Scott McKinnon
Mystery and Crime Fiction Author
Coming Soon!
For those of you in the Toronto area, mark your calendars for the 2025 Bony Blithe Mini-Con on Friday, May 9th, 2025.I will be appearing on a panel with Alice Fitzpatrick, Angela van Breemen and Lis Angus to discuss "Artistic Licence vs Reality Check".For anyone who knows me, its not hard to guess which side of the debate I will be on.Hope to see some friendly faces in the audience.For more details check out their website: www.bonyblithe.ca
BIOGRAPHYScott McKinnon began his career writing screenplays, mostly romantic comedies, and now has turned his hand to "cozy" murder mysteries. Born and raised in Alberta, with stints in Los Angeles and Vancouver, he now calls Toronto home. Inspired by Anthony Horowitz, Rian Johnson and Agatha Christie, Scott creates entertaining and thought-provoking stories through wry humour, unconventional plots and compelling characters. He successfully pitched his comedy crime thriller novel “Note to Self: Don’t Die” at Toronto’s Crime and Mystery Festival, regularly performs his work at public events such as Noir at the Bar and is an active member of the Crime Writers of Canada.
"Last Light on Loon Lake" novella length cozy mystery available for publicationAs the First World War is winding down, a young man avoiding conscription at a remote lakeside resort in northern Ontario becomes involved in investigating the brutal murder of a notoriously bad mannered but very talented painter.
"Note to Self: Don't Die" is a novel length rom-com / thriller currently under developmentA jet-setting teen cut off from her allowance is lured into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when a desperate woman convinces her to transport a package from Heathrow airport to Toronto. She quickly finds herself on the run from a shadowy organization and recruits a down-on-his-luck erstwhile lover to help. The unlikely pair must set aside their verbal sparring and lingering resentments to uncover the package's significance and outwit a cunning billionaire futurist bent on world domination.
Excerpt from the rom-com thriller “Note to Self: Don’t Die”------------------------------------------------------------------------------PrologueEmily’s easy strides took her through the airport entrance hall with surprising speed despite her small stature. Trailing behind her was a burgundy carry-on suitcase that squeaked feebly in protest. She was an attractive woman in her early twenties with shoulder length brown hair, a slightly upturned nose and dressed cheerfully in a colourful bohemian skirt, a white linen blouse, and a vintage tartan wool jacket. To the casual observer, she looked like an “au pair” on a weekend away from her host family which suited her just fine.She hadn't noticed the tall blond man running up behind her, but instantly stopped when he grabbed her wrist roughly and asked her in Euro-english accent, “What’s the hurry, Mr. Pink?”Emily slowly turned to face the tall, graceless young man. He had an imposing athletic build and was dressed in a pale blue jumpsuit, a winter jacket that resembled a lab coat and a clear plastic visor that held back his long, dirty blonde hair.“No hurray, Mr. Yellow,” said Emily calmly.“You weren’t supposed to leave until tomorrow.”Emily pulled her hand free and stared impassively into his face. “I don’t answer to you.”“I’m supposed to protect you.”
Emily rubbed her wrist where Mr. Yellow had grabbed it and wondered if he’d left a bruise. He was frightfully strong. “I don’t need any protection,” she said.“Mr. White wants me to accompany you to Toronto.”Fighting to keep the panic out of her voice, Emily asked, “ Why would he want that?”“I don't know. No one tells me anything. All I know is I'm not let you out of my sight.”“Fine, let’s go then.” She turned and began to walk again, though this time slower. She needed time to think and puzzle this out. Mr. Yellow plodded beside her, taking a step for her every two.Emily eyed a crowd of travellers lined up like docile sheep to drop off their bags. Each she imagined muttering a silent prayer as they watched their suitcase roll down the conveyor belt, hoping that it would arrive in one piece. What they didn’t know was their luggage was the least of their worries.“Does Mr. Brown know you're coming to Toronto?” she asked.“Mr. Brown?” The young man rolled back his eyes and stuck his arms out like a ghoul. “Better behave yourself or Mr. Brown will come and get you!” he laughed heartily.“I would keep those kinds of comments to yourself.”“Or what?”“Mr. Brown is not someone to be trifled with.”“You’ve met him? You’ve actually seen him with your eyes?”“No,” admitted Emily, “but I’m sure he exists.”“Why do you say that?”Emily took a moment to reply as she composed her answer, “Because for all his ruthless efficiency, I don’t think Mr. White is capable of leading an organization like Alias.”Mr. Yellow smiled, showing off a row of crooked, grey teeth, “Now look who needs to be careful about what they say.”They walked on silently for a few seconds then Mr. Yellow asked, “Why Mr. Pink?”“What do you mean?”“Shouldn’t you be Ms. Pink?”“I certainly didn’t choose Mr. Pink.”“You’re obviously not a mister,” he said.All his unnecessary chatter annoyed Emily but she silently agreed with him. “Just call me Pink then.”“And why do we have colour names?” continued Mr. Yellow. “It’s so confusing and kind of racist. Mr. White? Mr. Brown? Mr. Yellow?”“It certainly raises unnecessary racial overtones,” agreed Emily. “Maybe we should have been named after something more neutral like capital cities or rivers?”“Or porn star names,” said Mr. Yellow with a wry smile. “What was the name of your first pet and the street you grew up on.”They approached the check-in for security and held out their phones to show their boarding passes.Emily turned to Mr. Yellow and said tentatively, “I’d be Lucy York.”“Pepsi Trollegade,” replied a delighted Mr. Yellow.
