John Delacourt

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The Black State

a novel


 "A slow-burner, The Black State builds to a page-turner with the requisite twists and turns." - The Toronto Star

"An edgy, scintillating political thriller, The Black State by John Delacourt is a multi-layered novel written in lyrical prose that is shocking in its insight regarding the world of international diplomacy ... There is a Shakespearean quality to the way in which Delacourt illustrates the differences between appearance and reality ... Delacourt has written a complex book replete with richly-developed characters who inhabit a narrative that will haunt readers with tense plausibility about the world of international diplomacy. Highly recommended." - The Miramichi Reader

"John Delacourt's best novel to date, The Black State is a highly engaging work of Canadian fiction, written by an author who is intimately familiar with Canada's corridors of power."–The Ottawa Review of Books

"The Black State is an exciting political thriller authored by a skilled writer who delves into a dark subject of intrigue and adventure while introducing his readers to a little-known world." - The British Columbia Review

Praise for Provenance


 "A dark, glittering jewel of a novel as rich in intrigue and detail as the artworks at its core. Erudite, wise and utterly transportive, John Delacourt’s writing cuts to the heart of human treachery, political intrigue, the banality of evil and the subversive forces of art itself. A sweeping work of pure genius!"  — Carol Bruneau, author of Brighten the Corner Where You Are: a Novel, Inspired by the Life of Maud Lewis and These Good Hands, based on the life of Camille Claudel.

"As in his novel Butterfly, Delacourt deftly weaves this into an intrigue of crime and politics on a par with bestselling thrillers, but elevated in taste and culture ... Superbly written and edited prose carries the novel ...  Provenance is a novel that will not disappoint, especially for art enthusiasts."
Ottawa Review of Books

"There are treasures stolen by, and hidden from, the Nazis still out there, waiting to be found. Here's an intelligent classic-in-the-making on just that theme." - Noah Charney, Best-selling author of The Art Thief




Reviews of 

Butterfly



"Is the past still past if it exists on video? In a culture obsessed with recording itself, skeletons that once disappeared into the closet can re-emerge decades later to bring anyone’s mistakes into the hard light of judgment. The wrong snippet of footage, seen by the wrong person, can come to define a life. What this means for memory and for revenge are questions the novelist John Delacourt explores in his intricate third novel, Butterfly. " - The Globe and Mail 

The astonishing thing about Butterfly is the way Mr. Delacourt has chosen to tell the story ... Like a composer, Mr. Delacourt has written all the parts, and it works wonderfully, turning a story of a botched robbery into a nightmare of consequences for those on both sides of the law,. Recommended as an exceptional literary crime-suspense novel. - The Miramichi Reader


"Butterfly is a taut, tight, and tense masterpiece. In this finely-cut jewel of a novel, John Delacourt's crystalline prose drives the heart-stopping story at just the perfect pace, leaving you no choice but to keep on turning the pages until you know, and feel, everything. A deeply satisfying read from a very talented writer."--Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

"In Butterfly, Delacourt demonstrates maturity as a fiction writer, crafting a novel that strikes a judicious balance between art and readership. It will assuredly be widely acclaimed." - Ottawa Review of Books