Flight of Aquavit

I walked into After Stonewall, a gay owned/operated bookstore in Ottawa this weekend and was looking for a good book to read. The owner recommended Flight of Aquavit. I bought it and finished it in about a day and a half. When I was half way through, I went back to the store and bought Amuse Bouche and they're both awesome. I don't often read gay fiction, mostly cause I'm pretty much into Dean Koontz, John Grisham and Peter Watts mainly. But I fell in love with Russell Quant and Saskatoon, makes me want to visit it someday, just to see if I can spot some of the places mentioned in the books, and maybe get a Schnauzer too. Now I can't wait for Anthony Bidulka's next book to come out later this year. Bidulka makes you care about what happens to his characters, makes you want to find out more about them. Superb writing. I haven't read such good mysteries in a long time. As long as Bidulka keeps writting such good novels, he can rest assured knowing that I'll keep buying his books and recommend them too all my friends, both gay and not.

All the reviews I've been reading about Flight of Aquavit and author Anthony Bidulka have it right.....We've a great new detective and a marvelous new mystery writer in our midst. Just give in to it and enjoy.Russell Quant is a wonderful character who over a scant two books in this series thus far (hopefully the beginning of many more)manages to reach out and touch the reader with his humanness, his wit, candour, smart aleck remarks, those fabulous wonderpants and not least of all the people with whom he surrounds himself. And, in the same scant two books, Bidulka has grown as an author. No lazy writer here. Where others might use a tried and true phraseology or genre standbys, he often tries for something new and different and almost always succeeds. At times I forgot I was reading a mystery novel and, written in the first person as the RQ novels are, I was immersed in a most entertaining autobiography. He never resists an good opportunity to talk about his locales, the smells, what someone was wearing and, most beguiling, what they were drinking and eating. A full, well-rounded and tasty life is set out before the reader. Go ahead and take a bite.

If you're looking for a good book to pair with a relaxing evening, soft couch, fire, wine or cocoa, this is it. I read the whole thing in two sittings. And will rush out tomorrow to find the first one in the series. Russell Quant is a human, real character who is a regular guy and just happens to be a PI and gay and lives on the Canadian prairie. What's curious is that what makes him "regular" also makes him a very interesting and compelling character. Sure the mystery and friends and family who surround him are wonderful...and try awful hard to overshadow Mr. Quant, but in the end, you really just want to know how Russell fares through it all.Bring it on, Mr. Bidulka. We are ready for MORE. (And thanks for the wonderful weekend of reading ...and the red apple martini recipe)

I read the first of the Russell Quant mysteries and was pleasantly surprised. First of all a very well written mystery, interesting characters and well plotted. When I saw Anthony Bidulka had a second novel published, I immediately ordered it and was VERY pleased. It is better than the first, and Anthony shows real growth as a mystery writer. The characters are becomming more full and complex and we meet Russell's mother (Don't we all know someone like her). It isn't necessary to be gay to enjoy these stories. They are such well written mysteries, they truly stand on their own. But as a Gay reader, it so nice to find a writer who puts the gay aspects of his lead secondary to the mystery. My only suggestion is Russell needs a boyfriend, and anthony as I said in my head, PLEASE WRITE FASTER, I can't wait for the next book. (And by the way it is so nice learning about Saskatoon!)

I just read Flight of Aquavit and rushed out to find a copy of the first in the series, Amuse Bouche. In both the hero is tracking down a criminal...murderer, blackmailer...and in both he must travel to do so...France, New York City. Sounds like standard fare, but it isn't. Far from it. Russell Quant is a funny, independant, young, gay, Canadian, ex-cop doing his bit to play the pseudo-tough PI guy. Certainly the story lines circulate around the gay world, but not exclusively, and even when it does, I am filled with curiosity to learn about stuff I don't know a lot about. What's it like to go onto a chat room and hook up with someone (not only a gay thing I know)?; what's it like in a Saskatchewan gay club?; What's it like when mom comes to visit for two weeks?This story isn't LA hot, NYC chic, Boston tough or anything other than Canadian, right down to Quant's Ukrainian mother, aboriginal restaurant owner friend, the wild winter weather, the quirky senses of humour, etc etc. With Bidulka's Russell Quant series, you will find a twisting and turning mystery, interesting characters who grow with every page, some romance, some comedy, some pause to think and some pretty darn good, easy to read writing from a new writer in Canada. This isn't hard, or edgy or dark or brooding - which I like too - but rather a lot of fun.Loved it.