Flight of Aquavit: A Russell Quant Mystery

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Abbotsford, B.C.

Saskatoon’s gay private investigator Russell Quant gets warned off a
case during a bizarre late-night chase before he even knows a case
exists. The next day Daniel Guest, a local “closet case” and
businessman, hires Quant to find the blackmailer who is threatening to
reveal the one-night stand that resulted from an online meeting with
Loverboy (aka James Kraft) in a gay chat room.

Under pressure Guest later admits to another sexual encounter with none
other than Anthony, the partner of Quant’s late uncle and his
“unofficial liaison to the gay world.” Determined to clear
Anthony’s name, Quant heads to New York (accompanied by his worldly,
flamboyant neighbour, Serena) to find Kraft. When Kraft allegedly shoots
himself after admitting to the blackmail scheme, Quant is skeptical and
finds himself in mortal danger in the course of the ensuing
investigation.

Like its predecessor Amuse Bouche, Bidulka’s second Quant mystery
features carefully crafted descriptions of Saskatoon and its
inhabitants. The book’s deftly executed and entertaining first-person
narrative resonates with Quant’s insightful self-analysis and canny
observations of events and people. Flight of Aquavit won the 2004 Lambda
Literary Award for Gay Men’s Mystery.