Ron Finch Books

@dwfinch

Canadian author of the Joel Franklin Mystery and Dr. Shitz series. I write a blend of mystery, historical, police procedural, paranormal, thriller, suspense, and comedy. (Editor's Note: Ron's my dad. I edit his books and manage his social media accounts.)

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Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· 3d

⚠️ CORRECTION: The 16th is a Sunday. The book signing will be on Sunday the 16th of August, 2026, from 12-4. Martians! UFOs! Roaring 20s space technology! Swing by Coles Stratford for a meet & greet with a local author. Shiny new books for sale & signing! See you there! #Stratford #BookSigning

Poster that says: "Book Signing for Ron Finch's newest book, Dr. Shitz Goes to Mars, is on Sunday, August 16, 2026, from 12-4pm at the Coles in the Stratford Mall. Ron Finch, local author of mystery, crime, historical, scifi, and paranormal fiction celebrates the release of his latest novel, Dr. Shitz Goes to Mars. A Golden Age adventure." The book's cover shows Dr. Shitz's head in an old fashioned diving suit peering over the horizon of Mars while a flying saucer flies past.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jul 10

Good news! Dr. Shitz Goes to Mars, 3rd in the Dr. Shitz series, is now available on Amazon in ppbk & ebook! Sweet Marie is missing and Dr. Shitz has been hired to find her. But he'll have to go all the way to Mars! #historical (1927, London, Ontario) #sciencefiction www.amazon.ca/dp/B0H865DWYL

Cover for Dr. Shitz Goes to Mars, by Ron Finch, the 3rd book in the Dr. Shitz series. Tagline is: Boldly going where he's never gone before. Cover shows the planet Mars with Dr. Shitz in an old-fashioned diving suit peering over the horizon.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jun 30

A peek inside Dr. Shitz and the Wayward Ghost. 1st volume of the Dr. Shitz series. Vol. 3 is coming out soon! "He was looking at a memory through Bradley’s eyes..." Available in bbpk and ebook on Amazon: www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CJXLGW6S #paranormal #comedy #mystery

Paperback edition of Dr. Shitz and the Wayward Ghost, by Ron Finch. Tagline is "Deep in the bowels of the afterlife, a storm is brewing." Oval portrait of Dr. Shitz with a ghostly figure in the background and a ghostly bat flying overhead.

There was another stream of sounds and images, but this time it was more focused. The sounds, though muffled and indistinct, seemed to go along with the actors in the images. It was even more like a movie, like that Don Juan which he and Jane had seen in the theatre recently, only in colour. Dr. Shitz thought he saw two people sitting together on a sofa. After a few seconds, the image became sharper, and he recognized the two people. They were Cheri, Bradley’s sister, and her fiancé, Russell Bancroft.
Dr. Shitz realized they were sitting on the very sofa that he and Jane were currently sitting on. It was covered with a colourful afghan. Of course, that made sense; after all, this was Russell Bancroft’s home. He was looking at a memory through Bradley’s eyes.
This was a new experience for Dr. Shitz, and it was very exciting. Ordinarily, when the dead spoke to him, he only heard voices, like speaking to someone on a telephone. But this was almost like time travel. He was looking at an event in the past as though he was actually there!
He continued watching the scene through Bradley’s eyes, afraid to interrupt him. It was almost as good as a picture show, but because, for some reason, he couldn’t understand what was being said, and because there were no helpful contextual cues, like a piano player pounding on the keys to indicate when a crucial event was about to occur, he had to pay especially close attention.
Dr. Shitz watched as Russell picked up a decanter full of something that looked like it might have been scotch, but the colour was wrong. Russell was smiling and touching the decanter with this finger and saying something. He was very excited. He offered some to Cheri, but she placed her hand over the top of her tumbler and shook her head with a smile. Russell shrugged and poured an inch or so of the unknown fluid into his glass and into a glass sitting on the table directly in front of Bradley’s eyes.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jun 23

Teaser for my near-future mistopian novel Devolution: 2036 - The Truth is Not Enough. AI, androids, social media manipulation, brain implants, drone warfare, Greenland, a futuristic institute, and a band of misfit heroes. #canadianauthor #sciencefiction Pb or ebook: www.amazon.ca/dp/B0F91SXMBP

Paperback edition of Devolution: 2036 - The Truth is Not Enough, by Ron Finch. Tagline: You can't stand for the truth without standing in someone's way.

