Quant
Anthony Bidulka
Bon Vivant Books
978-1-990495-12-0 Paperback: $16.99/eBook: $8.99
Website: www.anthonybidulka.com
P.I. Russell Quant returns in his ninth investigation in Quant, the further exploits of the Canadian, gay, world-hopping former farmboy/ex police officer.
Over twenty years since the first Quant mystery and fifteen years since the last seeming-concluding volume, thankfully Anthony Bidulka returns Quant to newcomers and prior fans who felt that Book 8 didn’t finish matters.
Here, fifty-four-year-old Quant opens with a dreaded day arrived at last – the walk-through of his mother’s farmhouse, with all its memories and clutter, before his mother moves on.
There’s more to the story than laying old memories to rest, however, for Quant’s ongoing ability to question himself, his motivations, and his actions drove his prior adventures and continues to provide satisfyingly realistic adjuncts to the mystery that evolves in this story:
Was this internalized homophobia? Had I automatically downgraded my ability and appeal as a provider and companion for my mother just because I’m gay? Well, screw that.
In the midst of his emotional reflections, mentor, friend, and quasi-father figure Anthony Gatt brings Quant a new problem concerning his mother, Kay, who seeks to sell off art to pay a P.I. – who is not Quant.
Saskatchewan continues to be a powerful backdrop to events that swirl around Quant’s family, the Beautiful Prairie Rainbow Retirement Inn, criminal behaviour that permeates even the small village of Howell, and matters of rich and powerful entrepreneurs such as Phillip Painchaud.
As Quant delves ever deeper into a rabbit’s warren of interconnected purposes, special interests, and evolving threats, his personal and professional lives become ever more entwined in a captivating story that further develops Quant’s relationships, motivations, and talents.
Prior fans will relish these expanded visions of his work and perspectives while newcomers dropped into the 9th book won’t be lost – references to past relationships, events, and challenges keep all of Quant’s decisions and experiences logical and easily understood.
Especially poignant are challenges of aging and caring for a declining mother:
At the core of all my recent sadness and grief and dissatisfaction with life was the fact that Mom’s disease was slowly but surely taking her away from me. Every day I watched helplessly as she moved further away from me, from fully being with me, from knowing me.
Librarians should know that acquiring Quant doesn’t mean the prior eight books are a prerequisite. They also should know, however, that newcomers that delve into Quant will likely turn to the others for more delightful adventure and insights.
Replete with mystery combined with the anguish of growing old and the decisions revolving around shifting family connections, Quant is a winner.