When John le Carré set part of his 2001 spy novel, The Constant Gardener, in Saskatchewan, he got some of his prairie facts wrong. Among his faux pas: he had his characters swilling bourbon, rather than rye. Anthony Bidulka’s new crime thriller does not have that problem. The Saskatoon-based author gets all the details right, making Saskatchewan both intriguing and dangerous without exaggerating or denigrating its charms.

Bidulka is best known for his Russell Quant series of detective novels. From Saskatoon, Quant travels the globe, often encountering villains who, like the private eye, are gay. When the Saints Go Marching In, by contrast, is grounded in heterosexuality, although the hero of this fast-paced tale, Adam Saint, displays some distinctly metrosexual tendencies when it comes to his shopping sprees in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville neighbourhood. Saint definitely likes the ladies, especially his on-again, off-again wife, the duplicitous Kate. And the ladies do hunger after the manly Saint, although his strictly business attitude means he passes up many invitations from damsels who, after meeting him, instantly fall into lust.

Saint is a “disaster recovery agent” for a shadowy Canadian government outfit called the International Intelligence Agency. He swoops in whenever Canadians or their interests are affected by disasters (be they natural or man-made) around the globe. Essentially, Saint is a cross between an insurance investigator, a detective, and a spy.

While investigating a plane crash in Russia, Saint becomes embroiled in some high-stakes espionage involving a cure for cancer, a clutch of evil villains, and a frightening use for Cirque du Soleil props. To catch the bad guys, Saint enlists the help of his family in Saskatchewan, including his biker/bartender sister and his computer-nerd nephew. Their involvement adds considerable irreverence to a tale that never takes itself or its characters very seriously.

When the Saints Go Marching In is no le Carré classic, but it is a load of fun – perfect to accompany a rye and Coke on a sunny summer afternoon.