International chef Jake Hardy has it all. Celebrity, thriving career, plenty of friends, a happy family and faithful dog. Until one day when a tragic accident tears it all apart. Struggling to recover, Hardy finds himself in a strange new world—a snow-swept prairie town that time forgot—a place where nothing makes sense. Cold is beautiful. Simple is complex. And doubts begin to surface about whether Jake's tragedy was truly an accident after all. As the sun sets in the Land of Living Skies, Hardy and his glamourous, seventy-eight-year-old transgender neighbour find themselves ensnared in multiple murders separated by decades. In Bidulka's love letter to life on the prairies he delivers a story of grief and loss that manages to burst with joy, tenderness and hope. Redolent of his earlier works, Going to Beautiful brings us unexpected, under-represented characters in settings that immediately feel familiar and beloved. Beautiful—a place where what you need may not be what you were looking for. Praise for Going to Beautiful: …Anthony Bidulka has created a whole new genre: Saskatchewan Gothic, which will both chill and warm your heart. Simply wonderful! Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce series including The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Going to Beautiful…is a testament not only to Bidulka’s skill in plotting and other novelistic stratagems, but even more to the unique setting and the wonderfully textured characters… Felice Picano, author of Like People in History and Pursued: Lillian’s Story, companion to Pursuit: A Victorian Entertainment Going to Beautiful is poignant, often funny, always wise…the quiet joy and hopefulness of this novel are gifts readers will value for years to come. Gail Bowen, author of the Joanne Kilbourn Shreve mystery series including An Image in the Lake Anthony Bidulka has pulled off a literary coup in Going to Beautiful. Deftly balancing humour and heart…Bidulka hits it out of the park. Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
Author
Bidulka’s most recent book was described as "...poignant, ingeniously plotted, and exquisitely told" (The Ottawa Review of Books). His books have been nominated for Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards, Saskatchewan Book Awards, a ReLit award, Lambda Literary Awards, with Flight of Aquavit awarded the Lambda Literary Award for Best Men’s Mystery, making Bidulka the first Canadian to win in that category. In 1999 Anthony Bidulka, BA, BEd, BComm, CPA left a decade long professional accounting career to pursue writing and never looked back. In 2003, Quill & Quire described Bidulka’s first book, Amuse Bouche: A Russell Quant Mystery, as “…an effervescent first novel that is much like the tasty French hors d’oeuvres from which it takes its name”, earning Bidulka a nomination for the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award. In addition to the beloved Russell Quant mystery series, Bidulka has written two books following the adventures of Adam Saint, a tough-as-nails, luxury loving, Disaster Recovery Agent. In 2016 Bidulka published his first stand-alone suspense novel, Set Free, with Kirkus Reviews saying: “The countless plot twists are exhilarating, with gasp-inducing drama and flatly startling story turns.” He returns in 2022 with his Adult Fiction/Mystery novel, Going to Beautiful. Anthony has toured extensively in both Canada and the United States. A great believer in community involvement, he has been on the boards of local, national, and international organizations. He was recently inducted to the University of Saskatchewan College of Education Wall of Honour, received the University of Saskatchewan College of Arts and Science Alumni of Influence Award, the Nation Builders Award, and named Citizen of the Year for his home city of Saskatoon, SK. When he isn’t writing, Bidulka loves to travel the world, collect art, walk his dogs and throw a good party. Anthony's Books: Going to Beautiful (2022) Set Free (2016) The Adam Saint books: When The Saints Go Marching In (2013) The Women of Skawa Island (2014) The Russell Quant books: Amuse Bouche (2003) Flight of Aquavit (2004) Tapas on the Ramblas (2005) Stain of the Berry (2006) Sundowner Ubuntu (2007) Aloha, Candy Hearts (2009) Date With a Sheesha (2010) Dos Equis (2012).
