Hamilton St. James — cultured, respected, and with a resumé to match — is the best corporate investigator around.
Teaching part time at a university and taking on the occasional investigation, his glory days of racing around the continent chasing down criminals and exposing fraud at the highest levels seem to be coming to an end. But when a top-flight accountant goes missing along with $23 million of company money, St. James is the man called in to track him down. With an eclectic team of a waitress, an eccentric code-cracker, a bodyguard, and a kindly man without a calling, St. James must navigate a shady world of offshore accounts and hired killers — and maybe find love in the process.
A globetrotting detective story of murder and corporate malfeasance, Double Shot of Scotch will keep you guessing to the final page.
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Reviews
Hamilton St. James may not be able to ‘leap tall buildings in a single bound’ or be ‘faster than a speeding bullet’, but he knows at good drink when he tastes one and a bunch of BS when he hears it. Peter Cleveland, with his background in forensic accounting, brings to print an attention-getting murder mystery that couples together all the things that will want you to read page after page. From board rooms to dingy bars, St. James looks at all the angles. He takes a bullet for his trouble but breaks a mind-bending cyber code, which begins to unravel many unanswered questions. This novel brings a whole new meaning to the expression “pulling an all-nighter.”
Brian Brooks, retired commercial banker
At the end of a high-stress week, my best escape is delving into a good mystery. Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch has been my go-to. Now I’m pleased to add Peter Cleveland’s Hamilton St. James to the list! Like Bosch, St. James untangles an intriguing web of deadly mischief. For someone like me, who loves numbers, Cleveland’s vast knowledge of the business world provides the perfect landscape in which his hero St. James operates. I wholeheartedly recommend Double Shot of Scotch.
Bill Knight, corporate director
Who knew a Chartered Professional Accountant could live such an exciting life! Hamilton St. James and his team of unique sidekicks solve crimes that I didn't even know existed. I have consumed many thrillers in my day and the car chase through Ottawa was as wild as any I have read. The author even made taking inventory interesting. Looking forward to more of the same.
Jennie Enman, retired Public Servant
As someone who has been reading mysteries and thrillers since childhood, I thought I had discovered all the genres I could enjoy. But, after reading Peter Cleveland's Double Shot of Scotch, I've added business mysteries to the books and authors I would follow. Especially if they featured a central character as fascinating as Hamilton St. James and are as well researched and written as this thoroughly enjoyable book. I'm already looking forward to the next in the series.
Stephen McGill, President, McGill Buckley
As a retired banker I found Peter Cleveland’s book Double Shot Of Scotch well thought out, kept me wanting to know more, and kept me focused. The characters were as unique as the roles they played in their respective companies. The book is very engaging and we all know people who have some of same characteristics. The book keeps you engaged ’til the last page.
Steve Cannon, retired Senior Vice-President Commercial Banking
I have always been a fan of murder mysteries, with well-developed characters and plots, and a love story for good measure. Double Shot of Scotch stands out in every category. Hamilton St. James, a financial sleuth, is a delightful character who holds you in suspense throughout the book. The plot is well developed, and keeps you focused as it unfolds. I look forward to the next in the series – Hamilton and his crew have much more to do, chasing the bad guys.”
Stephen Gallagher, retired Chartered Professional Accountant
Author(s)
Peter Cleveland
Peter Cleveland is an author of three previous books and a number of articles and works as a business strategist. He spent most of his career with EY, where he gathered experience that greatly influenced the writing of Double Shot of Scotch.