Thanks to Severn House Publishers and Netgalley for a copy of A Full Cold Moon in exchange for an honest review.
A Full Cold Moon by Lissa Marie Redmond
Series: Lauren Riley #4
Genre: Police Procedural
Publisher: Severn House
Publication Date: January 31, 2020
Blurb
A murder of an Icelandic man during a Full Cold Moon reminds Lauren Riley of a previous case she failed to solve. She is determined not to let it happen again.
Since her partner on the Cold Case team has been out of action after being shot in the line of duty, Lauren Riley has been working Homicide. Her latest case involves an Icelandic man murdered on the streets of Buffalo mere feet from his hotel. The brutality of the case hits Lauren hard. When she realizes the murder was committed on the night of a Full Cold Moon, it triggers memories of the first cold case she investigated that she’s been unable to solve. Lauren is determined not to fail again but when she is involved in a shooting with a suspect, she finds the case may be taken out of her hands . . . especially when it gains attention from the Icelandic government. (from Goodreads’ blurb for A Full Cold Moon)
My thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a solid police procedural. While this is book four in the series, it works as a standalone. Any information I needed about the characters’ relationships is clear. Redmond doesn’t give much backstory, nor are there spoilers.
Though the first three titles of the series had Lauren in the cold cases division, she’s now been transferred to homicide while her work partner recovers from a major wound.
Plot
Lissa Marie Redmond knows how to plot a solid mystery. She plunges us directly into the story on page one as Lauren and her partner examine the victim’s body. The victim, Gunnar, has recently extended his stay in America. Though his reasons are believable, nothing else is straight-forward. No one is completely forthcoming, either. Lauren’s warned not to trust certain people. Multiple people have reason to want this good-natured man dead. Just when she might get a grapple on the case, the federal government and the Icelandic government jump in.
While some of the twists felt predictable to me, most weren’t. In the end, the solution to the case is both shocking and realistic.
Even during “slower” moments, the tension still ran high. The cold case that haunts Lauren involves a missing child. The coincidence that both Gunnar’s murder and Billy’s disappearance happened on a full cold moon makes her edgy and frustrated at her failures.
Characterization
Lauren Riley is like many other cops in fiction: unafraid to go off on her own, haunted by past cases, addicted to caffeine, and a bit mouthy. As my sister-in-law would say, she’s got a ‘tude. As well, she’s uneasy about her growing attachment to her male work partner; again, nothing unusual in the friend-to-possible-lover idea.
The one thing that stands out to me is the amount of respect her male colleagues give her. While there are the usual antagonistic minor characters, Lauren’s current work partners treat her as an equal or even defer to her. That includes the fresh-from-academy FBI agent (Matt) and her close-to-retirement homicide partner (Doug Sheenan). And of course, her real partner–from cold cases–Reese is her equal in every way. Whether that way will include romance remains to be seen! Berg, the Icelandic cop tasked with helping her investigate, also treats her well.
It’s refreshing to see a female whose colleagues respect her, and treat her as “equal to” rather than “less than.”
Investigative methods
All the investigative details make sense to me. The political and legal maneuverings between the Icelandic and American governments make sense as well. Nothing stood out as strange, though I can’t verify whether this is “really” how things would happen under these circumstances. Given that Lissa Marie Redmond is a former cold cases homicide detective, I imagine that the details are correct.
Investigations rarely go smoothly, though. There are the usual headaches of lying suspects, lack of information, and office politics. But even minor, seemingly unrelated things, stand in Lauren’s way.
For example, her FBI colleague Matt has a teething baby at home; this personal issue means A) he’s often sleep-deprived and B) his wife wants him back at home ASAP. Obviously, that’s a bit of a distraction for him!
Her Icelandic police host cannot take her to his headquarters because his cousin–whom he barely knows!–has recently been implicated in political corruption; Berg’s supervisor doesn’t want him to have anything to do with the investigation, or even show up at headquarters. Of course this makes things in Iceland a bit more difficult for Lauren and Matt.
Small things. Big headaches. That’s reality.
Settings
The book changes location from Buffalo, NY to Reykjavik, Iceland, as Lauren and her FBI colleague Matt travel to Gunnar’s homeland.
Redmond lives in Buffalo, and her expertise shows. There are local details that only a long-time Buffalo resident could know. Like, say, how driving in the winter is practically an art form. Or how the city went from being a run-down declining place to one where construction projects fill downtown. It’s the little details that stand out and make Buffalo come alive.
Reykjavik is equally fascinating. Blackout shades for their 24/7 summertime, geothermal power for heating, special winter clothing for the brutal winters. (FBI guy Matt isn’t prepared for that as he’s only recently moved from Arizona.) And thirteen Santa Clauses!
Recommended.
This isn’t groundbreaking work, by any means. But it doesn’t have to be innovative fiction to be enjoyable and well-written. Redmond knows how to tell a story and she does it well. I look forward to reading more about Lauren.
Love this book? Check out my list of new police procedurals published in Spring 2020! Lissa Marie Redmond has another book coming out soon, too.
Talk to me! What do you think?