26 July 2025

Confessions of a Recovering
Police Procedural Author
by Des Ryan


My good friend Des Ryan is guesting here today, and he's always entertaining! As are his books. I'm particularly fond of his newest Mary Margaret cozy series, which never fails to have me chortling. Read below, to see how it all came about, in the twisty-turvy way that is real life…
— Melodie

Confessions of a Recovering Police Procedural Author

by Des Ryan

Whenever someone asks why I write crime fiction, I tell them it's because I'm lazy.

The truth? I spent thirty years as a cop - fifteen as a detective - with the Toronto Police Service. So I got three decades of R&D in my back pocket. I write The Mike O'Shea Series, a gritty police procedural grounded in real homicide investigations I've worked. Pretty convenient, right?

But here's the twist: I also write what the Brits call cozies.

Say what?

It's true. I spent thirty years chasing killers and now I write cozy crime fiction. Go ahead, laugh – I sure did.

So how did that happen? Well, remember the pandemic? Around the same time the world shut down, my then-wife decided she was unhappy - and I was the reason. Kind of like being a lifeboat in the North Atlantic, and deciding you didn't like the only other person aboard. Not exactly the moment to toss them overboard, but there we were.

I ended up in a tiny basement apartment, alone, with one window just big enough for a wet, terrified cat to maybe escape through.

What to do? Write the next Mike O'Shea novel, of course. I had a contract for three more. Easy.

Except it wasn't.

I couldn't go there. Not then. It was too dark - even for me. I'm the guy who's seen heads blown off, twenty-storey jumpers, and what's left after no one checks in for weeks. And I just couldn't sit in that space anymore.

So I didn't.

Instead, I puled a minor character from the O'Shea series - Mike's recently retired, mildly Machiavellian Irish mother - and built a whole new world around and her eccentric, relentless, absolutely lovable crew. Together, and despite the best efforts of the global police network, they not only solve murders but usually squeeze a confession out of someone along the way.

Two books published, and one in dev edits, two more under contract - and a couple of traditional mysteries on deck - and I'm still writing. Just not what most people expect.

These days, the crimes are fictional, the killers a bit more polite - and honestly, I'm having a hell of a good time.

Turns out, you can spend a career staring into the darkest corners of humanity and still find your way to stories filled with charm, mischief and the occasional rogue "woman of a certain age." I'm not saying it's therapy- but it's close.

My name is Detective Desmond T. Ryan (ret'd) and I write cozy crime fiction.

Seriously.


Desmond P. Ryan’s thirty-year career as a Toronto Police detective informs his crime fiction, blending real-life policing experience with a deep understanding of human nature. He worked in some of the city’s most challenging divisions, handling everything from routine investigations to high-stakes cases, providing a foundation for the authenticity in his novels.

Desmond’s writing captures the complexities of crime and justice with both compassion and resolve, portraying heroes and flawed individuals alike. His intimate knowledge of urban neighborhoods adds rich depth, grounding his stories in universal themes, with a touch of humor to keep things grounded.


8 comments:

  1. Great to see you on here, Des! I found, reading your fun article, that I was reminded of my own subgenre switch - After caregiving for my late husband seven years ago, I found I didn't have it in me to write straight comedy anymore. So I morphed into a historical mystery author, where I could include emotions of great depth (as well as 'smiling humour' as I like to call it, to break the tension.)

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    1. Demond P. Ryan26 July, 2025 11:04

      Melodie, I’m so glad you chimed in—and even more grateful you gave me your spot (still can’t believe how generous that was!). I love what you said about “smiling humour” and weaving it through deeper emotion—that’s such a powerful shift, and it really shows in your latest book, The Silent Film Star Murders (which is fabulous, btw!) is a perfect example: rich with heart, sharp with wit, and just so you. So lucky to know you and share space with you here.

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  2. Don't tell me Irish husband, but Mary-Margaret sounds like a lot more fun than my late mother-in-law. We call them cozies in the US too. But for me the hook is funny—and even better, funny with heart.

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    1. Haha—your secret’s safe with me (and with Mary-Margaret… though she does have a way of finding things out). I’m so glad the idea of funny-with-heart speaks to you—that’s exactly the kind of story I love to write. Think of it as a cozy mystery with a cuppa and a wee dram on the side! If you ever decide to dip in, I hope you enjoy the ride—and Mary-Margaret’s "slightly Machiavellian" antics!

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    2. Desmond P. Ryan26 July, 2025 15:13

      Haha—your secret’s safe with me (and with Mary-Margaret… though she does have a way of finding things out). I’m so glad the idea of funny-with-heart speaks to you—that’s exactly the kind of story I love to write. Think of it as a cozy mystery with a cuppa and a wee dram on the side! If you ever decide to dip in, I hope you enjoy the ride—and Mary-Margaret’s "slightly Machiavellian" antics!

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  3. Having my marriage end in early pandemic I can well understand you need to get out of the super heavy stuff and add some humour. Reading for me is for pleasure and humour always helps.

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    1. Desmond P Ryan26 July, 2025 16:46

      Thanks for reading—and yes, I hear you loud and clear. The early pandemic felt like someone shook the snow globe and then just walked away. Very quickly, I figured if I couldn’t outrun the heavy stuff, I might as well write something that gave me (and, hopefully, future readers...first book was written without a contract ) a bit of a laugh along the way. A little mystery, a little mischief, and no one unplotting upheaval! Appreciate you dropping a comment, Mike!

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  4. One of B.K. Stevens' characters, a ruff, tuff police captain was so terrified of her mother, she couldn't tell her about her long-term relationship. (I like to think the mother was aware of it all along.)

    Desmond, I don't think switching from hard-boiled to cosies is peculiar at all. I simply see it as an indicator of a strong and flexible writer.

    By the way, the women at our local Winter Park literary group love Canadian writers. Something about ice and snow whilst basking in the Florida sun.

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