The Murder Book: A Cold Case Investigation

At the start of Redmond’s gripping second mystery featuring Det. Lauren Reed of the Buffalo (N.Y.) Police Cold Case Homicide unit (after 2018’s A Cold Day in Hell), Lauren is working in her office one night when someone stabs her in the back and stomps on her head. Before she loses consciousness, she gets a partial glimpse of the assailant, who’s wearing boots and police uniform pants, carrying away her Murder Book, which contains the records of all the unit’s cold cases. On Lauren’s release from the hospital, Shane Reese, her devoted police partner, vows to unofficially assist in finding the perpetrator, who appears to be a fellow cop. Their only clues: the culprit, who is definitely a man, gained entry by using a stolen swipe card and absconded with the Murder Book after unsuccessfully attempting to enter the file room. As Lauren and Shane delve deeper, the danger increases, as a long-standing conspiracy within the ranks of law enforcement starts unraveling. Fans of contemporary police procedurals will want to see more of the plucky Lauren. Agent: Bob Mecoy, Bob Mecoy Literary. (Feb.)