A hockey memoir in poetry from the Cold War to the present in Canada, the USA, the USSR, and China, from Gravenhurst, Muskoka, to Dalian, featuring the big themes -- love and death.

Canadian author Martin Avery, living in China, challenges Nobel Prize winning Chinese author Mo Yan to a novel marathon!

Colt Ace By: R. N. Echols Private Investigator Conner Pennington investigates the circumstances of an apparent suicide that is now almost fifty years old. Questions have been raised over the past five decades that brings doubt to the validity – and even the competence or possible cover-up, of the original investigation. Retiring from government service, Conner has followed his childhood dream of becoming a private investigator and has been sought out by a high school classmate to look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his younger brother, Jimmy Ray. His death in 1965 had been determined by the investigating trooper to be the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Conner’s past experiences have honed his dogged determination to arrive at the truth and ferret out those seeking to avoid the truth. His investigation stirs the ghosts and suspicions harbored in a small Midwestern town and many of its citizens would prefer this case be left in the past. Conner is not deterred from his investigation by those wanting to wish away long hidden circumstances surrounding the death of a troubled young man. The pursuit of truth reaches across the United States and into the lives of those that may have been involved in the untimely death of Jimmy Ray. Haunted memories are revived when the investigation delves into passions, jealousies, and unwarranted assumptions. Follow the evidence as Conner unravels the threads of dark secrets and resurrects from the grave the revealing circumstances of a cold case. In spite of widespread attempts to bury the truth under the dust and memories of past intimate relationships, the truth will be brought to light.

“One always embarks on a John Rhode book with a great sense of security. One knows that there will be a sound plot, well-knit process of reasoning, and a solidly satisfying solution with no loose ends or careless errors of fact.”—Dorothy Sayers From the Jacket: Fair blew the wind from France, and the Channel steamer Isle of Jethou rolled a bit in the stiff south-westerly breeze. But the rough crossing didn’t upset the mysterious passenger who had locked himself into his cabin as soon as he boarded the boat at Guernsey. The same desire for seclusion had manifested itself on the boat-train to Waterloo, for the guard had been presented with a pound-note to reserve a compartment for Mr. Mystery. But did he travel alone? For at Waterloo the gentleman from Guernsey was a pretty genuine corpse. Death on the Boat-Train is a first-rate detective story, once again featuring the coldly clever scientific mind of Dr. Priestley, John Rhode’s brilliant creation.

For years weve scurried about in the underworlds of society. We hid in plain sight, avoiding confl ict with the Human race. Weve always had a set of rules, guidelines to keep our kind safe. But they are broken, futile rules. No one obeys them, no one cares for them, and we just go through the motions. Like a loveless marriage we just stay out of each others way, let the others do as they wish as long as they dont mess with us. Well, those were the good ole days. Someone decided to break the uneasy balance between our species and the Humans; this is now boiling down to a critical point. Its us or them, kill or be killed, unless