Glaston Town, a gritty neighbourhood in a corner of London, is home to a cast of motley characters. Immigrants and old-timers, criminals and constables, clergymen and crack addicts, students and shopkeepers, pimps and politicians all live more or less together. Most compelling is Jack Corbyn, a brilliant teenager who would rather count bricks and screws than chase girls. As he matures he becomes an unlikely Glaston Town hero, but his relationship with childhood mate Bee O'Neall is troubled when a wealthy woman who hires her as a companion plucks her out of poverty. Seeking romantic advice, Jack turns to an unlikely mentor, the local prostitute Leila Pain. Just as things seem to be going better for Jack, a brutal murder shocks the neighbourhood. Newly minted Detective Constable Sharon Tyllor is called in to assist in the investigation, but as an outsider she finds that nobody is talking-and that everyone, it seems, has a motive for this particular crime.
With an introduction by Tony Goldenberg, on the back cover.
What reviewers say about Glaston Town:
"Life, Love, and Murder in a Corner of London. A project of Dickensian sweep...in just the way Dickens might do it now." Nate Briggs, Kindle Book Review
"In La Frenière's debut thriller, the savage murder of a local citizen threatens a close-knit community in a small London village.The novel is split in three separate parts, each in a distinctive genre...A trio of stories that stand out individually but, like the Glaston Town residents, are much stronger as a whole." Kirkus Review
"A complex and rewarding novel...A murder mystery that feels tragically real." Jon Thum, author
"A long overdue novel from a master storyteller!" Patricia Sands, author
"You'll find echoes of the author's life and experiences in the words, and you'll find yourself immersed in a compelling mystery that you'll never forget." Rebecca McNutt, author
"Glaston Town, the gritty debut novel by Céline La Frenière has many bleak moments of poverty and despair, but the prevailing theme is the sense of community that emerges in the darkest of times." Jane Clinton, Camden New Journal

About the Author: Céline grew up in a crowded tenement in Montreal. Her neighbourhood may have been in a rough area, but the sense of community was very strong. At the age of 16, her life suddenly took an unexpected turn. Her charming but elusive father, a small-time gambler, got into trouble and had to relocate the family to a remote place in the far north of British Columbia in Canada, 3,000 miles away. During the long train ride that took her across the country to her new fate, Céline had plenty of time to reflect. Overnight, her academic ambitions were dashed. After losing her home, her friends, her French language and culture, she had to start all over again. This involved learning a new language, English, and reluctantly adapting to a wholly different way of life. Her sense of isolation first inspired her to write. And yet this was only the start of her travelling experiences and resettlement. She has since lived and worked as a scriptwriter in Vancouver, Los Angeles and London and travelled far and wide.
In her early career, Céline had a wonderful time in the film industry, both in Vancouver and Los Angeles. First, working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, then moving to feature films in Hollywood. Among the screenplays she wrote, City on Fire, a so-called disaster movie, which starred Ava Gardner, Henry Fonda, Leslie Nielsen, Shelley Winters and Susan Clark, and an adaptation of Gerold Frank's novel Judy. The latter brought her to the attention of film director Ronald Neame, who directed Garland in her last picture I could go on singing. Neame and La Frenière formed a production company and developed several screen projects together. Among them, a British romantic comedy entitled Foreign Body, which starred Victor Banerjee, Trevor Howard, Warren Mitchell, Geraldine McEwan, Denis Quilley, Amanda Donohoe, Anna Massey and Stratford John, and which she adapted for the screen. Those were exciting times, travelling from film sets, to premieres and festivals.
Much as she appreciated her years in Hollywood, Céline does not miss the glamour. She now resides in North London with her partner, Peter. Glaston Town is her debut novel.
She is currently writing another novel. This time, the action takes place in Québec in the late nineteen sixties, a time of upheaval and unrest.
For more information please see https: //sites.google.com/site/glastontown1/