The novel “Brown Girl in the Ring” by Nalo Hopkinson is set in a near-future Toronto that has fallen into chaos and isolation.
It follows Ti-Jeanne, a young woman battling personal struggles while also forced to confront a dangerous world influenced by Caribbean folklore and magic. She discovers her own strength as she navigates a city ruled by crime lords and spirits.
The story blends elements of dystopia, tradition, and survival in a way that paints a vivid image of a transformed Toronto.
Margaret Atwood’s “The Edible Woman” tells the story of Marian MacAlpin, a young woman in 1960s Toronto who begins to feel disconnected from her life and the expectations placed on her.
As she prepares for her marriage to Peter, she grapples with a growing sense of unease that shows up in her inability to eat certain foods. The novel explores social pressures, identity, and personal freedom through sharp observations and moments of dark humor.
Toronto’s backdrop shapes Marian’s experiences, from the office where she works to the streets she wanders, creating a vivid sense of place.
Maureen Jennings wrote “Except the Dying,” a historical mystery set in Victorian Toronto. The story begins when a young maid’s body is discovered in the snow, and Detective William Murdoch is assigned to investigate.
As he unfolds the clues, he encounters class divisions, secrets, and shady relationships in the city’s society. The atmospheric details bring 19th-century Toronto to life, from its dim gaslight streets to the struggles of its working-class neighborhoods.
The book “The Incomparable Atuk” by Mordecai Richler follows Atuk, a poet from an Inuit community, who moves to Toronto and becomes a satirical lens on the absurdities of fame, culture, and city life.
Through sharp humor, the story highlights Atuk’s climb into the elite circles of Toronto, exposing the hypocrisies and flaws of those he encounters. It’s a biting and entertaining narrative that skewers urban pretensions with wit.
“The Robber Bride” by Margaret Atwood tells the story of three women—Roz, Charis, and Tony—whose lives have been manipulated by the same enigmatic and destructive woman, Zenia.
Each of them recalls how Zenia betrayed their trust, disrupted their lives, and impacted their relationships. The novel weaves their individual experiences with Zenia while exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, and power.
Set against a Toronto backdrop, the book moves between their past encounters and their present struggle to confront Zenia’s lingering influence.
“Adult Onset” by Ann-Marie MacDonald follows Mary Rose, a middle-aged woman living in Toronto, who is grappling with motherhood, her past, and her unraveling sense of self during a week spent caring for her two young children.
As she navigates daily challenges, memories of her childhood and the lingering scars of abuse resurface, forcing her to confront deeply buried pain while balancing the demands of her present life. The story explores family dynamics, identity, and the weight of unresolved trauma.
“Fifteen Dogs: An Apologue” by André Alexis begins with two gods, Hermes and Apollo, making a bet to see if animals would be happier than humans if they had human intelligence. They grant this gift to fifteen dogs at a Toronto veterinary clinic.
The story follows these dogs as they navigate their new reality, exploring how their lives change with the ability to reason, create, and question.
Set against the backdrop of Toronto, the book blends humor and sadness, tracing the fates of the dogs as they each adapt in their own way.
The “The Junction Chronicles” by David Rotenberg tells the story of a man named Decker Roberts, who has the unusual ability to discern when people are lying.
Living in Toronto’s Junction neighborhood, Decker’s skill draws interest from powerful corporate figures and government forces, putting him in constant danger.
The series blends the urban landscape of Toronto with suspenseful situations, creating a high-stakes world where truth becomes a dangerous thing to uncover.
Deborah Ellis wrote “Looking for X,” a story about Khyber, a young girl living in a tough Toronto neighborhood. She cares for her twin brothers who have autism and has a strong bond with her mom, who works as a dancer at a club.
When trouble strikes at school, Khyber sets out to find her friend X, a homeless woman. The book paints a vivid picture of Toronto through Khyber’s eyes, from the streets to the parks, capturing her world and her determination.
Gordon Korman’s “Losing Joe’s Place” is a humorous story about three teenage friends who spend the summer in Toronto while staying at Joe’s apartment. Joe is off on a trip, and the boys are left to navigate living on their own in the city.
From dealing with oddball neighbors to facing unexpected challenges, their summer is full of chaos and laughter. The book highlights friendship and independence, all set against the backdrop of Toronto’s vibrant urban life.
The novel “The Wives of Bath” by Susan Swan takes place at a girls’ boarding school in Toronto during the early 1960s. It follows Mouse Bradford, a shy teenager, and her intense friendship with her rebellious roommate, Paulie.
The story explores their bond, school life, and the secrets that emerge, creating tension and drama within the closed environment of the school.
Kelley Armstrong’s “Bitten” follows the story of Elena Michaels, the only female werewolf in existence, who struggles to balance life in Toronto with her secret identity.
When pack members call her back to their secluded territory to deal with a rogue threat, she must confront her past and the intense dynamics of her supernatural family. The book brings action, loyalty, and a touch of romance into a modern urban setting.
The book “Broken” by Kelley Armstrong follows Elena, the world’s only female werewolf, as she takes on a risky mission in Toronto. When she and her pack agree to retrieve a stolen artifact, chaos breaks loose as the artifact unleashes a deadly plague and summons zombies.
