How many mysteries do you know of that are set in Canada's easternmost province?

Chatting with Mike Martin during this interview made me appreciate how vast and varied Canada is. Mike writes about an Alberta Cree man who now lives in Newfoundland, while I write about characters at the extreme opposite end of our huge country.

Where we're from and where we end up can often be two very different places. Mike and I touch on the idea that outsiders in a small community can have a perspective that longtime residents might not have. This can be essential sometimes for a mystery author's sleuth ;-)

I am personally always intrigued by how the places in a novel inform the stories and affect the characters. Mike's protagonist, Sgt. Windflower, has the unique experience of being from rural Northern Alberta. But he seems to have become quiet attached to the small Newfoundland community he finds himself in.

You can find out more about today's guest, Mike Martin, and all his books on his website SgtWindflowerMysteries.com. You can also find him on Twitter @mike54martin .

Click on any of the book covers to go to Mike's books on Amazon.

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher.

You can also click here to watch the interview on YouTube.

Transcription of Interview with Mike Martin

Alexandra: Hi, mystery readers. I'm Alexandra Amor. This is It's a Mystery Podcast, and I'm here today with Mike Martin. Hi, Mike.

Mike: Hi, Alexandra.

Alexandra: How are you doing today?

Mike: I am doing great. It's a beautiful sunny day in Ottawa.

Alexandra: Oh, good. Yes, it is here, too. Not too hot, so that's amazing. So, let me give our listeners an introduction to you.

Mike Martin is a long-time freelance writer and the author of the "Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series." The series is set in Newfoundland and features Cree, RCMP officer, Sgt. Winston Windflower who solves crime and discovers the natural beauty, food and culture of Newfoundland along the way.

The fifth and latest book in the series, "A Long Ways From Home" was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award, which every year recognizes the best light mystery in Canada. A new book in the series, "A Tangled Web" will be published in the fall of 2017. Now, if I got that right, has A Tangled Web just been published?

Mike: It will be out in September of this year.

Alexandra: September of 2017, okay. Very good. That's great.

Why don't you begin by telling us a bit about Sgt. Windflower? He sounds like a quite a unique character, he's a transplant from Alberta to Newfoundland and an Aboriginal man; he's Cree. Tell us a bit about him.

Mike: Sgt. Windflower is an interesting man, an interesting character. He came to me, as sometimes characters do, one of the creative ethers.

I discovered this out of the fog in Newfoundland, and in Grand Bank is a lighthouse that's often foggy near the White House.