Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka

8. - 189.) Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka – Saskatoon private detective, Russell Quant, is called by a wealthy businessman to search for his fiancee who jilted him and failed to attend their wedding. The twist in the tale is that the couple were gay and Russell is gay. There is an unsuccessful search through France and then the fiancee turns up dead in Saskatchewan. Russell pursues threads of the investigation through Saskatoon’s gay and lesbian world and the high tech world of Innovation Place. The solution is too cute and obscure for me. The dialogue at times is artificial. Bidulka is at his best in describing gay relationships. His portrayal of Saskatoon is flawless. The light hearted tone works well and reminds me of Archie McNally, the Palm Beach detective created by Lawrence Sanders. Overall it is satisfying first novel. Bidulka is Saskatchewan’s second best mystery writer. Gail Bowen remains the best. Paperback by choice. (Feb. 3/ 04) (Most interesting of 2004 – fiction and non-fiction)