The thrill of the Chase

If you’re looking for a hopeful tale to balance the increasingly discouraging state of the world, The Marionette could pull the right strings. Like the nine books that came before, bestselling Canadian fiction author Terry Fallis’s latest displays his signature style: wit, humour and intrigue.

The Marionette introduces a new character: James Norval. He’s a thriller writer with a string of bestselling books, many of which were made into Hollywood blockbusters. Norval writes about Hunter Chase, a fictional CIA agent who saves the world, novel after novel.

In real life, Fallis has also become a writing force to reckoned with. His first novel, The Best Laid Plans, began as a podcast, was self-published, won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and was then republished by McClelland & Stewart. It was also crowned the 2011 winner of CBC’s Canada Reads, then adapted into a CBC television series and stage musical. Fallis won the Leacock prize again in 2015 for No Relation. His other novels include Poles Apart, One Brother Shy and A New Season, among others.

The Marionette begins in the Republic of Tajikistan. While researching his next novel, James Norval gets too close for comfort on forbidden soil. He is detained in a sketchy prison, and hilarity ensues. (No, really.)

While waiting to be interrogated, something Norval previously published is read by his captor: “‘I don’t know why interrogators the world over haven’t added gum surgery, or even just the threat of gum surgery, to their persuasion protocols. I’d be singing like a bird at the first sight of an approaching periodontist.’”

The Canadian government enters the fray, along with a familiar face to Fallis fans: federal politician Angus McLintock (previously seen in Operation Angus, The Best Laid Plans and The High Road). Vivian Kent, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service staffer, also reappears in The Marionette.

The government needs assistance with a covert extraction. What’s a bestselling author to do but attempt to save the day?

Readers are in for a thrill ride that includes a nefarious villain, a heartwarming father-daughter relationship, multi-generational work teams and a few Canadian heroes.

Fallis continues to feature female characters in positions of influence. Gender balance and cultural diversity are woven into the narrative, making it a very Canadian caper.

Monique Tardif, CEO of a mining company, catches Norval’s eye. While his attraction to the character becomes evident as the story progresses, his initial description of meeting her is classic Fallis hilarity. “She wore a grey work shirt with lots of pockets, the kind Marlin Perkins used to wear when hosting Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, one of my favourite nature shows as a kid. I assumed she was wearing pants of some kind, but her desk blocked her lower half from view.”

Mixed with humour and intrigue are some serious side stories. One is about the effect a fictional Canadian mine has on an impoverished African community. The Marionette puts a positive spin on the industry, showing that it’s possible to contribute to community development and not just the bottom line.

Fallis’s latest contains thrills, laughs, and a clever title that becomes more meaningful as the story unfolds. There’s also enough heart to provide some thoughtful pauses.

With the addition of his latest work, Fallis has the “pleasant departure from the everyday” category abundantly covered in the friendly fiction section of your local bookstore.

Deborah Bowers is a marketing and communications professional who loves a good story and a good laugh. Fortunately, she’s not had to face the prospect of gum surgery as yet.

Terry Fallis will launch The Marionette on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location.