"Where has Benoit been hiding? With a debut novel this good, it's hard to believe he hasn't published at least ten previous books. Every element of this rollicking adventure shines, from its suspenseful, globetrotting plot to its nicely rounded characters."Booklist (starred review)
"Smashingly good.Benoit is a rare discovery."Publishers Weekly
Young Doug Pearce, just fired from his steady job in the brewery, has never strayed far from home. But he's always been fascinated by stories of his dead Uncle Russ, the family black sheep. So when an old friend of his uncle invites him up to Toronto, he accepts. On arrival, he learns that wealthy and glamorous Edna has an agenda: she has assembled enough clues to solve the murder of Russell Pearce and to recover a legendary red diamond he was thought to be smuggling. Doug, nervous but game, jets off to Morocco to play detective. But by the end of his first day in Casablanca, he knows he's made a mistake. From Morocco to Egypt to Singapore, Doug stumbles on. And whether he's escaping across Cairo rooftops, ducking bullets in a high-speed desert chase, or killing time in a crowded Egyptian jail cell, Doug is sure of just one thing: he has no clue what he's doing.
