Gene Castle, private eye, is back on the streets of Vancouver! It’s autumn 1939. War is brewing in Europe. At home the Depression is lifting and he’s just escaped from the Fascists in Spain. Gene’s back with showgirl Louise Jones and there’s even a client waiting in his office. Still, there isn’t much time for play! Take one gypsy jazz diva, one kidnapped German scientist and too many victims of a ruthless killer, and you can bet Gene Castle’s back on the job.
This fast-paced political mystery by Jim Christy is the sequel to Shanghai Alley, nominated for the 1998 Arthur Ellis Award by the Crimewriter’s of Canada. Both titles are taken from street names and intersections in Vancouver, B.C. and feature private investigator, Gene Castle. They are written in the breathless, hardboiled style of Raymond Chandler or James Cain, that recalls the Golden Age of detective fiction. Jim Christy once again shows his versatility and range in the second in a series of novels which mix history, politics and style.
