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.

Lissa Marie Redmond has crafted a wild ride in The Murder Book. Lauren and Reese are cold-case detectives who are thrown into sorting out Lauren's attack - potentially by another police officer. The camaraderie and dialog between these two main characters is fantastic - the reader can feel the bond between the two of them and roots for them to be successful. And, not to be forgotten, the mystery is twisty, turney, and outstanding! I hope Ms. Redmond continues with more novels in this series - as they are absolutely fantastic! A great read for a weekend adventure!!

The Murder Book, by Lissa Marie Redmond, is the second book in the Cold Case Investigation series. Although I haven’t read the previous title, I didn’t feel that I was at a particular disadvantage. While this is a mystery and a police procedural, it is also provides a lot of insight into the main characters lives.
I particularly like the relationship between the two detectives who are the primary characters. Lauren Riley and her slightly younger partner, Sean Reese, have an easy and respectful relationship. As a result, they work well together and enjoy a close working relationship, which made the book that much more enjoyable for this reader.

Overall, I found the book a little disjointed, with the author injecting background information about previous cases or Lauren’s backstory. The ending also dragged a bit but in the end there was some resolution. It is obvious this series will continue with a third book, since there are still unanswered questions and unresolved issues. This is a promising series and I would give it 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Wow...what a story. I read the second book of Lissa Marie Redmond right after the first one and I have to say this is one of the best crime novels I’ve read. Ever.

The story picks up a year after the first one ended. Lauren is back to her usual workdays when she is stabbed. She wakes up in the hospital, has no idea what’s happened to her. But one thing she does know. A cop did it. And so begins a long, crazy investigation which reveals very dark, old secrets concerning a cold case.

Lauren is still a bullheaded stubborn detective with a need for justice.

I can’t wait for the third book int series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Midnight Ink and Lissa Marie Redmond for providing me with an ARC.

This is the second book in the Cold Case Investigation series and I read them both in a weekend - and wish I had the next book in the series to jump into right now!

At the start of this book, Detective Lauren Riley is working late one night when someone comes into her office and stabs her from behind. When she wakes up in the hospital, she doesn’t know who stabbed her but she saw enough to know it was a fellow cop.

From there we are on the case with Riley and her partner Reese as they work to uncover who did it and why. It was an intense book with a lot of interesting action that made me want to keep reading.

While you could read this without having read the first in the series, I strongly recommend reading that first as I believe you will get a lot more from this book with the knowledge of what came before.

Lisa Marie Redmond, the author, is a retired cold case homicide detective herself. I can’t wait to see what she writes next and where the story continues from here!

Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Great characters... especially Lauren Riley, the cold case detective. For anyone who loves police procedural novels this is a great read. Good plot, fast paced with unexpected twists.

After being stabbed and left for dead late one night Lauren Riley tries to figure out what happened and why. With the help of her partner and a retired police officer can they figure out what happened and what is so important in there cold case murder book before anyone else gets hurt. I enjoyed this book it was a page turner.

A good police procedural surrounding a cold case and a an officer caught in the crossfire. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters the most and felt the plot was good but not unique and a little slower paced than my usual reads. That said I look forward to the next book.

Another 4.5, nearly 5 star read...
I really enjoyed the first in this series - A Cold Day in Hell - when I read it last year. Well, up to the end which I did admit to struggling a bit with at the time. Now, after reading this follow up, I see why it had to end the way it did! I would also encourage you to also read the first book before this one as lot of what happens in this book follows on and, although there is the obligatory catch up, I personally think you'll enjoy this book better if you have the full background. Also, a gentle warning that, once again, there are some unresolved things at the end of this book. Series arcs if you like; forewarned and all that!
So, cold case detective Lauren Riley is attacked in her office late at night and left for dead. It's only due to her partner Shane coming back for something forgotten that she survives. She has scant memories of what happened but does remember a few key things that worry her more. As does what is missing from her desk; her murder book. Then by accident they get a lead to new information on a cold case. Without the murder book to refer to, Lauren and Shane ask a retired detective for help. Hopefully this will help them get to the bottom of the cold case and find out who hurt Lauren.
And then another old face from Lauren's past pops up again...
Wow, this book hit the ground running and didn't let up until the very end. Part of why I love series books is for character backstory development and, well, let's just say that Lauren's is pretty darned interesting! The plotting is tight and, at times, a bit convoluted, definitely shocking, but it all comes together nicely at the conclusion of this book with just a little bit left over for next time!
Another thing I love about this genre book, when well done, is the interaction between the detective partners. Here, Lauren and Shane have the best relationship and banter. Sparking off each other but also being very protective too.
Pacing is fast, characters are well crafted, the story flows well, and the whole thing left me both satisfied and hankering for more of the same. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

"The Murder Book" is the second book in Lissa Marie Redmond's series "Cold Case Investigation". This book follows the main character Lauren Riley, who is stabbed late at night at the police station. She and her partner Reece try to piece together what happened while also solving a cold case connected to it.

I enjoyed this book but I have to say I liked the first one better. The story was interesting but it was not as thrilling as the first one. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the characters. I am interested in reading more about them and getting to know everyone better. It did feel like this story was a bit of a filler and am excited to see how everything ends with David's storyline.

