Chrystine Brouillet
A bestselling crime novelist from Quebec who crafted the enduring and tenacious detective character Chief Inspector Maud Graham.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Canadian writer·Birthday: February 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chrystine Brouillet emerged from Quebec City to become a powerhouse of Canadian crime fiction. While her early work included children's literature, she found her true calling in the psychological thriller, crafting intricate puzzles that often explore dark corners of human nature and social issues. Her breakthrough and defining creation is Chief Inspector Maud Graham, a sharp, determined policewoman who has anchored a long-running and beloved series. Brouillet's novels are marked by meticulous plotting and a clean, compelling prose style that has earned her a massive readership in French Canada, with many of her books adapted for television. She stands as a testament to the potent appeal of homegrown literary talent, dominating bestseller lists for decades.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chrystine was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chrystine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Chrystine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the bestselling Maud Graham series, featuring one of Quebec's most famous fictional detectives.
- Has sold millions of copies of her novels, making her one of Quebec's most commercially successful authors.
- Won the Prix du Roman Policier de la ville de Cognac for her novel 'Le Collectionneur' in 1992.
- Saw her novel 'Chère voisine' adapted into a popular television miniseries in 2019.
Did You Know?
She worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time writer.
One of her early jobs was writing for the children's television show 'Passe-Partout'.
She is a Knight of the National Order of Quebec.
“I write to understand the monsters, both inside and outside the law.”
