Queen's Park: A Detective Lane Mystery

Henry G. MacLeod teaches sociology at both Trent University and the
University of Waterloo.

The first Detective Lane mystery is about a missing person, but it
suffers from an identity crisis. It is a light read with a provocative
plot that has sufficient suspense to keep readers interested and
features several locations in Garry Ryan’s hometown of Calgary.

Robert Swatsky has gone missing with $13 million, having last been seen
after a sexual assault on his 15-year-old nephew. Detective Lane of the
Calgary police searches for the missing uncle while the RCMP try to
trace the money. Ernie’s chain-smoking maternal grandmother, with an
oxygen tank in tow, and his paternal grandfather, who has a love doll
named after his deceased wife, seem to be involved in the disappearance
of his uncle. Swatsky’s partners in the theft, who are also seeking
Bob, are initially more amusing than threatening.

Ryan’s whodunit is a first novel with potential. It introduces his
detective and supporting characters, but crosses several crime genres,
uses too many devices, and produces a mishmash. The characters are
amusing, but it doesn’t work as a police procedural. Lane works alone
until well into the second half of the book before he is assigned a
partner. A reference to Lane’s difficult childhood is not explored and
an opportunity for insight into the character is lost.

The book’s lack of identity may relate to its being labelled a gay
mystery. Ryan touches on the prejudices gay cops face on the police
force. Lane’s isolation from the force means that he is isolated from
the action normally found in police procedurals. Giving him a partner
who sees beyond homosexual stereotypes may enable Ryan in subsequent
books to find a focus and to continue his exploration of prejudice.