Now with dreadful 2020 behind us, writers and readers everywhere are hoping for a new year of creativity and, of course, the end of the deadly virus that has hit the world so hard in the past months. In this issue of the Ottawa Review of Books, we offer you our insights into seven works of fiction. Most are by lesser-known writers, some even self-published; the notable exceptions being Dietrich Kaltais, B.C.'s master of crime noir and Bruce Meyer, author of over sixty books. Lesser known in no way reflects lesser quality in this month's selection of authors. All are strong and competent masters of the craft of fiction. So please join us to discover, in addition to the latest works of Kaltais and Meyer, some exceptional fiction by Alex Pugsley, Annie Perreault, Michael Kent , Marie Powell and Cliff Burns. And a Happy New Year to all of you!