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Fire on the Runway

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

From one grenade exploding in 1920s Toronto to the seeds of a new war in Europe ...

As Torontonians move to the beat of the Jazz Age, war is the furthest thing from their minds. Then a fatal grenade explosion outside a west end hotel room breaks the rhythm. The room's registered occupant, a mysterious European woman calling herself Lucy, disappears before she can shed any light on the incident.

Police detective Paul Shenstone believes someone is trying to assassinate Lucy. Once he has found her, he will learn the reason: she has uncovered dangerous secrets that threaten world peace. Shenstone must protect Lucy and pursue her attackers. At the same time, his own experience as an infantry officer in Flanders compels him to go beyond his police function. He feels he must help Lucy get her message to the corridors of power, so that a new war may be prevented.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 1, 2013
      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

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2013

      Toronto cop Paul Shenstone witnesses a botched bombing attempt at a hotel, and he rescues the apparent target, the enigmatic Lucy. But Paul is baffled when Lucy escapes from the hospital, goes on the lam, and then slinks back to him in a cloak-and-dagger series of moves. After someone tries to kill both of them, Paul is less dubious about her wild story. Lucy is a Russian spy who has survived the 1917 Revolution and the fallout from World War I. Now she has critical information about a potential Russian and German collaboration and she's desperate to get it to someone trustworthy before the pending signing of Germany into the League of Nations. Paul thinks former fighter pilot Kip Whitehead might have the connections. Readers know Lucy's backstory from a flashback narrative that establishes her credibility and ups the suspense meter exponentially, culminating in a thrilling climax. VERDICT This excellent police thriller set in 1926 Canada is the second case (after Quarrel with the Foe) for Bradshaw's World War I vet. It's reminiscent of John Buchan's classic The Thirty-Nine Steps, with abundant espionage and historical detailing.

      Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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