Always a Cold Deck is the first Harry Reese Mystery. Harry is an insurance investigator with a wry sense of humor who never takes life too seriously. In July 1900, he is sent to Buffalo, New York, to look into a fire that has destroyed a grain elevator. But when Harry uncovers a smuggling operation, the case morphs into something more serious. Trains and steamships feature prominently as he crosses into Canada and back, accompanied by a curious young woman who seems to be conducting an investigation of her own. But Harry can never be sure of anyone’s loyalties, least of all those who’ve hired him.