Picture a Canadian storyteller who traded railway bunkhouses and taxi cabs for the gritty streets of Montreal’s crime scene—meet John Farrow! Writing under a pseudonym, Trevor Ferguson has captivated readers worldwide with his thrilling Émile Cinq-Mars mysteries, blending literary finesse with pulse-pounding suspense. From novels to plays, Farrow’s work is a masterclass in storytelling that’s as authentic as it is unforgettable.
Born in Ontario in 1947 and raised in Montreal, Farrow’s journey is as dynamic as his fiction. His alter ego, Trevor Ferguson, is a literary icon, once dubbed Canada’s best novelist by the Toronto Star. But it’s as John Farrow that he’s carved out a global niche in crime fiction, with his books translated into 17 languages and celebrated for their vivid settings and complex characters.
The Making of John Farrow
Trevor Ferguson’s early life was anything but ordinary. At 14, he ran away from home, and by 16, he was working on railway gangs in Canada’s northwest, scribbling stories by night in bunkhouses. These rugged experiences shaped his raw, authentic voice. After stints abroad and driving a taxi in Montreal, he published his first literary novel, High Water Chants, in 1977. But when literary acclaim didn’t pay the bills, he reinvented himself as John Farrow, launching the Émile Cinq-Mars series with City of Ice in 1999—a move that skyrocketed his career.
John Farrow’s Unforgettable Stories
Farrow’s crime novels are a love letter to Montreal, its icy winters and tangled underbelly serving as vivid backdrops. His iconic detective, Émile Cinq-Mars, is a brilliant, old-school loner who solves cases with intuition and logic, earning comparisons to Hercule Poirot. City of Ice, the series debut, follows Cinq-Mars as he unravels a chilling murder tied to biker gangs and the Russian Mafia. Ice Lake dives deeper, with a frozen corpse sparking a complex investigation. The Storm Murders trilogy, starting with The Storm Murders, sees a retired Cinq-Mars tackling eerie, weather-linked killings. His latest, A Patient Death (2023), explores the opioid crisis through a rash of mysterious deaths.
Farrow’s style is a blend of gritty realism and literary polish, with Montreal almost a character itself. His plots weave contemporary issues—organized crime, corruption, separatism—with richly drawn characters and suspense that keeps you guessing. Critics rave: Booklist calls the Cinq-Mars series “the best in crime fiction today,” while Die Zeit in Germany dubbed it the best ever.
Why John Farrow Matters
John Farrow’s impact lies in his ability to elevate crime fiction into art. His novels don’t just entertain—they explore the human condition, from moral dilemmas to societal fractures. Internationally, his work has put Canadian crime fiction on the map, with City of Ice published in 17 countries. As Trevor Ferguson, his literary novels and plays, like The Timekeeper, have inspired films and earned awards like the Hugh MacLennan Prize. Farrow’s versatility—spanning genres, stages, and screens—makes him a cultural force, inspiring writers and readers alike.
- Born: November 11, 1947, in Seaforth, Ontario
- Key Works: City of Ice, Ice Lake, The Storm Murders, A Patient Death
- Awards: Hugh MacLennan Prize for The Timekeeper
- Fun Fact: Farrow taught creative writing at Concordia University and was a guest at the Paris Book Fair.
Ready for a thrilling ride? Snag City of Ice and dive into John Farrow’s electrifying world of crime and suspense!