Crime novel set at Penticton brewery
A crime novel, written by a Penticton author, it features the city’s thriving brewery scene.
Canned, by Lynda L. Lock, features Jessica Sanderson and her mutt, Sparky, in the aftermath of an accident at a fictional craft brewery in Penticton.
While police investigate the death, Sanderson — who is not a police officer — also does some sleuthing and uncovers clues in the case.
While Lock describes the book as a beach read, the story also touches on drug use and addiction, which are noticeable in the city and throughout the country.
“My stories are fluffy, but I also want them based on fact,” she said.
The book is the fourth in Lock’s Death in the Vineyard Mystery series, all set in the South Okanagan.
While her previous B.C. novels feature the region’s wineries and wine culture, Canned involves a death at a brewery.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for the breweries here,” Lock said.
She is familiar with the world of craft beer as she and her husband Lawrie moved to Penticton in 1992, and in 1995 the couple opened Tin Whistle Brewery Co, in partnership with Linda and Richard Grierson. It was the 12th craft brewery to open in the province, and the first in Penticton. The group sold the brewery in 1998.
Lock’s novel, Canned, was released around 30 years after the brewery started, and 24 years after Cannery Brewing, another well-established Penticton brewery was formed. The release also occurred around the Okanagan Fest of Ale, the long-running Penticton beer festival.
In addition to her four Okanagan novels, Lock is also the author of the Isla Mujeres Mysteries, a series of seven books all set in Mexico and written when she lived in the area. She has also written three children’s books.
Canned on 293 pages and is available through Amazon Canada and other booksellers.
A launch party for Canned is scheduled for Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Cannery Brewing, 198 Ellis St., Penticton. The public is invited to meet the author and have their books signed.
