"The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson"
By Lois Simmie
(Greystone Books, Vancouver, 224 pages, $18.95)

Lois Simmie’s intelligent and surprisingly engaging full-length non-fiction book, "The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson", succeeds as a fast-paced true crime story of a Canadian Mounties’s gradual descent into madness and treachery. The characters feel remarkably well-rounded and the setting in the early nineteen hundreds has a distinct and unique quality that allows the reader to become wrapped up in the events taking place across Saskatchewan. Though the book is occasionally frustrating, with several inept character decisions and humdrum, monotonous letters, Simmie does a credible job of keeping the story moving and working around the obvious restraints of being true to the real-life events. The end result is an unexpectedly exciting and stylishly written book that deserves to be given serious attention by any reader interested in crime and mystery genres.

The title character, Sgt. John “Jack” Wilson, is a character that, in the beginning, seems to be a reasonable family man, living in Scotland with his wife Polly and their son George. He is respected, but not always trusted, by everyone he knows. After a series of events leave Jack humiliated and disgraced in the community, he immediately makes plans to bolt to Canada in favor of a better, quieter life by himself. With several fruitless career attempts behind him, Jack applies and is eventually accepted into the Royal North West Mounted Police. Not long after, a young lady from Blaine Lake named Jessie Patterson catches his eye and they fall in love. No sooner does Jack makes arrangements to marry her when his ugly, secretive history begins to catch up with him. Suddenly, Jack’s life is turned upside down as his shadowy past and hectic present collide, forcing him to choose between trying to bury his previous life or face the music once and for all.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is its length. At 224 pages, it’s an extremely quick read, but one that, with the exception of the opening thirty pages, rarely slows down. After committing a heinous crime, Jack is pursued by the authorities, who begin to put the pieces together and unravel the mystery of Jack’s shocking offense as he tries to use his knowledge of police routine to stay one step ahead. All of this is accomplished in less than half the time it takes for a typical mystery piece to unspool, but still keeps the characters believable and the description of the events is thorough and accurate.

The book does have a few flaws, though they are ultimately minor when looking at the book as a whole. Simmie frequently uses actual police reports and an abundance of the letters that were sent back and forth between Jack and Jessie over the course of their relationship. The problem is that while these letters and reports lend authenticity and integrity to the story, they are, more often than not, very tedious, overblown, and usually unnecessary admissions. Furthermore, Jack begins each of his letters with a trite Scottish introductory line such as “Dearest Wee Wifie”, which sounds completely absurd given the dark nature of his character. Speaking of characters, their decisions and processes repeatedly boggle the mind, notably, Jack’s behavior after he commits the story’s central crime. It is hard to fault Simmie for this, because she is merely recounting what actually happened. Nevertheless, it is difficult to believe a man with as much knowledge as Jack could be as sloppy and dim-witted as he showed in some parts of the book, an this does detract from the story’s overall impact.

Even so, Simmie deserves a lot of credit for constructing a book out of historical material and for telling a story that few people in Saskatchewan have ever heard of. Her talent for vivid imagery remains unquestioned, as can be seen in the following passage, “The pile of papers on the oak desk is sizeable; he is almost finished. Mahony gets up to stretch and look out the window. Smoke from the chimneys hangs in the frigid air, then dissipates momentarily with a gust of wind. A muffled figure leaning into the wind passes under a street light” (p. 3). Simmie creates a cold, gloomy past that mirrors the subject matter. Her intricate and detailed descriptions of the events and characters are the real driving force behind this book.

In conclusion, what could have easily been a slow, lumbering police procedural story instead should be regarded as one of the more skillfully crafted and rousing full-length non-fiction pieces to date. The reader can comfortably relate to many of the characters in the book, as the author uses their well-developed personalities and sharp dialogue to draw the audience into the story. Simmie set out to inform and entertain readers who, more than likely, would never have known about the cunning and monstrous John Wilson and his attempts to escape the authorities. This book never over-stays its welcome; a brisk pace, solid characterization, and an enticing plot all add up to an enjoyable, first-rate crime thriller.


Recommended: Yes