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Eddie Dougherty Mystery #2
A Little More Free
Constable Eddie Dougherty returns in this gripping police procedural
Montreal, Labour Day weekend, 1972. The city is getting ready to host the first game in the legendary Summit Series between Canada and the USSR. Three men set fire to a nightclub and Constable Eddie Dougherty witnesses the deaths of 37 people. The Museum of Fine Arts is robbed and two million dollars’ worth of paintings are stolen. Against the backdrop of these historic events, Dougherty discovers the body of a murdered young man on Mount Royal. As he tries to prove he has the stuff to become a detective, he is drawn into the world of American draft dodgers and deserters, class politics, and organized crime.
A Little More Free, the second Eddie Dougherty mystery, presents a portrait of a city and an officer trying to find out where they stand in a divisive and rapidly changing world.
Montreal, Labour Day weekend, 1972. The city is getting ready to host the first game in the legendary Summit Series between Canada and the USSR. Three men set fire to a nightclub and Constable Eddie Dougherty witnesses the deaths of 37 people. The Museum of Fine Arts is robbed and two million dollars’ worth of paintings are stolen. Against the backdrop of these historic events, Dougherty discovers the body of a murdered young man on Mount Royal. As he tries to prove he has the stuff to become a detective, he is drawn into the world of American draft dodgers and deserters, class politics, and organized crime.
A Little More Free, the second Eddie Dougherty mystery, presents a portrait of a city and an officer trying to find out where they stand in a divisive and rapidly changing world.
328 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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540 people want to read
About the author
John McFetridge
31 books136 followersOn the back of my books it says:
John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, became fascinated with crime when attending a murder trial at age twelve with his police officer brother. McFetridge has co-written a short story collection, Below the Line. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.
John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, became fascinated with crime when attending a murder trial at age twelve with his police officer brother. McFetridge has co-written a short story collection, Below the Line. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 2, 2023
“Seeing people spilling out of the bars, he realized that the whole city was likely going to shut down for the final game.”
Eddie Dougherty is a constable in the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal. As a man with a French mother and an English father, his life and his thinking sits astride that tall, near impermeable fence dividing what Hugh MacLennan labeled as THE TWO SOLITUDES. As a young man whose beliefs are a product of their times, his upbringing and his work environment, it is hardly surprising that he doesn’t really understand the growing gay community in his city. Nor does he hold any respect for the rising tide of peaceniks, protesters, draft dodgers, deserters and conscientious objectors fleeing the militant environment in the USA, weary with its participation in the interminable Vietnam War.
On the eve of the legendary “Summit Series”, the hockey showdown between Canada’s finest and the USSR that would electrify and all but paralyze an entire nation, a gay man is bludgeoned to death for no apparent reason. The same night, a country and western night club filled with patrons is torched and 37 young people meet their maker. Later that week, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is relieved of over $2 million of its most treasured art. Eddie Dougherty finds himself and his aspirations to a career as a detective adrift in a turbulent sea awash with class politics and “fag-bashers”, American Vietnam War politics and organized crime.
If a reader is forced to categorize A LITTLE MORE FREE by genre, the probable choice would be “police procedural”. But, for my money, it was much more a vibrant re-creation of the city of Montreal in the 70s that used a week in the life of a young detective as a canvas on which an exciting historical, sociological and anthropological portrait of French Canada could be created.
And, make no mistake, McFetridge’s detailed and unerringly accurate brush strokes brilliantly brought that canvas to realistic and gritty life – the first whiff of the politics of Quebec separation; free sex unburdened by fears of STDs or AIDS; smoking in hospital waiting rooms and restaurants; 60s and 70s protest rock music; the release of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung; the murder of Israeli athletes held hostage at the 1972 Olympics in Munich; Trudeaumania and the re-election of Nixon before his ultimate resignation after the Watergate scandal; and, of course, Paul Henderson’s never-to-be-forgotten series winning goal in the last 34 seconds of the final game of the series in Moscow.
Those looking for a somewhat more traditional mystery or procedural novel may be disappointed. But if realism is your bag and you’re interested in what French Canada felt like in the latter part of the 20th century, then you’ll likely find A LITTLE MORE FREE as captivating as I did. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Eddie Dougherty is a constable in the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal. As a man with a French mother and an English father, his life and his thinking sits astride that tall, near impermeable fence dividing what Hugh MacLennan labeled as THE TWO SOLITUDES. As a young man whose beliefs are a product of their times, his upbringing and his work environment, it is hardly surprising that he doesn’t really understand the growing gay community in his city. Nor does he hold any respect for the rising tide of peaceniks, protesters, draft dodgers, deserters and conscientious objectors fleeing the militant environment in the USA, weary with its participation in the interminable Vietnam War.
