Shaded Light: A Manziuk and Ryan Mystery

by N.J. Lindquist

It's the July long weekend, and Ellen Brodie, with matchmaking on her mind, has invited an attractive distant cousin from out west for a visit. She has also included her son, Kendall, a recent graduate from law school. But Ellen's plans are doomed. Kendall brings along his devastatingly handsome best friend, Nick Donovan; Ellen's husband George decides to invite his two law partners and their wives; Bart Brodie, Georges black sheep nephew, appears on the doorstep; an acquaintance of Ellen's whose house is being painted descends on them; and to cap it off, there's a body in the Japanese garden! Its time to bring in the law, in the form of Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan. Manziuk is a born cop who started as a lowly cop on the beat and worked his way up to Inspector, which is as much responsibility as he wants. He cares, not only about people, but about stopping evil; and since a caring cop is an easy mark, he uses gruffness as a wall of protection. Manziuk has a long-suffering wife and three grown children. Jacqueline Ryan is Manziuk's counter-point. A vivacious 28-year-old who knows she's been promoted primarily because she's a black woman and, therefore, a double minority, she nevertheless grasps the opportunity with both hands. Ryan has a university degree in psychology and an advanced degree in criminology, with marks at the top of her class. She is determined to prove not only that she deserved the promotion but also that she can be as good as any cop in the department-including Manziuk. Shaded Light is a mystery written in the classic style with all the ingredients for a delightful mystery - intriguing characters, dry humor, a little romance, and lots of twist and turns.