This is the second instalments of the Cold Case Investigation, i rather enjoyed the first one even though i had some problems with it and i hopes this one will be better.

Detective Lauren Riley was stabbed in her office, by a cop who stole the Murder Book, the register with key informations of all cold cases of the departments. Lauren knew it was a way to bury a cold case and a mysterious phone call confirmed it.
It was a promising story, and it could have been really good if the whole investigation of this cold case took more than 10% of the story, in fact the whole story of this old case was just delivered in a couple of pages. I felt rather disappointed, the first half of the book was about the stabbing, the recovery of Lauren, her family life and a recap of everything that happened in the first book.
I expected more of this book, and maybe i had high expectations, but it is the same feeling of disappointment i had after the first book and i think i will not be reading any more books of the series. It is obviously not for me.

Detective Lauren Riley's life changes after she is brutally attacked one evening at her precinct while working late. Sure, violence is a part of her job--even working Cold Cases--but she never expected to be stabbed at her place of work. Even worse, before passing out, Lauren recalls seeing a pair of city issue boots: whomever attacked her was one of their own. Was Lauren attacked because of a case she was working, was it random, or is it deeper than that? A mysterious phone call makes Lauren and her partner, Reese, dig deeply into an old case--one that involves her fellow officers and a lot of buried secrets.

"As her vision began to fade, she saw two things pass by her limp, useless hand: a pair of city issue boots and the unmistakable green cover of the Murder Book."

I was really happy to see Lissa Marie Redmond's Lauren Riley back again. I enjoyed her first book, A Cold Day in Hell a lot and this one was a great addition. The second Lauren Riley installment focuses more on Lauren's work as a police officer versus her PI cases, as the first novel did. Lauren is stabbed on the job, and it quickly becomes clear that whoever did it was a cop and they were trying to access files at the precinct.

From there, the case weaves together seamlessly. Redmond is such a good storyteller; her past in law enforcement is clear, as she provides details that makes the story realistic and strong. Riley is a great character. She's still the strong yet flawed woman we came to love in the first book. Grappling with the issues that come with being injured on the job is hard for Lauren, including being more dependent on others. She's as tough and feisty as ever, though, and determined to figure out what happened to her.

As a reader, figuring out what happened to Lauren is interesting and well-done. Redmond's books are so easy-to-read, with bits and pieces pulled together so well. The book isn't full of crazy twists and turns, but it's a really good police procedural that held my interest. And don't worry, there are plenty of good reveals along the way. There are ties to the first book (this book would stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading book one, because there are references to it and because it's really good). We also see more of Lauren's family, including her daughters, her sisters, and her mom. Plus, there's great banter with Reese, who is as enjoyable (and protective of Lauren) as ever.

Overall, this is a great read--compelling, top-notch on its police knowledge, and featuring an excellent, strong female lead character. Highly recommend, and I quite enjoy this series. 4+ stars.

When Lauren, a cold case detective, wakes up, she doesn't know where she is or why she's there.
Little by little, Lauren, her partner and an old friend discover a cover-up that goes back many years.
I particularly enjoyed the relation between Lauren and Shane.
This novel was a real page turner. I didn't even realize I was about to finish it until it was too late, and the book was over.
Thanks Netgally and the publisher for my ARC of this book.

The setting, Buffalo, NY, was what drew me to this mystery in the first place. As someone who has visited this city, located on the shore of Lake Erie, famous for lake effect snow and chicken wings, I was somewhat familiar with the location. I recognized a number of place names and thought the setting was accurate as well as appealing. There’s a lot about Buffalo that could play an even bigger role in future entries.

The plot also held my interest. It was complex, had a surprise ending which made total sense, and was different enough that I felt I hadn’t already seen it elsewhere several times over. The story seems very credible probably because the author, Lissa Marie Richmond, is a retired cold case homicide detective from Buffalo. In the opening pages, a cold case detective, Lauren Riley, is brutally attacked in her office one evening and left for dead. She is saved by her partner, Shane Reese, who happens to return for his baseball cap. While on leave and recuperating, Lauren is driven to figure out who attacked her and why which starts the ball rolling…

Overall, the characters are well developed - surrounded by back story and details. But, even by the end of the book, I’m not sure I have a good handle on Lauren as the central character. This may be, in part, because <i>The Murder Book</i> is the second in the Cold Investigations series. I had not read the previous installment which, although not necessary, I wish I had - as I think it would have made more sense of the characters. There seems to be a lot more to her partner, Shane Reese, than has been shared so hope to read more about him soon.

Overall, a satisfying read and I will be keeping an eye out for #3.



FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great crime fiction! This is the second book in this series, but is easy to pick up the history of the first book. With that said, this book begins with a stabbing bang! Literally! Detective Lauren Riley is brutally attacked at her office, a police station! Det. Riley and her partner, Shane Reese, team up with retired Detective Charley Daley, for the hunt to find out who did this and why. Tense, action-packed, and logical, with a creepy twist ending. 4 Stars!

