THE MURDER BOOK

A Buffalo cop’s crucial mistake in an old case comes back to
almost literally haunt her.

Lauren Riley and her partner, Shane Reese, are the stars of the
Cold Case Homicide Unit. Staying late to finish up some work, Lauren’s attacked
by a man wearing police-issue boots who steals her murder book. Only the timely
return of Reese, who’s come back for his hat, saves her life. Her two
college-age daughters, Lindsey and Erin, and her snowbird parents keep vigil at
her hospital bedside, and Reese and his dog, Watson, move into the big house
Lauren got in a divorce settlement from her wealthy second husband to protect
her while she recovers. Lauren’s love life is complicated. Her first husband
left when the girls were young. Then she was in an abusive relationship with
fellow cop Joe Wheeler. But the man she worries about most is David Spencer, a
young man she helped beat a homicide charge (Cold Day in Hell, 2018) before she realized he
was guilty. Since Lauren and her friends know her attacker was a cop, they also
know they can’t trust anyone, certainly not whomever’s leaking information to
the press. The DA tells Lauren and Reese that several calls on an unused tip
line that’s still recorded indicate knowledge of an old homicide case that may
explain why someone is so desperate to get Lauren’s murder book. Lauren calls
on the services of her retired boss, the legendary Charlie Daley, an expert on
drugs and vice, who recognizes the voice as that of a former informant. When
Joe Wheeler is murdered by an unknown assailant, some people think Reese killed
him for mistreating Lauren even though he has a solid alibi. Lauren must walk a
dangerous line in order to find the cop willing to kill to hide a secret even
as she’s stalked by Spencer.

Redmond, a retired Buffalo homicide detective, fleshes out an
intriguing tale with solid procedural detail.