Twelve Years and Counting

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It’s hard to believe, but come July 2026 it will be 12 years since I signed a contract to publish my debut novel. Traditional publishing can be slow, and it was a full year (July 2015) when The Hanged Man’s Noose was released by Mystery Writer of America-approved publisher Barking Rain Press. If you had told me then that a dozen years later I’d have two mystery series (seven novels), my own publishing imprint (Superior Shores Press) with five multi-author anthologies (two award-nominated as best collection), two books on publishing (one a double award winner!) and a handful of published short stories, I never would have believed it. But here I am, working on my first true crime, and another first, working with a co-author.

If you missed my post about A FATAL AFFAIR: THE MURDER OF HELEN GRIER you can find it here.

For someone, like me, who tends to be a bit of a control freak (which is why self-publishing has been so good for me), and who, over the years, has not shared what I’ve written with anyone but my editor until after the book is published, the co-author thing has been a learning experience. But we’re managing, Amanda Capper and I, even though (as evidenced by this photo collage of our offices) we have very different writing styles and habits.

Of course, twelve years changes a person, and I’m no exception. It goes beyond going back to my natural color (now mostly gray with a bit of brown),  gaining a few pounds (where did my metabolism go?), or accepting that I can no longer juggle three projects at the same time. I’ve also come to accept that I’m unlikely to ever earn what I like to call “Stephen King money” and it’s doubtful that Reese Witherspoon will ever select one of my books for Reese’s Book Club (though hope does spring eternal). What hasn’t changed is my belief in me, my stories, and the power of authors helping authors. That’s why I love being on the Stiletto Gang; collectively, we are stronger, more visible. United in our pursuit of writing the best book or story we can, and sharing it in whatever way works for each of us as individuals.

Twelve years has also changed the publishing landscape.

Self-publishing no longer carries the stigma it once did (at least in most circles) and there are far more independent publishers today than back in 2015. That’s both good and bad. Good because authors have lots of options. Bad because many authors will self-publish books that just aren’t ready, unwilling to take the time, or spend the money required, for good editing. Many small presses will also close shop in the next five years, leaving a host of authors “orphaned.” I know all about that. If you’ve read either of my books on publishing, you’ll know that it happened to me, not once, but twice. But, hey, as Elton John would say, “I’m Still Standing.”

The Past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada and a former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the multiple award-winning author of seven bestselling mystery novels, two books on publishing, and several short stories. She is also the editor/publisher of five Superior Shores Anthologies, including the 2025  Derringer- and Silver Falchion- nominated Larceny & Last Chances and the 2026 Derringer-nominated Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com

 

A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier [Part I]

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I first read about Helen Grier in September 2022, when my local online paper, the SooToday.com, ran a two-part article about her unsolved murder. As the author of two mystery series and seven novels, my first thought was “Here’s a possible idea for my next Marketville mystery.” (My Marketville mysteries are what I like to consider “Cold Case Cozies.”) I printed the article, stuck it inside a folder and more or less forgot about it while I researched, wrote, and published Finding YOUR Path to Publication, followed by Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie in 2023.

I say “more or less forgot about it” because every now and again I’d hunt through old newspaper archives to learn a bit more about Helen Grier. And with every thing I read, I knew one thing: Helen Grier’s story deserved to be told. And it deserved to be told as fact, not fiction. I just didn’t know how I was going to do it.

And then I met Amanda Capper, another Sault Ste. Marie author. Turned out she’d been wanting to write about Helen Grier for more than a decade. In fact, she even knew the current owner of the hunt camp where Helen Grier was murdered. We applied for Ontario Arts Council funding (to assist with research and other expenses) and were approved in October 2025. A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier, will be published on October 28, 2026, the 89th anniversary of Helen’s death.

Here’s a brief recap:

Helen Grier was a 28-year-old stenographer from Pontiac, Michigan. At the time of her death, she had been seeing 40-year-old Vernon Spencer, a married father of two. Spencer, a former professional baseball player (albeit mostly in the minor leagues), had inherited his father’s dairy farm in Wixom, Michigan, and ran the day-to-day operations. By all accounts, Grier and Spencer had been having an affair for five or six years.

In October 1937, Helen and Vernon arrived in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, and registered at a local hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Sprague. The following day they made their way to a hunting cabin on Long Lake, about 45 minutes away by car. The cabin was owned by a Dr. A.A. Holcomb of Pontiac, Michigan.

On the afternoon of October 28, 1937, Spencer, having purportedly been out looking for moose tracks, entered the cabin to discover Helen’s body lying in a pool of blood. She had been shot in her left temple. According to Spencer, he immediately went to the nearest neighbour in search of a phone. The three-mile trek, which typically took less than an hour, took Spencer four. He would later tell police that he had experienced trouble with his flashlight, missed the trail, and gotten lost in the bush.

There’s a lot more to the story, as you can guess, though the bottom line is that in January 1938, Vernon Spencer was charged with the murder of Helen Grier. His trial was held in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, in April 1938. After a scant three-hour deliberation, Vernon Spencer was acquitted of all charges, and returned to his dairy farm in Wixom, his wife by his side.

Some believe Vernon Spencer got away with murder. Others believe Helen, with a history of depression, may have taken her own life. Still others think one of the “bachelors” (single men in the area, in search of logging work) may have been responsible.

Amanda’s opinion on whodunit and mine differ. But what we think doesn’t matter. Our job is to research historical archives, present the facts we discover without bias, and let the reader be the judge.

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The past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of seven mystery novels, five anthologies, and two award-winning books on publishing, including Finding YOUR Path to Publication and Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.