All Or None

Detective Ryan Mystery, #2

by

Clive Fleury

Detective Ryan returns!

All Or None is the second novel in author Clive Fleury's Australian police detective series, the Detective Ryan Mysteries, which debuted with the excellent OFF SEASON in 2024. Two years have passed since the events of the previous book. Ryan has returned to Sydney from his exile to the Central Coast and has just been transferred from the Organized Crime Unit to New South Wales Homicide. To his surprise and consternation, he is partnered with his former coworker, Zoe Yang, now a detective and also a new, unwanted addition to the team like himself. Their first case, a dead man discovered in a cabin in the national park, proves to be genuinely baffling, and the partners are under extreme pressure from their chief to find the killer as soon as possible. But things only get more complicated when a second death, with connections to the first, occurs soon after. 

Once again, Detective Inspector Ryan is a strong and worthy protagonist as he and Yang continue to negotiate their working relationship while conducting a well-executed investigation. Both detectives are dealing with issues in their personal lives, as well as outdated workplace attitudes that could distract a less disciplined team. Ryan's mother, one of my favorite characters, is also facing health issues and doubles down on her efforts to get her son married and starting a family, perhaps a result of confronting her own mortality. Meanwhile, Ryan reunites with another woman from his past. 

The book starts with a shocking accident from 20 years earlier, but there are even more surprises in store for readers. The story unfolds from multiple points of view, including the killer's, which is creepy and unsettling, and several storylines are in play throughout. The author juggles these separate threads with ease, keeping them clear and distinct until they cleverly converge. The writing style is engaging and compelling, and I was so absorbed that I almost completed this entire book in one session. I had to know how the story was going to resolve as soon as I could. 

I recommend ALL OR NONE to readers of mysteries, crime fiction, and thrillers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.