On the eve of the legendary “Summit Series”, the hockey showdown between Canada’s finest and the USSR that would electrify and all but paralyze an entire nation, a gay man is bludgeoned to death for no apparent reason. The same night, a country and western night club filled with patrons is torched and 37 young people meet their maker. Later that week, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is relieved of over $2 million of its most treasured art. Eddie Dougherty finds himself and his aspirations to a career as a detective adrift in a turbulent sea awash with class politics and “fag-bashers”, American Vietnam War politics and organized crime.
If a reader is forced to categorize A LITTLE MORE FREE by genre, the probable choice would be “police procedural”. But, for my money, it was much more a vibrant re-creation of the city of Montreal in the 70s that used a week in the life of a young detective as a canvas on which an exciting historical, sociological and anthropological portrait of French Canada could be created.
And, make no mistake, McFetridge’s detailed and unerringly accurate brush strokes brilliantly brought that canvas to realistic and gritty life – the first whiff of the politics of Quebec separation; free sex unburdened by fears of STDs or AIDS; smoking in hospital waiting rooms and restaurants; 60s and 70s protest rock music; the release of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung; the murder of Israeli athletes held hostage at the 1972 Olympics in Munich; Trudeaumania and the re-election of Nixon before his ultimate resignation after the Watergate scandal; and, of course, Paul Henderson’s never-to-be-forgotten series winning goal in the last 34 seconds of the final game of the series in Moscow.
Those looking for a somewhat more traditional mystery or procedural novel may be disappointed. But if realism is your bag and you’re interested in what French Canada felt like in the latter part of the 20th century, then you’ll likely find A LITTLE MORE FREE as captivating as I did. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
July 30, 2015
John McFetridge is the unsung hero of Canadian crime fiction. His Toronto novels, including Dirty Sweet and Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, offered smooth Elmore Leonard-inspired prose, and characters with a workmanlike (and workwomanlike) approach to crime and crime fighting. His new Montreal series, Black Rock and A Little Less Free, follow the career of Eddie Dougherty, a rookie officer working the divide between Anglo and French Montreal. Black Rock takes place during the FLQ bombings. Dougherty has a street's eye view of the panic and commotion of a city under terrorist siege.
A Little More Free finds Dougherty a few years removed from the bombings, his career stalled, struggling to understand both the protest culture and the government's response to it. He's first on the scene to the murder of a young American draft dodger, who has connections to protestors, to criminals, and to the city's elite.
Since Dougherty is a beat cop, we not only follow the main case, but also witness other crimes, from art theft to arson. Some of these are based on real events, such as a nightclub fire that claimed thirty-seven lives. The novel is backgrounded by the Canada-USSR hockey exhibition, which goes much rougher than the Canadians expect, highlighting how little we know about the people we're told are the enemy.
Dougherty becomes involved with student activist Judy McIntyre, and while there's tension between Eddie's straight-laced working class take on society and Judy's political crusade, the more fundamental struggle is within them. As Judy says, "Democracy's hard and it's boring. And slow." It's a world where people are starting to substitute the self for the community, personal status and wealth for equality.
And this might be the point McFetridge is making about how the civil rights movement dispersed into self-actualization and self-interest, how the protests stalled out, how a generation that fought for peace and the rights of African-Americans could fail to get behind other causes--gay rights, for instance.
Montreal is a fascinating city. The seventies are a fascinating time. John McFetridge’s Dougherty series are the best Montreal crime novels since Trevanian’s The Main, offering engrossing crime stories with social commentary--about today, about Canada, about us. A Little More Free is a captivating read, and the Dougherty series might be the best work of McFetridge's career.
A Little More Free finds Dougherty a few years removed from the bombings, his career stalled, struggling to understand both the protest culture and the government's response to it. He's first on the scene to the murder of a young American draft dodger, who has connections to protestors, to criminals, and to the city's elite.
Since Dougherty is a beat cop, we not only follow the main case, but also witness other crimes, from art theft to arson. Some of these are based on real events, such as a nightclub fire that claimed thirty-seven lives. The novel is backgrounded by the Canada-USSR hockey exhibition, which goes much rougher than the Canadians expect, highlighting how little we know about the people we're told are the enemy.
Dougherty becomes involved with student activist Judy McIntyre, and while there's tension between Eddie's straight-laced working class take on society and Judy's political crusade, the more fundamental struggle is within them. As Judy says, "Democracy's hard and it's boring. And slow." It's a world where people are starting to substitute the self for the community, personal status and wealth for equality.
And this might be the point McFetridge is making about how the civil rights movement dispersed into self-actualization and self-interest, how the protests stalled out, how a generation that fought for peace and the rights of African-Americans could fail to get behind other causes--gay rights, for instance.
