David Lawrence, Cold Kill

Cold Kill

David Lawrence

Dunne, June 2006, $23.95

ISBN: 0312347413

London Detective Stella Mooney emotionally struggles with having to kill someone in the line of duty, though as the brass, determined she had no choice and (see NOTHING LIKE THE NIGHT) acted in self defense. However, Stella has no time for self pity and stops seeing therapist Dr. Anne Beaumont when she is assigned the case of a brutal serial killer targeting young females, such as Valerie Blake who was raped and ritually sliced.

The case appears solved when Robert Kimber confesses to the latest homicide. However, when questioned by Valerie he seems vague about specific details, and there is a lack of any forensic evidence linking him to any crime. This forces a reluctant Mooney to release him, though she is certain the unhinged Kimber is not the killer. More ferocious murders with a modified signature follow, leading to Mooney and others to wonder if she freed a guilty person who modified the M.O.

COLD KILL is a refreshing police procedural with fully developed characters, lots of action, and the plot takes some shocking twists that will totally surprise the reader, who will have a hard time waiting to see what happens next. The serial killer storyline is fast-paced as Stella struggles with a difficult case, after still not being fully recovered from having to take a life. Fans who appreciate a complex murder mystery will want to read David Lawrence's tense thriller.