Dundurn is pleased to announce that Catherine Macdonald’s Put on the Armour of Light has won the Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction, part of the Manitoba Book Awards. The winner was announced at a reception at the Ambassador Ballroom, Radisson Hotel, at 7pm April 30th in Winnipeg.

Set in 1899 Winnipeg, Put on the Armour of Light tells the story of young Reverend Charles Lauchlan, an energetic minister of a new Presbyterian church, who must help an old friend accused of murder. With the help of a Métis policeman, Sergeant Andrew Setter, Charles uses his pastoral skills, and some other skills not taught at the seminary, to solve the crime.

The book received strong reviews upon its release, with The Winnipeg Review stating, “the strength of Macdonald’s novel is in the social milieu…if you like murder mysteries, you’ll have a fine time with [Put on the Armour of Light]” as well the Historical Novel Society deeming it “a book well worth reading.”

Catherine Macdonald worked as an archivist and completed an M.A. in western Canadian history, then opened a consulting business to market her historical skills. She built a career on painstaking research and excellent writing that garnered awards. And then one morning she woke up with an idea for a mystery. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Michael Van Rooy Award for Genre Fiction is awarded to the book by a Manitoba writer that is judged the best book of genre fiction written in English and published within a two year period.

Congratulations, Catherine!