About ReBound Press
Peggy Blair is the owner and publisher of ReBound Press. She created ReBound Press to publish her novel SHADOW PLAY herself, quickly discovering that readers were hungry for high-quality Canadian mysteries, particularly those set in Canada. Peggy strongly believes that if Canadian authors can’t tell Canadian stories, who will?
ReBound Press is committed to supporting Canadian authors who have won critical acclaim but haven't had enough opportunity to build their readership and develop their craft. The first author Peggy chose to support was Calgary writer Chris Forrest, whose earlier crime fiction was shortlisted three times for the Arthur Ellis Best Novel Award and was also nominated for the Shamus Award.
ReBound Press books are produced entirely in Canada with an Ottawa editor, a Victoria typesetter, an Edmonton graphic artist, and a Burlington printer. We are Proudly Canadian!
Our Story
Peggy Blair's debut novel, THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, was turned down 156 times before it was shortlisted for the U.K. Debut Dagger Award. She didn’t win, but after a brief encounter with Scottish writer Ian Rankin in a hotel, he told her 156 rejections “wasn’t too bad” and that she should contact his Canadian publisher and use his name.
As a result, Peggy ended up represented by Rankin's U.K. agent, hit the Frankfurt Book Fair hotlist, and was published by the Big Five in Canada and the U.S., as well as internationally, to critical acclaim. THE BEGGAR’S OPERA (MIDNIGHT IN HAVANA in the U.K.) won the Giller Prize Reader’s Choice Award and was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Best Novel Award, among others.
Her next novel, HUNGRY GHOSTS, was turned down by her publisher due to its Canadian content, prompting her to switch publishers. HUNGRY GHOSTS and UMBRELLA MAN hit national bestseller lists. However, when she submitted SHADOW PLAY—the first book in the Jamie Wallace series set in Ottawa—her publisher declined to publish it, believing it wouldn’t be a bestseller.
Determined to bring SHADOW PLAY to readers, Peggy founded ReBound Press, marking the beginning of a new chapter dedicated to showcasing Canadian stories.
Our Authors
Proudly Canadian
At ReBound Press, our Canadian identity is at the heart of everything we do. We celebrate the rich tapestry of Canadian experiences, landscapes, and perspectives in our books. We're committed to promoting Canadian culture with high-quality crime fiction and mystery novels. Whether it's urban noir in a Toronto setting or an atmospheric mystery/thriller set in Northern Ontario, when you choose a ReBound Press book, you're not just getting a great read—you're supporting some wonderful Canadian storytellers!