Mystery, history collide in Hogtown whodunit

World events and the lives of ordinary people, while seemingly separate, sometimes intersect in unexpected ways. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. becomes part of a Toronto private investigator’s life in Opposite Sully’s Gym by Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson, as the author imagines the ordinary people who might have been affected by the aftermath of that crime.

Stefanovich-Thomson has written several books in the Patrick Bird series, including The Road to Heaven, which was nominated for an Edgar Award. The Toronto author has also won the Black Orchid Novella Award and the Crime Writers of Canada Best Crime Novella Award.

Opposite Sully’s Gym begins with two men sitting in a car, waiting for King’s assassin, James Earl Ray, and discussing the best way to hide him in Toronto. From that introduction, the novel moves to the life and troubles of Patrick, an unemployed private detective. When a tenant from his mother-in-law’s rooming house goes missing, the man’s parents hire Patrick to find him.

Through his investigations, Patrick learns about the lives of the other tenants, while also trying to find new ways of engaging with his pregnant wife, Rose. Eventually he discovers one of the tenants who stayed for a few weeks at the rooming house was James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King Jr.’s notorious killer. He also finds the murdered tenant’s killer, bringing an end to his own initial inquiries. Although the solution to the mystery prompts a new tragedy, Patrick gains new insights into life in the process.

While the Patrick Bird novels are categorized as “noir,” Opposite Sully’s Gym isn’t as bleak as some readers might expect from that designation. The overall tone of the novel seems more hopeful than the genre implies, and many of the characters, while flawed (and sometimes racist), also have likable qualities.

Many readers will also identify with the financial troubles experienced by Patrick and Rose while offering insight into the economic and social conditions in 1960s Toronto.

In real life, James Earl Ray spent over a month at a Toronto rooming house following King’s assassination, although the exact location is uncertain. Stefanovich-Thomson has imagined a possible scenario for this historical event, placing his detective in the middle of the story.

And although it takes a long time to connect King’s assassination in the first chapter with Patrick’s story, some readers will find the conclusion worth the wait, while others might prefer a more obvious correlation between the two storylines.

Stefanovich-Thomson and the publisher have provided a list of 10 book club questions to help guide discussions of the story and its characters. These questions could be helpful even for those reading the book on their own, providing a way for people to process some of the more troubling aspects of this novel.

Opposite Sully’s Gym might not appeal to enthusiasts of cosy mysteries, but others will enjoy its many interesting twists, insights into life in the ’60s and connections between the mystery and bigger world events.

Susan Huebert is a Winnipeg writer and pet sitter.