Retired detective turned author releases first mystery novel

A retired Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detective in Greater Sudbury recently released his first book – David Lalonde penned the fictional mystery novel ‘Death of a Millionaire: An Inspector Jack Butler Mystery.’

The former police sergeant is now a professor at Cambrian College and the program coordinator of the Police Foundations Program.

Lalonde told CTV News that he wrote the novel in his spare time.

"The book is set in 1985,” he said.

“It's a murder investigation and it's written in the police procedural format meaning it emphasizes as much the techniques of the police as it does the many characters that we encounter."

Lalonde retired after a 30-year career as a detective with the OPP in the Northeast Region.

The retired detective said his career involved many major crime investigations and although the novel is fictional it is based on some of those experiences.

"I have worked of course on many homicides – but I also did investigations into things like political corruption, fraud, organized crime and I think people will find realistic elements of that in the book," said Lalonde.

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He told CTV News that the book also includes some real historical northern Ontario events.

One element of the story was the notion of bringing Toronto's garbage up to a northern Ontario city – that occurred back in the 20th century.

Lalonde said while it is not in any way an attempt at a factual recount of those things it is an element that is brought into the story.

He said he expects to release a second book in the series next spring.

Lalonde said the book can be purchased on Amazon.

For more information on the book, the back stories of the characters or the series, visit his website. 

‘Death of a Millionaire: An Inspector Jack Butler Mystery’ a mystery novel set in the 1980s written by retired Ontario Provincial Police detective David Lalonde. (Supplied)