COLD BLOOD

4 stars out of 5


Once again, I'll make a pitch for half-stars in book ratings. Because once again, my "real" rating is 4.5 stars - and that's only because I enjoyed it a teensy bit less than the others (this is the fifth in the author's Detective Erika Foster series). 

It stands well on its own, but as those who follow my book reviews well know by now, I always advise starting any series at the beginning, as I did. The bottom line, I guess, is that any time you've got emotionally scarred but likable heroes and heroines, murder and mayhem and an investigation that never loses steam from start to finish, what's not to like? My only reservation here is that in a few spots, the exposition almost seemed like an afterthought - something that wasn't written into the story where it should have been.

That said, the plot is unique, intriguing and fast-paced. Erika is called in to check out an old suitcase that's washed up on the banks of the Thames in London. To everyone's horror, it contains the body of a young man - not only dead, but chopped into smaller pieces so he'd fit inside the container. As Erika gathers her team to get the investigation going, another suitcase turns up - this time with the body of a young woman. She, too, has been whacked to fit, leading to the conclusion that a serial killer is on the loose. Small packets of drugs were found in the stomach of one of of the bodies - another confusing detail but one that ends up not only nearly bringing the police department to its knees, but an end to Erika's career (and very nearly her life).

From the beginning, readers see flashbacks that introduce two far less than upstanding characters named Nina and Max - misfits who have found each other (they're happy, but others who meet up with them are not so much). Chapters told from their perspectives offer highlights of their new life as a couple and are interspersed with those detailing what's going on with Erika and the investigation, all building to an exciting finish as everything comes together. I admit I'm not a fan of this perspective-shifting technique, but that's mostly because it's been done to death (so to speak). But when it's done well, as it is here, I also admit it's very effective.

Overall, this is nothing short of another winner. Many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read and review it in exchange for an honest review. Over the course of the series, Erika has become one of my favorite characters. Already, I'm looking forward to the next installment. 

Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza (Bookouture, September 2017); 378 pp.