STONE COLD HEART- Caz Frear
STONE COLD HEART: a cleverly written and structural police detective novel with high-end characterisation.
This was the first book of Frear’s I have read and I was instantly enticed and excited to see how the story would unfold- it worked beautifully as a stand-alone novel due to the fact that whilst there are secondary stories, it is largely based around piecing together the circumstances of a murder (I would definitely go back to read Frear’s debut novel and subsequent follow ups).
I was blown away by Frear’s writing style- she nailed characterisation and dialogue which was pitched perfectly to help develop the story in an organic way with teasing, subtle hints to keep the pace of the story; a clever writing approach which I felt made the book more enjoyable and authentic. The book is a slow burner which enables the story to twist and turn through the web of potential suspects, witnesses and family members of those being investigated in a way that is both beneficial to developing the story and the tension. What makes it so good is that it doesn’t rely on usual literary crime tactics to keep pace- the story holds its own. It’s ultimately a murder mystery that keeps you hooked throughout.
The book is written in first person from the perspective of the main protagonist DC Cat Kinsella, a feisty but loveable character who brings so much more to the storyline with mentions of her own dysfunctional family, complex romantic situation and her sheer grit and determination for justice: you can’t help but love her. Likewise her immediate superior, Parnell, adds more depth to the story as a loyal and steady character in Cat’s life and this enables the reader to see Cat from a different vantage point. With its clever unravelling and strong repertoire of characters that were considered to the smallest of details, I could definitely see the books on-screen potential with DC Kinsella heading up a police detective series.
Overall I found Frear’s writing gripping and her subtlety with clues was first class. I loved that although it’s a series everything ended up fully explained regarding the case that was being investigated and the only loose ends were around characters that remain a constant throughout the series.
I was kindly gifted this book by Zaffre Books in exchange for an honest review.
This was the first book of Frear’s I have read and I was instantly enticed and excited to see how the story would unfold- it worked beautifully as a stand-alone novel due to the fact that whilst there are secondary stories, it is largely based around piecing together the circumstances of a murder (I would definitely go back to read Frear’s debut novel and subsequent follow ups).
I was blown away by Frear’s writing style- she nailed characterisation and dialogue which was pitched perfectly to help develop the story in an organic way with teasing, subtle hints to keep the pace of the story; a clever writing approach which I felt made the book more enjoyable and authentic. The book is a slow burner which enables the story to twist and turn through the web of potential suspects, witnesses and family members of those being investigated in a way that is both beneficial to developing the story and the tension. What makes it so good is that it doesn’t rely on usual literary crime tactics to keep pace- the story holds its own. It’s ultimately a murder mystery that keeps you hooked throughout.
The book is written in first person from the perspective of the main protagonist DC Cat Kinsella, a feisty but loveable character who brings so much more to the storyline with mentions of her own dysfunctional family, complex romantic situation and her sheer grit and determination for justice: you can’t help but love her. Likewise her immediate superior, Parnell, adds more depth to the story as a loyal and steady character in Cat’s life and this enables the reader to see Cat from a different vantage point. With its clever unravelling and strong repertoire of characters that were considered to the smallest of details, I could definitely see the books on-screen potential with DC Kinsella heading up a police detective series.
Overall I found Frear’s writing gripping and her subtlety with clues was first class. I loved that although it’s a series everything ended up fully explained regarding the case that was being investigated and the only loose ends were around characters that remain a constant throughout the series.
I was kindly gifted this book by Zaffre Books in exchange for an honest review.
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