paigepages's review against another edition
4.0
A great sequel to the first book. This wasn't as shocking and maybe not as many twists as the first book, but I think it sets itself up well for the third installment. Redmond is great at developing a well-paced police procedural and imperfect yet likable characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
jbrooxd's review against another edition
4.0
[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
A gritty suspense story with a great set up and execution. This is darker than I usually prefer in my mysteries (some language, some more bloody/detailed descriptions of violence, etc.), but the story is well-crafted. I'd recommend reading these in order because I think there are carry over characters besides the leads that will matter to the larger arc of the series.
A gritty suspense story with a great set up and execution. This is darker than I usually prefer in my mysteries (some language, some more bloody/detailed descriptions of violence, etc.), but the story is well-crafted. I'd recommend reading these in order because I think there are carry over characters besides the leads that will matter to the larger arc of the series.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. Kind of average police procedural, sprinkled
with cliches.
If you hadn't read the first in this series (I had not),
this book pretty well gives everything away that
happened in that first book. Not a good thing.
Author tried to incorporate a "twist" right at
the very end to provide an arc into the next
book (and from the first book), but it has
all been done before (see Nicci French's
Freida Klein series).
with cliches.
If you hadn't read the first in this series (I had not),
this book pretty well gives everything away that
happened in that first book. Not a good thing.
Author tried to incorporate a "twist" right at
the very end to provide an arc into the next
book (and from the first book), but it has
all been done before (see Nicci French's
Freida Klein series).
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
3.0
Detective Lauren Riley stays late at work one night and is attacked at her desk. Surprised by the attack, she is only able to recall the police issued boots that her attacker wore. After coming to in the hospital she finds that the murder book (a handwritten accounting of all the murders that took place prior to computerization) has been stolen. The story in itself, her attack, the hunt for the attacker, the theft of the murder book, etc, is solid. What wasn't as solid was watching Detective Riley not learn from her past personal mistakes. Yes, she knows she made them, but she seems powerless in trying to keep herself from making them again. Also, at one point in time book another murder attempt is made on someone from her past and is successful. I expected a bit more around this event. I also didn't know why Ms. Riley didn't realize who had committed the crime 2 pages later, like I did. However, this book ended with a nice set-up for a third in the series. Perhaps Detective Riley can learn from her mistakes and move forward.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review.
charf47's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading The Murder Book. The characters are interesting and believable and the story line is engaging. The experience of reading this novel would have been improved for me, if there were fewer grammatical and typographical errors. I understand that the version I read was a pre-release galley, so hopefully these errors will be ironed out before the book is formally released. Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for the ARC.
debyc's review against another edition
4.0
At about 25% into reading "The Murder Book," I thought to myself, "Wow... this MC has a ridiculously convoluted backstory that just isn't piecing together easily in my head.... almost like... it was part of a series."
WELL. I should have read the description a little better before starting the book- I was just so excited to finally read it that I skipped that major point. This is book 2! :)
That being said, once I got over the disappointment of skipping book one, this book is not a difficult read and can be read on its own and still make sense. I doubt I would go back and read the first one, but it is a series I will keep on my radar for future books. I enjoyed the mystery and felt that the book's pacing made it an interesting, fun read. I really like the timeline of the story- many mysteries I read tend to have a bit of an abrupt ending, but this story is well-rounded and we get just enough plot to move it forward and make it enjoyable past its 'who-dun-nit.' I found the main character to be a bit unlikable, although that may be because I didn't get her backstory from the first book.
The author, Lissa Marie Redmond, does an excellent job using her knowledge as a a retired homicide detective to make "The Murder Book" really come to life. Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
WELL. I should have read the description a little better before starting the book- I was just so excited to finally read it that I skipped that major point. This is book 2! :)
That being said, once I got over the disappointment of skipping book one, this book is not a difficult read and can be read on its own and still make sense. I doubt I would go back and read the first one, but it is a series I will keep on my radar for future books. I enjoyed the mystery and felt that the book's pacing made it an interesting, fun read. I really like the timeline of the story- many mysteries I read tend to have a bit of an abrupt ending, but this story is well-rounded and we get just enough plot to move it forward and make it enjoyable past its 'who-dun-nit.' I found the main character to be a bit unlikable, although that may be because I didn't get her backstory from the first book.
