Lake of Gulls 

Available at Chapters and Indigo stores from British Columbia to Newfoundland.  Also available at www.chapters.ca and at www.pastforward.ca   See your local bookseller for additional information.

(c) Richard Gould

isbn 0973093307

Quality Bound 6" x 9" Paperback, 402 pages on high quality Westminster Book paper.

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After the release of his first novel, the Globe and Mail said that Richard Gould was a writer to watch.  Here's his newest novel.  Watch this!

WHAT THE PRESS HAS TO SAY ABOUT LAKE OF GULLS

"The suspense of the story carries through right up to the final pages, with an exciting helicopter chase and an unresolved mystery . . . which wont be given away here.  Readers will remember Gould's first book, Red Fox Road and know they can turn to him as a teller of tales that deliver their fair share of thrills and chill, of conspiracies and young love gone wrong."  Linda Turk. Thunder Bay Chronicle, Feb 2004.

"I really liked Richard Gould's first novel, Red Fox Road, a solid work with lots of promise. His second, Lake of Gulls, is more ambitious and, as a result, more complicated. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Gould is taking on a lot: government treatment of native interests, the problems of the North, corporate greed. It's a bit much for one book, but it works better than you might expect. And the setting is great."                         The Globe and Mail, August 29 2003, M. Cannon

"Gould's exploration of the political and social forces that collide in Lake of Gulls is exhaustive.  His imagery and vivid and evocative.  Although protest is at the heart of the book, it is by no means the only compelling theme in the story.  Love, friendship, loyalty and the undeniable connection between people and their environment are equally weighted.  The book is riveting."  Shelley Derosches, London Free Press, Aug 2003.

"It's such a thrill to find a book that you just can't put down.  Lake of Gulls is just that!"   Hugh Smith.  Almaguin News, March 26, 2003.

"Gould's exploration of the political and social forces that collide in Lake of Gulls is exhaustive.  His imagery is vivid and evocative.  Although protest is at the heart of the book it is by no means the only compelling theme in the story.  Love, friendship, loyalty and the undeniable connection between people and their environment are equally weighted.  The main characters' pasts are full and complex.  Initially this requires patience form the readers, but the effort is rewarded.  Gould's story gains momentum throughout the book and is at time riveting."  Shelley Deroches, London Free Press, July 19, 2003

The story takes place in the real town of Kiosk, where in 1969 the Government decided that the needs of the residents were not as important as the needs of the urbanites.  The residents were told they had to leave and abandon their homes.

Now, decades later, three people, Ken, Pat, and Suzette, who were young teens at the time the mill burned in 1973, reunite in the town of their birth.  As old romances surface and old friendships strengthen their determination, they begin a cat and mouse game with the police and the government.

Drawing on skills he learned from years of canoeing and hunting, Kenny avoids the police and the park wardens as he leads everyone through the bush.  Tensions mount as the police are ridiculed by the press and then some of Suzette's media associates use her contacts in a way that jeopardizes Ken's safety. 

When Pat meets Suzette again, he feels the return of a youthful romance, but he is  torn between his need for connection and what he believes is Suzette's disloyalty to Ken.

An angry politician is worried that bad press is going to endanger her political ambitions and additional pressures are placed on the police.  Pat finds it necessary to make decisions that would have been impossible just a few years before.

From the Back cover:

At the end of a hot summer, Ken takes Pat fishing to Kiosk, the place of their birth. When they arrive in this mysterious town, Pat is shocked and saddened to see that the church, the school, and all the houses he knew as a child, are gone. Nothing remains but a few lonely sidewalks -- and the ghosts of forgotten residents.
Driven by the loss he sees in Pat, Ken decides it's time to protest the decision that left many of his friends and family unconnected and adrift. He contacts the media and then, drawing on skills he obtained during a lifetime in the bush, he leads the police on a wild chase. He taunts them, the government, and those people in power who, two decades earlier, orchestrated the death of the town.
Suzette's career as a journalist is failing, but when her boss discovers she was born in Kiosk, he sends her to cover the breaking story. She arrives to find an old friend and her first love in grave danger. The police, annoyed by the ridicule, are sending in a tactical unit and Suzette's reports inadvertently alienate her from her friends. She is unable to help.
Politicians, Native Leaders, and corporate executives become involved and the protest pushes some groups to acts of desperation. Caught in a situation that is growing increasingly dangerous, Suzette Pat and Ken are forced to make decisions that will not only define their pasts, but also decide their futures -- and time is running out.

Last modified: 11/28/06