reviews_and_ramblings | Anthony Bidulka (born July 24, 1962)

Anthony Bidulka has enjoyed time well-spent and misspent in the worlds of academia, accounting, footwear, food services and farming. In 1999 Anthony Bidulka, BA, BEd, BComm, CA left a decade long career as a Chartered Accountant to pursue writing. He lives in Saskatoon.

In 2003, Quill & Quire described Bidulka’s first book, Amuse Bouche: A Russell Quant Mystery, as “…an effervescent first novel that is much like the tasty French hors d’oeuvres from which it takes its name”, earning Bidulka a nomination for the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award.

With sharp writing, descriptive flair and wry humour, Bidulka’s mystery series tells the story of the first, and perhaps only, half-Ukrainian, half-Irish, Canadian, gay, ex-farmboy, ex-cop, world-travelling, wine-swilling, wise-cracking, Saskatchewan, prairie private detective being written about today anywhere.

The Russell Quant series has been nominated for Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards, Saskatchewan Book Awards, a ReLit award, Lambda Literary Awards, with Flight of Aquavit awarded the Lambda Literary Award for Best Men’s Mystery, making Bidulka the first Canadian to win in that category.

New York’s Mystery Scene Magazine proclaimed: “Quant makes for a riveting hero…the kind of friend you want to have—unless you’re a killer.” From the StarPhoenix: “Truly amazing is Bidulka’s sense of sights, sounds and smells. Like a good journalist, he gives exquisitely detailed descriptions of the settings and provides history lessons…” And Sherbrooke Record said: “…Bidulka brings a fresh voice to Canadian crime fiction, with a sense of humour that is often outrageous and always original; he provides his readers with a cleverly-crafted tale full of twists and turns, and challenges readers to broaden their perspectives.”

In 2012, Bidulka began a second series, following the adventures of man of action Adam Saint, a tough-as-nails, luxury loving, Disaster Recovery Agent.

Like his protagonists, Anthony lives a big life in a small city on the Canadian prairie. He also loves to travel—meeting people, sampling food and wine, walking sun-drenched streets, making good use of swim-up bars, and being awed by the world.

Anthony has toured extensively in both Canada and the United States. A great believer in community involvement, he has sat on many boards and committees including those of Persephone Theatre, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, AIDS Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, the International Association of Crime Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, and he is co-founder of Camp fYrefly Saskatchewan (a lifeskills camp for GLBT youth). In 2011, Anthony was added to the College of Education Wall of Honour at the University of Saskatchewan.

Date with a Sheesha won a 2010 Rainbow Award as Best Gay Mystery / Thriller.

Source: http://anthonybidulka.com/?page_id=195

With Flight of Aquavit by Anthony Bidulka, I learned a Canadian author could make it big. --P.A. Brown

Further Readings:

Date With a Sheesha by Anthony Bidulka
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Insomniac Pr (July 31, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554831296
ISBN-13: 978-1554831296
Amazon: Date With a Sheesha
Amazon Kindle: Date With a Sheesha

Neil Gupta went to the Middle East looking for antique carpets. He found something equally timeless: murder. When Neil is found stabbed to death in Dubai's spice souk, his distraught father wants revenge. He hires private investigator Russell Quant to catch the killer. In his greatest case to date, Quant goes undercover to match wits with a wily museum curator, shifty souk merchants, corrupt carpet experts, and the denizens of an underground club for "fabulous" men. From the flamboyant glitz of Dubai to the scorching sand dunes of Saudi Arabia, Quant risks his life as he wades further and further into the shadows cast by the desert sun. As Russell's spicy international adventure heats up, he learns a valuable lesson about love, life, and learning to seize the moment ... before it's gone. On the verge of making the biggest personal decision of his life, Russell discovers that endings sometimes come before beginnings.

More Spotlights at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Lists/Gay Novels

More Rainbow Awards at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, Rainbow Awards/2010

Anthony Bidulka (born July 24, 1962)

Re: New series