I think that the author has done an excellent job of making the police station come to life. It seemed very realistic and not over the top dramatic as in some mystery books. For that reason only I would recommend this detective series to other mystery fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At about 25% into reading "The Murder Book," I thought to myself, "Wow... this MC has a ridiculously convoluted backstory that just isn't piecing together easily in my head.... almost like... it was part of a series."

WELL. I should have read the description a little better before starting the book- I was just so excited to finally read it that I skipped that major point. This is book 2! :)

That being said, once I got over the disappointment of skipping book one, this book is not a difficult read and can be read on its own and still make sense. I doubt I would go back and read the first one, but it is a series I will keep on my radar for future books. I enjoyed the mystery and felt that the book's pacing made it an interesting, fun read. I really like the timeline of the story- many mysteries I read tend to have a bit of an abrupt ending, but this story is well-rounded and we get just enough plot to move it forward and make it enjoyable past its 'who-dun-nit.' I found the main character to be a bit unlikable, although that may be because I didn't get her backstory from the first book.

The author, Lissa Marie Redmond, does an excellent job using her knowledge as a a retired homicide detective to make "The Murder Room" really come to life. Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall an interesting mystery and i really enjoyed reading it.

I was entertained by the relationship between Lauren and her partner -- i thought they had good chemistry.

I enjoyed the "whodunit" in the story and felt it was plausible.

I was not aware it was the 2nd book in the story but I don't feel that i lost anything in translation even though i had not read the first book.

I recd an ARC from NetGalley. all comments are my own :-)

This was an ok read. A police cold case detective (Riley) is stabbed at her desk by another police officer, identity unknown, and the story follows Riley and her partner, Reese as they attempt to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed the sparring between the two detectives and the mystery is reasonably told, it’s just not a writing style that worked for me and I found the storyline bland and slow.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

A mystery story with some courtroom scenes. It's an intriguing story with great characters. I liked it even though I didn't know it's the second in a series.

An exciting police procedural without the foul language found in many. I look forward to reading the next one. Intriguing cliff hanger or continuing character story that needs to be resolved. I am sure it will interesting when it all plays out. Entertaining interplay between the cold case partners.

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

February 2019
Suspense, fiction

I received this digital arc from NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was excited to read this new installation of the series since I was able to preview the first book!

This is not a “stand alone” novel so I suggest reading the first book to appreciate the story as there is a third book being prepped for publication.

Lauren Riley is a cold case detective working with her partner Shane Reese. Divorced with two adult daughters, she takes on cases as a private investigator on the side. She has a complicated relationship with her ex-husband Mark who is an accomplished attorney.

In the first book, she agrees to take on a PI case for attorney Frank Violanti, with whom she has been adversaries on many cases. She is annoyed to discover that Joe Wheeler, a former fiancé, is involved with this high profile case. Lauren ends up seeking assistance from unlikely sources to assist her investigation. Ultimately, she is left frustrated and dissatisfied with the results of acquittal in the Katherine Vine murder trial.

Next, a year later, Lauren is stabbed in the back while working late at the Precinct. Her partner Shane Reese had just left the office and returned to retrieve his baseball hat when he finds her bloody body on the floor. It seems pretty obvious that the crime was an “inside job” since the cold case files were kept in a secure location.

Why would anyone want to steal the Cold Case Murder Book? It seems there is a “mole” leaking information regarding investigations. Being a victim doesn’t stop Lauren from investigating her own case. She won’t stop until the person is apprehended unfortunately cases aren’t as cut and dry as Lauren would like. This book ends with another question mark regarding the involvement of a former client who was acquitted in his murder trial. Why does he continue to taunt Lauren? What is his end game?

While working at her desk, late at night, Lauren Riley is viciously attacked from behind…stabbed, with a head injury and left for dead. Lauren is a cold case detective with the Buffalo Police Department and was attacked at the department. An outstanding beginning to an amazing police mystery as Lauren knows one thing for sure, her attacker was a cop. She also knows that her attacker stole the murder book that she uses to research cold cases, but has no idea why. Lauren is a forty-ish old school detective, a single mother with two college age daughters. She will use her need to solve her case and her sense of humor to get her through her recovery and back to work. She and her partner, Shane Reese, will work tirelessly to investigate who would have wanted the murder book and what they have to hide. I read the first book in the series “A Cold Day in Hell” before I knew it was a series and was hooked on Ms. Redmond’s writing. She is a retired homicide detective and her writing brings grit and realism to police work. There will be a third book in the series and I will be looking forward to it as well as anything else Ms. Redmond writes. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Overall I enjoyed the story although a standalone it would have been good idea to read the first book as there were some key mentions in this book. It was an interesting story and the who done it was quite unexpected. Good tension and suspense kept throughout the book,

Thank you to Midnight Ink and Netgalley for the ARC of this title. I loved it! I had not read the first book in this series, but will look for it now. This was a great police procedural with an imperfect but likable cold case detective heroine. The mystery kept me turning pages. And of course, since I am originally a Buffalonian, I was in love with the setting. The author did a fantastic job with the setting, even if I am a bit biased. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.

It's so refreshing to read a book set in a city I know--and clearly, the author knows the city as well. I grew up outside of Buffalo, and I could envision the action in this book perfectly. Not an easy thing to do, and not something most authors do. A good thriller if not great, with interesting characters and devious antagonists. Definitely an author I would consider picking up again.