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The Pain Game
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February 17, 2026

A disgraced ex-detective in Chicago believed his murder cases were behind him, until one simple favor drew him into a conspiracy with teeth. Hard-boiled Chicago noir of political corruption, a suspicious death and mistakes that endanger the people he loves.
A Suspicious Death. A Simple Favor. A Conspiracy With Teeth.
Sam Laska, a former Chicago Police detective, thought he'd left the murder business behind.
As Laska unravels the conspiracy, he's captivated by an alluring medical examiner's assistant. Yet every step he takes raises the cost of the next, and his mistakes put the people closest to him at risk. To bring the killers to justice and protect the ones he loves, Laska may have to offer up the only thing he's left: himself.
The Pain Game is the first book in the Sam Laska crime thriller series, for readers who love disgraced detectives, political corruption and Chicago noir. Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and Ian Rankin.
Praise for the Sam Laska series:
…grabs me from the opening pages and entertains throughout…
…you get so involved you can't put it down.
I read it in one day and afterwards, I immediately purchased the next book in the series.
I couldn't put it down!!
I found it hard to put the book down. I burned my dinner reading. The suspense goes on page after page.
5.0 out of 5 Stars …grabs me from the opening pages and entertains throughout…
5.0 out of 5 Stars …you get so involved you can't put it down.
5.0 out of 5 Stars - I read it in one day and afterwards, I immediately purchased the next book in the series.
5.0 out of 5 Stars - I couldn't put it down!!
5.0 out of 4 Stars - I found it hard to put the book down. I burned my dinner reading. The suspense goes on page after page.
Richard Rybicki, a former detective, retired from the Chicago Police Department in 2006 and moved to Florida’s gulf coast. The Pain Game, his first work of fiction, was published in 2016 and debuted the Sam Laska Crime Thriller series. Where the Road Leads and Bottom Feeder Blues continue the series. The Green Line, a Royal Palm Literary Award semi-finalist, is the fourth book in the series. He has also published a collection of short stories, The Suits, available as a Kindle ebook. Learn more, connect with the author, and sign up for the author’s newsletter at www.rrybickiauthor.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RybickiAuthor, and X, formallyTwitter, at @rybicki_richard