Horsefly - by Mireille Gagné (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A chilling tale about what happens when we mess with nature.

In 1942, a young entomologist, Thomas, is sent to a remote island to work on biological weapons for the Allied military. The scientists live like prisoners while they produce anthrax and look for the perfect virus carrier among the island's many insects.

Sixty years later, in the same region of Quebec, a heat wave unleashes swarms of horseflies while humans fall prey to strange flights of rage. Theodore is living a simple life, working double shifts and drinking to forget, when a horsefly bite stirs him from his apathy. He impulsively kidnaps his grandfather, whose dementia has him living in the past on Grosse Île.

The horseflies, meanwhile, know a few secrets...

Loosely based on historical fact, Horsefly is a terrifying tale about the ways in which we try to dominate nature, and how nature will, inevitably, wreak retribution upon us.

Review Quotes

One of CBC Books' Canadian books you should be reading in May 2025

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"Poised somewhere between speculative and historical fiction, Horsefly elegantly reveals how limited our view of the future is if we can't investigate - and excavate - the worst chapters of the past." - Emily Mernin, Montreal Review of Books

"A book with bite. Thought-provoking Quebec eco-thrillerlinks biological weapons, spike in violence." - Keith Cadieux, The Free Press

"Horsefly moves at a brisk pace as it jumps from scene to scene, but it never feels rushed. Instead it's a tight story where the tension starts simmering early and constantly threatens to boil over--into violence or sex, into something where blood is spilled." - Roz Milner, Ancillary Review of Books

"Horsefly is a short but punchy horror story that flips back and forth between WWII, when biological testing was conducted on an island in the St. Lawrence River, and today, when a brutal heatwave releases swarms of horseflies in a small Québec town near the river. The chapters set in current times are prefaced by brief, increasingly creepy musings of one horsefly. The final chapter is written by a newly born horsefly, in 2028." - Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company

"Mireille Gagné's Horsefly is eco-horror and historical fiction drowned in an oily pool of anthrax-laced Weird. The story is told from three temporally distinct perspectives: an entomologist in 1942 looking for the perfect carrier for biological weaponry for the Allied military, an apathetic factory worker during a heat wave (and potential epidemic) in 2024, and an extremely...thirsty horsefly. As past and present move inexorably toward each other, the horseflies swarm, and each page brings the reader closer to both understanding and collapse." - Charlie, Fountain Books

"Historical mystery meets dystopian drama in this fast-paced, bizarre tale. We follow Thomas, an entomologist in the 1940s studying biological weaponry; Theodore, a factory worker in present day Canada experiencing strange effects of climate change; and a horsefly, sensuous and single minded in her pursuit of blood. This trifecta makes for a thrilling book about nature and humanity." - Andrew, CoffeeTree Books

"An all too real possibility. We are careless as a species and this book plays into that flaw in a definitive way. Well written and self conscious, this novel does well to show the consequences humans bring upon themselves as a result of rash decisions. The characters are well written and feel real, like products of their times. Everything has its purpose, including the creepy housefly that is so significant to the story. This novel is a foreboding and unsettling warning, if not promise, of what is likely to come as a result of our meddling. Definitely a recommended read." - Semicolon Bookstore

"Existing at the nexus between entomology and biowarfare, horsefly is the story of experimentation gone wrong, and of the experiment itself coming to understand who is to blame. Horsefly is prescient eco-horror at its finest." - Brian Evenson, Good Night, Sleep Tight

". . . plot lines circle each other, the sense of danger will not be swatted away, and when the bite comes, it stings more than you'd expect.- Amanda Perry, Literary Review of Canada

"Inspired by historical facts, Mireille Gagné's new novel, Frappabord, at times takes on the appearance of a waking nightmare. Terribly disturbing, but furiously captivating." - La Presse

"It strikes a perfect balance between past and present, and even includes clever little chapters that present the point of view of the hated insect. The plot is rather clear and can be devoured in one go." - L'Actualité

"From the first lines, we are fascinated. The ecological threat has been lurking for decades, and what's more, it is told from the point of view of the species that we sought to transform. Disturbing!" - Journal de Québec

"Mireille Gagné has her own way of giving a voice to the nature that surrounds us, of illustrating its power as well as its richness... And Horsefly does not seem to deviate from this line. With almost an action film feel, the novel promises to remind readers that we must 'listen to what the living is trying to say: balance is a state to be regained.'" - Le soleil

"What an excellent novel! These three voices speak to us, each in turn. This slightly tense, slightly mysterious atmosphere. And above all this reflection of the relationship that man has with nature, this idea that man thinks he can control everything. Mireille is very gifted at making a very "animal" text, very close to the animal she depicts. I loved it."- Librairie L'Humeur Vagabonde, Paris

"A great voice of Quebec literature, Mireille Gagné once again demonstrates invention!" - Claudia Larochelle, Dessine-moi un matin, Ici Radio-Canada Première

About the Author

Mireille Gagné was born in Isle-aux-Grues and lives in Quebec City. Since 2010, she has published books of poetry, short stories, and the remarkable novel Le lièvre d'Amérique (2020), which "possesses a universal wisdom, the kind that is passed down from generation to generation and from which we too often lose our way."

Pablo Strauss's recent translations of fiction from Quebec include The Second Substance, Aquariums, Fauna, and The Dishwasher. He is a three-time finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for translation. Pablo grew up in Victoria, BC, and has lived in Quebec City for two decades.