Joel Nedecky chats to Paul Burke about his new noir novel THE BROKEN DETECTIVE, Jake Joelsen, Winnipeg, noir spirit, teaching, social critique and family.

THE BROKEN DETECTIVE Private investigator Jake Joelsen is going to prison for assaulting his sick mom's abusive boyfriend, but thanks to a suspended sentence, he has two weeks to earn as much money as possible so he can financially support his mom when he's inside. Enter Nia Rowe, who hires Jake to find her troubled sister, Sadie, a former member of a mega-church called Watershed Moments. Jake struggles to stay sober as he encounters old haunts he's never come to terms with, while trying to rescue Sadie from the grip of powerful people willing to do anything to protect their place on the highest rungs of society.

Joel Nedecky has always loved stories, yet most of his childhood was spent playing hockey. It wasn’t until university that he discovered a passion for all types of fiction. He is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, and his first novel, The Broken Detective, comes out in the fall of 2025 from Run Amok Crime.

Recommend: George Pelecanos, Dennis Lehane Cormac McCarthy The Road, Walter Mosley.

Paul Burke edits Aspects of Crime Magazine and writes for Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2025. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out 2026.

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