Montreal is a fascinating city. The seventies are a fascinating time. John McFetridge’s Dougherty series are the best Montreal crime novels since Trevanian’s The Main, offering engrossing crime stories with social commentary--about today, about Canada, about us. A Little More Free is a captivating read, and the Dougherty series might be the best work of McFetridge's career.
December 25, 2015
This is one of McFetridge's best. Believable characters and a great recreation of Montreal in the early seventies. A must read for mystery fans.
April 2, 2016
A Little More Free is the second outing for Constable Eddie Dougherty, an anglophone cop working in the largely francophone city of Montreal. The story has two real strengths. The first is Dougherty who is a fairly ordinary cop from a working class background who’s likeable and dogged. The second is the historical contextualisation and sense of place – McFetridge places the reader in the city during the famous Canadian-Soviet ice hockey series and the tail end of the Vietnam war. While the tale has three central cases - the mass murder of thirty seven people, a major heist, and the murder of an army deserter – the telling is somewhat low-key, focusing on the mundane, everyday grinding out of an investigation. The result is an engaging story that spits and sizzles rather than boils and explodes. It’s an interesting tactic, but one that works well, imbuing the tale with a sense of realism and drawing the reader into Dougherty’s world. I’ll certainly be reading the next in the series, One or the Other.
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November 19, 2025I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you.
Apparently, I had tried to read book 1 and didn't like it.
I think I remember giving this book away years ago.
Since I didn't read this book, there will not be a rating.
December 31, 2015
Low key, enjoyable though it didn't hold me spellbound. I think what I liked most was McFettridge's description of Montreal in the early 1970s. It brought back a lot of memories. One definite annoyance: there were many, many mistakes in the bits and pieces of French dialogue. McFettridge thanks someone for looking over his "poor" French, but he definitely needs more help than what he got.
December 9, 2015
Love that Eddie Dougherty. My full review is HERE.
June 9, 2020
I enjoyed this book It was an interesting look back at the 70's and the epic hockey games, used as a background in the story line. Being from Ontario, having relatives in the Montreal area, and having taken french in school, it was not to hard to follow the french of this book. However, not having this background might make it hard for anyone outside of this area of knowledge, to grasp the use of french. The extensive use of street locations got very annoying after a while. I don't think it was necessary, or maybe it could have been turned around a little in the writing to become more of the story rather then just facts. The directions seemed to interrupt the flow of the writing.
August 17, 2018
This police procedural set in the 1970s in Montreal has an impressive tone. The lead character, Eddie Dougherty, is the voice not only of the cross over between French and English In Canada or between young and experienced police officers but also that cultural cross over as the voices of the marginalised - the Vietnam war protesters, people pushing for women's rights and gay rights - start to make themselves felt and accepted. It's a well written piece of fictional history - and a good murder mystery to boot.
February 14, 2020
Another good one. Dated to the time of the big hockey match between the Canadians and Soviet teams when Henderson scored the winning goal (1972). Eddie’s case revolves around a deserter from the Viet-Nam war. Should have read the series in order but I read them close enough together that this one fills in the blanks for me. I like how McFetridge illustrates the divide between the two solitudes in Montreal.
July 4, 2020
Perhaps 3.5. A good plot set in Montreal in the 70s, Vietnam War draft dodgers from the USA. drug dealing, the various cause of the 70s protect our heritage, anti war. Was not overly impressed with the writing style. Too dragged out sadly.
December 30, 2022
Good story set in MTL back in 1972, many name and place references that made it very familiar to me, an ex MTLer. Story was a bit lite but definitely worth the read, and I have started the third and final book in the series.
September 28, 2025
This is a really good series. Once again, there was a reference to Two Solitudes. I really appreciate how the book talks about Montreal’s division and cultures and geography (in the midst of a police procedural).
Too bad there is only one more in the series!
Too bad there is only one more in the series!
July 24, 2023
Less interesting than #1.
March 27, 2017
A fire in a night club (arson) on the labour day weekend in 1972 in Montreal leaves 37 dead. Eddie Dougherty is involved in the the search for the 3 men responsible for setting the fire. David Murray turns up dead on a staircase, and Eddie looks into his involvement in the drug scene, the war resisters scene, and Murray's gay lifestyle. The theft of some art from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is also tied up in the drug world.
I like the slow pace of this series. Eddie is a "regular constable" with aspirations of becoming a detective. The daily routines of being a police officer are described quite well. In the "background" is the Summit hockey series between the Soviets and the Canadians. I like that cases are solved without a huge fuss of any kind, and some cases are not completely "sewn up".
I like the slow pace of this series. Eddie is a "regular constable" with aspirations of becoming a detective. The daily routines of being a police officer are described quite well. In the "background" is the Summit hockey series between the Soviets and the Canadians. I like that cases are solved without a huge fuss of any kind, and some cases are not completely "sewn up".
