Photo by Brett Newsome

Mel Bradshaw’s previous novel Death in the Age of Steam (RendezVous Press, 2004) saw 1850s Canada through the eyes of a bank cashier turned amateur detective by the disappearance of a woman he once courted. The novel was shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award by the Crime Writers of Canada in the category of best first novel and won the American award, Foreword Magazine’s Best Novel of the year, in the mystery genre. Queen’s Quarterly, Impulse, Descant, and The Dalhousie Review are among the journals that have published Mel’s short stories, most crime-related. He has also written on military history for The Canadian Forum.

Mel was born and grew up in Toronto, where he took his B.A. and was film editor of The Varsity. He holds a post-graduate degree in philosophy from Oxford University. His non-writing career is teaching English, which he has done in Canada and Southeast Asia. He has also travelled to Zambia, Iceland, Poland, and points between. He currently lives in his native town.