Book Review: Cold Relations

Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM

Cold Relations     Amazon US HC Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada HC
Gerald Hammond
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Dogs

Detective Sergeant Honoria 'Honey' Laird has a very busy life, but she finds time to help out a friend's ex-husband by arranging for him to buy and train two spaniel puppies. Unfortunately, a pleasant afternoon's shooting at a Border castle is followed by the disappearance of both the spaniels and a retired businessman. The cases appear to be unconnected, but Honey adds both of them to her workload.

'Cold Relations' is a smooth, cleverly-plotted mystery which gives an interesting, if superficial, view of Scottish life. It's an entertaining read - I particularly liked the way Honey has both helpful and annoying co-workers, and carries on so many different investigations simultaneously. Sometimes mystery novels leave the impression that a single police officer handles all investigative duties personally - and handles only one case at a time!

In spite of dust cover references to the crime-solving Labrador, potential readers who dislike supernaturally skilled dogs will be relieved to know that all the dogs in 'Cold Relations' are perfectly normal.

Overall, Honey is an appealing protagonist in a well-done conventional mystery story, which provides an entertaining read. After reading 'Cold Relations', I will certainly keep an eye out for some of Mr. Hammond's many other novels.

Cheryl - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM