Dangerous Assumptions: A Mike O'Shea Novel (Paperback or Softback)

Detective Mike O'Shea is spiraling-consumed by painkiller addiction, alcohol, and the crushing weight of unresolved grief. As his personal demons threaten to take control, he's pulled into a chilling case: a woman is found dead, her son rotting beside her, discovered only when neighbors are alerted by the unbearable stench of decay.

Meanwhile, O'Shea's obsession with the killer of his former partner, Sal, continues to haunt him. The elusive murderer has evaded justice for years, but O'Shea has always suspected something more-an untold truth buried beneath the surface. As he digs further, he uncovers a terrifying reality: the killer's freedom isn't just a coincidence-it's the result of high-level corruption that runs far deeper than he ever imagined.

As the conspiracy begins to unravel, the threat intensifies, drawing in those closest to O'Shea. Detective Sergeant Amanda Black, one of the few who knows the whole story, becomes the target of an assassination attempt. With her pending promotion and O'Shea's growing addiction-fueled paranoia, he starts to wonder if he can still trust her-especially if she's crossing over.

Haunted by years of policing that have left him physically and emotionally scarred, O'Shea is worn down by the weight of it all. Torn between his duty and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, he struggles to hold on as the stakes rise and the lines between right and wrong blur. He must decide whether to keep fighting-or walk away, knowing the cop killer who took Sal's life still roams free.

Desmond P. Ryan spent almost thirty years as a detective with the Toronto Police Service, working in some of the city's toughest and most challenging neighborhoods. His experience on the frontlines of law enforcement-dealing with everything from routine investigations to high-risk operations-gives his crime fiction a raw, unflinching authenticity. Whether he's digging into the dark, gritty world of policing in The Mike O'Shea Series or spinning a more offbeat mystery in A Pint of Trouble, Desmond Ryan's writing pulls no punches. His stories reflect the harsh realities of crime, the toll it takes on those who fight it, and the flawed humanity of everyone involved. Desmond Ryan's characters-complicated, sometimes broken, but always real-are shaped by years spent on the streets, making his books as hard-edged as the world they depict.