2 BY BRAD SMITH

A fairly recent discovery is Brad Smith, a Canadian author who has been praised by Dennis Lehane and likened to Elmore Leonard. Smith has written seven novels to date and no I don’t have them all, only most of them!

Intriguing titles always suck me in and Smith has a few belters in addition to the two books highlighted…….All Hat, Shoot the Dog, Big Man Coming Down the Road, Red Means Run, Crow’s Landing and his debut Rises a Moral Man. 

I asked Brad about his debut as information both on his website and the internet in general is a bit scarce....... "Rises A Moral Man had a print run of 1000 and you’re right…it’s hard to find today. It’s about a young guy who discovers that his background is not what he thought. He travels north to an Indian reservation and becomes involved in a land scheme and a murder."

Never one to hide my ignorance under a bushel, I was unaware of native Canadians, Native Americans or Native Indians in Canada - is there a PC umbrella term for the indigenous people of Canada?

Definitely an author to be read later this year, irrespective of whether or not I undertake a Canadian reading challenge. 

He has worked on the railways both in Canada and abroad and has a varied working history, which I would think has given him great life experience and a source for much detail in his writing.  Farmer, signalman, insulator, truck driver, bartender, schoolteacher (certain lies about his post-secondary education were told to acquire that job), maintenance mechanic, roofer, and so on. He became a carpenter and built custom homes in the Dunnville area. He still works as a carpenter when not writing.

One-Eyed Jacks

At 35, Tommy Cochrane is a washed-up boxer who missed out on a shot at the heavy-weight title and has to hang up his gloves for good when he's diagnosed with an aneurysm. His best friend and former sparring partner, T-Bone Pike, isn't in great shape either as the two of them head to Toronto on a quest for the $5,000 Tommy desperately needs to buy back his grandfather's farm.

In the big city, Tommy and T-Bone encounter an intriguing cast of characters operating on the questionable side of the tracks. Fat Ollie runs the weekly poker game on Quenn Street; Buzz Murdoch gives Tommy a job as a doorman at the Bamboo club; Herm Bell is a sharp kid on a run of luck; and Tony Broad is a small-time hood with big-time ambitions and a seedy sidekick named Billy Callahan. There's also Lee Charles, a sharp, cynical, smart-mouthed torch singer, who happens to be Tommy's ex-girlfriend.

The five grand ultimately becomes available to a number of these people in a number of ways - all at great risk to Tommy and T-Bone.  

Busted Flush

Stuck with a wife he doesn't like, a job he hates, and a rapidly crumbling sense of self-worth, Dock Bass could use some good news.

So when he learns that he's inherited an ancient house from a deceased relative he never knew existed, he is ready to make a move. Even better, the old place turns out to be a treasure trove of Civil War memorabilia. But as the onslaught of collectors, history buffs, and media hounds - including an easy-on-the-eyes television reporter - descends, Dock needs every stubborn and independent bone in his body to fight of the hustlers, opportunists, and scam artists.


280 Steps have recently released One-Eyed Jacks as an e-book around now.
(Other publications to come include another screwball  novel from Rob Kitchin at some point.)