Shrier, Howard [Jonah Geller series #1], (Buffalo Jump [pb, Vintage Canada, 2008]) 978-0307356062 [Jonah Geller is approached by Dante Ryan, a hitman who refuses to carry out a contract on a family that includes a young boy. Jonah investigates the boy’s father, a pharmacist, and uncovers a dangerous cross-border pharmaceutical smuggling ring. The investigation takes Jonah and Dante to Buffalo, New York, where they must survive attacks from mob-linked enemies. ]
Canada · Fiction author
Howard Shrier
Howard Shrier (born 1956, Montreal, now resides in Toronto, former journalist, novelist best known for his 4-volume Jonah Geller series, more recently publishing historical fiction). Geller is a Toronto-based private investigator described as a “secular Jew” or “Jewish atheist”. While he does not practice the religion, he feels deep cultural ties to the Jewish community. His investigative agency, World Repairs, is a direct reference to the Hebrew concept of tikkun olam. Geller views his work—helping those whom the system fails—as his way of “repairing the world”. The books often touch on classic Jewish cultural archetypes, such as Jonah’s relationship with his mother, who wishes he had a “respectable” profession like his overachieving lawyer brother. Shrier’s work explores the “complex cultural textures” of cities like Montreal, specifically highlighting Arab-Jewish tensions and the internal dynamics of the Jewish community. Shrier intentionally created Geller to offer a “uniquely sincere” Jewish voice in a genre typically dominated by “ex-cop, heavy-drinking” clichés.]
Shrier, Howard [Jonah Geller series #2], (High Chicago [pb, Vintage Canada, 2008]) 978-0307356086 [After opening his own agency, World Repairs, Jonah is hired to investigate the alleged suicide of a young woman who fell from a high-rise balcony. The trail leads to a massive, corrupt waterfront development project in Toronto and a ruthless real estate tycoon based in Chicago. Jonah travels to the Windy City to take on the developer, facing off against professional bodyguards and corrupt officials.]
Shrier, Howard [Jonah Geller series #3], (Boston Cream [pb, Vintage Canada, 2012]) 978-0307359568 [Jonah travels to Boston to find David Fine, a brilliant Orthodox Jewish transplant surgeon who has gone missing. He and Jenn discover that Fine was coerced into performing illegal organ transplants for an Irish crime boss. The stakes escalate when Jenn is abducted by the mob, forcing Jonah to call in Dante Ryan for a high-stakes rescue mission.]
Shrier, Howard [Jonah Geller series #4], (Miss Montreal [pb, Vintage Canada, 2013]) 978-0307359582 [Unable to return to the U.S. after the events in Boston, Jonah takes a case in his hometown of Montreal. A childhood friend, Sammy Adler, has been found murdered with a Star of David carved into his chest. Jonah and Dante navigate the city’s complex linguistic and political tensions to uncover a conspiracy involving religious fanatics and a powerful political dynasty. – Google/AI]