The cold, hard truth is that the novel Cold Hard Truth is a gem of a book. I really liked it. Author Brian Shea creates believable police characters and credible villains. I like the little touches too, such as the cheese on a character's hands, or the fist going into a mouth on the elevator, just as the doors open to the press. The murders are credible too. Sad, yes. All in all, a top notch novel, with a small quibble. I didn't like the ending.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was issued to me by NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

Not sure if I read any books by Brian Shea before, but this was a fun read. Michael Kelly is the hero. A tough up from the streets Boston detective. He is a good cop with a moral compass that is honed from life experiences to the right thing. This book works with two cases--an old case intertwined with a decades old case.

It was an interesting read and lead to a. new adventure in its ending.

Cold Hard Truth is a great action-packed detective novel.

I'm going to start this review off, by stating that I did not read any of the other books in this series. I don't feel that you need too.

The story starts off with Ethan Ryan. The fiancée, Cass, the daughter of the famous Alan Wexler of Wexler Pharma, goes missing during their engagement party on a yacht. No one knows what happened to him or even noticed he was gone until they got to the dock.

Detective Mike Kelly, a homicide detective who used to box as a child (This is important!), is put on the case. Mike Kelly and his new partner, Cahill, interview everyone on the boat but come up with little information. With some video footage, Kelly is lead to two killers, but he's not convinced these two are working alone. Unfortunately, further evidenced leads to an old friend, basically his brother, of Kelly's and he must prove whether he was involved or not. Kelly will now have to figure out if the case from his friend/brother, from years before, is linked to this current case.

I did enjoy the story and found Mike Kelly to be what you would expect from a dedicated detective - willing to risk his career and life for the right people to be held responsible. I understand that boxing plays a huge part in Mike's role, but some of the scenes just seemed strange - mostly when he went in to box himself.

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Brian Shea is the best at creating realistic stories. This series just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. March 1st, 2022 go out and purchase this wonderful book. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for this advanced copy.

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to pre-read this book. I found this author thru NetGalley and I have enjoyed each book. If you enjoy a good police procedural/detective book, this is the book for you (and the four books before this!).
Mike Kelly is the quintessential Boston cop, with friends from the mob, a priest, and a pseudo-father that owns a boxing gym. He is working on the case of the fiancé of a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical company owner. Ethan disappears at his engagement party on a yacht. As the case unfolds, old friends are brought into the mix. What do you do when a person who was raised as a brother, finds himself in the middle of your crime? You will have to read to find out! It is that good!! You need to read this!!!

<i> Cold Hard Truth </i> is an action-packed detective novel where family means everything. Mike Kelly is a homicide detective who grew up on the southside of Boston and used boxing to escape the realities of a dysfunctional family. <i> Cold Hard Truth </i> is the 5th book in the Boston Crime Thriller series by bestselling and award-winning author Brian Shea.

Ethan Ryan is punching well above his weight by marrying into the Wexler family. He is only a low-level employee in the company. He and the bosses’ daughter are at their engagement party on a yacht when Ethan disappears with the help of two unknown assailants. What happened to him and why? Mike Kelly is the investigator on the case. He and his new assistant Cahill interview everyone on the boat but come up with little information. Kelly’s sharp eye and some video footage leads him to the two killers, but he is not convinced these guys are working alone. Unfortunately, further evidence leads to an old friend of Kelly’s and he must prove him either guilty or innocent. Against his better judgement and the orders from his superiors Kelly searches for evidence that has a tenuous link to a previous crime because it may help him trust his friend again. He finds something unexpected which changes his direction and the game is on.

The characters in the novel are compelling because they are all about family as much as they are about crime fighting. Mike Kelly is honest and hard-working but he comes from a background where he spends a lot of time in the gym developing his boxing skills. This crowd often lives on the dark side but they are his best friends and his second family. Kelly also has a little girl from a previous marriage who he tries to shield from his way of life. This leads to a variety of unusual characters in the novel.

The story is fast paced and thought-provoking. There are a lot of factors competing for attention. Mike has a friend who has been put in prison for a long time and he’s trying now to find evidence to prove he is innocent. Even though we know who the murderers are we quickly understand that there’s someone else pulling the strings and there are multiple choices of who it could be. There is a twist at the end of the story that takes the story away from Ethan’s murder and onto an old crime which has yet to be solved. The linkage between these two crimes expands the story to one overall story of corruption.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a fast-paced murder mystery with an emotional side. I give the book at 4 and 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this novel. I give this review voluntarily.

The fifth installment in the Detective Kelly and the Boston Crime Thriller Series is fast paced, gritty and more personal than ever. People from Kelly's past affects him both personally and professionally.

Brian Shea is a master at giving true to life detective reads that are extremely well written and with interesting backstory of the characters involved. Every book in the series gets better and better and I can't wait to read what happens next. I highly recommend this book and series.

Thanks to the author, Severn River Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Can't wait to see what happens next!! Enough said.

Great addition to the Boston Crime series.

Thank you #netgalley and #severnriverpublishing for the eARC.

I hadn't heard of this series or author previously but really enjoyed the book. A detective who grew up in Boston and had a tough childhood is asked to investigate a disappearance on a luxury yacht that happens to the fiancé of a major pharmaceutical family. A lengthy investigation ensues and the determination of a detective to uncover the truth leads to the climax of the book. A really good story that flew by. Some parts were maybe a little unbelievable but the main character was well written and the links to his childhood friend Sly and the boxing gym gave the story a but more balance. I anticipate more from this series and look forward to seeing what happens. A major cliffhanger ends the story which seemed crazy anyone would contemplate but makes for a good future story.

Good book! This book had it all! It had suspense, intrigue, action, great police work, and a good who done it! It ends in not really a cliffhanger but a continuation and I can't wait for more! This storyline was awesome! I really enjoyed reading this mystery! I will definitely recommend reading this book and I'm assuming series! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!