Conflagration

Canadian Historical Mysteries

By: donalee Moulton

Narrated by: Kat Dawson

On a warm spring day in April 1734, a fire raged through Montreal’s merchant quarters. When the flames finally died, 46 buildings – including the Hôtel-Dieu convent and hospital – had been destroyed. Within hours, rumors ran rampant that Marie-Joseph Angélique, an enslaved Black woman fighting for her freedom, had started the fire with her white lover, Claude Thibault. Less than 24 hours later, Angelique was sitting in a prison cell. Her lover was nowhere to be found. More than 20 witnesses appeared before the judge, all claiming Angélique was the arsonist. But no one saw her set the fire.

It didn’t matter. In an era when lawyers were banned from practising in New France, Angélique was on her own. She denied starting the fire. Philippe Archambeau, a court clerk assigned specifically to document her case, believed Angelique might just be telling the truth. That belief only got stronger after Angélique was tortured – and finally confessed. Her captors used the brodequins to crush Angélique’s leg. Her spirit remained indomitable.

As Angélique was paraded through the streets of Montreal, Incendiare embroidered across the front of her white chemise, Archambeau finally realized what really happened the night Montreal burned to the ground.

©2023 donalee Moulton (P)2026 BWL Publishing Inc.

An exceptionally immersive trial with slowly revealed truths and lies

Told from the point of view of a newly-assigned court reporter in the 1700's, the situation is grim. A generally disliked servant is accused of starting a fire that ravages a neighborhood, and all the witnesses seem to agree she had motive and opportunity. But there are some voices missing, and the court reporter is determined to learn the truth before the sentence is handed down. Following meticulous interviews and protocols, and while making friends in the courts and jails, he starts to form a detailed record of what might have happened. Who do you think is to blame? Narration of a variety of characters by Kat Dawson feels authentic and natural. Overall a pointedly different kind of mystery-solving approach. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 1.8x.]

Great storyline

I really enjoyed this storyline however, for someone that isn't familiar with history, locations, etc, it was a bit hard. The storyline itself I loved. It's a bit suspenseful but that's cleverly written with the promotion of the court reporter doing his job, investigating the fire. Did she do it or not? Did the fire start at her residence or next door? What story do the shingles tell? The trial part was a bit long but it was interspersed with the court reporter's home life and working. I also enjoyed how it gave some back story to the court reporter. He's a character you really like and want him to figure it out. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because (again, my own issues and probably ignorance) the names of the towns, people and other such were long and I feel took away from the story. *I received this book for free for an unbiased review*.