"Debra Komar's latest foray into Canada's murderous past recreates a sensational Victorian-era morality tale that's brimming with intrigue, shady characters, forbidden sex, and high-stakes courtroom drama. Black River Road combines meticulous research, razor-sharp insight, and riveting storytelling to unearth a forgotten chapter in our legal history." — Dean Jobb
"An engaging and atmospheric account of a crime that shocked a mid-Victorian city. The Maggie Vail case lives on as a tale interwoven by deceit, lust, avarice, class privilege, and the 19th-century media's growing fascination with ‘true crime.’" — Greg Marquis
"Fans of Komar's finely detailed forensic re-examinations will find much to enjoy here. No rock is left unturned, no assumption left to fester, in the search for truth. The complex moral ambiguities that arise will haunt your thoughts, but with Komar's calm manner deftly guiding proceedings, the readers are always in good hands. I can't recommend her books highly enough as much for the philosophical issues they raise as for the first-class storytelling. Black River Road serves to remind us, at a time when it is needed more than ever, that there simply is no reliable forensic test of character." — Brooke Magnanti
"An intriguing piece of social history that has a few surprising things to tell us about life, love and crime." — Winnipeg Free Press
"A careful dissection of the question of character." — The Globe and Mail
"Meticulously researched and told with style and authority. A strong sense of place, a tense plot, and plenty of cliff hangers will keep the reader glued to the pages." — The Journal Pioneer
"An engrossing book that weaves historical records into a fascinating story." — Canada's History Magazine