Beside the door was a small black cubicle with a single android inside. The android had a black faceplate and accents.
“Good day, Mr. Harrington,” the android said in a tinny voice.
“Good day, 7-1-2,” said Harrington. “This is Amaqjuaq and Hanta.”
The android greeted them. No doubt it was recording their faces for facial recognition.
Harrington turned to the door. The door required a retinal scan, fingerprint scan, and voice activation to open.
“It will take a couple hours for the system to update with your security information,” said Harrington, “so I’ll do it.”
He provided his eye, finger, and name and they entered a large dome, slightly smaller than a football field. The walls of the dome appeared to be made entirely of banks of computer servers encased in glass. Pipes, which supplied the coolant system, and bundles of cables, radiated up the sides of the dome toward a shaft in the apex like the webs of an enormous spiderweb. Descending from this same shaft, in the centre of the dome, was a thick pillar ringed with monitors depicting what appeared to be live footage from around the globe. A command centre. The circular command centre was raised above the floor of the dome by about three metres. Most of the floor was taken up by generators and networks of cables. The command centre was reached by a catwalk. The outer ring of the circular platform consisted of a semicircular desk covered with computer terminals, keyboards, and other equipment. A second ring of monitors topped it. A couple of comfortable chairs on wheels sat empty before the desk. Catwalks also ran around the outside of the dome at various levels. Numerous robots of different shapes and sizes could be seen both inside the dome and behind the glass walls shielding the servers. They travelled here and there on purposeful paths. An android with a green faceplate and accents stood alone on the command platform, supervising.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jun 16

* Teaser for my book The Journey * "I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know where I am. I don’t even know what day it is. My phone is missing, and my wallet is missing. Obviously, someone brought me here, but I don’t know why." #mysteryfiction #canadianauthor

Paperback edition of The Journey, by Ron Finch. Tagline: Running from a past he can't remember to a future he can't predict.

He woke up and slowly opened his eyes.
He was in a car. Through the windshield he saw that the car was sitting in a lovely, slightly wild setting. There were trees and bushes everywhere. A number of early wildflowers had begun to sprout up in flashes of yellow, white, and blue. It looked like a park. A glance in the rearview mirror revealed more of the same woodland scene.
He rolled down the window and was delighted to hear a variety of bird songs. From some distance away came the muted staccato of a busy woodpecker.
It was magical. Somehow, he had been transported here to this ethereal setting. It was a perfect place for a picnic, but he didn’t see anyone else nearby; nor did he hear the babbling of children, the sound of cars, or a woodsman with an axe.
Then, like a lightning bolt, the realization struck him: I don’t know who I am.
He tried to remember his name, but nothing came to mind.
It was disconcerting, to say the least. But maybe it had been that way for a long time. Maybe he felt this way every time he woke up. He tried to remember if this had ever happened to him before.
The information I need will be in my wallet, he thought. He checked his pockets. It wasn’t there.
He began to methodically search the interior of the car, checking the dashboard, the map pocket in the door, under the seat. After twenty minutes of searching, all he had found was a manual for the car in the glove compartment.
Had someone stolen his wallet?
Identity theft, he thought. He chuckled. They must’ve done a good job, because he didn’t know who he was.
He climbed out of the car, closed the door, and leaned against the side. He took a deep breath. The air smelled clean and fresh; it must’ve rained recently.
He took stock of the situation.
I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know where I am. I don’t even know what day it is. My phone is missing, and my wallet is missing. Obviously, someone brought me here, but I don’t know why...

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· May 25

Teaser for my latest contemporary Canadian crime thriller, Money Matters More. Nefarious villains unleashed on unsuspecting townsfolk. Set in Stratford, Ontario. Available on Amazon in ebook & ppbk and in the Coles in Stratford Mall. www.amazon.ca/dp/B0GPDNCXRC #CanadianAuthor #mysteryfiction

Paperback edition of Money Matters More, by Ron Finch. Tagline, Real Estate Is Murder. Image of twenty-dollar Canadian bills falling on a rural landscape along with drops of blood.

