Firewater is the name that was given by native Canadian Indians to the powerful rum that was offered by the Hudson's Bay Company in exchange for pelts. To ensure they were getting the genuine liquor, Indian trappers would set a spoonful alight before accepting it in trade. The Firewater novels recount a journey taken by mismatched twin brothers that sets out as a straightforward business venture but develops into a troubled voyage bound for disaster Ned Kelly, a retired RCAF navigator, and his twin brother Liam form a company with the object of buying a yacht in England and sailing it on a cruise through the Greek Isles before returning to Canada for resale at a profit. However, they encounter many unforeseen difficulties while preparing for the voyage. When Ned is suspected of being an accomplice of Irish terrorists, problems multiply and evolve into a three-way tangle among British security agencies, IRA terrorists, and the innocent Canadians. The first of a two-volume set, Firewater: Travelling With Terror foreshadows the events of 9/11 and the climate of terrorism existing today.