In the retrospective of Five Rivers’ decade of publishing, one of the first authors to join our cadre was crime-writer and investigative journalist, Nate Hendley.

I met Nate in 2009 through an introduction from Paul Lima. After Altitude Publishing closed its doors, several of Nate’s books were orphaned, and he and I discussed the possibility of re-issuing updated versions of them. Those books included: Al Capone: Chicago’s King of Crime; Dutch Schultz: the Brazen Beer Baron of New York; John Lennon: Music, Myth and Madness; Motivate to Create; Crystal Death: Methamphetamine, North America’s Most Dangerous Drug; and Steven Truscott: Decades of Injustice. 

I was considerably impressed with Nate’s journalistic integrity, his attention to detail, and conversational, intelligent approach to journalistic writing. Over the years he’s gone on to publish other crime-stories which have proven to be widely popular and respected, has been interviewed by Time magazine, American Heroes, and Talk Radio Europe, to name but a few.

Over the past decade Nate’s book on Al Capone has been our best-selling publication, having sold not only throughout North America in both print and eBook, but across Europe, India, Russia, Australia, Japan and Thailand. In September 2018, the audiobook version of Al Capone: Chicago’s King of Crime will release through Audible, Amazon and iTunes, skillfully narrated by John Campagna, who apparently has a direct link to the infamous gangster through a relative who was murdered.The serendipity of life never ceases to fascinate me.

In July of this year, Five Rivers is very proud to release Nate’s most recent investigative story about wrongfully convicted Ron Moffatt in the story: The Boy on the Bicycle: A Forgotten Case of Wrongful Conviction in Toronto. 

On the night of September 15, 1956, seven-year-old Wayne Mallette was brutally murdered on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The chief suspect was a “boy on a bicycle” seen pedalling away from the CNE.

Investigators zeroed on 14-year-old Ronald Moffatt, a former CNE employee who had the poor timing to run away from home shortly after the murder.

Moffatt was located, arrested and interrogated. He eventually confessed and was convicted.

The problem was, Moffatt couldn’t ride a bike and didn’t commit the crime. The real killer abused and murdered two more children, using his bike as a lure.

The Boy on the Bicycle is the shocking true story about a coerced confession, fumbled police investigation, a miscarriage of justice, and the star lawyer who fought to free Moffatt from custody.

As always, Nate’s work is based on police files, interviews, original newspaper coverage, reports, books and documentaries.

Nate presented the story to me some two or three years ago. Given Mr. Moffatt’s story hadn’t previously been fully covered, and the egregious harm done to him, with only an apology from authorities as recompense for a life derailed, I knew the story had to be told, and would be done with sensitivity, authority and integrity by Nate. It is fitting that in this, Five Rivers’ 10th year publishing Canadian voices and stories, that The Boy on the Bicycle should be one of our landmark publications.

I am very proud to have kept alive Nate Hendley’s earlier publications, and to be able to continue to give voice to this thoughtful, thorough and insightful author.

Please join us as we continue to celebrate a decade of publishing Canadian voices.