One of CBC Books' Canadian books you should be reading in May 2025
Included in the Quill & Quire 2025 Spring Preview
"A book with bite. Thought-provoking Quebec eco-thrillerlinks biological weapons, spike in violence." Keith Cadieux, The Free Press
"Horsefly moves at a brisk pace as it jumps from scene to scene, but it never feels rushed. Instead its a tight story where the tension starts simmering early and constantly threatens to boil overinto violence or sex, into something where blood is spilled." Roz Milner, Ancillary Review of Books
Horsefly is a short but punchy horror story that flips back and forth between WWII, when biological testing was conducted on an island in the St. Lawrence River, and today, when a brutal heatwave releases swarms of horseflies in a small Québec town near the river. The chapters set in current times are prefaced by brief, increasingly creepy musings of one horsefly. The final chapter is written by a newly born horsefly, in 2028. Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company
Mireille Gagnés Horsefly is eco-horror and historical fiction drowned in an oily pool of anthrax-laced Weird. The story is told from three temporally distinct perspectives: an entomologist in 1942 looking for the perfect carrier for biological weaponry for the Allied military, an apathetic factory worker during a heat wave (and potential epidemic) in 2024, and an extremelythirsty horsefly. As past and present move inexorably toward each other, the horseflies swarm, and each page brings the reader closer to both understanding and collapse. Charlie, Fountain Books
Historical mystery meets dystopian drama in this fast-paced, bizarre tale. We follow Thomas, an entomologist in the 1940s studying biological weaponry; Theodore, a factory worker in present day Canada experiencing strange effects of climate change; and a horsefly, sensuous and single minded in her pursuit of blood. This trifecta makes for a thrilling book about nature and humanity. Andrew, CoffeeTree Books
"An all too real possibility. We are careless as a species and this book plays into that flaw in a definitive way. Well written and self conscious, this novel does well to show the consequences humans bring upon themselves as a result of rash decisions. The characters are well written and feel real, like products of their times. Everything has its purpose, including the creepy housefly that is so significant to the story. This novel is a foreboding and unsettling warning, if not promise, of what is likely to come as a result of our meddling. Definitely a recommended read. Semicolon Bookstore
"Existing at the nexus between entomology and biowarfare, horsefly is the story of experimentation gone wrong, and of the experiment itself coming to understand who is to blame. Horsefly is prescient eco-horror at its finest." Brian Evenson, Good Night, Sleep Tight
". . . plot lines circle each other, the sense of danger will not be swatted away, and when the bite comes, it stings more than youd expect. Amanda Perry, Literary Review of Canada
Inspired by historical facts, Mireille Gagnés new novel, Frappabord, at times takes on the appearance of a waking nightmare. Terribly disturbing, but furiously captivating. La Presse
It strikes a perfect balance between past and present, and even includes clever little chapters that present the point of view of the hated insect. The plot is rather clear and can be devoured in one go. LActualité
From the first lines, we are fascinated. The ecological threat has been lurking for decades, and whats more, it is told from the point of view of the species that we sought to transform. Disturbing! Journal de Québec
Mireille Gagné has her own way of giving a voice to the nature that surrounds us, of illustrating its power as well as its richness And Horsefly does not seem to deviate from this line. With almost an action film feel, the novel promises to remind readers that we must listen to what the living is trying to say: balance is a state to be regained. Le soleil
What an excellent novel! These three voices speak to us, each in turn. This slightly tense, slightly mysterious atmosphere. And above all this reflection of the relationship that man has with nature, this idea that man thinks he can control everything. Mireille is very gifted at making a very animal text, very close to the animal she depicts. I loved it. Librairie LHumeur Vagabonde, Paris
A great voice of Quebec literature, Mireille Gagné once again demonstrates invention! Claudia Larochelle, Dessine-moi un matin, Ici Radio-Canada Première
