Cyclist Down: Mariner’s Story 1 (Mariner’s Story)

Bill Freeman, an award-winning author of books, plays and film scripts, is the creator of the eight police procedurals in the Mariner’s Story series.

Every book has a complicated and long lineage, and that is certainly true of this series. As a young man Bill worked as a probation officer. This experience helped him understand the world of police officers, the courts and those who have fallen afoul of the law, from young adults to professional criminals.

Another major influence that shaped the series has been the daily reports on crime that appear in the media. Several of the books in Mariner’s Story were inspired by news stories, including those dealing with police corruption, street gangs, organized crime and the tragic increase in drug addiction that has claimed the lives of so many.

The books in Mariner’s Story are not organized into chapters. Rather, the action moves from scene to scene—some short, others longer—much the way a feature film is structured. It is not how we experience our lives, but this is story-telling, and pacing the story is one of the things that Freeman has mastered.

The books have a gritty sense of reality. These are not like the fantasies of Agatha Christie novels set in the upper-class English social environment. They explore the real world of police, criminals and victims. Sometimes there is an ugly side to police operations: criminals have little regard for their victims; drug addicts suffer; and the politicians, police officers and the public are disturbed, even overwhelmed by the consequences.

It is no accident that Freeman writes about these types of things. In all of his work he sets out to describe the real world, not some fantasy. Often it is unsettling to read about people and events like this, but he believes it is important to face the truth of the human experience.

Bill started his career as an author writing historical fiction for young people. He is best known in Canada as the writer of the Bains Series set in the 1870s. These books also have a realistic quality about them. The major characters are children who have to go out to work at a young age. They face hardship, danger and conflict, but they learn to survive. These books have become classics of Canadian fiction for young adults and have won critical success and many awards.

For descriptions of Bill’s novels, nonfiction books, documentary films, educational videos and plays, visit his website: www.billfreeman.ca.