“Smith is adept at taking his readers into the world he has created and making them feel at home there.”
-Publishers Weekly
New book coming soon!
Everything’s a bit glitchy on Orchard … and not only because of Y2K.
It's 1999. Britney's big, Backstreet's back, and the internet takes its sweet time to dial up. On remote Orchard Island, however, things aren't all butterfly clips and Bop Its. When marine biologist Dorothy and her teenage son Sam move to the island hoping for some peace and quiet, they find themselves thrown into a community of eccentric individuals and strange goings-on. After a high school teacher goes missing, the oddities on Orchard suddenly seem more sinister. Sam's new friends — the inimitable Bert Mintenko and morose Robin Rainsford — are constantly leading him into trouble, people keep disappearing, and tensions continue to rise as the dreaded Y2K ticks ever closer. While Sam's main focus is the school dance (and the amount of acne he'll be bringing to it), Dorothy's left with a big problem: overcoming her personal demons means she can’t run away again — even if that means disappearing like everyone else.
The Unpleasantness on Orchard is a heartfelt, twisty mystery set in 1999. It’s currently unpublished and is looking for a home.
“[Smith] has created such a bizarrely lovable character in Bert Mintenko that it's all but impossible to stop reading – you just have to know what he's going do and say next.”
-Publishers Weekly
Bio
Bryan is an award-winning Canadian writer and filmmaker who lives in Victoria, B.C. As a documentary filmmaker, he tells stories on a daily basis. From a short-doc about a band taking their veggie-fuelled bus on tour across Canada (Tuned Up, 2019) to a four-season series on sustainability in the wedding industry (Sustainably Wed, 2021-2025), Bryan’s stories are out there on screens around the world!
Bryan has a master’s degree in history and worked for many years in museums and galleries. He teaches Digital History and Planning at the University of Victoria and his work on adult education in museums was published in Adult Education, Museums, and Art Galleries: Animating Social Cultural and Institutional Change in 2016.
Bryan reads everything, but a few favourites (in no particular order) are: High Fidelity, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Leave it to Psmith.
“Smith writes with considerable humor and great warmth.”
-Publishers Weekly
Awards & Acclaim
Arthur Ellis Awards for Best Unpublished Crime Novel, finalist (2020)
Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing Awards, longlist (2021)
Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards, First Place (2018)
Chaucer Historical Fiction Awards, First Place - Best in Category (2020)
Gertrude Warner Prize for Middle Grade Fiction, shortlist (2020, 2021),
Dante Rossetti Young Adult Award, finalist (2020),
Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize, quarterfinalist for two different works (2021)
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors Book Prize, longlist (2021).