December 24, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Montreal, Labour Day weekend, 1972. The city is getting ready to host the first game in the legendary Summit Series between Canada and the USSR. Three men set fire to a nightclub and Constable Eddie Dougherty witnesses the deaths of 37 people. The Museum of Fine Arts is robbed and two million dollars’ worth of paintings are stolen. Against the backdrop of these historic events, Dougherty discovers the body of a murdered young man on Mount Royal. As he tries to prove he has the stuff to become a detective, he is drawn into the world of American draft dodgers and deserters, class politics, and organized crime.
This book was a bit hit-and-miss for me.
The good things first: As someone who has recently married a Canadian, I am always on the lookout for books regarding Canada and its history so, when I saw the blurb for this one, I just couldn't resist. And I was very pleased because it drew me a picture of Montreal during the early 1970's that I would otherwise not know. The setting and storytelling were great - and the references to other historical events gave me something to go on with regarding my love of Canada.
The part that let me down was the French - others have said that the dialogue was choppy and seemed to come from Google Translate - for me, I don't speak French at all so i was on the back foot and felt disconnected from the dialogue at times. And that disconnects me from the story.
Otherwise, this was a very good crime mystery novel and I hope that I soon learn enough French to read another!
Paul
ARH
Montreal, Labour Day weekend, 1972. The city is getting ready to host the first game in the legendary Summit Series between Canada and the USSR. Three men set fire to a nightclub and Constable Eddie Dougherty witnesses the deaths of 37 people. The Museum of Fine Arts is robbed and two million dollars’ worth of paintings are stolen. Against the backdrop of these historic events, Dougherty discovers the body of a murdered young man on Mount Royal. As he tries to prove he has the stuff to become a detective, he is drawn into the world of American draft dodgers and deserters, class politics, and organized crime.
This book was a bit hit-and-miss for me.
The good things first: As someone who has recently married a Canadian, I am always on the lookout for books regarding Canada and its history so, when I saw the blurb for this one, I just couldn't resist. And I was very pleased because it drew me a picture of Montreal during the early 1970's that I would otherwise not know. The setting and storytelling were great - and the references to other historical events gave me something to go on with regarding my love of Canada.
The part that let me down was the French - others have said that the dialogue was choppy and seemed to come from Google Translate - for me, I don't speak French at all so i was on the back foot and felt disconnected from the dialogue at times. And that disconnects me from the story.
Otherwise, this was a very good crime mystery novel and I hope that I soon learn enough French to read another!
Paul
ARH
September 25, 2015
A Little More Free is a wonderful novel - the primary character being the city of Montreal which drives this book and all the characters who couldn't be the same if they weren't from Montreal. I couldn't put this book down and am looking forward to a third, etc. in this series.
This book deserves five stars, but for the French. A lot of it sounds like Google translator - it lacks the vernacular and flavour of Montreal French. So something to improve on for the next book.
Other than the language issue, bravo et encore.
This book deserves five stars, but for the French. A lot of it sounds like Google translator - it lacks the vernacular and flavour of Montreal French. So something to improve on for the next book.
Other than the language issue, bravo et encore.
August 25, 2015
This is a very enjoyable crime novel, well told and with wonderful characters. The setting, Montreal, is a character in and of itself. Lots of description of places and the political climate in 1970's Montreal.
I enjoyed the way the author developed the characters amidst a swirl of politics, protests, urban development issue, and of course hockey. It is a great introduction to a certain time in our past, and it's also a fascinating crime read. The main character is complex and really worth following.
I'm definitely going back to read the first book in this series now!
I enjoyed the way the author developed the characters amidst a swirl of politics, protests, urban development issue, and of course hockey. It is a great introduction to a certain time in our past, and it's also a fascinating crime read. The main character is complex and really worth following.
I'm definitely going back to read the first book in this series now!
November 27, 2015
While this book is a bit out of my normal reading range, the fact that it takes place less than 18 months before I arrived at Plattsburgh AFB (60 miles south of Montreal in the US and mentioned in the book) makes it special. I look forward to more in this series.
February 29, 2016
Definitely a series I'll keep reading. McFertridge has a quirky writing style that perfectly suits his eager detective-wannabe protagonist and the throwback to seventies Montreal setting. I love that the murder mystery is saturated with historical events.
August 22, 2016
The second Eddie Dougherty Mystery is another strong police procedural set in Montreal this time in the summer of 1972 when the city is caught up in the hockey fever of the Summit Series while a war resisters and drug dealers struggle for survival and ascendency.
October 30, 2015
This with or is new to me. Lovely, familiar accounts of life in Montreal in the late sixties, early seventies. Who cares about the mystery.
July 29, 2016
The story is set in a time that I remember well during my university days. The setting adds the depth to make this not only a good mystery but a social commentary on the times.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews