Friday, June 7, 2013

Cold Killing by Luke Delaney

Inspector Sean Corrigan is disturbed when he goes to the scene of the latest murder.  A young man whose life has been brutally ended, one of the victims Sean must encounter in his work.  But this murder is different.  The victim has been stabbed multiple times, but not in a frenzy as is often seen.  This stabbing was methodical and calculated.  The killer also left no forensic evidence behind, indicating that he planned everything.  He is what is dreaded most, a cold killer.

Sean is effective at his job since he has the ability to get inside the heads of those he hunts.  He recognizes this is a master killer, devious, organized and one who won't stop.  Soon the police uncover a suspect, and the game begins in full force.  The suspect is wealthy, successful and utterly devoid of conscience.  Even as the net starts to close on him, he plays the game showing contempt for the police, even committing new crimes.  The reader is taken inside the police investigation and the tension mounts with each incident in this cat and mouse game.  Can the police stop the killer before more people are killed?

Luke Delaney has written a chilling psychological mystery that readers will not soon forget.  A former Murder Squad detective himself, the author has the ability to transport the reader inside the police investigation to understand the process and the emotions in this deadly profession.  Effective use of the murderer's point of view is interspersed with the clues and steps in the investigation.  The tension mounts to a stunning climax which the reader won't see coming.  This is Delaney's (a pseudonym) debut novel but crime fiction has a new star.  This book is recommended for mystery readers and a second book can't come too soon.  This is an excellent example of the mystery genre.

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