Chasing Smoke

Portland homicide detective Skin Kadash just wants to survive treatment for bladder cancer long enough to get back to work. But when his partner asks him to look into a series of deaths, he’s not interested — he’s sick and doesn’t need the grief — until she tells him the victims all suffered from cancer and all were being treated by the same doctor treating Skin.

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• Read an excerpt from Chasing Smoke.

2009 Spotted Owl Award First Runner Up

Portland homicide detective Skin Kadash just wants to survive cancer treatment so he can get back to the work he loves. When his partner tries to drag him into an unofficial investigation of a series of deaths, he’s not interested — he’s dead-dog sick and doesn’t need the grief — until she reveals the victims all suffered from cancer themselves, and all had one thing in common with Skin. His oncologist.

The deaths are all apparent suicides; the police have closed the book on them. Then a mysterious young woman, daughter of the first victim, surfaces and insists the dead men were all murdered. Before her story can be probed more deeply, she disappears, leaving Kadash with no support from the cops and little to go on except a nagging belief the missing woman knew more than she revealed.

Kadash is left to chase elusive leads among the bitter and broken widows of the dead men. Struggling with his own illness and with a growing rift between himself and his partner, Kadash finds himself entangled in a web of resentment, jealousy, and deceit. Ultimately, he finds that not is he only seeking a missing woman and the truth about the dead men, but also the meaning of his own life in the face of his impending mortality.

Reviews

Check out this video review by Reading Sarah: The Awkward Librarian.

★ “Highly recommended.” — Chasing Smoke receives a Starred Review from Library Journal.

At Booklist, David Pitt describes Chasing Smoke as “dirty and visceral and intricate, and it engages the reader on an emotional as well as literary level.”

“…an instant mystery classic with vivid characters crafted with realistically deep personalities and secrets that keep you guessing to the very end,” saysThe Clarion in Madison, Wisconsin.

“[T]his was both a sorrowful and engaging read that was well worth the cover price,” says Stephanie Padilla at the New Mystery Reader.

Barbara Tom of Portland’s Murder by the Book calls Chasing Smoke, “An entertaining and solid read.”

Pat Reid at Books ‘n Bytes “couldn’t put it down.”

Nathan Cain at Independent Crime Fiction called it, “…an entertaining, well plotted mystery well worth checking out.”

“CHASING SMOKE is a tour-de-force, New Century Noir at its finest.  Fans of Michael Connelly will relish Cameron’s colorful characters. Cameron writes mortality like no other. Watch this guy!”

— JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING, EDGAR FINALIST AND AUTHOR OF I SHALL NOT WANT

“CHASING SMOKE fulfills the promise of Lost Dog, combining the classic elements of a gripping mystery with a haunting story of human frailty, concealed corruption, and fatal passion. For my money, Bill Cameron is the rising star of crime fiction.”

— CRAIG JOHNSON, AUTHOR OF ANOTHER MAN’S MOCCASINS

“Hang on to your emotions. Bill Cameron going to try and steal them all with this book. If he doesn’t, his character, Skin Kadash, certainly will.”

—LEE LOFLAND, AUTHOR OF HOWDUNIT: POLICE PROCEDURE & INVESTIGATION

“There’s plenty you’re going to like about CHASING SMOKE. It’s got a great story, with satisfying twists and unexpected turns. The humor and the tension are equally genuine. The prose goes down smooth. The pages fly by. But it’s the characters who make a book stay with you, and Bill Cameron proves it. I truly cared about these people.”

—SEAN DOOLITTLE, AUTHOR OF RAIN DOGS, THE CLEANUP, AND SAFER

“A mystery of the highest order—loaded with meaty characters with questionable motivations, a puzzle to keep you guessing, and lyrical prose that will make your heart soar. CHASING SMOKE solidly establishes Cameron as a master of suspense.”

—J.T. ELLISON, AUTHOR OF ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS AND 14

“If you like cardboard characters, simple storylines, and pat resolutions, CHASING SMOKE isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for an engaging mystery gracefully rendered, filled with surprises and featuring one of the most interesting protagonists in recent memory, pick up Bill Cameron’s terrific second novel. You won’t be disappointed.”

—MARCUS SAKEY, AUTHOR OF AT THE CITY’S EDGE AND GOOD PEOPLE