Review: Cold Blood

'Cold Blood' is Theresa Monsour's second novel and it certainly makes for pleasant reading. Detective Paris Murphy is watching a news report about a man who discovered the finger of a missing woman. He's called Justice Trip and she realises that she remembers him for high school. The more she looks into the case, the more she comes to think that Justice Trip may have had something to do with the woman's disappearance in the first place.

Monsour has certainly succeeded in creating pace in the novel. The plot moves along very rapidly, with the pace intensifying as we reach the denouement. However, having built up to the inevitable conclusion, we are denied a drawn-out ending and it seems to fizzle out like a damp squib. Perhaps Monsour wanted to avoid the traditional finale of the murderer being caught and confessing to all his crimes, a la Christie, but the lack of a meaty and fulfilling end may leave the reader feeling disappointed.

Nevertheless, Monsour's characters are very interesting. She changes point of view often, moving inside both Trip and Paris' heads and allowing the reader to see what they are thinking. However, whilst this makes their characters more detailed and we learn more of their back-story, the whole novel hinges on one key coincidence - that Paris Murphy recognised Trip Justice from the TV. Had she not seen him, the story would have been very different. Once she shows the slightest professional interest, Justice begins to fall apart. It does not ring quite true, but it makes for a good tale.

Overall, there is not an enormous amount of meat on the bones of 'Cold Blood '. Incidentally, have there been that many mystery novels that authors can no longer come up with original titles? I can't think of the amount of times I have seen the title 'Cold Blood' used over the years. Nevertheless, Monsour has written a pleasant summer's read that an average reader will devour in a couple of sittings. Slim, fast and easy, this is entirely suitable for those hot summer days by the swimming pool.

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

Book Review: Cold Blood