of Naslund's exploits in future books.

I got so intrigued by so many mentions of the ringtone on Naslund's cell phone that I looked it up on the internet and listened to Elvis Costello's 'Watching the Detectives'. Cute video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snPDo...

[NILTON TEIXEIRA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing. Interesting storyline. Review to follow later.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bay of Blood by A.M. Potter is an incredible thrill ride featuring a beautiful Canadian landscape.

If you would have told me I would read a crime book with inspirations from The Group of Seven, I would never have put that on my bingo card. Especially a noir book with a beautiful setting of Georgian Bay!

A.M. Potter has crafted a Canadian crime/mystery masterpiece with this work of fiction. Eva Naslund is working for the OPP's homicide team and needs to work to solve the mystery behind the brutal murder of Thom Tyler, a famous Canadian landscape artist who doesn't appear to have any enemies. But, truth be told, there was a lot of drama going on around the artist including an art dealer who might be taking him for a ride, relationships with many women that didn't end so pleasantly, rival artists, the Russians, and even being friends with Naslund...

This fast paced book is a must-read in my books. There's a lot going on, but the author crafts it so perfectly that it doesn't feel like a lot until you reflect back on the story.

Five out of five stars!

I received this book for free from the author, A.M. Potter, in exchange for an honest review.

[Carolyn McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bay of Blood is a brilliant and inspired contribution to Canadian Noir! One can easily spot the parallels to the death of one of Canada's most gifted and talked-about painters, but this book stands on its own. It's twisty, engaging and well-crafted.
The characters are all unique, with voices and quirks of their own. The plot is multi-layered, full of secrets and shady motives. Potter's writing is a treat, and I'm only sorry it took me so long to finish the book.

If you're looking for a Canadian mystery to sink your teeth into, this is the book to read next!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly successful Canadian landscape artist is killed under mysterious circumstances while sailing on Georgian Bay. Murder is not something the small local police detachment is used to dealing with in this remote part of Ontario. The killing is brutal, but is the motive anger, jealousy, or money? Young OPP detective Eva Naslund is assigned the case. In Naslund, author Potter has created a sympathetic protagonist, a young female detective carefully navigating a male world. She is intelligent and ambitious, but with an appealing vulnerability. The setting on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula is also evoked to great effect. Both the stark beauty of the limestone escarpment and the unsettled nature of Georgian Bay’s often stormy inland sea contribute to the atmosphere. The tone and setting is somewhat reminiscent of Scandinavian detective fiction, but the characters and setting remain uniquely Canadian and help set this story apart from its competition. Bay of Blood is an exciting new entry into the world of Canadian detective fiction. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[A.M. Potter]

"Bay of Blood is a vivid page-turner – and one that promises more from both its writer, A.M. Potter, and its feisty protagonist, Sergeant Eva Naslund.” Steve Heighton, Governor General’s Award Winner, Canada

“Potter has written the quintessential Canadian murder mystery with a literary flourish and all the elements of a riveting read.” Lesley Choyce. Author of The Republic of Nothing, Dartmouth Book Award Winner

“There are many clever details in Potter’s Bay of Blood with close parallels to Tom Thomson’s life and death (1917). However, Potter takes his readers on a fascinating 21st-century chase, with bells and whistles never dreamt of one hundred years ago: cell phones, female detectives, Russian operatives, and shady Toronto art dealers.” Dr. Sherrill Grace, Killam Professor Emerita, University of British Columbia

See: https://ampnorthnoir.com/category/my-...

[DMA Gries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the get-go. There are baffling forensic puzzles. There are sailing twists. We get gorgeous descriptions of Georgian Bay, Ontario. And I loved Eva Naslund.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Keeps you guessing and entertained.

