L.R. Wright's classic B.C.-based crime novels make TV debut

Canada's Sunshine Coast is starring in a new TV series based on some very B.C. mystery novels. 

Nearly 40 years after the late Canadian author L.R. Wright published her first Karl Alberg novel, the mystery series has made its small screen debut in the new Fox drama Murder in a Small Town. 

The book series takes place primarily in Sechelt, B.C., though its characters end up in Vancouver and other cities like Kamloops and Calgary get the odd mention.

The TV version was filmed in nearby Gibsons — including scenes at Molly's Reach, the restaurant made famous by CBC production The Beachcombers in the 1970s and 80s — and takes place in a fictional coastal community of the same name.

Executive producer Kim Roberts said the show is intentionally vague about its location, in order to appeal to an audience outside B.C.'s coast. 

Subtle hints about the location of fictional Gibsons, like the use of U.S. money, for example, are sprinkled throughout the premiere. 

"A lot of U.S. media thought it was actually set in Canada, not in the U.S. They didn't actually grasp that this wasn't Canada," Roberts said. "We wanted to make it just a little more generic ... so that it would have the best opportunity internationally to succeed."

The show has also adapted for the times. The novels, of course, take place decades ago, before online dating and cellphones, but the show's writers have ensured a seamless transition to modern times. 

"I think it was somewhat easy actually to convert it to present times and to bring it into 2024," Roberts said.

"[Writer] Ian Weir did a fantastic job in dealing with the issues that were perhaps a little older and making them a lot more timely."

Murder in a Small Town also features Canadian leads: Vancouver's Kristin Kreuk, known for Smallville and Burden of Truth, and Rossif Sutherland, the son of the late Donald Sutherland and half-brother to Kiefer.

Sutherland brings a "unique" quality to the role, executive producer Tina Pehme said. 

"He's handsome and approachable. He's so warm," she said. "He's also got that voice that you just want to keep listening to."

Sutherland has been acting since 2003, according to IMDB, and his credits include an 11-episode stint on ER and a few episodes of The Handmaid's Tale — but he's yet to score a big break.