Button Holes

An archaeological discovery frustrates his opponents, promises good personal PR and a chance for a little extra cash-all in a single stroke. What more could a small-town mayor ask? With his clever daughter Jenny, Paul "The Weasel" Wessel thrives on manipulating people and events in his town-until a well-hidden truth jeopardizes his sure-fire plan.

Stirring the pot of intrigue are an unwitting American Army major, the editor of the town's newspaper and a developer who pays for the mayor's support. Could this year's leisurely canter towards acclamations for all become an unbridled horse race? Will a clandestine political group tamper with the status quo? Will The Weasel's final term be a disgrace or a triumph?

This wry narrative probes small-town politics and the people who shape and subvert them. Certain that not everyone needs to know their secrets, each conceals some or all of the truth. Button Holes gyrates through more surprising twists and turns than The Cyclone at Crystal Beach, leaving readers doubting those they trust to lead their own communities. Does anyone really need to know? Or, are ignorance and faith the better way?

Thirty-five years as a small-town journalist and municipal public relations officer gave John Scott rare insights into both sides of the political world, which he infuses into his first novel, Button Holes. After three years in a daily newspaper in Guelph, Mr. Scott moved to weeklies, as a reporter, photographer, and editor of papers throughout Southern Ontario. After sixteen years, John became the Information Officer for the Regional Municipality of York, tackling media relations, economic development, tourism promotion, and special assignments from the Regional Chairman and the Chief Administrative Officer. While in this role, he "wrote the book" on local government: Insights: Local and Regional Government in the Regional Municipality of York. Mr. Scott spent sixteen years working for four successive chairmen and three CAOs. His other writing credentials include magazine articles, humorous columns, promotional pieces, as well as campaign literature, speeches, and press releases for elected officials at every level of government.  Mr. Scott concluded his career with his wife, Susan, working for a decade as co-managers of an eighteen-acre historical site in Niagara Region, where school children keen on learning about the lives of pioneers could experience history where it happened. The Scotts live in Peterborough and have three married children and four grandchildren.