Flight of Aquavit: A Russell Quant Mystery

Let me get this out right away. I love Canada and Canadians. I am unabashedly in love with the psyche, soul and spirit of Canadians. And now, I've discovered another reason to love all things Canadian: Anthony Bidulka

Bidulka's Flight of Aquavit is his second Russell Quant mystery and according to reviews is as good as or better than his first. Unfortunately finding Bidulka's works in the States is difficult at best and I haven't been able to get his first book Amuse Bouche. So I started with his second in the series.

In Bidulka's Russell Quant mysteries, you not only get to know a very charming and witty gay private detective, but you also get a wonderful feel for life in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Mr. Bidulka is a wonderful writer and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

SYNOPSIS:

"At the dead end of desolate country road, a late night meeting suddenly becomes an ambush. Gay private detective Russell Quant is faced with personal threats he can’t ignore, a friend who may be a foe and a cagey client with a treacherous monkey on his back. As Quant trails a menacing blackmailer known only as Loverboy, he finds himself immersed in the midnight world of e-dating and parking lot romance. Lured to New York City, Quant tests his wit, wisdom and wiles from the Old World grandeur of Fifth Avenue to the kaleidoscope world of Broadway’s electric nightspots.
The fast pace continues when Quant returns to Saskatoon where he grapples with decoys and deceit, realizing that no one is as they appear. Threat turns into deadly reality and the need to uncover the identity of Loverboy becomes increasingly desperate. Quant deftly maneuvers through the twists and turns of a perilous case and a personal life rife with its own mystique and mayhem."

I loved this book so much that I immediately checked my favorite bookstores in Portland for copies of his other three novels. Nada. Sometimes, I think Portland can be so damn provincial. So, thank heavens for Amazon.ca. I was able to order all three of his other books and they're on their way as I write.

Anthony Bidulka is a super writer. He fleshes out his characters with great finesse, entertains you with a charming and engaging dry sense of humor, and to top it all off gives you a crisp, well-constructed, thrilling mystery with utterly likable characters.

My partner and I are off to a week in Palm Springs in April. I'm saving Bidulka's third and fourth books Tapas on the Ramblas and Stain of the Berry for the trip. It's going to be hard not to jump in and read them now, but it will definitely be worth the wait. In the meantime, I'm going to "catch up" by reading the first of the Russel Quant mysteries, Amuse Bouche.

I recommend you do the same!"