Home Fires Burn by Anthony Bidulka – Book Review

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In the conclusion of the award-winning Merry Bell trilogy, a celebrated philanthropist is found slumped against his car, frozen to death. PI Merry Bell is hired by his son, country music star Evan Whatley, to find out the truth behind what really happened on that desolate stretch of road.

As Merry’s investigation uncovers old wounds which never healed, her own are revealed as she confronts her pre-transition past and questions the boundaries of family and friendship.

‘Home Fires Burn’ is the latest novel from the pen of Canadian-born award winning author, Anthony Bidulka. We catch up with private investigator, Merry Bell, as she tackles another case in Saskatchewan, over Christmas. Wearing her totally impractical trademark Christian Louboutin boots, she totters her way through the icy streets of Livingsky, tracking down clues in an attempt to discover whether the father of her college boyfriend, Evan Whatley, died an accidental death or whether he was murdered.

She is again joined by the foils from her previous adventures; whacky landlord, Gerald Drover, bi-gender would-be assistant, Roger (sometimes Stella) Brown and his wife, ‘Designs by Brenda’. With a smattering of grudging assistance and growing respect from Detective Sergeant Veronica Greyeyes, Merry methodically and painstakingly peels back the layers to uncover deep hidden secrets in the life of successful businessman, John Whatley.

In this instalment, we see another side to Merry as she confronts issues from her past and finally makes contact with her estranged family. She also finds she still has feelings for Evan which confuses her because she had a relationship with him when she was Joey, prior to her gender-affirming surgery.

Anthony Bidulka’s characters are all well-defined and each plays their part in making ‘Home Fires Burn’ a worthy final book in this trilogy. I particularly appreciated the sensitive handling of the dementia segment. I’m sure the experience of having a conversation with a close relative who has no idea of the familial connection, is one many of us can relate to.

I found the book to be an entertaining read, recognising the skilful use of descriptive passages, along with metaphors, similes, pathos and humour. Sticking to the formula that worked well for Merry previously, it was a fitting end to our intrusion into her life. Breaking the stiletto heel of one of her Louboutin’s removed the last link with Joey and symbolically allowed her to move forward, secure in her new body, along with her professional and private life.

I’ve enjoyed seeing Merry’s journey and have no hesitation in awarding five well-deserved stars.

Anthony Bidulka has dedicated his career to writing traditional genre novels in an untraditional way, developing a body of work that often features his Saskatchewan roots and underrepresented, diverse main characters. He tells serious stories in accessible, entertaining, often humorous ways.

Bidulka’s novel Going to Beautiful is the 2023 winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Crime Novel. His books have been shortlisted for numerous awards including the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence (three times), the Lambda Literary Award (three times), the Saskatchewan Book Award (five times). Flight of Aquavit was awarded the Lambda Literary Award for Best Men’s Mystery, making Bidulka the first Canadian to win in that category. Going to Beautiful, about a gay man rising from the depths of despair in search of joy on the Saskatchewan prairie, also won the Independent Publisher Book Award as the Canada West Best Fiction Gold Medalist.

In his free time Bidulka loves to travel the world, collect art, walk his dogs, obsess over decorating Christmas trees (it’s a thing) and throw a good party.

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