Andrew Shaw is a Saint John native who has proudly called the city home for more than forty years — the same harbour town, three centuries earlier, that The Boar’s Head Blade is set in.
In the summer of 2016 he worked a season as a member of an archaeological dig with the American Institute for Roman Culture, in the Parco dei Ravennati at Ostia Antica — the harbour city of ancient Rome. Led by Dr. Darius Arya, the team uncovered a buried mausoleum holding the remains of more than fifty women and children, dating to the 3rd–4th century. He does not write ancient Rome from books alone; he has knelt in its dirt with a trowel. The False Eagle grew out of that trench.
Before turning to fiction he worked in the tourism industry, building and organizing escorted tours throughout Europe. That work developed his strengths in planning, logistics and creating memorable experiences — and gave him a great deal of time travelling in Italy. He is a lifelong enthusiast of ancient Roman history.
The False Eagle was his first novel, and begins The Linden Inheritance: the story of a Canadian family of four who travel to Italy and uncover a mystery at their rented Tuscan villa that reaches back more than two thousand years. The Burn Order follows them from Venice into Umbria. The Boar’s Head Blade stands on its own, and comes home — to Saint John.
I fell in love with the history, the culture, the food, and the people of Italy. I’d had dreams of this story for more than ten years, and I finally took the time to organize my thoughts and plot out the structure of a series surrounding the Linden family. I wanted to incorporate history, treasure, the essence of Italy, intrigue and espionage, and warm, engaging characters.
Andrew Shaw
For rights inquiries, press, or a note: andrew@andrewdshaw.ca
Agents and publishers: submission details for all three books.