I’m drawn to fascinating people and events that have been overlooked or forgotten – hidden gems tucked away in the attics of history, stories waiting to be told. Ideas and inspiration can come from a footnote in a book, a museum exhibit or a reference in the news. I discovered the subject of my latest book, Empire of Deception – Leo Koretz and his amazing oil swindle in 1920s Chicago – while doing research on another subject. I spotted a reference to his arrest in Nova Scotia and I knew instantly it was a great story.
My previous books include The Cajuns: A People’s Story of Exile and Triumph, which chronicles the expulsion of French-speaking Acadians from Eastern Canada more than two centuries ago and the founding of Louisiana’s Cajun culture. Calculated Risk is an investigation into a 1992 explosion that killed twenty-six Nova Scotia coal miners and led to sweeping reforms to workplace safety laws. I was a reporter, editor and columnist with Halifax’s leading newspaper, the Chronicle Herald, for 20 years and I write for major newspapers and magazines in Canada and the U.S. I have been a journalism professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax since 2004.
DEAN JOBB is the author of six books, including Calculated Risk: Greed, Politics and the Westray Tragedy, which won the City of Dartmouth book award and was runner-up for the National Business Book Award. A staff reporter for the Halifax Chronicle-Herald for twenty years, he is now a professor in the School of Journalism, University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Visit him at www.deanjobb.com.
Books in order of publication:
| Shades of Justice: Seven Nova Scotia Murder Cases | 1988 |
| Crime Wave: Con Men, Rogues and Scoundrels from Nova Scotia’s Past | 1991 |
| Bluenose Justice: True Tales of Mischief, Mayhem and Murder | 1993 |
| Calculated Risk: Greed, Politics and the Westray Tragedy | 1994 |
| The Cajuns: A People’s Story of Exile and Triumph | 2005 |
| Digging Deeper: A Canadian Reporter’s Research Guide | 2006 |
| Media Law for Canadian Journalists | 2011 |
| Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation | 2015 |
| Daring, Devious & Deadly: True Tales of Crime and Justice from Nova Scotia’s Past | 2020 |
| The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer | 2021 |
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