The Only Café

“The Only Café will transfix you with its disquieting and cautionary narrative. . . . Judicious and expertly timed. . . . The Only Café’s elegant prose attains a lyrical quality. . . . [A] testament to MacIntyre’s dexterity as a storyteller.”
—The Globe and Mail

“Spare, propulsive and rich in observational detail and dialogue. . . . MacIntyre’s journalism training and experience . . . allow him to explore Lebanon’s labyrinthine, multi-factional civil war with authority and compassion.”
—James Grainger, author of Harmless, Toronto Star

“The Only Café is imbued with a feeling of lived authenticity.”
—Quill and Quire

“Unlike the cozy armchair mysteries of Agatha Christie—where everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow by story’s end—The Only Café argues that not all mysteries will be solved and perhaps that’s for the best. MacIntyre’s characters insist that truth is a fiction or at best an amorphous reality and that ‘the only way to know what happens is to be part of it.’”
—Atlantic Books

“Linden MacIntyre has mined his other life, as a venerable CBC journalist, to pen The Only Café, and the novel works wonderfully. . . . [A] twisty, literate thriller that ranks among the most enjoyable novels I’ve read this year. International intrigue, masterful storytelling and a sure hand make The Only Café a compelling read.”
—49th Shelf

“[A] taut, powerful novel.”
—The Chronicle Herald

“[MacIntyre’s] trademark narrative skill makes the novel a must-read. . . . As he traces Cyril’s progress, MacIntyre uses his intriguing tale to underscore the futility of trying to erase the past. One of MacIntyre’s strengths is his remarkable command of dialogue. Conversations between characters are snappy, convincing and laced with wit. Another strength is the writer’s ability to observe, with a keen eye, the details of everyday life, both in Toronto and in the Middle East.”
—St. Thomas Times-Journal