All or None

A Detective Ryan Mystery #2

by Clive Fleury

Returning to Sydney, Detective Ramesh Ryan is promoted to the Homicide Squad. Zoe Yang joins him there. Now a detective herself, she is assigned as his junior partner. Straight up, the cops are off and running-investigating the discovery of a murdered company director. Following the clues, Detective Ryan finds that this and a second murder may be linked to past events.



As the pressure mounts for a quick solution to the case, the detective finds that he too, is in the killer's crosshairs. But Ryan is distracted from the investigation by a romantic encounter with an old university friend. He also worries about his mother, Mumta, and her new obsessive desire for grandchildren from her only son. Could this be linked to her recent medical tests? And there's another pressing problem-the plague of rats in his apartment block.



Detective Ryan's hands are well and truly full! 

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Clive Fleury is an award-winning writer of books and screenplays and has worked all over the world as a Film/TV director, writer and producer. He has written six books, most recently 'All Or None', the second novel in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series.

'All Or None' sees Detective Ryan back in the thick of things. His latest investigation into a mysterious death couldn’t come at a worse time. He discovers his mother is hiding a troubling secret and is further sidetracked by a new romance. Fans of who dunnit's, crime thrillers, and cop and detective stories will love this novel.

Clive's other books include 'Off Season' - book one in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series; 'Kill Code' - a dystopian science fiction novel set in a world facing climate change; ‘Scary Lizzy’ - a novel about an eight year old girl, who befriends an African child ghost – and the teen action adventure book; ‘The Boy Next Door ‘ - a story of what happens when a teenage girl has a crush on her next door neighbor, who isn’t all he seems. He also co-wrote ‘Art Pengriffin and The Curse of The Four’ - a young adult fantasy adventure about a teenage boy who discovers his father was Merlin the Magician.

Reviews

[Rosie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

All Or None is the second book in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series which takes place in Australia.

In this story Ryan have now moved from the Organized Crime Unit that we saw in the first book, to the Homicide Division, back in Sydney.

The story opens with a prologue that gives details of a road accident, which occurred twenty years ago. The first chapter then takes us to Ryan’s first day at the new job and already there is a suspicious death which needs investigating.

Ryan is soon under pressure from his boss to solve this case as his investigations involve a company that sponsors a boat for police-force children; his boss doesn’t want any embarrassments for himself or his officers.

There are several other story threads, one of them involves a poker tournament. While following up on an enquiry at the poker venue, Ryan bumps into an old friend, Heidi, from his college days. It adds a little romantic interlude and a potential distraction from Ryan’s workload.

This was a story of two halves, for me. I liked the first half and found that the investigation moved at a good pace with plenty of drama and several potential suspects. However, I thought that the second half tried too hard to be entertaining, but missed being a gripping crime tale.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot I really like Detective Ryan as a character and totally find him fascinating. The relationships he does and doesn’t build and the dimensions along the way really support the story.

For context this is the second book on this detective from Clive Fleury and sees him back in Sydney promoted and dealing with bigger cases. This may be why I didn’t love it as much as the first, I did enjoy it a lot.

The plot was good and you could guess a little the throughout with lots of affluence, scandal and gangster behaviour. What makes these books for me are the main character and his relationship with his mom, work colleagues and lover.

It’s fun and well written and has little quirks of softness in between.

I am grateful I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Valeri Sullivan (vsulvn29) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Ryan had always felt like a fish out of water.’

Two years has passed since we met Ramesh Ryan and we catch up with him on his first day in his new job posting. He’s now officially a detective on the New South Wales Homicide squad and everyone knows it, from the local organized crime kingpin to the dealers at the local casino. When his boss springs, Zoe, the newly appointed detective from the Central Coast, and his partner from book one, on him as his permanent partner he’s not exactly thrilled. He likes working alone. It’s highly enjoyable watching him not only navigate his first homicide case, but his partner’s frustrations at working with him, while also getting to know his mother and her dream of grandchildren and dating that brings even more chaos and stress into our leading man’s life. Absolutely fantastic and here’s to hoping there are more stories in our future!

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an ARC reader for Book Sirens and this is my honest opinion. This book two in the story of Detective Ramesh Ryan and I enjoyed it every bit as much as book one. Ryan is an Australian, born in Britain to an Indian mother who likes to cling to some Indian traditions. In book one, Ryan was sent to a small town North of Sydney to sort out a problem and met constable Zoe Yang. Two years on, she is also a detective and Ryan's partner, not without a few adjustment problems. This author quite skilfully introduces several characters and threads to the story one after the other, telling the reader where they are in relation to each other and what they're doing. The book started with an event that happened in the past, that I admit I'd forgotten about until Ryan starts to put things together. For me, the mysteries remain mysteries until the end of the book. Great characters, great world building and a Good read.

[W Gallant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Not three, but not four… I'll give it 3.5 stars.

I felt this book was better suited as a screenplay and not a novel. There was so little character development that it might have been better played out on a television screen (but not a movie screen) to see the characters' reactions and/or characteristics. And such worn-out characters….the gruff business developer, the overweight organized crime kingpin, the dumb muscle for said fat guy, the annoying mother. All were left to the reader's imagination to develop, with really nothing other than cliches to go on.

But, beside that, there were too many inconsistencies throughout the story that caused me to pause and say, that's not right. If a rope is supporting a heavy weight, it's going to be much easier to just cut the rope than to unknot it by hand. If a CEO has any kind of newer car, it's going to have Bluetooth. If a murder suspect is hospitalized and in bed, he's going to be restrained. Little things, but they add up.

