John Degen is the author of the new novel Seldom Seen Road, the first in a series. His other books include The Uninvited Guest. He is the chief executive officer of the Writers' Union of Canada, and he's based in Etobicoke and Thessalon, Canada.
Q: What inspired you to write Seldom Seen Road, and how did you create your characters Mark, Jeremy, and Stephanie?
A: I have long thought I would turn to crime or detective fiction at some point in my writing career. I used to grab books off my parents’ paperback shelf at the cottage when I was way too young for the subject matter… but it was the 1970s, so, you know, not a lot of supervision. Crime and spy novels were my entry into reading, and they are still where I am happiest as a reader.
I very quickly hit on the idea of a detective trio, all related to each other. Northern Ontarians are very familiar with the experience of bumping into relatives wherever you go, so I wanted to capture a bit of that cultural element. But also, I think family dynamics lend so much to character development. They are relatable connections and conflicts.
Mark is a bumbling, emotionally vulnerable widower with little to no skills in crime solving — and he is my own emotional starting point with this series. I have always been more interested in bit players, extras, and tertiary characters than in the classic main characters. Competent, tough detectives are a dime a dozen. Give me someone who trips over solutions any day.
Mark’s daughter Stephanie is the brains of the operation, even as she works out her own challenges and disappointments. Jeremy joins Stephanie in keeping Mark mostly unharmed, and provides a connection to the actual police and the various layers of criminality in the community.
And really, that’s what it’s like where I live in Northern Ontario. The chief of the Volunteer Fire Department is also my plumber, and used to play in the basement of my house as a child because his aunt used to rent it. If there was a mystery to solve in my town, I’d be asking that guy a lot of questions.
Q: How was the novel's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: Just outside of the small town of Massey, Ontario, on Lake Huron’s north shore, drivers on the TransCanada Highway pass a road sign saying “Seldom Seen Road.” The first time I notice that sign, I thought “That’s a book title for a mystery.” And so it now is.
I mean, what is more mysterious than a remote cabin in the woods at the end of Seldom Seen Road?
Northern Ontario is filled with atmospheric place names, so I feel confident I won’t be running out of book titles for this series anytime soon.
Q: The author Shane Peacock said of the book, "Seldom Seen Road tells a compelling story of murder and intrigue, with the north shore of Lake Huron and rugged northern Ontario as such an interesting and well-drawn backdrop that it almost seems like one of the characters." What do you think of that description, and how important is setting to you in your writing?
A: Shane was very generous with his assessment, and I’m so pleased he focused on the landscape and setting. Canada’s more sparsely populated northern regions are at once spectacularly beautiful and undeniably life-threatening. Those who live here take weather, road conditions, isolation, and nature a lot more seriously than do urban dwellers. These elements are naturally going to be foreground for a crime or mystery plot.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: Because I’m writing a series, what I did was build a character map detailing all the connections I understood between the folks with which I planned to populate my fictional north shore.
But that map was not set in stone, and some folks I hadn’t initially conceived of just sort of showed up on their own. I work on the theory that life does not follow a perfectly planned, linear plot. Leaving room to be surprised as the author helps me surprise the reader.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Two things simultaneously. I’m building myself a dedicated writing shed on my property on the north shore. I might have to call it the Seldom Seen Shed. And I’m well into the writing of Book Two in the Burnt River Series (working title — Crooked Lake). Favourite characters return, mystery abounds, and this story will delve deeper into the history of the region.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I’ve been asked how I come up with full plots and character elements. So, here’s a little secret. I publish a Substack newsletter for my northern neighbours focussed on local town and city council proceedings. It’s called Shore Report. Very newsy, and a bit nerdy. Really taking a granular approach to what it takes to live remote from the power and wealth to the south, and in such a beautiful place with a complex history.
What a window into the lives of my fictional characters! All their challenges, conflicts, losses and victories. I like to say there’s a mystery plot buried in every single Northern Ontario council meeting. I will literally never run out of material.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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