Garry Ryan follows up Smoked with his most revelatory Detective Lane mystery yet. While under investigation by the Calgary Police Department, Lane finds himself fighting for his career. Then, when an Eastern European war criminal winds up dead in the city, and his partner Arthur is diagnosed with cancer, Lane must contend with dangerous criminals, broken allegiances, pressure from his superiors, a determined bomber, and the very real fear of losing the person he cares for most of all.
"With his fifth book in the ever-engaging Detective Lane series, Ryan proves to be the most skilled malabarista of all. Juggling plots involving back room police department politics, personal family crises, international intrigue, and perilous inner demons that threaten to derail his protagonist, Ryan seamlessly delivers his best novel to date. With this installment, although Lane's first name remains a mystery, the man does not. More than ever before, the reader is invited into Lane's life, past and present. So, grab a coffee, sit back, and enjoy life as lived by one of Calgary's finest crime solvers, and told by one of Calgary's finest crime writers."
~ Anthony Bidulka, author of the Russell Quant mystery series
"This new novel just goes to confirm that Garry Ryan belongs in the same company as Katherine V. Forrest, John Harvey, and Ken Bruen."
~ Drewey Wayne Gunn, author of The Gay Male Sleuth in Print and Film: A History and Annotated Bibliography
"The plot line in Malabarista is so taut that the reader goes for gluttony; this reviewer is not alone in the habit of polishing off Ryan's novels in under 24 hours. Detective Lane remains one of the most likeable and dynamic protagonists in contemporary prairie fiction."
~ Jay Smith, Alberta Views
"Ryan is adept at merging, without blurring, the pressures and complexities of the job and the home front. Dialogue supports the storyline and reveals character motivation, action, and a compelling climax. Ryan writes a series that has settled into the Canadian landscape of mystery police procedurals and that satisfies the demands of something more than just a good read."
~ Don Graves, The Hamilton Spectator
"Definitely Ryan's best book so far." full review
~ Margaret Cannon, Globe and Mail