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Finalist, 2026 Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book (Crime Writers of Canada)
Fascinating stories of the age-old tug-of-war between prisons struggling to keep inmates inside and escapees desperate to get out.
A convict who returned to the prison he had recently escaped from in a vain attempt to foment a mass breakout; a murderer on the run who veered from folk hero to persona non grata after killing a police dog; a fugitive from the United States who was seized in Canada after being featured on America’s Most Wanted; a repeat escapee who shot himself, preferring death to recapture; a serial killer on the prowl in a small community — these are just a few of the felons whose prison break escapades continue to enthrall and terrify.
Along with probing the origins, structure, and shortcomings of a variety of historic and contemporary correctional institutions, On the Lam brings into sharp focus the attempts — sometimes successful, occasionally deadly — of masterminds, tricksters, scoundrels, and innocents to claw their way to freedom.
Fascinating stories of the age-old tug-of-war between prisons struggling to keep inmates inside and escapees desperate to get out.
A convict who returned to the prison he had recently escaped from in a vain attempt to foment a mass breakout; a murderer on the run who veered from folk hero to persona non grata after killing a police dog; a fugitive from the United States who was seized in Canada after being featured on America’s Most Wanted; a repeat escapee who shot himself, preferring death to recapture; a serial killer on the prowl in a small community — these are just a few of the felons whose prison break escapades continue to enthrall and terrify.
Along with probing the origins, structure, and shortcomings of a variety of historic and contemporary correctional institutions, On the Lam brings into sharp focus the attempts — sometimes successful, occasionally deadly — of masterminds, tricksters, scoundrels, and innocents to claw their way to freedom.
Price: $21.99
Pages: 224
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Imprint: Dundurn Press
Publication Date:
11 November 2025
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781459754379
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
TRUE CRIME / Historical, True crime, HISTORY / Canada / Post-Confederation (1867-), SOCIAL SCIENCE / Penology, History of the Americas
Blends true crime, history, and sharp storytelling to reveal not just how escapes happened — but what they tell us about the people and the prisons left behind.
Smart, well-researched, and wildly readable. True crime at its absolute best.
A compelling collection of stories of infamous and daring Canadian prison escapes by penal historian Lorna Poplak.
On the Lam reads like a thriller. It’s a fascinating exploration of prisoners fleeing Canada’s most notorious and allegedly escape-proof penitentiaries. Lorna Poplak gives gripping accounts of prisoners’ ingenuity from digging extensive tunnels; stealing identities and even helicopters; and exploiting blundering bureaucracy. But breaking out of jail means staying out. Poplak goes further and thoroughly entertains readers with the fugitives’ wild adventures after they escaped.
Smart, well-researched, and wildly readable. True crime at its absolute best.
A compelling collection of stories of infamous and daring Canadian prison escapes by penal historian Lorna Poplak.
On the Lam reads like a thriller. It’s a fascinating exploration of prisoners fleeing Canada’s most notorious and allegedly escape-proof penitentiaries. Lorna Poplak gives gripping accounts of prisoners’ ingenuity from digging extensive tunnels; stealing identities and even helicopters; and exploiting blundering bureaucracy. But breaking out of jail means staying out. Poplak goes further and thoroughly entertains readers with the fugitives’ wild adventures after they escaped.
Lorna Poplak is a writer, editor, and researcher with a fascination for the dark side of history. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Toronto.