Unfolding over the course of an early winter’s night in a Northern Ontario town, The City Still Breathing begins with a dead body found on the side of a highway, naked, throat slashed, and with no ID. From this opening scene, playwright and debut novelist Matthew Heiti creates a dark, grim atmosphere that carries throughout the novel. The discovery of the unidentified body (and its subsequent mysterious disappearance) provides an entry into the stories of 11 very diverse individuals.

Each early chapter focuses on a different character or characters, from the police officers who find the corpse to a young woman determined to leave town for the big city to a washed-up former hockey player. The strange tale of the missing corpse acts as a thin connective tissue among these figures, but these chapters often read like standalone stories. Heiti’s cast is so disparate that the novel’s first half feels somewhat disjointed. As the narrative progresses, however, the author reveals the deeper bonds tying these characters together.

The City Still Breathing packs a quick yet intense punch. Heiti does an excellent job sketching his characters’ histories and troubles, all while confining himself to the events of a single night. The writing is particularly resonant when it comes to Francie, the young woman set on escaping her hometown, despite her boyfriend Slim’s resistance. While Francie’s predicament initially seems clichéd, Heiti is adept at getting inside her head and exposing her need, desperation, and loneliness.