About Brian 
Brian Barrie graduated from the Royal Military College in 1969 and, while serving in Gagetown, obtained a master’s degree in English from the University of New Brunswick, specializing in Canadian literature. He went on to pursue a law degree at Queen’s University, graduating in 1976.
With the unfailing support of his wife, he established a trial practice in Owen Sound, Ontario, where for forty years he was privileged to be accepted into a world of wonder and crisis, where strangers entrusted him with their causes, their fights for freedom, and their financial survival. He also served two terms on the board of directors of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association.
But even while practising law, Brian Barrie could not quell his passion for writing. He published four books for children or youth between 2007 and 2019, which have been cherished by local Owen Sound readers. He currently lives on Lake Huron, his horizon encircled by fishing islands until backlit by the Red Bay sunsets — a gathering place for a vibrant family life. Four Bullets, Four Witnesses, Four Liars is his first adult novel.
About Brian
Brian Barrie graduated from the Royal Military College in 1969 and, while serving in Gagetown, obtained a master’s degree in English from the University of New Brunswick, specializing in Canadian literature. He went on to pursue a law degree at Queen’s University, graduating in 1976.
With the unfailing support of his wife, he established a trial practice in Owen Sound, Ontario, where for forty years he was privileged to be accepted into a world of wonder and crisis, where strangers entrusted him with their causes, their fights for freedom, and their financial survival. He also served two terms on the board of directors of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association.
But even while practising law, Brian Barrie could not quell his passion for writing. He published four books for children or youth between 2007 and 2019, which have been cherished by local Owen Sound readers. He currently lives on Lake Huron, his horizon encircled by fishing islands until backlit by the Red Bay sunsets — a gathering place for a vibrant family life. Four Bullets, Four Witnesses, Four Liars is his first adult novel.
Why am I championing Four Bullets, Four Witnesses, Four Liars: The True Story of a Murder and the Trial That Followed by Brian Barrie as the book that should be selected for Grey County Reads in 2024?
- Because it is a skillfully written, nuanced book that deftly brings the reader into the world of true-crime.
- Because it is a narrative that challenges the reader to solve a mystery and examine the meaning of justice.
- Because it is carefully researched and presented with grace and compassion.
Four Bullets, Four Witnesses, Four Liars, engages the reader in a path of discovery. We are in pursuit of what happened the night that Jimmy Strutton died. We want to reveal his murderer. We discover so much more.
The true-crime story is captivating, but it is much more than just a weekend comfort. It has an immediacy and value for anyone wanting to enjoy a well-written local narrative that shines a light on our criminal justice system and helps us understand how people get into situations that require legal intervention.
After a distinguished career as an outstanding criminal defence counsel, Brian Barrie has written this riveting memoir chronicling one of his first murder cases. It reads like a skillfully crafted whodunnit. Yet, it’s all true. He takes us through the chaotic lives of a cadre of misfits, until one of them is brutally murdered. The trial is a battle royal between a truculent Crown Attorney and Barrie. He quotes liberally from the actual trial transcripts to build suspense to a dramatic but satisfying conclusion. So many twists and turns. You won’t be able to put it down.
Whether described as a gripping murder mystery or as an absorbing exposé of our justice system, it is a wonderful read….