Blood in the Water: A True Story of Small-Town Revenge

In June 2013, three upstanding citizens of a small town on Canada's Cape Breton Island brutally murdered their neighbor at sea. Phillip Boudreau, a resourceful small-time criminal, had unnerved and entertained the community for two decades and spent nearly half his adult life in prison. He seemed destined to plaque the village forever.

While out checking their lobster traps, two Landry cousins and skipper Dwayne Samson came upon Boudreau in his boat, the Midnight Slider, about to vandalize their traps. Like so many times before, Boudreau was about to cost them thousands of dollars out of their seasonal livelihood. One man took out a rifle and fired four shots at Boudreau and his boat. To finish the job, they rammed their own larger boat over the top of his, then completed the day's fishing. The body was never found.

Was the Boudreau killing cold-blooded murder, a direct reaction to credible threats, or the tragic result of local officials lacking the resources and authority to protect the community? Blood in the Water probes deep below the surface, navigating complex undercurrents of culture, character, history and motive, to offer a dramatic narrative in a harsh but magnificent setting.