Tim Paulsen

A rain-slicked Toronto alleyway from the late 1970s, photographed at night, with glistening puddles reflecting the red and white glow of a passing streetcar in the distance. Brick walls, worn posters, and a dented metal garbage bin line the narrow passage. A discarded, crumpled manuscript page with the words “Beyond Repair – Chapter One” lies in the foreground, ink slightly smudged by rain. Sodium-vapor streetlights cast a harsh, yellow-orange light, creating deep, angular shadows and a cinematic, almost detective-thriller mood. Photographic realism with a low-angle perspective and strong depth of field draws the eye from the wet paper in the foreground to the blurred urban light in the distance.
An overhead photographic view of a 1970s Toronto writer’s desk, crowded but organized, featuring a spiral-bound notebook filled with handwritten chapter outlines labeled “Damaged Goods” and “Beyond Repair.” Around it lie dog-eared city maps of Toronto, a rotary telephone, a small portable cassette recorder with labeled interview tapes, and a faded subway token. Soft, diffused morning light from an unseen window washes across the wooden surface, creating gentle, natural shadows and a contemplative, professional mood. Photographic realism with sharp focus across the frame emphasizes the textures of paper, metal, and plastic, giving a documentary-like glimpse into the meticulous planning behind gritty urban fiction, all without any visible person.
A meticulously detailed vintage typewriter, its black metal body slightly worn at the edges, sits on a heavy oak desk in a modest Toronto apartment. A single sheet of slightly yellowed paper is rolled into the carriage, bearing the bold, typed title “Damaged Goods” at the top. Outside the window, out of focus, neon streetlights and a blurred streetcar hint at a late-1970s city night. Warm, low tungsten lamp light falls across the keys, creating sharp, cinematic shadows and metallic highlights. Photographic realism, eye-level composition with shallow depth of field, emphasizes the typewriter’s texture and the quiet, focused mood of a crime writer at work, without showing any person.

DAMAGED GOODS

“Damaged?” the report said. “Well, yea, I expect so.”

On an early January morning in 1977, a Toronto police officer, one of 20,000 Canadians who volunteered and fought with U.S. Forces in Vietnam, vanishes from his patrol car. It sets off a massive police investigation and two days later, a distraught mother calls her former husband in Norway.

Soon after, Gunnar Erikson, a recently retired Norwegian counterintelligence officer and WWII veteran arrives in the city to join the search for his missing and estranged son. Erikson gets assistance or crosses swords with a former stripper, a powerful politician, veterans from his war and Vietnam, biker gangs, reporters, an ex-wife and a determined and very focused police inspector.

Buy now

BEYOND REPAIR

The first time Anthony Pepper killed his wife was when she was 40 minutes late from her yoga class.

What began as a harmless daydream soon takes Pepper down a path from which he may never return. He’s determined to outdo some of history’s most notorious killers, including Son of Sam, John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy.

Meanwhile, following a confrontation with a senior officer and a roadside sobriety test, Sergeant Judy Range’s once-promising police career appears to have come to a permanent standstill.

A pre-approved conference visit to New York City provides Judy with an unexpected opportunity: an idea that could help reduce crime, prevent future offenders from taking a more dangerous path, and perhaps get her career back on track.

Given the go-ahead for an experimental assignment, Judy and her unconventional team soon find themselves on a collision course with Anthony Pepper.

Kindle version available now. Paperback on November 7, 2026.

Buy now

Next Big Thing

If only we got to them sooner.

Sergeant Judy Range and her unconventional team investigate juvenile crime with the same determination and intensity others reserve for murder and kidnapping. What begins with seemingly minor offences can uncover far more serious trouble, taking the team into unexpected territory where the stakes are anything but small.

But the story doesn’t end when the investigations do. Twenty or more years down the road, we catch up with some of the young people whose paths have crossed Judy’s team, discovering just how differently their lives have unfolded.

A unique blend of Hill Street Blues, The Mod Squad and Life on Mars.

Publication date November, 2027

Praise for Tim Paulsen’s Books

There is no greater pleasure for an author than knowing a story has resonated with its readers. Here are some of the comments and reviews readers have shared about Tim Paulsen’s books.

A rain-slicked Toronto alleyway from the late 1970s, photographed at night, with glistening puddles reflecting the red and white glow of a passing streetcar in the distance. Brick walls, worn posters, and a dented metal garbage bin line the narrow passage. A discarded, crumpled manuscript page with the words “Beyond Repair – Chapter One” lies in the foreground, ink slightly smudged by rain. Sodium-vapor streetlights cast a harsh, yellow-orange light, creating deep, angular shadows and a cinematic, almost detective-thriller mood. Photographic realism with a low-angle perspective and strong depth of field draws the eye from the wet paper in the foreground to the blurred urban light in the distance.

Mia Finn.

Fantastic read! Can’t wait to see what else this author writes!

An overhead photographic view of a 1970s Toronto writer’s desk, crowded but organized, featuring a spiral-bound notebook filled with handwritten chapter outlines labeled “Damaged Goods” and “Beyond Repair.” Around it lie dog-eared city maps of Toronto, a rotary telephone, a small portable cassette recorder with labeled interview tapes, and a faded subway token. Soft, diffused morning light from an unseen window washes across the wooden surface, creating gentle, natural shadows and a contemplative, professional mood. Photographic realism with sharp focus across the frame emphasizes the textures of paper, metal, and plastic, giving a documentary-like glimpse into the meticulous planning behind gritty urban fiction, all without any visible person.

K.T. Walsh

Very enjoyable. Kept you guessing

A meticulously detailed vintage typewriter, its black metal body slightly worn at the edges, sits on a heavy oak desk in a modest Toronto apartment. A single sheet of slightly yellowed paper is rolled into the carriage, bearing the bold, typed title “Damaged Goods” at the top. Outside the window, out of focus, neon streetlights and a blurred streetcar hint at a late-1970s city night. Warm, low tungsten lamp light falls across the keys, creating sharp, cinematic shadows and metallic highlights. Photographic realism, eye-level composition with shallow depth of field, emphasizes the typewriter’s texture and the quiet, focused mood of a crime writer at work, without showing any person.

Kim B.

Great, easy read. Loved the twists in the plot. I can’t wait to read more from this author! Highly recommend this book.

A stack of two well-worn paperback novels titled “Damaged Goods” and “Beyond Repair” rests on a scratched laminate kitchen table typical of late-1970s Toronto apartments. Beside the books, a ceramic ashtray overflows with stubbed-out cigarettes, and a half-drunk glass of amber whisky catches the light. The background shows an out-of-focus, narrow galley kitchen with avocado-green appliances and dim ceiling light. A single overhead bulb casts moody, cinematic lighting, pooling highlights on the book covers and deep shadows around them. Photographic realism, slightly elevated angle using rule-of-thirds composition, creates a tense, gritty atmosphere that evokes noir fiction without including any human presence.

Lorraine Soroka.

The first paragraph gave my heart a tug and I wanted more……..down the tunnel of intrigue.