The Cedric O'Toole short novels are part of Orca Book Publishers' Rapid Reads series designed for the reluctant or emerging reader. Fast paced and easy to read, they have adult content and adult themes, so they are also perfect for someone looking for a quick and entertaining read for the airplane, doctor's office or just a lazy afternoon. So far, two of the three novels in this series have been shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Best Novella Award.
Cedric O'Toole is a reluctant and unlikely hero who lives alone on a scrub farm trying to eke out a living as a country handyman. Although the setting is fictional, a discerning reader will detect a marked similarity to the Sharbot Lake area of Eastern Ontario, where Barbara has a cottage. This Muskoka chair on her dock in the photo is her favourite place to write. Sunrise her favourite time.
There are currently four novels is this series, which began with The Fall Guy in 2011. The third in the series, The Night Thief, hit the bookstores in Spring 2015, and the fourth, Blood Ties, in 2019. The country has a long memory and its own special kind of secrets. There are plenty more mysteries awaiting Cedric in future books!
Library Journal describes Orca's Rapid Reads series as an "outstanding...collection. Target audiences include literacy students, ESL readers, and those with short attention spans."
Breaking News
Released in 2019!
In the fourth Cedric O'Toole short novel, Cedris'c life is turned upside down
Released in 2018!
The Third Amanda Doucette mystery is a tale of desperate choices.
Released in Sept. 2017! The second in the Amanda Doucette series is a chilling tale!
Released in Sept. 2016!
And garnering lots of great reviews. Thanks to readers everywhere for your support.
Shortlisted for Best Novella! Breaking news; The Night Thief is nominated for the 2016 Arthur Ellis Award.
Shortlisted for Arthur Ellis Best Novel! Barbara is thrilled that None So Blind is nominated for the 2015 Best Novel Award.
Shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Awards! Barbara is thrilled and honoured that The Whisper of Legends is among the finalists for the 2011 Ottawa Book Awards.
Great reviews!
The reviews are beginning to come in for None So Blind. Check out Publishers Weekly, Quill & Quire, and The National Post.
Superlative Reviews!
The Whisper of Legends has received numerous excellent reviews, such as The Globe and Mail, The Ottawa Citizen, and The National Post.
Nominated for 2013 Arthur Ellis Award...
Evil Behind that Door, the latest Cedric O'Toole Rapid Reads novel, has been shortlisted for Best Novella by Crime Writers of Canada.
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