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QUARREL WITH THE FOE
by Mel Bradshaw
Napoleon Publishing, September 2005
272 pages
$15.95
ISBN: 1894917286


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Paul Shenstone was a pilot during World War I and now he is a police detective. He is no longer in contact with any of his comrades as he is more concerned with the present than memories of the past. He is not necessarily the best detective -- he enjoys his drink a bit too much, but he knows how to get things done.

Due to a minor department tragedy, Shenstone gets a murder investigation of his own. Digby Watt was murdered while standing outside of his office building in the early morning. No one saw the shooter and there is a little evidence at the scene. Shenstone must dig into Watt's history to find the answers he needs.

Watt was a prominent businessman and was rumored to be engaged to a woman as young as his children. Did one of his business enemies, one of his children or a fancier of his bride-to-be kill him? As Shenstone investigates, he finds links between Watt and weaponry used in the war. Shenstone is forced to include his fellow soldiers in his murder investigation.

QUARREL WITH THE FOE, Mel Bradshaw's second mystery, is a short, fast-paced mystery novel. The tone and pace of the prologue is somewhat misleading. It is not written with the same sense of purpose as the rest of the book. The prologue feels as though the author was not sure of how to provide the necessary background and just threw it out to the reader. Once the story moves to the present day, the narrative seems to have more of a focus and a different tone.

The characters of QUARREL WITH THE FOE have their own quirks and gruffness. As the book takes place in the 1920s, the characters all have a jazzy flapper feel to them. This description includes both the men and the women. This statement is not to imply that all of the characters go out drinking and partying every night but that they have the attitude that nothing can surprise them any more. Such a sentiment is very common in books dealing with the aftermath of World War I and this book is no exception.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, November 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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