A COLD HEART by Doug Sinclair

3.5* Misleading blurb, brutal scenes that I didn't expect or stomach too well, but a not-bad tale. 

I've only read the predecessor to this book, not the first 2 in the series, but wasn't lost in either. This one follows immediately from book 3, with some personal stuff for Malkie  some possible closure, a possible future with someone he loves, and a case that works, though Elizabeth really didn't have a very good head on her shoulders, nor care much about her daughter, it felt. I mean, doing what she did, handing the offending item to her daughter to be seen with it, risking the adverse publicity that would come with her being found out, risking her daughter now being bullied for 2 things instead of 1 - I mean, really, lady? 

The brutality in this book was shocking, especially as it's explicit and against females. There really needed to be a warning about it. But, the events leading to the involvement of the bad guys was mostly plausible (other than who employs someone with a police record as a security guard?) snd the tale worked with some decent policing. But it ended without the issue of Elizabeth's daughter and the consequences of her mother's actions being answered, and because of possible involuntary manslaughter charges realistically being brought, unsatisfyingly.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure. 

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