MOOSE JAW — When the moon hangs heavy over Crescent Park and the air turns thick with secrets, it’s not hard to imagine Moose Jaw as it once was — a city humming with whispers, whisky, and the kind of love that gets a person killed.
That’s the world Monica Goertzen Hertlein steps into with “Cold, Dark Night,” a steamy short story of forbidden romance and noir crime set in 1920s Moose Jaw. The Saskatoon-based author’s tale opens the recently released Impulse anthology from Inkd Publishing — and it wastes no time getting into trouble.
“It’s not a happy story,” Hertlein explained. “It’s a hot romance with some dark elements.”
At the heart of “Cold, Dark Night” is Lefty — a left-handed rumrunner with a dangerous secret. He’s madly in love with Mary John, the wife of his boss, and their affair is the kind of scandal that doesn’t end in divorce papers; it ends in blood.
When Lefty is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, he keeps his silence to protect the only woman who matters. In a town like Moose Jaw, however, silence can be a death sentence.
“He’s charged with murder, and he doesn’t reveal his alibi — because she’s his alibi,” said Hertlein. “If he admits where he was, it’s over for both of them.”
Though the story is fictional, the setting is inspired by Moose Jaw’s real-life past — a time when tunnels snaked beneath the streets, Canadian Club flowed freely behind locked doors, and gangsters rubbed elbows with tourists and townsfolk alike. Hertlein, who’s visited the city multiple times, drew on her personal impressions of the downtown core.
“I’ve been to Moose Jaw for curling, with family, and for the literary festival (Saskatchewan Festival of Words) — which is excellent, by the way,” she said. “We stayed downtown a few times, and I just love Crescent Park. It’s a lovely place to walk, especially when you’re at the spa. That’s why it came to mind for the story.”
A long-time member of the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and Saskatoon Writers’ Club Inc., Hertlein writes across genres, with a particular flair for romantic science fiction, historical romance, and fantasy. “Cold, Dark Night” joins a growing list of her short stories featured in anthologies and literary journals, including Embark, Swords & Sorceries, AnotherRealm, and The Lorelei Signal.
Getting published, she noted, is no small feat.
“I had a goal of collecting 100 rejections in a year,” she explained with a smile. “Because if you’re getting rejected, it means you’re putting yourself out there. This one got accepted — and that’s always a thrill.”
As part of the book’s promotion she donned a suit, wide-brimmed fedora, and posed next to a 1929 automobile to deliver a dramatic reading in character as Lefty. The video — complete with Canadian Club bottles for atmosphere — is available on her website, MonicaGH.com, and her Facebook page, “Monica GH.”
Later this year, Hertlein plans to release her debut novel, “Star-Crossed Alliance,” a romantic sci-fi adventure set on another world — though she admits the Prairies still sneak into her stories.
“I use a lot of Prairie terms and cities,” she said. “There’s a town called Speedy Creek, one called Saskatoon, and even a spaceport named New Vancouver.”
She believes Moose Jaw deserves its place in fiction, whether on Earth or among the stars.
“It’s a good literary kind of place,” she said about the Notorious City. “With the Festival of Words, the history, and the atmosphere, it’s the kind of city that leaves an impression.”
MonicaGH.com also features links to all her published works, including “Cold, Dark Night,” now available as an audiobook, ebook, and paperback. Readers who sign up for her newsletter also receive a free romantic short story to sweeten the deal — no password or secret knock required.