The Murder Book
A Cold Case Investigation #2

by Lissa Marie Redmond

Midnight Ink

General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 08 Feb 2019



I am reviewing a copy of The Murder Book through Midnight Ink and Netgalley:


Detective Lauren Riley is a cold case detective who wakes up in the hospital having been stabbed and left for dead.




Detective Lauren Riley works her way back through a maze in order to figure out who tried to kill her at her desk one day. A mysterious phone message makes her enlist the help of a retired Lieutenant in order to track down a witness who does not want to be found. As she digs into the Buffalo Police Department’s hidden past she uncovers a terrible secret, a secret a police officer would be willing to kill to keep from getting out.




I give The Murder Book five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This is the second book in the series however I hadn’t read the first and I don’t think it was an issue.

I really enjoyed Lauren and Reese’s relationship and thought this was done really well. I also enjoyed the plot. I felt the alluding to the past was also good as I hadn’t read the first one however it also wasn’t repetitive or detailed if you had read the previous book.

I appreciate that I received an arc and really hope that it is edited thoroughly before it is sent to print as there were many errors throughout which really detracted from the story but hopefully this will be sorted.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with the arc.

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.

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.

Police Detective, Lauren Riley and her partner, Shane Reese, work on cold cases. At the beginning of the novel, Lauren is working late at headquarters and someone sneaks in and stabs her from behind. The story moves quickly from there with the detectives trying to solve the mystery of who stabbed Lauren and how it is connected to a cold case. Lissa Redmond writes a good story and her characters are well developed. Her characters have their flaws, as do we all, and this just makes them likable. I found myself pulling for them. There is a small amount of the need to suspend disbelief with a few of the directions their investigations take but it is all in the fun of the chase. The Murder Book is the second in the Lauren Riley series. The first is A Cold Day in Hell, which I haven't read yet. I didn't feel at a loss from not having read the first in the series. Redmond does a good job of filling us in on the characters that reappear in this second novel. The Murder Book ends with the opening for the next story in the series. All in all, it is a good, fast read. It would make a wonderful beach read (which I'm always looking for)!

The second book of the series...this one starts off with cold-case detective Lauren Riley getting stabbed while working alone in her office after hours. Left for dead she's fortunate her partner Shane Reece returns and is able to get help to save her life. The only thing Lauren is sure of is that the person who tried to kill her is a fellow cop and that somehow her attack is related to a cold case she and Reece are working on. Just out of the hospital Lauren jumps right into the investigation of her stabbing....going against orders. I liked Lauren alot...she's a bit reckless,has her share of flaws and a dark sense of humor. Some of the best scenes of the book are the interactions between her and Reece. I didn't read the 1st book but had no problem relating to the characters or understanding what was going on. There's a continuing storyline that started in the 1st book and will be taking us into the next. I'm anxious to see how the story unfolds.
I enjoy a good police procedural and this one is very good.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.

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.

This Case Gets a Little Personal with Detective Riley

The novel opens with Detective Lauren Riley is working late on a Friday night. Her partner, Detective Shane Reese announces that almost 12 hours is enough and is leaving; this also leaves Riley by herself. She hears the door open again and thinks that it is Reese. The next thing she knows is a blow to the right side knocking the wind out of her that is followed by a stomp to her head. She passes out. When she regains consciousness, she has problems breathing and is lying in a sticky pool spreading around her. As her vision fades, she sees a pair of city-issue police boots and her Murder Book. The main storyline moves to Riley’s recovery. Much of this part of the novel essentially is all B storyline. You will learn more about Riley and her relationship with her parents and children and more. While she is supposed to be at home recovering, Riley with Reese pursues who attacked her. All of the major players from the first novel, A Cold Day In Hell, join the storyline. Then, a murder occurs close to home for Riley and a possible break in a cold case. The novel takes off from here.

While there are many threads, the author weaves them into a storyline that finally captured and kept my attention. I say finally because it did not happen until after Riley was back in action. The author from this point maintains a very good level of suspense. There are not all the twists and turns in a normal police procedural, but this novel was more a thriller and a cat and mouse chase.

There just a few F-bombs and some lesser vulgar language. When I was reading I really did not notice this language. There are not any graphic sex scenes. So, I believe, most people should be able to read this novel without any reservations for language and sex. While all of the main characters from the first novel are here, I believe that the author fills in enough background that you can read this novel without having read the first novel.

This novel did capture my attention which is my major criteria for a high star rating, but that attention capture was not immediate as explained above. I would recommend not giving up early in reading this novel. Also, the ending is what I call Who Shot JR from the Dallas TV series. I personally do not like this type of ending as I believe they should be at the start of the next novel to set the hooks into the reader’s attention vice as a teaser at the end of a novel. In this case, it was a little necessary because it would have left a loose end. I did enjoy this reading this novel and do recommend it, but with a four star rating. Personally, I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Midnight Ink with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Midnight Ink for the opportunity to read this novel early.