[Caroline Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy police procedural mysteries like the excellent Cardinal books by Giles Blunt, Icelandic detective series in book or TV forms, and others with wilderness and water as the backdrop, this well-written, impeccably researched and multi-layered mystery set in Ontario's Bruce Peninsula near Georgian Bay will likely appeal to you. Detective Sergeant Eva Naslund is the lead character, a big city cop taking a lateral step in her career and nursing the wounds of a defunct relationship back in the Big Smoke. She is a sympathetic character and she welcomes the chance to work on a homicide after spending far too much time attending to break-ins in cottage country for months on end.
However, Naslund is shaken to discover the homicide is that of a friend, painter Thom Tyler, killed while in or near his sailboat. The allusions to Tom Thomson, possibly still the most famous Canadian painter, good-looking, athletic, supremely talented and original, killed when only 39 years old in mysterious circumstances while canoeing in 1917, begin here and the layers are deftly added thereafter with plenty of red herrings strewn en route. The detectives uncover a dissatisfied long-term relationship, a smooth art dealer, a jealous painter in the 'frenemy' category, and a good number of other likely suspects. The authentic police work details and the telling eye for other close observations ("the crease in his pants could cut throats") point to the fact that the author is also an experienced journalist.
This feels like the debut of a new northern-noir series with an engaging lead character, a setting which presents the contrasts of beloved waterfront cottages, the small town of Wiarton (pop. approximately 2000 full-time residents) and the dramatic scenery of the Georgian Bay region with the underbelly of criminal behaviour and deeply-held grudges found in people from all walks of life even in places faraway from the mean streets of Toronto. How many times do we hear shocked citizens tell a microphone-wielding journalist that a recent heinous crime "just doesn't happen in this neighbourhood"? Add truculent characters who withhold information from the police, careerist colleagues, Lake Huron and the happy, holidaying public and I'm sure there will be grist for Detective Naslund's investigations for many more books to come. At least I hope so!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bay of Blood is a murder mystery set in and around my neck of the woods Wiarton/Owen Sound. As a former police officer and OPP psychologist, I suppose I read this book with a different perspective than some. I found the plot engaging and the characters for the most part believable and likeable, those I was meant to like, in any case. The main character, the female Detective Sergeant, was my favourite character. She was portrayed as being bright, steady, methodical and analytical, someone you could believe would make a good investigator. DI Moore, on the other hand, was totally unbelievable. His interview/interrogation style was amateurish, crude and in real life would have been absolutely ineffective, if not counter productive. The plot had a lot of twist and turns, which kept me guessing until the end. However, when the end did come, I felt terribly let down. After riding this complicated plot to the end, the star of the show just wraps things all up in a ribbon in a matter of a day or two. The confessions at the end were unbelievable. The ending seemed quite implausible, leaving me feeling frustrated. There was quite a lot of detail in the story, which sometimes enhanced the plot and sometimes caused the plot to slow to a plod, e.g., autopsy. |Overall the book was readable and mostly enjoyable. I would read another of A. M. Potter's books in the future.

[P.W. Tilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very satisfying read. Well written.
Detective Eva Naslund is a gem. She’s logical and intuitive, she's tough and approachable. She struggles, but she gets her man. I live in the Georgian Triangle and I particularly liked the author's rendition of the area and the people. It rings true.

[R L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivers intriguing characters and excellent dialogue. It was fast-paced. The author entwines police procedure, boating, and the art world with a cracking mystery. Highly recommended.

[Stacey O Keeffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like thrillers, murder mystery, noir and detective series you will definitely enjoy this.
Firstly I was really impressed with the character of Detective Eva Naslund and definitely see myself reading more stories involving her in the future.

I thought this book was pretty well written, it was atmospheric and really explained the water setting and boating terminology which I have no experience of. From the beginning it is clear there are many moving parts and it's not clear at all who the killer is.
I thought the pacing throughout the novel was solid right up until the end - not that the ending was rushed but I thought the "twist" could have been woven into the story and investigation a little more as it felt a bit like it came from nowhere - don't get me wrong, the ending still works, just happened very fast.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would like to quickly thank the author for my free copy.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Canadian-Noir police procedural & I was offered the chance to read this by the author, in exchange for an unbiased review.
A very successful Canadian landscape painter dies in mysterious circumstances whilst sailing on Georgian Bay. He was an experienced sailor, had no known enemies & there was no forensic evidence to assist the police. OPP detective Eva Naslund is assigned the case; she is not used to investigating murders especially when the victim is a friend. Eva is a great character; very no nonsense & ballsy.
The scenic descriptions are gorgeous &, for the majority of the book, I found myself willingly swept along by the pace of the narrative. However, the long-winded description of sailing & all the associated nautical terms, together with the Canadian police acronyms did make me ‘switch off’ at times.
That being said, now I have deciphered most of them, I would happily read another Canadian-Noir.

[Bel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this nicely edited and linearly written book which gives the reader a smooth reading experience. The story is well thought out and smartly executed, especially for a complex murder mystery. Eva Naslund is a detective who stands out for her persistence and intuition.

World-renowned painter Thom Tyler is murdered in Georgian Bay, Canada. He is not a nice man and might have hurt people who want him dead. However, everyone believes Tyler didn't have enemies. Detective Sergeant Eva Naslund starts her investigation and initially takes directions from Detective Inspector Lewis Moore. Soon, she realizes her local connections are much more vital in solving the mystery. There are enough twists and suspects to keep anyone guessing till the end. This is a fantastic read that readers of crime novels can enjoy.

[Melissa Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

👓Book Review👓 Bay of Blood by A. M. Potter

Author A. M. Potter paints a beautiful image of picturesque Georgian Bay in Canada as the background of his book. A famous artist is found mysteriously murdered while sailing. Young female detective Eva Naslund is put on the case. With a list of varying suspects, Eva makes one step forward and two steps back while investigating the case. Potter has mastered the art of twisting, turning plots. I found myself completely immersed in the story and lost sleep so I could finish the book.

Bay of Blood by A. M. Potter is a captivating crime thriller. I hope to see more of Eva Naslund in future books. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a page turning crime mystery.

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was first gifted to me as an ebook by the author in exchange for a honest comment. I then bought the paperback as I much rather read an actual book than an ebook.
This book is my first Canadian read and I had to google the places to be able to place myself in the story. It’s a good story line but it feels a bit forced and a bit too many acronyms for my personal taste. The characters are likeable and not so likeable. DI Moore starts as a total ass then in the last few pages he’s a totally different person. A hard story with gruesome murders. Leaves you trying to guess who the killer is till almost the very end of the book. A good first novel.

[Natalie Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bay of Blood is my first North Noir read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It begins with the death of a prominent local artist and the introduction of Eva Naslund who is responsible for investigating the case. Because she had a friendship with the artist, there is a personal connection too. Bay of Blood is well written with beautiful descriptions of the local area. Well researched as is evidenced by the detailed descriptions of both police, art and boating terminology. The characters and plot will have you hooked all the way to the surprise ending. The start of a great future series.

[Richard Stuecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tight Knit North Noir

Well plotted “North Noir” and an excellent beginning to a new detective series. Bay of Blood explores the greed of the ever changing art world and the confluence between making art and its commerce leading to deadly results. Potter’s spare writing style and in-depth knowledge of police procedures as well as the art world make this novel a great read.

[Ritu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and an excellent murder mystery. The vivid details and excellent writing really leave you guessing until the very end.

I highly recommend this book.

[E T · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is first-class. I enjoyed the detective team of Naslund and Moore. The murder clues are cleverly presently, with plenty of red herrings, just the way I like it. All in all, an excellent read.

[Canlit4499 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Great plot, great action, great setting. Well done. I've recommended it to many "bookie" friends

[Mmave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bay of Blood has a great story line. It carried right through to the end. The writing is impressive. I'm a fan of Eva Naslund. I'm so looking forward to book 2.

[Rachel Gerard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler alert * don’t read if you haven’t finished the book*

Happy to support a local author with a setting near to me— that was exciting.
The story was interesting and winding, but I could’ve done without the romance as it dropped off the back third of the book so it did nothing for the plot. Save those pages and use them to give more to the wrap up.
A lot of characters to chase down, so that felt realistic! Many interview scenes are given detail and are well thought out… then we get to the final interviews and confessions and it’s just explained quickly as a couple paragraphs to wrap it up.
No big explosive confession after all the wind up had it feeling a bit underwhelming.
And after all this time why now does the killer take action? And how does he know to come after the 2nd victim? And why …when they weren’t even on his trail?
Without proximity or access how does the killer know when to take action? This is explained with a couple sentences on one person who scoped it out beforehand. It feels like this part wasn’t thorough. I’d read another but hopefully the ending has a bit more thought and pizazz.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not an ardent reader of crime/mystery novels, not since I first found Kathy Reichs, so I'm rusty. Still, seeing the beauty of Georgian Bay used as a backdrop (and as times almost as a character) in this book really was both novel and a pleasure. There's not enough Canadian noir. The story had me hooked more than I anticipated (not being a Tom Thomson fan), and I appreciated the strong female lead character. Some characters weren't as fleshed out as I wanted them to be (especially some of the female ones), and there was a little too much technical boat terminology for me. Still, the story clipped along at a great pace, and there were twists that I didn't see coming. Ending felt a bit hurried, but all in all a solid Canadiana read.

[Purvasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mystery and the holistic personality of Eva Naslund, though I found the book a bit sexist at various points. Other than that, it's a good book with well-described scenes.

[John Geary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A police procedural set in and around Georgian Bay.
The main protagonist, Detective Sergeant Eva Naslund, and a team of OPP investigators are trying to solve the murder of local landscape artist Thom Tyler, after his body is found washed up on shore under mysterious circumstances.
(And yeah, I get that it sounds a lot like it’s based very loosely on real-life artist Tom Thomson, also found dead under mysterious circumstances in Algonquin Park).
That aside, I rather enjoyed it, it was a pretty good read…up until the end.
Without spoiling it completely, the person who is found guilty doesn’t even actually make an appearance in the book until the last couple of chapters. That’s kind of playing “unfair” in the mystery genre, especially after doing such a good job with all kinds of red herring suspects placed throughout the rest of the novel.
The perpetrator turns up almost out of nowhere, with a short backstory, without any prior hint about his/her existence.
That’s probably why I won’t read any more books in this series, even though I enjoyed the book for the most part. You have to play fair in murder mysteries, and in my mind, this book doesn’t.
Without that ending, I would give it four stars, but that dropped it down to three.