Jack Tuesday: Gambit, by F. Nelson Smith, is a noir suspense novel featuring a flawed detective who becomes entangled in Cold War espionage.

Set in Alberta, Canada, in 1972, the story features Edmonton detective Jack Tuesday, who is negotiating a prickly relationship with his 15-year-old son, Max. Max recently escaped from the watchful gaze of the Stasi, the East German police, to claim asylum in Canada. Raised in East Germany by Jack’s former lover, Ursula, who worked in the eastern bloc’s nuclear program, Max is understandably prickly about police of any kind, including Jack.

Then an acquaintance dies shortly after telling Jack about “anomalies” in the law office where she works. His suspicion that her death was not accidental is confirmed when a partner in the firm goes undercover to investigate on his own. Shortly before the partner’s death, he tells Jack he fears the firm is laundering money for Soviet agents. Now Jack wonders if he—or Max—might be next.

Gambit is well written, the action is fast and well-paced, and the tension between Max and Jack is real and palpable. For readers who haven’t read book one, details about Jack’s past are sketchy. Also, Smith leans a little too hard into Jack’s hunches and on coincidence as plot drivers; one clue is dropped in an unconvincing manner.

Nonetheless, the attorney’s concern with Soviet disinformation resonates strongly today. Having been in military intelligence in Germany before the Berlin Wall went up, he tells Jack, “It’s happening again…this time, it’s here. Bigger, more dangerous. The lies, the misinformation…[it’s] carefully crafted to take advantage of people’s fears, their discontent.”

Overall, this is a solid addition to a promising series. Despite its flaws, the story is well worth the time for fans of the genre.

Also available in hardcover.