Toronto investigator Jonah Geller is at a low point in his life. A careless mistake on his last case left him with a bullet in his arm, a busted relationship and a spot in his boss's doghouse. Then he comes home to find notorious contract killer Dante Ryan in his apartment — not to kill him for butting into mob business, as Jonah fears, but to plead for Jonah's help.

Ryan has been ordered to wipe out an entire Toronto family, including a five-year-old boy. With a son of his own that age, Ryan can't bring himself to do it. He challenges Jonah to find out who ordered the hit. With help from his friend Jenn, Jonah investigates the boy's father — a pharmacist who seems to lead a good life — and soon finds himself ducking bullets and dodging blades from all directions. When the case takes Jonah and Ryan over the river to Buffalo, where good clean Canadian pills are worth their weight in gold, their unseen enemies move in for the kill.

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WINNER 2009 - Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel

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“This first book by Shrier is top-notch, a page-turner to rate with the best of them and with some memorable characters. It also contains just the right dose of cynicism and dark humour, both of which mark the best of the private-eye novels.”
— The Guelph Mercury

“Blunt action, realistically and graphically described and paced with just enough time to catch your breath before the next sudden eruption. Add the right feel for dialogue, a plot and writing that’s just the ideal temperature for a mystery-thriller and you have Buffalo Jump.… A debut novel with a well-juggled storyline brimming with dry humour, a cast of oddball characters, and graphic scenes that come alive with action. A must-read for summer.”
— The Hamilton Spectator

“Buffalo Jump…introduce[s] a strong, clear voice with a wry sense of humour.”
— Quill & Quire

“A great debut novel from Montreal-born Torontonian Shrier, and it introduces PI Jonah Geller in what is certainly going to be a fine series. The plot is tight, the characters engaging, and this one even has a believable – and sympathetic – bad guy.”
— The Globe and Mail

"Howard Shrier's Buffalo Jump jumps right off the page. It's a barreling freight train of a mystery, and I can't wait for Jonah Geller's next case."
— Linwood Barclay, Toronto Star columnist and author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Stone Rain and Lone Wolf

"A cast of compelling oddballs; a complex, funny and always surprising hero and a plot as fresh and twisty as today's headlines – Shrier juggles them all deftly and nails his first crime novel with the aplomb and impact of a seasoned pro. A completely satisfying read that made me wish Jonah Geller could work cases on my shows."
— René Balcer, Emmy-winning executive producer/head writer of Law & Order, creator of Law & Order Criminal Intent, winner of the Peabody Award and of four Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America

“Buffalo Jump is a winner.”
— National Post

“A crime story that is both thrilling and thoughtful.”
— Kelley Armstrong, bestselling author of the Women of the Otherworld series

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Visit Howard Shrier's website

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Howard Shrier was born and raised in Montreal, where he earned an Honours Degree in Journalism and Creative Writing at Concordia University. Since then he has worked in a wide variety of media, including print, magazine and radio journalism, theatre and television, sketch comedy and improv. He has also been a senior communications advisor to government agencies. He now lives in Toronto with his wife and their two sons.

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