The story weaves through Toronto’s streets, blending supernatural threats with fast-paced action, while Elena struggles to protect her loved ones and her unborn child.
Eric Walters wrote “Elixir,” a novel about Ruth, a girl who spends time volunteering in a geriatric hospital. She gets involved in a conflict when the hospital plans to demolish a greenhouse on its property.
Ruth teams up with a patient who carries a mysterious past, uncovering secrets that connect to the greenhouse itself. The story brings Toronto to life through its setting and the connections between its characters.
“The Glass Hotel” by Emily St. John Mandel is a novel that weaves together the lives of its characters through themes of loss, choices, and the rippling effects of a financial crime.
It centers on Vincent, a bartender at a luxury hotel on Vancouver Island, and her brother Paul, whose actions connect them to a Ponzi scheme run by a wealthy financier.
The story moves through different settings, including Toronto, capturing moments where lives intersect and fortunes shift in unexpected ways.
The book “The Hidden Keys” by André Alexis follows Tancred Palmieri, a thief with a strong moral code, as he uncovers a puzzling treasure hunt. After meeting Willow, a wealthy addict, he learns of an inheritance divided into clues hidden across Toronto.
Tancred takes on the challenge, discovering secrets and unraveled truths about loyalty and greed along the way.
The book “The Unquiet Dead” by Ausma Zehanat Khan is a mystery novel set in Toronto and its surrounding areas. It follows Inspector Esa Khattak and Sergeant Rachel Getty as they investigate the death of a man who had fallen from a cliff.
What starts as a routine case turns into something far darker when they uncover the victim’s hidden connection to the Bosnian genocide. Through their investigation, the story weaves in history, secrets, and the lasting effects of trauma.
“Amnesia” by Douglas Anthony Cooper is a dark and haunting story about a man unraveling the secrets of his past after his sister’s death. As he navigates through Toronto, his memories, relationships, and sense of reality are called into question.
The city itself becomes a vivid backdrop to his fractured psyche, adding a layer of unease to the narrative.
The book “Blood Price” by Tanya Huff follows Vicki Nelson, a former cop-turned-private investigator who is dragged into a case involving a string of bizarre murders in Toronto.
Teaming up with Henry Fitzroy, a vampire and the secret son of Henry VIII, Vicki finds herself caught between the supernatural and her old life on the force. The story adds layers of mystery as they uncover dark forces lurking in the city.
Robert J. Sawyer’s “Calculating God” is a science fiction novel where an alien named Hollus lands in Toronto and asks to speak to a paleontologist at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Hollus claims to have proof of God’s existence, and their conversations explore questions about science, faith, and the universe. The story weaves philosophical debates with glimpses into the alien’s perspective, all set against the backdrop of Toronto landmarks.
“The Cunning Man” by Robertson Davies follows the life of Dr. Jonathan Hullah, a physician in Toronto with a knack for understanding the deeper connections between physical illness and spiritual health.
Through a series of reflections and anecdotes, he examines his relationships, his patients, and the mysteries surrounding a priest’s sudden death during a Good Friday service.
The story explores the interplay of medicine, art, and the human experience, all set against the backdrop of Toronto.
“Gabriel’s Inferno” by Sylvain Reynard is a romance that follows Gabriel Emerson, a university professor with a complicated past, and Julia Mitchell, a shy graduate student with her own secrets.
Their connection grows through shared knowledge of Dante and themes of redemption, love, and forgiveness. Set in part in Toronto, the city provides a backdrop for some of their most poignant and emotional moments.
The novel “King Leary” by Paul Quarrington tells the story of Percival Leary, a former hockey star reflecting on his life as he journeys to Toronto for a ginger ale commercial.
Through Leary’s memories, the book explores his rise to fame, the friendships and rivalries that shaped him, and the personal costs of his success. Set partly in Toronto, it captures moments of the city’s past while weaving humor and nostalgia into Leary’s larger-than-life tale.
Ken Dryden’s “The Moved and the Shaken” follows a middle-aged man named Murray MacArthur as he navigates his life in Toronto. Murray, a teacher with a deep love for hockey, finds his sense of purpose shifting when his career takes unexpected turns.
The story captures the energy of the city, showing Toronto as a backdrop to Murray’s personal struggles and his reflections on belonging and identity.
Robertson Davies wrote “The Rebel Angels,” a novel that follows a group of characters connected to a university in Toronto. The story focuses on scholars, their personal and academic conflicts, and the mysterious legacy of a monk.
It weaves themes of love, ambition, and betrayal, all told with Davies’ sharp wit and insight into human nature.
“Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel begins with a famous actor collapsing during a performance of King Lear. The story moves between a world shattered by a flu pandemic and life in its aftermath.
It follows a group of traveling performers who bring art to scattered survivors, touching on themes of memory, loss, and persistence. The connections between characters, both before and after the collapse, form the heart of the narrative.
The novel captures life’s fragility and the ways people hold on to what matters.
The novel “Through Black Spruce” by Joseph Boyden weaves together the lives of a Cree bush pilot named Will Bird and his niece, Annie.
Will lies comatose in a hospital bed, reflecting on his life, while Annie narrates her search for her missing sister, Suzanne, who had disappeared into the Toronto modeling scene.
The story moves between their perspectives, showing the tension between modern city life and the traditions of the Cree community.