Excerpt from the Introduction: "My name is John Stillson. I am the owner and managing broker of a small real estate company in Stratford, Ontario, and I’m fifty-eight years old. My wife, Denise, is two years younger than I am. We live in a lovely older section of Stratford with many fine homes. We have two daughters who no longer live with us. Becky, who is twenty-seven, is married to Robert Lyman, while Anne, who is twenty-nine, is single. I am writing this story because I was nearly murdered but didn’t realize it at the time. As a result of the attempt on my life, I became quite caught up in the drama surrounding it. I was first interviewed by detectives. Following that, I read front-page stories in the Beacon Herald, Stratford Times, and London Free Press about people in our community caught up in the maelstrom of events. Eventually, I appeared in court as a witness, after which I spent many hours watching the subsequent trials of those who had committed these terrible crimes—crimes that involved kidnapping, attempted murder, and murder. I read court transcripts. I spoke to witnesses and victims of these crimes. I also had long conversations with friends, relatives, and associates of many of the people involved. I talked informally to town council members, reporters, medical professionals, and some of the local police officers. I have, in short, learned everything I can about the matter. In our small but lovely city, a crime as terrible as murder occurs perhaps once every ten years; consequently, to have so many hideous and shocking crimes occur in a matter of months was like a bomb going off in the centre of town..."

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· May 8

Saturday's book signing was fun. I got to see some old friends & make some new ones. Thanks to everyone who came. I hope you enjoy your books! It's never too late to try a new author. 3 of mine are available at the Coles in Stratford Mall. Happy reading, everyone! #canadianauthor #mysteryfiction

Money Matters More, tagline Real Estate Is Murder. A crime drama set in Stratford, Ontario, by Ron Finch.

Devolution: 2036 - The Truth Is Not Enough, a near-future AI dystopia by Ron Finch.

Numbers, tagline: Someone's number is about to come up. A Joel Franklin Mystery set in London, Ontario, in Autumn 1939.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· May 1

Tomorrow's the big day! The book signing for my latest book, Money Matters More, a crime drama set in Stratford, Ontario, is tomorrow afternoon! Swing by for a chat! Coles, the Stratford Mall, Saturday, May 2, 12-4 pm! Glossy books available for purchase and signing! #canadianauthor #crimefiction

Book Signing for Ron Finch's latest book, Money Matters More, a contemporary Stratford crime drama. Tagline: Real Estate is Murder. Saturday, May 2, 2026, 12-4pm, at Coles in the Stratford Mall. Ron Finch is a local Stratford author of mystery, crime, historical, and paranormal fiction.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Apr 18

I have an exciting announcement: I will be doing a book signing in honour of my latest book, Money Matters More, a crime drama set in Stratford, Ontario, at Coles in the Stratford Mall on Saturday, May 2, from 12-4 pm! Come say hello and support a local author! #canadianauthor #crimefiction

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Apr 2

Hard at work on the 3rd Dr. Shitz book! The Dr. Shitz series is a mix of #historical, paranormal, #sciencefiction & comedy set in Canada (among other times and places). If you're looking for something different to read, Shitz is the s***! 1 www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CJXLGW6S 2 www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DX1DWXZL

Cover for Dr. Shitz and the Wayward Ghost, the first book in the Dr. Shitz series. A portrait of a handsome fellow with a moustache and a ghostly figure and bat in the background.

Cover for Dr. Shitz and the Time Machine, the second book in the Dr. Shitz series. A spiraling clock face with a ring of shrinking Dr. Shitzes, a dirigible, crow, muffins, and a dinosaur.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jan 19

I never thought this book would be so relevant! Can a band of misfits and a reclusive genius combat disinformation and stop an attack on #Greenland by a powerful autocrat who wants the truth hidden? You can't stand for the truth without standing in someone's way! www.amazon.ca/Devolution-2...

Cover for Devolution: 2036, The Truth Is Not Enough, by Ron Finch. Tagline: "You can't stand for the truth without standing in someone's way."

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Dec 5

Anybody else enjoy making maps for their books? I don't think my dad (Ron) understands my obsession with making them. 😭 #writing #BookIllustrations

A map of the City of Stratford, Ontario, circa 2022. Several locations of interest are identified by the legend.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Aug 29

Random book promotion! Firebug, 11th in the Joel Franklin Mystery series, set in 1939. A case almost too hot for a young detective to handle! If you like historical and paranormal fiction, you'll burn through this book! On Amazon in ebook or ppbk. www.amazon.ca/Firebug-Ron-... #Canadian #fiction

Cover for Firebug, by Ron Finch, A Joel Franklin Mystery set in the spring of 1939. The interior of a burning building is show with a doorframe outlined in flames. Tagline reads: There's more than one way to get burned.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jul 31

Thrilled to announce Joel Franklin Mystery #14: My Mother Made Me Do It. Joel's on the trail of the deadliest killer of his career--a killer with a taste for blood! Lots of good spooky stuff in this paranormal historical suspense thriller! (And maps!) #Mystery #Fiction www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FKLYK29X

Cover for My Mother Made Me Do It, a Joel Franklin Mystery set in the summer and autumn of 1939, by Ron Finch. Tagline reads: "You might not like what you find when you dredge up the past."

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jul 24

After weeks buried in the pixel mines, I'm just about ready to release my dad's newest book. It's another installment in the Joel Franklin Mystery series. The 14th! A little promo reminder about the series: #Canadian #mystery #novels

It was a simpler time. But it was just as deadly. The Joel Franklin Mystery series by Ron Finch. Set in Canada in the 1930s. A paranormal historical police procedural.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· May 18

What would you do for the TRUTH? That's what the Horseheads are asking themselves now that they've created an international firestorm with their podcasts. Will #Greenland be a refuge or a tomb? Near future #dystopian #sciencefiction! On Amazon (ebook and paperback): www.amazon.ca/dp/B0F8YX8QMK

Cover for Devolution: 2036 - The Truth Is Not Enough. You can't stand for the truth without standing in someone's way. A near-future dystopian science fiction by Ron Finch.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Apr 11

Joel's first job as an assistant #detective for the London Police Force pits him against a dangerous psychotic. Can ghosts from the man's past help Joel put this wild animal behind bars before he hurts anyone else? Find out in Joel Franklin Mystery v9: Who's Crazy?! (Link below) #mystery #fiction

Cover of Joel Franklin Mystery: Who's Crazy?! A man's face is split down the middle with a different expression on each side. One side is skeptical, the other angry. The tagline reads: "Some people give everyone the willies."

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Apr 9

“Big Bang” was coined in 1949 by physicist-astronomer Fred Hoyle, who was critical of the idea, in a BBC broadcast. Though it was used sporadically after that, mostly in popular science, it did not catch on until the scientific community embraced it decades later, in the 1970s. #historical #idioms

A brilliant white explosion sending light and matter out into the black void of space.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Mar 28

Little green men have been in folklore since the 12th century, but the first use of the phrase "little green man" in reference to extraterrestrials dates to an Apr 13, 1908 article in the Daily Kennebec Journal. It rose in popularity with the Kelly-Hopkinsville sighting of 1955. #historical #idioms

Extraterrestrials in Arthur Leo Zagat's novel Drink We Deep depicted as little green men on the cover of the January 1951 issue of Fantastic Novels.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Mar 21

Although “flying saucer” was coined in 1947 by pilot Kenneth A. Arnold, the concept is much older. Flying disc-shaped objects were depicted in pulp magazines in the 1930s, and the 1908 novel La Roue fulgurante had a flying disc that abducted people via a beam of light. #historical #idioms

Cover of the November 1929 issue of Hugo Gernsback's pulp science fiction magazine Science Wonder Stories, drawn by pulp cover artist Frank R. Paul. The cover depicts a disc-shaped craft in outer space orbiting the Earth. The craft is projecting rays of energy and also long mechanical tentacles, which are coiled around a large building taken from Earth. A second craft in the background is stealing the Eiffel Tower.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Feb 24

H.G. Wells coined the term “time machine” for his 1895 novel, but it wasn't the first story about a machine that transports people through time. Enrique Gaspar's El anacronópete (1887), about a time ship, and Edward Page Mitchell's The Clock that Went Backward (1881) precede it. #historical #idioms

Black and white illustration of the time ship from Enrique Gaspar's 1887 novel El anacronópete. The ship looks like a simple, rectangular building with a large horn-like tube attached to each corner. There are doors, windows, and chimneys. The ship floats through the clouds against the backdrop of a full moon.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Feb 22

The prototype is Victor Frankenstein from Shelley’s 1818 novel, but the term “mad scientist” first appeared in 1893 in the Daily Advocate. In 1897 it appeared in a history of the state of Indiana in reference to a 19th century French scientist, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. #historical #idioms