This book was not my cup of tea. It felt like it was written in a rush and very choppy. I probably wouldn't read another book by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It drew you in from the beginning and never let you go. There was pretty much nonstop action along with some funny banter between lots of the characters. Even though this is the 2nd book in a series I didn't feel like I missed anything by not having read the 1st book. I would like to go back and read it just to learn more about Lauren, the main character. The book didn't leave you hanging either. While it did leave off knowing there was more to come it wasn't exactly a cliffhanger. They wrapped up all of the mysteries in this story while letting you know what was coming in the next one. Will definitely be adding this author to my list of favorites.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and am giving my honest review voluntarily.

The Murder Book is the second in the Cold Case Investigation series. This novel starts with the attempted murder of the main character Detective Lauren Riley. This was a very effective way to start the story. Because Lauren is now on medical leave she spends her time trying to solve her assault in a rouge investigation. The Murder Book is a good police investigation novel. The story is more mystery than thriller so if you want suspense then probably not you novel.

Please be aware that you will need to read these books in order or a sub-element in the book with not make fully make sense.

THE MURDER BOOK by Lissa Marie Redmond
The Second Cold Case Investigation

Detective Lauren Riley is working late when she is stabbed from behind and beaten. Lucky to have survived, the only thing she knows is the person who attacked her was a cop. A police officer is never truly off duty and as Lauren recovers she also tries to investigate who tried to kill her and why. Things seem to be hinged on a cold case, but which one? With the Murder Book gone, Lauren calls on her old lieutenant for help. Unfortunately, he's not the only person from her past who's returned. In finding her attacker will she be able to see justice served, or will she become a victim once again?

I really enjoyed this second ride out with Detective Riley. The mystery is an intricate puzzle that leads to an exciting caper culminating in a pulse pounding chase over an iconic Buffalo roadway in the dead of winter! The addition of Watson was a great move and I enjoyed watching Lauren's devotion to the little guy. He is much better, and infinitely healthier, to be around than the males she usually picks!

As a former police officer myself, I really appreciated the on point depiction of the cops, including attitudes, relationships, and, most of all, humor. I especially love the camaraderie between Lauren and Reese as well as Lauren and her old lieutenant, which comes across so naturally. The community of police is a special world that only those in it can truly understand, but Lissa Marie Redmond shares it in a way that readers can glimpse what it's like and, for a moment, be a part of it.

THE MURDER BOOK is a gritty police procedural that takes an unflinching look into the world of cops. But, ultimately, this book is about love and family; what you will do to protect those you love as well as what lengths you'll go to prove your love.

This book gives me the feels of a Lisa Gardner/Lisa Scottoline thriller. Its THAT well written. I understand this book is a second in a series, but it did not read that way to me. By that I mean that I was not at all confused, nor did I feel the need to look for more details on the characters. This would be fine as a stand-alone if you haven't read the first book; the writing is very well done. The detail woven into each character makes them very memorable, so it definitely makes sense that this is a book in a series. I will be picking up the first book to get the backstory behind The Murder Book, and I look forward to even more in this series.

3.5 Stars



Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for allowing to to read an advanced copy of this novel for a fair and honest review.



I didn't know that this was the second book in a series (The first being "Cold Day in Hell") when I requested it but, I really don't think it hindered my enjoyment of the book as Redmond gives us plenty of backstory and she does it in a way that was not intrusive or boring. I never felt lost during any point in the book.



We kick right into the story as Lauren, a Cold Case detective is stabbed within the first few pages of the book. She has no idea who stabbed her but she does know one thing, it was a cop as she recognized department issued boots right before she faded out. when Lauren awakens she informs her partner Reese and the detectives working her case that she knows it was someone from the force. The only other clue to why Lauren was stabbed is the missing murder book which contains all of the information for the cold case Reese and Lauren were working on at that moment.



There are some wonderful action scenes and Lauren is a very likable protagonist. Her relationships with her partner and her children is well written and the chemistry between Reese and Lauren is well written.



The only thing that keeps me from giving this novel a solid 4 stars is because there were parts that seemed to lag a bit. The story tended to get a little bit too descriptive and wordy. I actually like those things but in this novel it began to slow down the story a little bit.



If you are looking for a new series to jump into I would suggest giving this one a go.

4.5 stars

Detective Lauren Riley works late .. going over records on a cold case she is investigating. When she next opens her eyes, she finds herself in the hospital. She was stabbed, hit in the head, and left for dead. It was only because her partner returns to retrieve a hat he had left in the office.

Lauren remembers three things ... it was a man, he was holding one of the cold case files, and it was a fellow cop.

As she recuperates, she and her partner quietly go about trying to discover who they can trust ..and who they can't. As she digs into the Buffalo Police Department's hidden past she uncovers a terrible secret, one a fellow officer would kill to protect.

Highly suspenseful, this page-turner has many twists and turns before coming to a conclusion. Warning: there is a bit of cliffhanger. I look forward to the next in this series. The author is a retired homicide detective and her diligence and experience show in the credibility of her story telling.

Many thanks to the author / Midnight Ink / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.