The Crimes of Hector Tomás: Reviews

“This ambitious and riveting novel grips the reader from the first page and doesn’t let go until its chilling ending. Combining precise detail with sweeping statements of sharp insight, the author has written both a spellbinding story and an unsettling exploration of dark human truths. This is a masterful work of great imagination, and it has been well served by the publisher’s bold cover design and extensive publicity plans.” — Jury for the Alberta Trade Fiction Book of the Year

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“The Crimes of Hector Tomás is a powerful examination of the lengths people will go to survive under a repressive regime.” — Quill and Quire

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“Using precise and engaging language, the book examines the implications of physical and psychological subjugation in the lives of several characters… an admirable demonstration of authorial restraint. The prose is detailed, yet spare and subtle — allowing graphic and frequently disturbing events to imprint upon each reader based upon his or her own scruples and worldview.” — The Winnipeg Review

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“Reading this remarkable novel is an act of witnessing. Colford has accomplished the seemingly impossible.” — The Chronicle Herald

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“Colford paints a vivid portrait of a once grand but decaying city and of the family that mirrors the same fate… the novel is both ambitious and successful.” — Atlantic Books Today

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“Awesome Canadian Literature in Our Own Back Yard, Part II,” Calgary is Awesome, November 16, 2012.

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“The Crimes of Hector Tomás brims over with confident momentum; not a word or a scene arguably feels out of place.” — National Post

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“Halifax-based author Ian Colford explores the dark side of human nature in his novel, The Crimes of Hector Tomás. He brings the reader into the minds of the most malevolent in society. . . The Crimes of Hector Tomás is a harrowing read for the graphic scenes of violence, but the vivid yet sparse use of language and strong characters make it worth the effort. There are many other minor, yet fully formed characters that keep the reader engaged throughout. The suspense lies in waiting to see whose survival mechanisms will prevail in a place where justice is meted out via retribution and bloodshed.” — Freefall Magazine