A Full Cold Moon (A Cold Case Investigation)

by Lissa Marie Redmond

"Fans of police procedurals will want to read all in the series after this compelling, twisted story" - Library Journal Starred Review

A murder of an Icelandic man during a Full Cold Moon reminds Lauren Riley of a previous case she failed to solve. She is determined not to let it happen again.

Since her partner on the Cold Case team has been out of action after being shot in the line of duty, Lauren Riley has been working Homicide. Her latest case involves an Icelandic man murdered on the streets of Buffalo mere feet from his hotel.

The brutality of the case hits Lauren hard. When she realizes the murder was committed on the night of a Full Cold Moon, it triggers memories of the first cold case she investigated that she's been unable to solve.

Lauren is determined not to fail again but when she is involved in a shooting with a suspect, she finds the case may be taken out of her hands . . . especially when it gains attention from the Icelandic government.

• ISBN10: 0727889877
• ISBN13: 9780727889874
• Publish Date: 31 January 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
• Imprint: Severn House
• Edition: Main
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Full Cold Moon is the fourth novel in the Cold Case Investigation series by Lissa Marie Redmond. Released 31st Jan 2020 by Severn House, it's 240 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a nicely written, taut, and well plotted procedural with one foot in the American cop/FBI genre, and one firmly fixed in ScandiNoir. Although it's the fourth book in the series, it worked well enough as a standalone for me since I had no familiarity with the series beforehand. The author is adept at providing background without spoon-feeding, and I didn't feel the lack of prior engagement with the characters too keenly. I found it intriguing enough that I do intend to go seek out the prior books.

The author is adept at plotting and the technical aspects of writing compelling and realistic dialogue and characterization. This is a very readable book. The action is split between Buffalo and Iceland and is richer and more nuanced for the dual settings. The plot is also split between the current murder of an Icelandic tourist in Buffalo, and the long-ago cold case disappearance and murder of a young boy in 1978. Main character Lauren is also trying to navigate her relationship with her work colleague who suffered a job related head injury and has moved into her house (with his dog, Watson).

I like that Lauren is intelligent and well spoken as well as a bit of a badass. She has a moral compass and is mature and strong. She's loyal and driven and a good protagonist.

The action is brutal and bloody in some places and the language is also raw and rough. 'R'-rated, more or less. The book includes some more mature themes such as violence against homosexuals, drug use, etc.

This is a well written modern procedural with a satisfying (if melancholy) denouement. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes