The Emily Taylor Mystery Series

LEGACY AND 
SEVENTH FIRE

LEGACY
Here's what the reviewers said:

Once in a while a mystery novel comes along that really lives up to its name. Legacy leaves us wanting to read more from its beautifully written opening to its clever closing chapters. A fascinating look at how four lives can collide.

--D.J. McIntosh, Author of The Witch of Babylon

The central image of Catherine Astolfo's "Legacy" is a wishing well, an ironic reminder of the old saying "Be careful what you wish for". In this powerful novel, characters who wish to dominate others spiritually end up creating victims not disciples. Astolfo's searing exploration of the anguish caused by egotism is counterbalanced by her characters' ultimate realization that friendship and community can overcome evil. In "Legacy", Astolfo gives readers an enduring theme wrapped in a gripping narrative.

--Gail Bowen, Author of the Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries


In Legacy, Catherine Astolfo poses searching questions about the consequences of childhood trauma. Through the interwoven lives of her small-town characters, she explores not only the corrosive effects of abuse, neglect, and loss but also the healing that comes from facing the darkness.

--Kay Stewart, Author of Sitting Lady Sutra

When I reviewed your novel, Victim (An Emily Taylor Mystery) I told my readers that I had discovered an exciting writer with a poignant capacity to tell a story full of energy and passion. Description, dialogue, plotting, all developed with the skill of a seasoned mystery writer. I received several positive reader comments, a surprise really, when most readers who bother to email me, do so to disagree. I recently read Legacy. Your writing is consistently strong and invigorating. It solidified my feeling that you are a writer in for the long haul and should mature into a mystery author of the top rank in Canada.

--Don Graves, Reviewer, The Hamilton Spectator

SEVENTH FIRE:

"The evocative setting of 1980's Vancouver is beautifully described in Astolfo's latest Emily Taylor mystery "Seventh Fire." The horror of murder intertwines with the passion of art in an intriguing plot that the reader unravels only at the end. Emily Taylor fans will be astounded at the dark secrets that lurk in her past." —Janet Kellough, author of On the Head of a Pin

"Seventh Fire is a chilling tale with unimaginable evil at its core. Astolfo slowly but steadily builds suspense while introducing a handful of plausible villains that keep the reader guessing until the very end. The story is a chilling, cautionary tale at odds with the beautiful setting of Vancouver, which Astolfo paints with a deft hand." —Brenda Chapman, author of In Winter’s Grip

"Thirty years ago a horrific murder shocked the city of Vancouver. The killer was quickly caught, tried, and incarcerated. But they had the wrong man, and Emily Taylor has devoted her life to seeing her husband exonerated. Seventh Fire is a powerful tale of love verses hate and the ability of that love to triumph over evil." — Vicki Delany, author of Among the Departed

"Catherine Astolfo has an unusually keen insight into the sometimes-skewed human condition. One is struck by the amount of research Seventh Fire must have required. But don’t read this at bedtime, since it will make you distinctively uneasy. A writer of masterful plots, Catherine has completed the story of Emily Taylor’s secret past with a twist and a shock. One can only hope Catherine Astolfo produces further work for our eager consumption." —Merci Fournier, author of Plural Spaces


The Bridgeman and Victim by Catherine Astolfo 



 Emily Taylor Mystery One                                                      Emily Taylor Mystery Two

 

















 WHAT THE REVIEWERS SAID:

THE BRIDGEMAN:

 "Love and depravity, rebirth and rot, veneer and the real wood underneath—Astolfo brings these opposing forces into play as she creates the complex community that is Burchill. Ordinary people find themselves in an extraordinary situation. Astolfo reveals their personalities in delicious detail." —Garry Ryan, author of the Detective Lane Mysteries

"Master storyteller Cathy Astolfo pulls out all the stops as old secrets come back to kill…in this chilling story of twisted desires. Astolfo grabs small-town Ontario and shakes it until its ugly secrets pour out. You won't catch your breath until the last page turns." —Lou Allin, author of She Felt No Pain

"Catherine Astolfo’s descriptive prose and well-crafted characters soon make you feel part of the community of Burchill, sharing Emily's terror at what is happening in her perfect little town. It’s a story rich in detail with unexpected twists and turns that keep you involved right through to the shocking end." —Meredith Henderson, actress, film producer, poet

Anthony Bidulka, Author of the Russell Quant Mystery Series
In The Bridgeman, Astolfo throws opens the door of her idyllic setting into a world of darkness, depravity, and danger. Her safe haven turned inside out, Emily Taylor bravely untangles a web of lies and unthinkable acts of degeneracy. Threatening her own closely held secrets, the charming teacher dares to push boundaries of personal safety to right dreadful wrongs. After reading The Bridgeman, you’ll want to go home, lock the doors, and hug your pet.




VICTIM:

"A disappearance...a Native legend...a murder...a terrific read!"
—Donna Carrick, author of The First Excellence

"A deftly conceived, multilayered story told with a compassionate voice…The plot leads you to a conclusion with skillfully planted clues, employs a sense of the setting so real that the reader feels a part of the place and uses dialogue that reveals the minds and souls of the characters in it. Victim will linger in your mind long after you've closed the book…a gifted piece of writing." —The Hamilton Spectator

"VICTIM, by Catherine Astolfo, is an enjoyable, engaging read—a fine book full of suspense with lively, and intriguing characters. This is good, strong, clear writing that keeps the reader waiting for more. Along with a complex mystery, there's even a few sensual love scenes and a darling dog! Best of all—the mystery at the heart of this story seamlessly combines Aboriginal myths and legends with a precise rendering of small-town Canadian manners and mores. VICTIM is original, sensitive and satisfying." —Rosemary Aubert, author of the Ellis Portal mystery series

With a clash of cultures, greed, and secrets, Victim will keep you out of the woods for a long time to come. —Phyllis Smallman Author of Champagne For Buzzards

About my publisher:

Imajin Books has something for everyone, even works by bestselling and award-winning authors. The horror anthology WHAT FEARS BECOME features a few Bram Stoker award winners and nominees.

You’ll find a variety of genres: suspense, mystery, thrillers, horror, paranormal, romance, YA and historical fiction. Imajin Books publishes “quality fiction beyond your wildest dreams.”

You can also pick up a FREE* copy of IMAJIN THIS!, a new chapter sample book that features the first 3 chapters of each of their titles. http://www.imajinbooks.com/imajin-this
*IMAJIN THIS! is free via Smashwords and $0.99 on Amazon until Amazon matches the price.