Cold Death is the second book in the DS Hunter Kerr Investigation series by Michael Fowler. I purchased this book on Amazon as part of a three-book omnibus and read it on a Kindle.
I enjoy reading books in a series and one after the other in order. With the DS Hunter Kerr Investigation series I’ve somehow gone off piste and read the books out of synch. Whether this was on purpose, I’m not too sure.
With some series, this may be an issue; too often, second and third books in a series are filled with unnecessary padding / repetition of events from the previous books. This can be annoying if the book I’m reading cannot exist as a standalone.
Not so books in the DS Hunter Kerr Investigation series. I’ve read three in the series now and in a Book 3, Book 1 and Book 2 order. Each book walks the walk and talks the talk without excessive harking back to the previous tome. When the author does reference events from previous books, mentions are interwoven to such a degree that it is barely noticeable.
Cold Death starts with the discovery of a body wrapped in a rug at the bottom of a lake. Soon, DS Hunter Kerr is on the case with his trusty partner Grace to find out the victim’s name, the circumstances leading to their death, and determining who was responsible.
There is a side story related to DS Kerr’s family and is connected to the murder of ex-detectives. This puts more pressure on Kerr and adds more excitement to Cold Death. As before, with other books I’ve read by Michael Fowler, I slid into the story quickly and remained engaged throughout.
I found the ending to plot 2 (the Kerr family mystery) a little beyond belief at first, especially the father to son confession part. All seemed rather convenient.
The whodunnit to the body in the lake murder is cleverly crafted and there are some disturbing descriptions and details about what happened to the victim that are hard to read. All the loose ends are tied up at the end and the author opens the door to the next novel on the last page.
One reason I like this series is the author’s previous career as a police officer in the UK, as this brings realism to the story. In fact, after the story ends, there is an explanation about how the story came about and references to true life investigations, with some details finding their way into the book.
Another quality read. 5/5
Read my reviews of Michael Fowler’s Heart of the Demon and Secrets of the Dead (Books 1 and 3 respectively in the DS Hunter Kerr series) and, by the same author, See Them Die and The Wedding Killer; the first and second books respectively in the Dr Mottrell series).
