These “cover stories” are bold new takes on classic short stories from the masters, brilliantly bringing together the old and the new.

From bestselling novelist Wayne Grady comes the delightful and inventive The Cartel and Other Cover Stories, his first collection of short fiction. Just as cover songs are both tributes to other musicians and original works in themselves, here Grady masterfully reimagines classic short stories in a way that honours the originals while creating something entirely new.

Each story in this collection takes its inspiration from works by international masters of the form, including Anton Chekhov, Franz Kafka, and Lydia Davis, drawing together new contexts and connections. For instance, in “La Gordita,” inspired by Guy de Maupassant’s “Boule de Suif” about the French bourgeoisie, Grady skewers wealthy expats in Mexico as they make arrangements to leave their winter homes when a drug cartel threatens to seize control of their town.

Bringing together delectably stylish prose, striking characters, a foreword from Margaret Atwood, and “literary liner notes” that bring context to the original stories and the short story form, Wayne Grady’s collection of cover stories is not to be missed!

Praise for The Cartel and Other Cover Stories

“Wayne Grady’s unmissable The Cartel and Other Cover Stories is not like any book you’re likely to have ever read. Yes, it’s a collection of accomplished, enjoyable, and intriguing original tales. But it’s also an investigation into the nature of stories themselves: how are they constructed, what are they telling us and how?” – MARGARET ATWOOD

Praise for Wayne Grady

“In the best tradition of Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead, Grady brings home the truth that there are no simplistic ways to combat and overcome deep-rooted hate and fear.” – BOOKLIST

“Readers with a predilection for touching, even heartbreaking, plots served up with a good measure of satire and acerbic one-liners will be satiated by the latest from Wayne Grady. . . [Grady] illuminates the misdeeds, miscommunication, and regrets in the relationships that define us in the 21st Century.” – THE ORMSBY REVIEW

“A tale of redemption told with intelligence, compassion, and deep tenderness.” – KERRI SAKAMOTO, author of Floating City

“[Grady] navigates the complexities of love, race, and loyalties of choice. With a deft hand, Grady convinces us that whatever appearances may suggest, nothing is ever black and white.” — VINCENT LAM