The Murder Book (Cold Case Investigation #2) by Lissa Marie Redmond

Cold case detective Lauren Riley wakes up in the hospital certain of two things: she was stabbed and left for dead...and the person who did it was a cop.

After being brutally stabbed at her desk late one night, Lauren Riley works her way backwards through the haze to piece together who attacked her and why. A mysterious phone message forces her to enlist the help of a retired lieutenant to track down a witness who is desperate not to be found. As she digs into the Buffalo Police Department's hidden past she uncovers a terrible secret, one a fellow officer would kill to protect.

Packed with suspense and featuring a detective who "relentlessly--and with morbid humor--gets the job done" (Booklist), The Murder Book continues a series praised by Kirkus Reviews as "an excellent police procedural combined with a psychological thriller."  (Summary via Goodreads)



It didn't dawn on me until I finished reading Chapter 7 of The Murder Book by Lissa Marie Redmond and closed the book to take a break as to what the title actual meant.  The Murder Book is a crucial part of the Cold Case Department where main character Lauren Riley and her partner Reese work.....and it is stolen when Lauren is stabbed and left for dead.  Everything in the department revolves around that book and for it to be stolen could mean a lot of different things.  And even though Lauren is in no shape to work or track down the book, she is going to do it anyway !!

Lauren is a headstrong, independent and determined woman and she will stop at nothing to solve a cold case and bring justice to a victim and their family.....even if she is recovering from being stabbed, has a collapsed lung and headache from having her head stepped on !!  Those things just help fuel the burning fire inside her making her very, very good at her job !! 

The Murder Book is the second book in Redmond's Cold Case Investigation series and if you read the first book, A Cold Day in Hell, you are obviously a fan of Lauren's and her partner Reese.  The love will continue and overflow in The Murder Book.  You will again love their relationship and when Reese moves in with Lauren while she recovers from her attack, you cannot help but respect their commitment to each other.  

The Murder Book is probably more captivating than A Cold Day in Hell only because the reader is getting to know the characters and their lifestyles in the first book.  But once you read the second book, you are now an invested fan and like Lauren you feel like you have more to lose......and love.  I strongly recommend this series and cannot wait for the next installment.


Review by Missi S.