BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1510 West
It happened 10 years ago. The scene of the crime is an address on a quiet cul-de-sac in Beaconsfield. Inside the home, the bodies of a couple in their mid-60s were found. Both had been shot.
That is the setting of the newly released novel, My Brother’s Keeper, by Pointe Claire author Sheila Kindellan-Sheehan, published by Véhicule Press. It is her 12th book, and her 11th work of fiction.
It is Kindellan-Sheehan’s first mystery entirely set in the West Island. It is a story that follows the reopening of a police investigation to find the truth behind the deaths of Stu and Carol Tibbetts, described as an ordinary couple living in a house that some wondered how they could afford. It spins a tale of life in the suburbs that, on the surface, looks typical, but encompasses yet-to-be-discovered truths forged by complicated family ties, sibling relationships and secrets that began to be kept long before a 911 call set a homicide investigation into motion.
As Kindellan-Sheehan sets up the story in the opening chapter: “The tragedy was either a murder/suicide or a premeditated cold-blooded murder, committed by their children, or someone who hated them enough to want them dead.”
And just like life, this fictional tale about death is complicated – and sprinkled with familiar geographic references that all West Islanders will immediately recognize and appreciate.
Kindellan-Sheehan uses her West Island roots to build the story of the Tibbetts family, creating a believable back history that fits into its setting.
Although the story centres around a double homicide, Kindellan-Sheehan is quick to admit that the depth of the tale is what she hopes will resonate with readers.
“You don’t write about crime. You write about people,” the author said in an interview, explaining that crimes are usually committed by ordinary people.
Kindellan-Sheehan enjoyed the process of building the back story of her characters all the while weaving in current references, including a mention of the West Island’s latest news source, The 1510 West.
But it is creating a character’s history “is what makes it interesting,” she said.
“The past is never the past, as Faulkner believed,” Kindellan-Sheehan said, referencing the well-known American novelist. “The past is just what you’re carrying on your shoulders. No one escapes it. It’s just like injuries – when you turn 40, you find out that nothing completely heals.”
A retired teacher who taught at St. Thomas High School in Pointe Claire for many years, Kindellan-Sheehan began writing in 1998 following the death of her husband. Her first book, published in 2003, was a memoir, Sheila’s Take, which became a best-seller. She then turned to fiction, writing 11 mysteries, including five since 2013 featuring the recurring characters of Sûreté du Québec investigators Toni Damiano and Pierre Matte.
“I never wrote for money. I never wrote for acclaim,” she admitted. “Writing was like a companion, and I had the best companion for 22 years.”
Kindellan-Sheehan’s latest novel, My Brother’s Keeper, as well as her earlier books are available at Indigo in Pointe Claire and online, and can be ordered on Amazon.
Cutline: Kindellan-Sheehan marked the official launch of My Brother’s Keeper at the Indigo outlet in Pointe Claire last Saturday.
Credit: The 1510 West