Prospects Unknown

by Jamie Dopp

The Silver, British Columbia. The Enrique and Camilla Soledad. Refugees from the South American country of Costaguana. They had been crossing picket lines during a bitter strike at the Cyclops silver mine. Were they scabs killed by union radicals? Or were they working undercover for the union itself? And what about the rumours of a hit squad from Costaguana? The Lena Stahr, American owner of the mine. A charming but ruthless woman who has learned to survive in the male-dominated, high-stakes world of mining. Ginger Goodwin, head of the union local. A militant labour man who once claimed that "Killing is scab is no different than killing someone breaking into your home." Philip Bentley, a local minister. He helped to bring the Soledads to Canada but now seems to unduly covet the Soledad children. Inspector Breeze, the commander of the RCMP Emergency Response Team. Is he romantically involved with Lena Stahr? Wallace Lies, the Mayor of Silver. He was closer to the Soledads than anyone else. Did he exploit them for his own gain and kill them to hide the evidence? The Inspector Charles Gould. A professional's professional. Second son of a famous Canadian political family. Renowned for his ability to handle politically sensitive cases. The Phil Tucker, the narrator. While fleeing a love affair that has gone bad, he stumbles across the bodies and decides to try to become Gould's sidekick. How much of his account is genuine and how much is driven by his own desire to escape into a mystery? The Complication (The Other One): Not far into the investigation, the case takes a shocking turn, and Gould's renowned self-confidence is shattered. Trapped between carrying on in a compromised position and resigning from the Force, Gould decides to carry on, with one important he gives in to the overtures of Phil Tucker. Soon the outcome of the case is deeply intertwined with the complex and amusing relationship between Tucker and Gould. A literary thriller in the tradition of The Name of the Rose, The Telling of Lies, and The Mysterium, Prospects Unknown offers a compelling detective story alongside a witty meditation on the relationship between fiction and reality.

Paperback

Published April 12, 2000