Mel Bradshaw has never felt confined by genre in his crime novels. Each of his books focuses on violent death and its attendant problems — but without letting up on the suspense, Bradshaw weaves in romance, character development, thoughtful themes, and rich period detail. In short, everything you'd look for in a good read.
In the booming 1950s more people than ever can afford cars not to mention houses packed with the latest labour-saving appliances. But there's a dark side to the decade. While serving with the U.N. forces in the Korean War, Canadian soldier George "Beaver" Nichol becomes aware of a sadistic criminal with whom he continues to cross paths in the ensuing years. The mysterious man, codenamed UFO, spreads pain for profit in such desperate locales as Marice Duplessis' Quebec, Kenya during the Mau Mau insurrection, and Guatemala at the time of the CIA-sponsored coup. First as a soldier, then as a journalist, Beaver tracks the remorseless murderer, concluding, however, that it isn't enough to bear witness. UFO must be stopped, if not by the police, then by an ex-infantryman who knows how to handle himself under fire. The final showdown will take place in France in the context of Algeria's bloody fight for independence.
Toronto native Mel Bradshaw grew up a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. After teaching English in Thailand and studying philosophy at Oxford, he took up a career in writing. In addition to six crime novels, he has published short fiction and non-fiction in a variety of Canadian periodicals. His first book was nominated for a Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence and was named ForeWord Magazine's Mystery Book of the Year.
His advice to aspiring writers: read lots, write for love, and never let anyone tell you the limits of your talent.
“Historical reconstruction is Bradshaw’s forte”
— The Globe and Mail
