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They say to write what you know.
And for author Dave Butler that’s the spectacular landscape we live in.
Butler’s second book, No Place for Wolverines, has just been released. It is the second in his eco-mystery series about national park warden Jenny Wilson.
He said: “I am super excited about it. The first book came out about a year ago and this one last fall.
“I’ve been doing non-fiction for many years, a lot of work with magazines and newspapers, and started writing fiction about four years ago after a course with Angie Abdou.
“I started with the story then and away it went. It was fantastic.”
Butler’s books are set in the Rockies and look at some of the environmental issues in the area.
It’s more of what he knows, as the author, from Cranbrook, BC, is a professional forester and biologist and director of sustainability for Canadian Mountain Holidays.
“I really love the landscape of Western Canada, that’s where I get a lot of my inspiration,” he said. “I worked as a warden in Banff and take inspiration from some things that happened then.
“The other piece is a bit different. I take inspiration from issues we have as a society – land use and environmental issues. I use that as a goldmine of ideas.
“The issues are so emotional and there are good guys and bad guys on both sides. It’s fascinating work to pull out emotions and conflicts and turn them into these stories.”
The first in Butler’s series of novels, Full Curl, won the Arthur Ellis Award (Crime Writers of Canada) for Best First Crime Novel in Canada in 2018.
Jenny Willson is a “hard-edged, caustic-witted national park warden trying to succeed in a largely male-dominated politically-charged environment”.
No Place for Wolverines continues the story of Jenny Willson as she initiates a covert inquiry into a proposed ski hill in Yoho National Park.
Butler said: “the first book, without giving too much away, one of the exciting incidents happens in Jasper National Park, in the icefield area at Wilcox Pass.
“In the second book there is more western Alberta, the Yellowhead Highway, Red Deer and the pipeline.”
Butler said his books are for any adult readers.
“If like fiction about western Canada or crime thrillers,” he said.
“People aged 18 to 80 seem to be reading the book. I’m so lucky.”
The third instalment of the series, In Rhino We Trust, will be released in September this year.
