Fire on the Runway: A Paul Shenstone Mystery

Bradshaw's latest mystery is set eight years after the Armistice of the First World War in Toronto. (Death in the Age of Steam was shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award for best first crime novel.) Detective Paul Shenstone, a veteran of the trenches in Flanders, is startled on his way to work by an explosion in the second storey of a hotel. An unidentified man lies dead at the scene; a mysterious woman lies there stunned but runs away before Shenstone can question her. So begins the detective's accidental foray into the world of international intrigue, Soviet spies, counterspies and rogue agents. Finding the mysterious woman pulls him into her race to reveal a dangerous secret that threatens her native Poland. Together, they must outrun and outwit the people and powers bent on silencing them. Strengthened by a strong cast of characters complete with bumbling fools, fascist sympathizers and communist agents, this book is a perfectly delightful and well-executed romp. (June) Canadian Distribution: UTP. U.S. Distribution: Ingram