Unsolvable
murders, and innocent suspects. It's time to bring in Steelside.
The Final
Scene
Two
talented performers take center stage for a heart-wrenching love song. Their
soaring voices deliver a dramatic aria for a scene that will never be
surpassed. Or will it?
The
Marathon Murder
Great human
sports achievements fill our history books with superhuman feats. Then comes
one runner to break all the records, plus anyone else in his way.
The
Pharmacy Incident
Advancing
the science of medicine gives us miracle cures for life-saving treatments. Now
Ed is hired to look into their dark closets and finds—do we trust them too
much?
There's
Death in Texas
A deadly
killer stalks the state of Texas, and no one knows he's coming except for fate
and a crack detective. Now, Ed must find the path to stop one of the most
deadly killers in North American history.
THE MARATHON MURDER
Andre was late. He rushed into the house, grabbed his TV remote, and clicked it on. A runner on a track appeared. “He’s on the final straightaway,” a frantic announcer shouted. “Only a hundred yards to the finish…sixty yards…forty yards…twenty yards… He’s crossed the tape!”
The runner staggered to a stop, hands on his knees, gasping to catch his breath. A loud, cheering crowd soon drowned out the broadcast.
“Attention, ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer returned, his voice echoing throughout the stadium. “I now have the official results.” The crowd finally quieted.
“Hermando Montregalo has just broken the world’s marathon record by six minutes, forty-eight seconds!” A roar burst out from the stadium. The exhausted runner raised his arms in victory— cheering fans on the field swarmed around him in a frenzy of admiration.
The camera cut to the announcer in the booth. “Still yet to appear on this final straightaway,” he went on, “is the now ex-world champion, Nigerian Ligajah Lambafa. He won’t reach this finish for another incredible six minutes!” The reporter removed his glasses and addressed the camera.
“Sports fans!” he announced. “This astonishing record will shock the track and field world into disbelief. Today, we just witnessed an unbelievable human achievement.”
Andre switched off the broadcast, threw the remote down, and stormed from the room.
See what happens when an old-school senior officer who misses the street action retires and opens his own private investigation office.
Edwin Steelside: Searching Out the Devil by Bradford Bennett is a collection of short stories featuring the former head of detectives turned private eye. This volume includes four intriguing and mysterious cases for the new PI to solve.
Ed Steelside is an engaging protagonist for the series. Divorced after his job as the head of Vancouver PD’s Homicide Detectives Bureau kept him away from home and his wife too much, he’s considering getting back in the dating game to get to know Molly, a smart, fast-talking, and saucy waitress at his favorite coffee shop. He retired from the police department when, after climbing the ladder, he discovered that most of his time was spent on administrative tasks rather than solving crimes and pursuing justice for victims. Instead, he’s opened his own private investigation office, and his stellar reputation is starting to attract some big cases.
Each story is a self-contained case, and Ed conducts a thorough investigation, following clues and his instincts. The police procedural style employed puts the reader alongside Ed every step of the way as he puzzles through the information he uncovers, leading to the final resolution. Suspects come and go as the clues either rule them out or put them on a fast track to arrest by his former colleagues, with whom he maintains a positive, mutually beneficial relationship.
I recommend EDWIN STEELSIDE: SEARCHING OUT THE DEVIL to
mystery readers who enjoy their police procedurals in bite-sized chunks.
