This is the eighth novel
featuring Detective Inspector Lane of the Major Crimes Unit of the Calgary
Police Service. Lane’s working partner
is Nigel Li, a young detective whose
youthful audacity perfectly complements Lane’s more measured and experienced
approach.
The
fast moving novel juxtaposes birth and death from the outset as Lane is
summoned from a maternity ward, where he is celebrating the birth of his
nephew, Indiana, to investigate the gruesome murder of a husband and wife. A second double murder soon puts Lane’s unit
under growing pressure as they race to find the killer, or killers, who are
targeting high profile residents in the city.
Lane’s concerns are further complicated when the crimes cast doubt on
the tenuous conviction of a homeless man
for a similar murder in Calgary some years earlier - a fact not lost on local
press and TV reporters.
The
police procedural is skilfully interwoven with a second narrative as Lane’s
family receive an unwelcome visit from his estranged sister, Alison. A tense battle for custody of Lane’s new
nephew ensues, along with more unwanted media publicity for Lane as he, his
partner Arthur, and their household become entangled in a domestic feud that
uncovers bitter family memories.
This
was my first encounter with the Canadian detective and it stands very well on
its own. Garry Ryan’s carefully crafted
storylines and taut style provide the novel with pace and tension. The author also deserves the acclaim he has received for his highly plausible description
of Lane’s thoroughly modern
family. I look forward to reading
more of this entertaining series.
------
Reviewer: Dorothy Marshall Gent
|
|
Garry Ryan was born, raised and lives
in Calgary, Alberta. He
received a B.Ed
and a Diploma in Educational Psychology
from the University of
Calgary and taught
for more than thirty years in Calgary
public schools. Since
2004 Garry Ryan
has published ten novels. The second,
The Lucky
Elephant Restaurant, won a
2007 Lambda Literary Award (the novels
have been
short-listed three times since).
In 2009, Ryan was awarded Calgary’s
Freedom of Expression
Award. His upcoming novels still have Detective
Lane based in Calgary while travelling to colourful
locales like Cuba,
Cancun, and San José Cabos San Lucas.
http://www.garryryan.ca |
Dot Marshall-Gent worked
in the emergency services for twenty years first as a police officer, then as a
paramedic and finally as a fire control officer before graduating from King’s
College, London as a teacher of English in her mid-forties. She completed
a M.A. in Special and Inclusive Education at the Institute of Education, London
and now teaches part-time and writes mainly about educational issues. Dot
sings jazz and country music and plays guitar, banjo and piano as well as being
addicted to reading mystery and crime fiction.
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