Cold Truth (Ellie Kline, #1)

by Donna Berdel and Mary Stone

Enjoyable. Not the greatest mystery ever. I didn't like that the whole case wasn't wrapped up - it proceeds to the next one (and from the sounds of it continues over the next 8 books...). But for the most part I really liked it. I liked Ellie and I really liked Jillian Reed and the partnership they struck up.

The procedural part is slow going, more in the style of Kinsey Millhone by Sue Grafton than Alex Cross by James Patterson or Jack Reacher by Lee Child. I like these sorts of procedurals where they pick away at the case until it unravels. I was annoyed though that there were still so many details left unanswered. Or confused. I didn't realise this was more or less a serial. I did feel there were some gaps in the investigation at points. Like they're looking for details on Monday and then it's Thursday. I didn't feel the time jumps were handled well.

The romance was just plain weird. I didn't really understand the whole relationship between Ellie and Nick - or where Jacob fits in. Does Ellie love Nick? Does Jacob (her cop partner) love her? I don't know - I felt like there was something going on there but it never quite cleared it up. Plus it seems like there's all this distance and then Nick and Jacob are friends? Jacob comes to the hospital and comes in the room before her dad has the transplant ? And has special words? I was just baffled.

Ellie reminded me a little bit of Max Revere by Allison Brennan. Max is kind of remote in the same way - rich and with a taste for the finer things and somewhat removed from human emotion. And a bit unlikeable although I didn't not like Ellie. I liked her drive and enthusiasm. She also reminded me a bit of Eve Ronin (by Lee Goldberg) but not as gungho, not as real or action packed. More just in the way she was dedicated to being a cop and making things right for people.

There were quite a few oddities to be honest. It didn't really seem like Ellie was all that affected by her kidnapping? I mean I know she can't remember but it seemed odd that an event that shaped her whole life is just pushed to the side. Especially since she still got hit by a car and was drugged out of her mind.

Plus in the blurb for the next one it says "coming off the high of solving her first case" ...but she didn't? I mean she's resolved some minor points like who the girls were but it seems like there's a hell of a lot more investigating to do.

Anyway it's a decent book for procedural fans and for all I have a lot of complaints I didn't find it a struggle to read - it flowed really well and I was done before I knew it. It was more on reflection that parts don't stack up to scrutiny.

Apart from that just keep in mind the series will have to be read in order and if your memory is anywhere near as bad as mine - all at once to keep the details straight - since they carry over from book to book. 3 stars, maybe 3.5.