Black and white portrait of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. Born October 1783, died September 1840. A young man smiles slightly as he looks at the viewer. He is wearing a high collar, tie, and jacket, and has short styled hair and sideburns.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jan 30

I've drawn a portrait of Dr. Shitz for my dad's books. I'm not an artist, but I think it turned out okay! I drew it with a mouse and a desktop. Very low tech! I'd like to do illustrations for all my dad's books. #historicalfiction #mysterybooks

Black and white line drawing. An oval portrait of Dr. Shitz. Dr. Shitz has dark hair, a thick curing moustache, piercing eyes, a handsome face, and is wearing a suit and a bowtie.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jan 23

Been working on the maps for my dad's new book, Dr. Shitz and the Time Machine. #historicalfiction #maps

A map for the city of London, Ontario, circa 1926, for volume two of the Dr. Shitz series, Dr. Shitz and the Time Machine. It shows the principal locations for the book: Victoria Park, the Shitz Residence, and the Public Library in the centre , the University of Western Ontario Science Building to the north, the Ontario Hospital for the Mentally Ill to the east, the Bozo Brothers Warehouse to the southeast, and the road to Lambeth to the south.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jan 15

Looking for a good mystery with some police action and a dash of the paranormal? Like historical fiction? Looking for Canadian content? Look no further! #mysterybooks #historicalfiction

Promotional ad for the Joel Franklin Mystery series by Ron Finch. Tagline reads: "It was a simpler time. But it was just as deadly." The background shows a revolver, 4 aces, and drops of blood on a table. Around the image are 7 circular thumbnails showing: lightning with the caption "paranormal experiences", a classic car with the caption "dramatic getaways", an ax with the caption "brutal murders", a swamp with the caption "shocking crimes", a portrait of an angry old woman with the caption "vengeful spirits", a burning doorframe with the caption "burning passions", and an evil looking man with the caption "dangerous psychopaths". Another caption on its own reads "a paranormal historical police procedural with a cozy, spooky atmosphere." The books are set in Ontario, Canada, in the 1930s and are available on Amazon.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Jan 11

Chosen at random, a book from the Joel Franklin Mystery series. Where's the Rest of the Body? (no. 2 in the series) is set in Chaseford just before a young Joel Franklin joins the police force. Frozen body parts are turning up in the snow outside Chaseford. Chilling winter reading! #mysterybooks

The cover for the second volume of the Joel Franklin Mystery series, Where's the Rest of the Body? by Ron Finch, with the tagline "The dead can't rest in pieces." Shows a snowy forest and snow-covered field with a mysterious wooden shed to one side. Set during the winter and spring of 1932 and 1933.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Dec 18

One Man Left is the latest book in the Joel Franklin Mystery series. Joel is a detective for the London Police Force with a gift for communicating with the dead. The series is set in the 1920s-1930s in Ontario, Canada. A historical, paranormal police procedural! www.amazon.ca/One-Man-Left...

One Man Left, volume 12 in the Joel Franklin Mystery series. A bloody planchette on a bloody Ouija board with the tagline "Partners in crime, in life and in death." Set in early summer 1939.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Dec 9

“Carpetbagger” is a US slur directed at Northerners who came south seeking opportunities during Reconstruction (1865-77). It refers to the cheap fabric of the bag they brought with them, which contained everything they owned. Now extended to any outsider bent on exploitation. #historical #idioms

A Harper's Weekly cartoon from 1872 showing a vicious-looking man carrying a large bag on his back and another smaller bag his hand as he walks toward a crowd of downcast faceless people. The caption reads: "The man with the (carpet) bags. The bag in front of him, filled with others' faults, he always sees. The one behind him, filled with his own faults, he never sees."

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Dec 9

"Stool pigeon," to refer to a police informer, goes all the way back to 1859, which makes it almost as old as policing itself. Good to know if you write historical police procedurals! It most likely comes from the practice of using pigeons as lures for attracting other birds. #historical #idioms

A black and white photograph of several carrier pigeons perched on ledges in a pigeon coop. Date: 1904.

Ron Finch Books@dwfinch· Dec 7

In 1859 Albert Niemann isolated and purified cocaine from coca leaves. It was used as a local anaesthetic in the Victorian era. “Cokehead,” used to refer to a cocaine addict, was coined by the sociologist Nels Anderson in 1923. The term became mainstream in the 1980s. #historical #idioms