Title:	The Murder Book
	Author:	Lissa Marie Redmond
	Published:	February 8, 2019, Midnight Ink
	No. of Pages:	312
	Cover Price:	$15.99 Paperback, $9.59 Kindle

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The Murder Book is the second installment in the Cold Case Investigation series by Lissa Marie Redmond. Lauren Riley, the protagonist, is a cold case detective, and although good at her job, makes mistakes. One of her most serious mistakes in this novel is that she discovers some dirt that happened in her own Buffalo police department, and when she pursues it (after repeatedly being warned off), ends up stabbed and hanging on to life. Lauren is stubborn and is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, as well as to find who tried to murder her. She is fairly certain her would-be murderer is a fellow cop, and treads on dangerous ground, almost getting herself, her partner, and others who are assisting her killed. In the first novel, as a PI, Lauren had worked with a difficult attorney to get his god son, David Spencer, off on a murder charge. She is successful, only to find that he may have been guilty after all. Lauren was previous engaged to Joe Wheeler, another police officer in the department, and a man who was abusive. He is murdered, and the other officers blame her. She is not popular.

Redmond has emerged as a serious thriller writer; the first book in the series is fascinating and suspenseful, with a shocking ending, and this second book in the series will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The novel is well-written, and the suspense begins immediately; suspense builds throughout and makes the novel very difficult to put down. The characters are well-developed and seem human due to the fact that they make mistakes and have flaws. Lauren isn’t particularly liked in the Buffalo Police Department, and as she makes progress in her own small cold case department, the resentment from the other cops is evident. The fact that she is persistent shouldn’t make trouble, but when it threatens the jobs of the others and threatens to expose some heinous crimes within the department, Lauren becomes a pariah.

The Murder Book is highly recommended for all thriller aficionados, and it is also suggested that readers start with the first book in the series, A Cold Day in Hell to get the background on Lauren et al.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.