The mystery itself was okay and the solution cleared things up. All in all, this was pretty routine.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery has multiple story threads which keep things interesting and keep the reader guessing how things are going to turn out. First, we have the protagonist, Detective Ramesh Ryan, who has just been promoted to a new position as a homicide detective. The challenges of being in a new position and figuring out how to work with and interact with others in the department is a challenge. That his partner was just transferred from another city and is learning her job as well as the both of them figuring out how to make their team work complicates things still further. Throw in some happenings in Ryan’s personal life and things get more complicated. All of this just makes figuring out the mystery and where the story is going to go that much less clear for the reader which is a positive for a mystery. The results are an engaging and entertaining read that draws the reader in as you try to figure things out along with Detective Ryan.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Kathryn Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is shaping up to be a really enjoyable detective series.

The plot kept me turning the pages with plenty of twists (& some secondary plot lines on the personal side for both main characters) and a couple of times I laughed out loud.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It didn't feel quite as well written as the first novel in the series (a little bit hurried and some of the "gangster thread" elements felt slightly contrived, but still definitely worth reading a second time.

[Matt Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner.
Book 1 in the series, Off Season is a superb crime thriller… and this picks up nicely where it left off
Whilst intricately plotted is reasonably easy to follow. Characters are interesting and whilst insight into character is not a big feature, they do hold your attention but the incredibly clever plot is definitely the feature here. It does feel like the scene has been set for much more exploration of the main character in #3. which I’m hoping will be forthcoming.
Hopefully the series continues.

[Nancy Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love it when you keep changing your mind about who did it to find out at the end that you're still wrong. I liked Ramesh and Zoe too.

I received an advance copy of the book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

All is not as it seems on the surface. Ryan and his partner are both new to homicide. The department is a bit of a clique-like, and they doubt Ryan and Yang's expertise. Yang was an excellent, fit partner for Ryan. They were both intuitive and intelligent. The poker players are highstakes. Ryan has an inside track with an old friend and now professional poker player. I liked that Dan had Ryan and Yang's backs in the end. This is a fast paced behind the scenes look at crime. A thrilling and engrossing read. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review.

[Mary Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ARC reader, I can say All or None exceeded my expectations. The murders kept me guessing, but what I loved most was Ryan himself tough on the outside, vulnerable on the inside, and surrounded by challenges that made him relatable.

[Minor Crevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this ARC in two sittings. The tension builds perfectly, and the clues are woven in so well that you feel like you’re investigating alongside Ryan and Zoe. The personal subplots (his mom, the romance, even the rats!) add depth without slowing down the action.

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. I like Detective Ryan and enjoyed his dealings with a newly assigned junior partner Zoe Yang. Ryan is not the sharing type and Zoe was the perfect personality to bring him a bit away from his isolation.

The mystery is solid, and Ryan is under considerable pressure to solve it quickly. Ryan, however, works in his own fashion and at his own time.

The appearance of an old flame of Ryan's added some humor and a new layer to the story.

I found Ryan's relationship with his mother a plus in the last book, but it seemed a tiresome distraction in this one, dropping the book from 5 to 4.5 stars.

I received an advance review copy for free am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Hannah Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of All or None and I absolutely loved it! Clive Fleury delivers a crime thriller that’s smart, fast-paced, and layered with both suspense and heart. Detective Ryan feels so authentic, and the mix of gritty investigation with family drama kept me hooked.

[Smith Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in one sitting literally couldn’t walk away.

[Ashley Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a detective isn’t invincible. Ryan’s humanity makes him unforgettable.

[Rose Laurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is sharp, the plot is smart, and I couldn’t stop turning pages.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not as good as previous🌏

3.5🌟 stars
The murder plot was good, but I felt the prologue seemingly unconnected to the rest of the story until near the end, just had me asking why and not in a good way. I am not especially fond of this technique. Rajesh Ryan, the main character, was a bit hard to like, too, especially in the way he keeps his partner Zoe Yang in the dark.

The Australian locale for this series first got me interested in Clive Fleury's detective novels. Although the story is set in Sydney it could have been anywhere; there's not a lot that distinguishes it from any other area. The previous book, Off Season, had the pair working together in a rural part of Australia. I liked that one better.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Rose Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished an ARC of All or None which was sent to me for an honest review, and I really enjoyed it. Detective Ryan is back in Sydney, thrown into the chaos of the homicide squad, and paired up again with rookie detective Zoe Yang. Their dynamic is great to follow, and together they make a solid (if sometimes reluctant) team. The murder mystery itself is layered, with threads tying back to the past, while Ryan’s personal life—his mother, his apartment troubles, even an old flame—adds humor and heart in between the darker moments. The pacing kept me hooked, and the mix of crime, character depth, and a touch of romance made it a really satisfying read.

Definitely a solid follow-up in the Detective Ryan mysteries—I’ll be looking out for the next one!

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of everything that happened in this book, I have one pressing question. Does Alex ever find out about Faith? If you read this, you'll see why I ask. I had a feeling about him from the start and that's all I'm going to say on that before I give anything away. This was super good. I was wondering how everything was going to tie in and that was so good. There's a few things I want to say that I loved but I can't because it will spoil something, so I will just say this. Definitely pick this one up. It's very worth a read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL OR NONE, #2 - A relaxing way to spend some time. Interesting story lines. Likeable characters. Good pace. Cleaner language; it's nice that 99.9 percent of the characters do not use any profanity or vulgar language. Source: BookSirens. 4*

OFF SEASONS, #1- I like this story with its good characters, interesting story lines, and a few kinks to make it intriguing. I also like the writing style of the author. Although, over 400 pages, the pace made it a quick read. Source: BookSirens. 4*