Steve Ryan

I always love true crime novels. This one has a bit of a different spin to it. Author Steve Ryan gives us an insider perspective on what life is like as a homicide detective. The cases he covers can be truly horrific, but this novel also looks at the mental and physical wear and tear that a person undergoes living in the constant presence of death. This is Steve Ryan’s story. A story that covers his early youth, and the reasons he became a cop, all the way through his retirement from the force, and his movement into private industry as a crime consultant. There is an almost lyrical quality to the writing that lends a poetic quality to the writing even though the subject matter is often disturbing. The book is really interesting if you can handle the nature of the cases Steve Ryan discusses. Trigger warning:they may not be for everyone. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)

I really wanted to love this book. The author was a dedicated detective who had to deal with horrific crimes. He appears to have dealt with victims' family members and others impacted by murders in a professional while compassionate way. I get the impression that he was very good at his job. He obviously cared about getting justice for victims and their surviving loved ones.

He told the stories of grisly murders in a way that was respectful to the victims and didn't sensationalize the accounts. I appreciated that.

He was quite forthright about how it affected him to face so much violence, along with the other demands of the job. Maybe that was part of the problem -- he was almost too forthright about his feelings. There's an old rule about writing -- "show, don't tell." While a memoir is a format less bound by that than other genres, there is still value in that adage.

I think the book would have been more effective for me if he relied more on "showing" the details of how difficult the work was -- simply demonstrating the long hours, the lack of family time, and all the rest -- rather than constantly harping on the topic. He was complaining about the difficulties of night shift work before he even got to the first murder he dealt with on the job. Having worked plenty of odd shifts in my lifetime, I think that slightly soured me on the book before he really had a chance to get my attention.

All in all, it was a good read, but not quite as good as I'd hoped it would be.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.… (mere)

The story of six different cases detective Steve Ryan worked around Toronto, from homicide to cold cases that will forever haunt him. Detective Steve Ryan makes you feel as if you are with him through each step of the investigation. You can feel every emotion that comes each time the pager buzzes, each time he tells a family they have lost someone, each time he returns to his family after a long day of death. “Working in homicide taught me that true evil exists— nothing could convince me otherwise. But unexpectedly, my career investigating murder has also made me a believer in miracles.” -Steve Ryan

This book isn’t for the faint of heart. It explains in detail horrific scenes and the emotional impact they had on the victims, their families, as well as first responders. With that being said it’s a wonderfully written memoir that you won’t be able to stop reading once you start. I recommend this book to those who likes true crime and to anyone wanting to know what it’s like for the brave officers who try to bring justice and comfort during tragic situations. I can’t wait to buy a copy for a few friends and will be thrilled if he comes out with another book! I would like to thank Steve Ryan, Dundurn Press, and NetGalley for the chance to review such a fantastic book.… (mere)