Pursuit of Arms

Trouble seems to keep looking for Keith Calder, the affable Scottish ex-poacher and expert gunsmith who appeared last in Sauce for the Pigeon. This time Keith has agreed to take on two jobsfirst, to repair a load of arms for a gunrunner of questionable reputation and, second, to act as agent for a large collection of valuable antique firearms offered for sale by a Polish ballerina/defector. However, the two shipments are placed in the same truck, and when the truck is hijacked, the guns are stolen and two men are killed. Superintendent Munro, ever suspicious of Calder's business dealings, vows to trap the killers. Calder starts an investigation of his own, but then his young daughter Deborah is kidnapped. A showdown with the criminals at a secluded farmhouse seems to promise only a violent climax, but instead the solution comes in a clever twist. As with the other books in the Keith Calder series, a rural atmosphere and earthy characters distinguish this brisk, enjoyable adventure. January 28