Don't Look Close

By: Jaima Fixsen

ISBN: 9781728294933

Publisher:Poisoned Pen Press

Publication Date: 08/18/2026

Format: Paperback

My Rating: TBR (ARC)

AUG 2026 MUST-READ BOOK

From USA Today bestselling author Jaima Fixsen, comes a gripping crime novel perfect for fans of William Kent Kruger, following one man who would do anything for his sister, even if it means catching a serial killer…

If you look closely, you just may catch a killer.

Peter's sister Ellie has always had his back. So of course, now that he's learning to use his wheelchair in a polio rehabilitation ward under the eyes of his well-meaning parents, it's Ellie who offers to help him escape, no matter what the doctors order.

But on the day they're scheduled to leave, Ellie doesn't show. Then Peter gets a phone call. Ellie is still in Canmore, a nearby mining town, and the police won't let her leave.

She's a suspect in a murder investigation.

Determined to clear his sister's name, Peter makes his own way to Canmore—even if that puts him square in the path of a murderer. Because tensions between the miners and the establishment run deep, and soon Peter's sure the town is harboring a monster—one who targets those who won't step in line.

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Praise

"Don't Look Close takes a pair of unlikely protagonists and drops them into the dark valley of a small town, where friendliness is the norm until a shadow of danger envelopes them all."

― Lisa Black, New York Times bestselling author of the Gardiner & Renner series

"I was completely hooked from the start. Fixsen crafts unforgettable characters and puts them in situations that are frighteningly real. I loved every minute!"

― Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives

"Don't Look Close is a gripping and very well-crafted mystery set in a Canadian mining town in the 50s. Believable characters and a nicely twisted plot make for terrific entertainment."

― Martin Edwards, author of Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife

"Don’t Look Close is a well-drawn story of a brother’s determination to save his sister and to stop a killer!"

― Debra Webb, USA Today Bestseller

"Dark, atmospheric, and edged with menace, Don’t Look Close is unsettlingly intimate. Its simmering tensions and richly drawn characters create suspense that’s absorbing and inescapable, while the twists land with quiet, chilling force. I read it with the dread of watching a friend walk into a trap. This is a smart, deeply unnerving thriller I won’t soon forget."

― Rebecca Zanetti, New York Times bestselling author of You Can Run

"Set in the 1950s in a small Canadian mining town, this intricately woven, superbly plotted suspense will keep you on your toes. Jaima Fixsen brilliantly casts doubt on multiple characters as a protective brother joins forces with his determined sister to uncover the truth behind her ex-husband's murder. The searing tension brewing among the residents reaches a boiling point when it becomes clear that there's a serial killer hiding in plain sight. Exploring medical ethics, prejudice, and the power imbalance between men and women, Don’t Look Close is a riveting read with serpentine twists that strike when you least expect them."

― Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of Hello, Juliet

"Don’t Look Close by Jaima Fixsen is a roller-coaster ride of a mystery. The small town nestled near the mountains of western Canada is the perfect back drop for this twisted tale. Multiple murders among people who all know each other kept me on edge throughout the book. And Fixsen’s well-drawn characters had me invested until the very end. A knockout read!"

― Terri Parlato, author of She Thought She Was Safe

"Jaima Fixsen delivers a chilling, atmospheric masterclass in historical suspense. Set against the jagged, unforgiving beauty of the 1950s Canadian Rockies, Don’t Look Close pulls readers into a suffocating web of secrets and betrayal where the shadows are as dangerous as the mountains themselves. A sharp, propulsive thriller that proves the past is never truly buried."

― Rea Frey, #1 bestselling author of When She's Gone

About the Author

I have loved books as long as I can remember, and the first one I remember reading is Pierre Burton’s The Secret World of Og. I received a copy for my sixth birthday and finished it that same day. Then I re-read it so many times in the days afterward that the book fell apart.

Though I’ve always loved books and writing, in my twenties I chose a career in health sciences and studied occupational therapy at the University of Alberta. I still maintain a clinical practice in community pediatrics, and love balancing work with real people along with writing about my imaginary friends.

My first novel was about a math cult in classical Greece. It lives on my hard drive. After that, I switched to regency-themed fairy tale retellings. I self-published five of these historical romances before finding representation with Jennifer Weltz of JVNLA. Since then, I’ve been traditionally publishing STEMinist novels and crime fiction.

I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and I love mountains and winter. My husband and I have been married too long for me to admit, and we have three children and one dog. WEBSITE