Chris Laing

Chris Laing is a native of Hamilton, Ontario. He worked in private business for 20 years before joining the Federal Public Service, where he served in the Department of the Secretary of State and National Museums of Canada until his retirement.

In the past number of years he has expanded his long-time interest in detective stories from that of avid reader to writing in this genre. His short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Hammered Out as well as a number of online journals. His collection of short stories about growing up in Hamilton during World War II, "West End Kid: Tales from the Forties", was published in 2013 and is available as an e-book from online retailers.

His first novel, "A Private Man", was published by Seraphim Editions in 2012 and was a Finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award - Best First Crime Novel in 2013 and a Hamilton Arts Council Literary Award.

His second book in the Max Dexter Mystery series, "A Deadly Venture", was published in September,2014. It won the Kerry Schooley Award, 2015, presented by the Hamilton Arts Council.

The third Max Dexter novel is "A Family Matter, published in 2017.

The fourth book in the series, "A Devious Dame", appeared in 2019.

All four books are now available as eBooks as well.