The Murder Book - Lissa Marie Redmond

The Murder Book by Lissa Marie Redmond

First Paragraph(s):

'Homicide is killing me,' Shane Reese complained, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder.  'We've been here for almost twelve hours.  You almost done?'  He was standing in the main office of the Buffalo Police Cold Case Homicide unit, his tie hanging loose, his hand on the door knob.  It was Friday night, and he was ready to get out of there.
     'Not yet.' Lauren Riley smoothed some papers flat across her desk.  They had been in the office for almost twelve hours for two days in a row, so she understood his eagerness to go.  And was slightly jealous because her touch of OCD wouldn't allow her to leave until she was finished.  'You can kill that light, though.  I'm only going to be a few more minutes.'
     The second floor of police headquarters was already empty, the rest of the detectives from the other squads had gone out to start their weekends.  The 'regular' Homicide guys had caught a particularly nasty murder first thing that day and were out canvassing in the Black Rock neighborhood.  They had needed Reese and Riley to help out in the morning but had everything under control by the late afternoon.  Then she and Reese split off to do follow-up on their own cold cases.

My Thoughts:

When I talked about this author's first book earlier this week here, I said I'd be reading her newly published second book soon.  Well, this is soon - ha!  I very quickly made my way through The Murder Book from start to finish.  And it was quite the ride.  The story begins with Lauren Riley working late to finish up a report.  Her partner, Shane Reese, goes home and then someone comes into their office and attacks Lauren, leaving her bleeding on the floor.  The next thing she remembers is waking in the hospital a few days later.  Who attacked her and why?  Lauren doesn't recall much, but she does know that her attacker was wearing 'cop' boots and took The Murder Book.

As I said in my review of Lissa Marie Redmond's debut book, A Cold Day In Hell, this author knows her stuff - the town, what it's like to be a cop, and also the Cold Case squad.  Though the focus was a little different in The Murder Book, I enjoyed knowing more about Lauren's extended family (who rushed to her side after her attack) and also more about the Homicide unit.  Lauren herself still does not take quite good enough care of her person as she resists the therapy and restrictions her department places on her before she can return to work.  We'll see if her working outside the rules continues.  She does have a fierce sense of justice for the families of crime victims and for the victims themselves.

I've found that there will be a third book in the series, A Means To An End, to be published in early fall.  Midnight Ink, the publisher of this series, is sadly closing in upcoming months.  They have introduced readers to so many wonderful authors.  Here's hoping they can all find other means of getting their stories out to the world.  Do I recommend these books?  Yes, I do.  I liked The Murder Book very much and that ending...well, once again, you'll have to read the next to see what comes.  I know I will.       

Blurb:

Cold case detective Lauren Riley wakes up in the hospital certain of two things: she was stabbed and left for dead...and the person who did it was a cop.

After being brutally stabbed at her desk late one night, Lauren Riley works her way backwards through the haze to piece together who attacked her and why. A mysterious phone message forces her to enlist the help of a retired lieutenant to track down a witness who is desperate not to be found. As she digs into the Buffalo Police Department's hidden past she uncovers a terrible secret, one a fellow officer would kill to protect.