Excerpt from the cozy mystery novella "Last Light on Loon Lake"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Winona breezed onto the veranda and sat herself at our table. She was breathless and said, “Last night’s wine simply wiped me out. I just slept and slept this morning. Was it just me?”“No,” I said, “we are all moving a little slower today. None so slow as you, though.”“That’s me,” she said. “First or last and nothing in between. And what are you up to there Adonis, reading a dime-store detective novel no doubt?”Adonis looked up at her curiously. “I'm too boring for that,” he said with a smile, “but I am undertaking some detective work.”“How so?” she asked, resting her chin on her hands in a playful display of interest.“I thought I had captured a migrating Monarch butterfly but instead I've been duped.” He held up a butterfly for her to examine that he had staked on a large pin.“Oh, clearly not a Monarch,” she said with a wink. “But what could it be?”“This little sneak is a Viceroy,” he replied. “It assumes a similar colouring as the Monarch, which is poisonous to any bird that may try to eat it.”“But the Viceroy is not poisonous,” she guessed.“Exactly!” said Adonis excitedly.“That is quite clever,” she said, “to hide in plain sight of one’s enemies.”
Scott's Reading Recommendations
MY MUST READ MYSTERY LISTIt's hard to find a mystery novel that really satisfies, so here is my list of novels that I think really hit the mark.I hope you find it useful, and I’d love to hear about your own discoveries. There’s always room on my shelf for another great mystery.Feature Novel: Alex Pavesi's "Eight Detectives" (2020)This British novel is not just a great story, but a fascinating meditation on the classic murder mystery structure. It does this through vignettes that deliberately unpacks various elements of mystery fiction mechanics and then replays them in surprising new ways. Pavesi is like a street magician warns us he's going to take our wallet and does so time and time again while we watch on helplessly. Interestingly enough, Pavesi has a PhD in Mathematics and uses his sharp, logical mind to isolate fictional elements and turn them into engaging stories that fill the novel. Each one tests a single essential rule of classic mystery fiction while maintaining a broader, master narrative that neatly ties all the disparate pieces together in a satisfying whole. A lesser writer would have lost his audience along the way, but Pavesi is able to both confound and delight his readers as he lures them through a labyrinth of literary analysis with lurid murder and dazzling plot twists. Oh, did I mention this was his first novel? Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.THE LISTIsaac Asimov (American)
• I, Robot (1950)Paul Auster (American)
• The New York Trilogy (1987)Alan Bradley (Canadian)
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (2009)Dan Brown (American)
• The Da Vinci Code (2003)Micheal Chabon (American)
• The Yiddish Policmen’s Union (2007)Raymond Chandler
• The Big Sleep (1939)Agatha Christie (British)
• The Secret Adversary (1922)P Djeli Clark (American)
• A Master of Djinn (2021)Umberto Eco (Italian)
• The Name of the Rose (1980)Sue Grafton (American)
• A is for Alibi (1982)Carl Hiaasen (American)
• Bad Monkey (2013)Patricia Highsmith (American)
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955)Anthony Horowitz (British)
• Magpie Murders (2016)
• The Word is Murder (2017)P.D. James (British)
• An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972)Stieg Larsson (Swedish)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005)Elmore Leonard (American)
• Get Shorty (1990)Jonathan Lethem (American)
• Motherless Brooklyn (1999)Richard Osman (British)
• Thursday Night Murder Club (Alex Pavesi
• Eight DetectivesLouise Penny
• Still LifeEllis Peters
• A Morbid Taste for BonesDorothy L. Sayers
• Gaudy NightMaj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
• RoseannaAlexis Stefanovich-Thomson
• The Road to HeavenPeter Swanson
• 8 perfect murdersBen H Winters
• The Last Policeman trilogy