The author, Lissa Marie Redmond, does an excellent job using her knowledge as a a retired homicide detective to make "The Murder Book" really come to life. Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
anintrovertreads's review against another edition
4.5
This book got my attention right from the very first chapter!! Trust me, you will get sucked in!
This is a typical police procedural, where the two main detectives are Lauren and Reese, two cold case detectives. I absolutely loved the relationship between Lauren and Reese. It’s complete platonic, at this point, but the way they interact as partners and are always there for each other, love love love! I will be reading the rest of the series, because YES it’s a series people! There are already 5 books. I’m behind.
This was a pretty short read, full of action and full of twists! I’m definitely a Lissa Marie Redmond fan now! BONUS: She is a retired cold-case homicide detective! This really adds an extra layer to the book!
Thank you to Midnight Ink for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley. As usual, my reviews are my honest and unbiased opinions.
mikimac's review against another edition
3.0
Laura Riley is stabbed while sitting at the desk in the Cold Case Unit; now her partner, with the help of a retired officer must find out whodunit.
Overall this was a good police procedural, closely following the hows and whys of an investigations, the mix ups and the misdirects. When the team decides to make a move, the action takes off at a breakneck pace turning the last 25% of the book into a real page-turner. The ending definitely opened the gate for the next book In the series.
There is some good interplay between the main characters but the supporting characters seem a little flat and the bad guy(s) remain largely unknown until the last 10-20% of the story. Although this book can stand on its own, the reader would probably benefit from reading the first book in the series first so that the characters are more fleshed out and relevant.
There appear to be several editing errors in the copy that I was given by NetGalley, including a mix up in the time line (Thanksgiving past and Thanksgiving almost upon us), repetitive references to a former presidents assassination and several spelling errors, which were a distraction from the plot. With another round of editing, this could easily be a 4star novel.
Overall this was a good police procedural, closely following the hows and whys of an investigations, the mix ups and the misdirects. When the team decides to make a move, the action takes off at a breakneck pace turning the last 25% of the book into a real page-turner. The ending definitely opened the gate for the next book In the series.
There is some good interplay between the main characters but the supporting characters seem a little flat and the bad guy(s) remain largely unknown until the last 10-20% of the story. Although this book can stand on its own, the reader would probably benefit from reading the first book in the series first so that the characters are more fleshed out and relevant.
There appear to be several editing errors in the copy that I was given by NetGalley, including a mix up in the time line (Thanksgiving past and Thanksgiving almost upon us), repetitive references to a former presidents assassination and several spelling errors, which were a distraction from the plot. With another round of editing, this could easily be a 4star novel.
rainnbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is book #2 in the Cold Case Investigation with Lauren Riley and Shane Reese. Even though the book can be read as stand alone, it is best to begin with book 1 as that has lot of character development and shows the varied relationships that Lauren has with the people surrounding her.
Honestly I wanted to read this series because of the 'cold case' in the title, because I love reading about old and past mysteries being unearthed in the present with the advance of technology. But both book 1 and 2 do not have much action in the cold case category, the action is in the present but that doesn't spoil this brilliant thriller. What makes this such an absorbing read is the close and loving relationship between Riley and Reese. Their banter and witty repartee makes it a comfy read even though I felt the mystery element gets revealed very soon.. Like book 1, this also ends with a cliffhanger and thus looking forward to book #3.
Honestly I wanted to read this series because of the 'cold case' in the title, because I love reading about old and past mysteries being unearthed in the present with the advance of technology. But both book 1 and 2 do not have much action in the cold case category, the action is in the present but that doesn't spoil this brilliant thriller. What makes this such an absorbing read is the close and loving relationship between Riley and Reese. Their banter and witty repartee makes it a comfy read even though I felt the mystery element gets revealed very soon.. Like book 1, this also ends with a cliffhanger and thus looking forward to book #3.