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True North Heists
True North Heists tells the tales of some of the most outlandish capers ever committed on Canadian soil. Acting legend Colm Feore (Bon Cop Bad Cop, Trudeau) dramatically weaves together “in the moment” storytelling with interviews with those with deep knowledge of the heists themselves, including law enforcement officers, writers and the criminals themselves. All capped off with a soundscape designed to keep the listener on the edge of their seat.
Audible Audio
Published October 13, 2020
2 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Kaufman
24 books479 followersANDREW KAUFMAN's critically acclaimed first book, All My Friends Are Superheroes, was a cult hit and has been translated into six languages. Kaufman is also an accomplished screenwriter, film-maker and radio producer and has completed a Director's Residency at the Canadian Film Centre. He lives in Toronto with his wife and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 28, 2021
I listened to this in one day. It helped me escape the drudgery of tidying, dusting, cleaning, de-cluttering my home today. Interesting Canadian stories. I can't believe every time I ordered a slice of Billy Miner pie at The Keg, I was paying homage to a very interesting train robber. I had no idea. That pie is delicious. Colm Feore's narration was excellent. There are clips of interviews with key people, too. Very good.
February 22, 2021
This is more a podcast than a book. But a definite read for all Canadians. I was shocked at the amount of intricate heists that have happened in Canada. My favourite was the Maple syrup one.
10 different outlandish true stories. Very interesting and cool!
10 different outlandish true stories. Very interesting and cool!
December 3, 2020
Interesting, sad, wild, and true. Definitely worth a listen...also, if you are Canadian, like me, you just might find out a bit more about Canadian Heists than you thought.
February 18, 2021
Great stories about Canadian crooks that my children wanted to also listen to in the car. (Some topics not suitable to children though)
August 21, 2021
Kept me entertained on a very long, lonely stretch of road. Amusing stories, well narrated.
October 25, 2021
Great narration and some incredible heists.
February 20, 2024
This was great fun! I had no idea we had such interesting bank robbers in Canada. I say bank robbers but these stories include heists on banks, trains, an Austrian castle, and a maple syrup storage facility. The last felt particularly Canadian. Some of there were incredibly daring and seemed like they came out of a spy novel. It was a great series.
June 4, 2023
I had just finished Michael Caine's Heist series and it gave me a bit of a bug so I went looking for more and discovered this series set in Canada. Wait a minute? Canada has spectacular heists? You bet your mukluks they do! Fortunately, they also have the RCMP who always, and I mean always, get their man!
This is a series of podcasts that were downloadable in a single group and which provided for very entertaining listening indeed. There are gentleman robbers, who politely hold up banks (This is Canada after all). There is a scheme which involved the theft of maple syrup. (Don't laugh. A barrel is worth more than oil and there is a lucrative black market for the stuff. They even have a maple syrup cartel!) There is a tale of a turn of the century train robber who learned his craft in the US by holding up stage coaches. (Which did not translate so well on the first try, but practice makes perfect!) And many more.
One of the points Kaufman makes is that there are victims. People lose money and possessions which are not always replaceable. There is even an interview with one of the robbers who shows no remorse as to him, it was just a job. But, to be fair, he paid the price. Once past the moral ambiguity however, there are shoot outs, car chases, luxury yachts, gambling, and more cunning and guile than you can shake a maple leaf at. If you are a fan of the genre there is lots to engage you here.
This is a series of podcasts that were downloadable in a single group and which provided for very entertaining listening indeed. There are gentleman robbers, who politely hold up banks (This is Canada after all). There is a scheme which involved the theft of maple syrup. (Don't laugh. A barrel is worth more than oil and there is a lucrative black market for the stuff. They even have a maple syrup cartel!) There is a tale of a turn of the century train robber who learned his craft in the US by holding up stage coaches. (Which did not translate so well on the first try, but practice makes perfect!) And many more.
One of the points Kaufman makes is that there are victims. People lose money and possessions which are not always replaceable. There is even an interview with one of the robbers who shows no remorse as to him, it was just a job. But, to be fair, he paid the price. Once past the moral ambiguity however, there are shoot outs, car chases, luxury yachts, gambling, and more cunning and guile than you can shake a maple leaf at. If you are a fan of the genre there is lots to engage you here.
January 18, 2021
A very interesting and very Canadian collection of true crime. Definitely a great listen, even in the background, especially considering it’s FREE on Audible.ca
Beyond that, this is more of a Podcast than a book. There are 10 episodes, each focusing on a different criminal and each with its own set of guest speakers. I say it’s very Canadian because I guess I expected more oomph - some murder maybe? The stakes never felt especially high, but maybe I expect too much because I’m more of a fiction reader.
Colm Feore was an incredible narrator and I wish there was more from him.
Beyond that, this is more of a Podcast than a book. There are 10 episodes, each focusing on a different criminal and each with its own set of guest speakers. I say it’s very Canadian because I guess I expected more oomph - some murder maybe? The stakes never felt especially high, but maybe I expect too much because I’m more of a fiction reader.
Colm Feore was an incredible narrator and I wish there was more from him.
June 10, 2023
This is a free Audible Original that we listened to on a recent road trip. Ten different stories that take place in Canada spanning over the century.
Each of these 10 stories are true, committed in Canada, some are somewhat unbelievable and all unfamiliar. Each segment lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. They were voiced it an entertaining manner and kept us occupied while we are driving.
Colm Feore is the narrator who did a stellar job. I’m not really a huge non-fiction fan but I do like learning some Canadian history, even if it is of the criminal nature.
Each of these 10 stories are true, committed in Canada, some are somewhat unbelievable and all unfamiliar. Each segment lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. They were voiced it an entertaining manner and kept us occupied while we are driving.
Colm Feore is the narrator who did a stellar job. I’m not really a huge non-fiction fan but I do like learning some Canadian history, even if it is of the criminal nature.
October 28, 2022
This was a fun and entertaining listen. Several notorious Canadian masterminds are profiled along with their crimes. Fantastic narration from Colm Feore and people involved in the cases, including relatives are interviewed when available. The artistic way many pulled off their heists definitely livens up the listen. Highly recommended and I hope they do more. I remember the old show Masterminds that used to run on the old Court TV, This reminds me of it. Great series and a fun listen.
June 13, 2021
This was entertaining enough - as a free Audible podcast - to listen to while doing other things. Nothing outstanding, but decently researched, brisk pacing, and a few guest interviews for each topic. I learned a bit about some infamous names and episodes in Canadian history - my favourite was the Maple Syrup Heist!
January 22, 2022
oohhh i had so much fun listening to this. didn't know Canada had such eccentric hesut cases. not only where the stories curated very well, the experts input were aligned with the theme and entertaining. the sound production on this was *chef's kiss*
I literally did not realise how i finished it so fast.
I literally did not realise how i finished it so fast.
November 16, 2020
Loved the narration by Colm Feore and the combination of acting and real life recordings/ interviews/articles used to tell these stores. My personal favourite was The Great Maple Syrup Caper, maybe it's just the Canadian in me 🤔😉
April 21, 2023
An excellent audio collection of real life heists that happened in Canada. Each chapter are about 30 minutes in length packed with action and various heists ranging from train robberies, bank robberies, to an European jewellery stolen from an Austrian museum.
October 31, 2020
Who knew Winnipeg was the epicentre of thieves and con-men? I have to question #WinnipegIsGood. Great storytelling and narrator.
A quick and entertaining listen.
A quick and entertaining listen.
November 19, 2020
Fabulous! Many of these folks were true professionals. I hope there’s a volume 2!!
December 2, 2020
Each story should have been at least an hour long. Very interesting stories.
December 10, 2020
Some Canadians are bad asses!
December 26, 2020
Entertaining! ☕📖
December 31, 2020
very interesting episodes with all sorts of stuff i haven't heard about before.
April 22, 2021
A really interesting listen, though it is more of a podcast than a book.
July 3, 2023
Interesting renditions of otherwise little known Canadiana. Nice sweet 1/2 hour stories (chapters). Worth a listen. Even the less interesting ones are over quickly!
Other voices add to the listen
Other voices add to the listen
October 9, 2024
Very cute. I don't love true crime as a rule but heists are fun.
June 9, 2021
This was another recommended listen from Audible that was either free or on a very good offer when I decided to get it. Initially, not bothering to properly read the blurb I assumed (being from the North myself - North of England admittedly) that this was a series about British heists, but it was no less interesting for being about Canadian Heists instead.
Perhaps understandably - being that I am not Canadian - I had not heard of any of the stories mentioned, and so listened to the tales with intrigue, wondering what was going to happen next. The series/podcast is 10 episodes and each are about 20/30mins in length. It's very easy to listen to in a day or over a couple of days and the stories just get weirder as you go through them.
Of course, being a series about Canadian Heists, there has to be one about Maple Syrup, but there are also stories about train robberies, one involving the hijack of a helicopter, and a jewel theft that is just bonkers.
I will say this is not the kind of thing that I would either go out of my way to listen to, or that I would imagine I would enjoy, but I really did enjoy True North Heists. The characters - and yes I'm aware they are all true stories, I mean characters because they were larger than life people - certainly made me smile with some of the antics they got up to during these robberies, and some of them even brought a tear to my eye when I heard about the people and the lives of those who loved them.
Highly recommended anyway but if you can get this on offer then even better!
Perhaps understandably - being that I am not Canadian - I had not heard of any of the stories mentioned, and so listened to the tales with intrigue, wondering what was going to happen next. The series/podcast is 10 episodes and each are about 20/30mins in length. It's very easy to listen to in a day or over a couple of days and the stories just get weirder as you go through them.
Of course, being a series about Canadian Heists, there has to be one about Maple Syrup, but there are also stories about train robberies, one involving the hijack of a helicopter, and a jewel theft that is just bonkers.
I will say this is not the kind of thing that I would either go out of my way to listen to, or that I would imagine I would enjoy, but I really did enjoy True North Heists. The characters - and yes I'm aware they are all true stories, I mean characters because they were larger than life people - certainly made me smile with some of the antics they got up to during these robberies, and some of them even brought a tear to my eye when I heard about the people and the lives of those who loved them.
Highly recommended anyway but if you can get this on offer then even better!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews