We Thank Two Authors

Two authors, both with a deep connection to the Thousand Islands, deserve our thanks! One is from the US side, and the other is from Canada. Both have written for islanders before, and both are celebrating new literary works – one a new mystery story, while the other is deeply rooted in the history and culture of our beloved region.

The Solutionist: Crypto Heist, by John Lefevere

Let's begin with John Lefevere, whose wife's family is well known as the owners of the C-Way Resort on Route 12 outside of Clayton, NY.

I have already reviewed several of John's novels, so I knew he was a great writer. In fact, he has been known to keep Susie Smith from dusting, cooking, and even talking, from the beginning to the end of a book!

So, this winter, when I was introduced to yet another Lefevere character, Nick Dalton, I was excited. And I do mean a character! Did that excitement live up to its reputation – simple answer: Most definitely.

This book is not about the Thousand Islands, but it is about Washington, DC. Better than that, readers will learn a lot about cryptocurrency. DC and Cryptocurrency are already in the news. However, thank goodness, the 2025 real-life incidents and the 2025 fictional ones are completely unrelated.

But what about the author, John Lefevere? His printed bio reads like a novel, too.

"Life as a corporate lawyer can be boring, but author John Lefevere's life experiences are not. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show with his college marching band backing Nancy Sinatra; running into Rodney Dangerfield was also a highlight. John has also played golf next to the Giza Pyramids in Cairo, appeared in a TV commercial, marched in the Rose Parade and at Disneyland, climbed Mt. Vesuvius, and rode up Mt. Aetna within the space of a week, and has had many more adventures.”

"John's true love (aside from his wife and three sons) is writing suspense thrillers. It appears that he's good at it, as evidenced by the title of one five-star review he received on Amazon: 'This Man Can Write!' And he really enjoys it when readers say to him, 'Where did you ever come up with that idea?'"

"John takes time away from writing to play golf, trace his family’s genealogy (2,300 ancestors and counting), learn Italian, and travel."

The Solutionist, Crypto Heist is the first of three novels to be published this coming year. We are introduced to Nick Dalton, and just like in John's other novels, which take place in the Thousand Islands with the North Country's mystery sleuth, Jill Stone, you will appreciate this protagonist's personality and his ingenuity. I can’t give anything away, but the name “Solutionist” says more than you may realize.

The book is only available on Amazon in a Kindle version, so it is the perfect price. It is free with Kindle Unlimited, plus, John let me in on a little secret. The usual price is $2.99 but he has a Kindle Countdown Deal going starting May 14 and ending May 20 – price will be 99 cents (USD) for the week.

Actually, Amazon Canada's price is $4.15 (CA) or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Both prices are extremely reasonable for an afternoon of adventure and intrigue.

The bottom line is to get the book and a version for your other devices, too—one for your guests when they arrive on a rainy weekend. I guarantee that you and your guests will be happy!

History Comes Alive with "The Shaping of Gananoque 1787-1880"

The second author is well-known in Gananoque. He has written almost a dozen articles for TI Life, and his bio reads, "Paul Côté has socialized and worked on the River for most of his life. History has always been a passion, and he is a confessed genealogy addict. He has recently retired from contracting on the River."

Paul has already published other books, one entitled "One Room Schools in the Rear of Yonge and Escott Township." and another, "The Early Water Powered Mills and the Evolution of the Roads," concerning the same township. His book, "Sheatown: A Vanished Irish Catholic Community in Protestant Yonge Township, Leeds County," was reviewed in TI Life December 2019 issue. Paul has now put much of his research into a new book, which was launched on April 15th at the Gananoque Public Library.

I bought my copy from the 1000 Islands Museum. Luckily, it rained all that day, so I could sit and read by the fire. I can easily express my excitement and explain how I read the book in this way:

• The book is divided into several chapters and subtopics. You will learn some answers to questions you may have about the founding of Gananoque, and the reason it was given the name Canada's Birmingham. But you can also skip around to different chapters and not worry about missing information.
• Paul presents the material with lots of personal thoughts, thus making history come alive.
• At the end of his preface he says:

“In this book I have taken a rather eclectic approach, just writing about aspects of the town’s early history that I find intriguing. This book ends about 1880. Things begin to get much too complex from then on, what with a growing population, the growing number of businesses, changing ownerships, etc and all the complications that that involves.”

• There are detailed bibliographic references galore, all listed in the text or in footnotes, and he goes on to say,

"Other sundry sources, such as newspaper reports, help fill out the story. Some readers may consider the book overly focused on details, but although the purpose of the book is to tell a story, it is also meant as a book of record. How Gananoque came to be shaped is very much in the details . . .”

• Certainly, some of the most interesting parts are the biographies of names we recognized on street signs and on maps. There are more than 30 published maps, as well as many illustrations that have never been published before.

"The Shaping of Gananoque 1787-1880" is available at Beggar's Banquet Books (they will ship), Anna's Cafe, the Visitor Centre, and the 1000 Islands Museum in Gananoque.

So, since I am just as passionate about the region's history as Paul, I have to say THANK YOU, Author Côté . . . Your book is a treasure!

By Susan W. Smith, info@thousandislandslife.com