After A Brief Stint In The Mayor S Office, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella Is Back At The London Metropolitan Police, Wisecracking With Her Partner Luigi Parnell And Trying To Avoid The Wrath Of The Boss, DI Kate SteeleBut For Cat And Parnell, It S Serious Business When A Young Australian Woman Turns Up Dead After A Party Thrown By Her New Boss The Initial Investigation Of Naomi Lockhart S Murder Points To Joseph Madden, The Owner Of A Coffee Shop Around The Corner From Police Headquarters Madden Insists He S Innocent, That He Was Home With His Wife Rachel At The Time Of The Murder When Police Question Her, Rachel Contradicts His Alibi, Swearing That She Was Home AloneWhile The Team Builds Its Case Against Joseph, Cat Is Tasked With Getting To The Heart Of The Maddens Marriage Cat Knows That One Of Them Is Lying But The Question Of Which One, And Why, Is Far Complicated Than She Could Have Expected As She Tries To Balance The Demands Of The Investigation With A Budding Romance And Unresolved Family Drama, Cat Has To Decide How Far She Ll Go To Keep Her Own Past Mistakes BuriedWith Her Trademark Wit And Brilliant Plotting, Caz Frear Ratchets Up The Tension And Keeps You Guessing As She Explores The Secrets We Keep From Our Loved Ones And The Ones We D Kill To Keep Safe In The Dark
Caz Frear grew up in Coventry, England, and spent her teenage years dreaming of moving to London and writing a novel After fulfilling her first dream, it wasn t until she moved back to Coventry thirteen years later that the second finally came true She has a degree in History Politics, and when she s not agonizing over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at Arsenal
- ebook
- 336 pages
- Stone Cold Heart (Cat Kinsella, #2)
- Caz Frear
- English
- 16 May 2017 Caz Frear
- 9780062849922
This one, Boys and Girls, has teeth.Sharp, jagged, incisors that sink to the bone and leave quite the gaping wound in its aftermath.Caz Frear brings her quick witted character of DC Cat Kinsella to the forefront once again in this second offering in the Cat Kinsella Series Admittedly, I have not read the first one, Sweet Little Lies Within seconds of finishing Stone Cold Heart, I ordered it with the knee jerk response of a kid with a bag of Halloween candy Gotta have.Cat and her partner, DS Luigi Parnell, are assigned to the London Metropolitan Police They ve been called to the scene of a murder in the old Coronation Gardens section of London..cheap apartments with cheap rents Kiernan Drake walked in and found his housemate, Naomi Lockhart, bleeding from a headwound on the floor of her bedroom The young twenty two year Aussie with lilac hair won t be taking to the streets of London any time soon.As Cat and Parnell begin their investigation, we re gonna have a string of could be s and maybe not s to sort through Caz Frear winds this one up and chases suspects around many corners While being new in town, Naomi has gravitated toward a bevy of new friends Not solid friends, but those who drift in and out of one s life Could she have crossed someone at work Or could she have been involved with the local Casanova, Joseph, who manages the local coffeehouse, The Grindhouse A lot of footwork in this one.Frear also adds a twisty thread involving Caz new love interest, Aiden, from the west coast of Ireland Be assured Caz Frear does not inundate her mystery thriller with a sappy off key love story here I can t tolerate those They both have backstories that haven t fully come to the surface yet And Caz has issues with her father who seems to be involved in some shady dealings himself.Stone Cold Heart reads as a standalone I loved the snarky dialogue between Cat and Luigi along with the deeply interesting layers of this storyline Caz Frear writes with intelligence She knows her craft and keeps it humming along at a quick pace No dead zones here Can t wait to snuggle up with Numero Uno, Sweet Little Lies.I received a copy of Stone Cold Heart through NetGalley for an honest review My thanks to Harper Collins Publishing and to Caz Frear for the opportunity.
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.comStone Cold Heart is a superbly written crime thriller featuring Cat Kinsella, a young strong police officer, as the lead character who is always determined to find the truth, no matter the cost.The plot captivated me from the first page and took me into this thrilling tale full of family secrets and lies.I just adored Cat Kinsella s character, she s not perfect but goes all out to solve the death murder of Naomi Lockheart, a PA who was found dead after attending a party I also had a soft spot for Cat s working partner Luigi Parnell who is a seasoned police officer He too wanted justice but he also added humour to this story These two characters are so well described that they came to life in my mind and made me feel as if I knew them already I also loved the connection between them as it had been written so well.The book was utterly compelling, so much so it kept me reading late into the night unable to put it down I enjoyed the chapter where all was finally revealed but the final chapter, that was just amazing even if it did finish on a cliff hanger I now can t wait to read books featuring Cat Kinsella and also from author Caz Frear too.A huge well done to the author for such a fabulous read, I will be recommending this book to all my family and friends.
3.5 rounded up to 4DC Cat Kinsella 2We first met Joseph Madden owns a coffee shop in the first book in this series He believed his wife is threatening him and asks Cat Kinsella for help Now, fast forward a bit and Joseph appears in Cat s life again This time he s the suspect in the death of a young girl The evidence all points to him, but he claims that he is innocent But his wife does not corroborate his alibi There is something not quite right, but Cat can t put her finger on it.This story is told from Cat s point of view I have not read the first book in this series but I think it can be read as a standalone This has an extremely well written and thought out plot, and I liked the authors style in writing The characters are true to life It s a bit of a slow burner but with all the twists,the pace is set right Cat s family are a bit dysfunctional I will have to read the first book in the series now A great read.I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author Caz Frear for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After I read Caz Frear s Sweet Little Lies I immediately wanted from main protagonist Cat Kinsella so when Stone Cold Heart turned up I pretty much dropped everything and read it Like the last novel this was so utterly gripping I think the zombie apocalypse could have started and I wouldn t even notice..Stone Cold Heart is Stone Cold Brilliant, encompassing not only an intensely intriguing background family drama but also a twisty mystery that has both psychological thriller elements and a strong anchor of police procedural Mixing all this up into an intelligent plot with unpredictable outcomes makes this a perfect storm of a read, throw in a perfect last line and you have an absolute winner.Caz Frear is a hugely talented writer and you know that s still important to note in these days of mixed quality choices in reading if like me you want depth of perception, words that come together in ways that tip your emotional balance and a damned good story to boot then look no further.Cat Kinsella is engaging and importantly realistic, flawed yes but not defined by it, the supporting cast all well drawn and important to the whole In this particular instalment the mystery element is beautifully done I devoured every word.If I could have the next one now please Highly Recommended.
A fractured marriage A silent family A secret that connects them allHaving read and loved Caz Frear s first novel Sweet Little Lies I was very much looking forward to meeting DC Cat Kinsella again in Stone Cold Heart When DC Cat Kinsella is approached by Joseph Madden for help with his wife Rachel, there s not much she can do He claims that Rachel has been threatening him, but can t or won t give Cat details as to why Dismissing it as a marriage on the rocks, Cat forgets about it That is until Naomi Lockhart is found dead after a party attended by both Joseph and Rachel and Joseph is arrested for the murder Joseph says his wife is setting him up His wife says he didn t do it Adulterer Murderer Victim Who would you believe I just love Cat, she s such a likeable main protagonist Although not flawed, she isn t perfect either and her whole tough demeanour is a refreshing change to the troubled and poor me female characters you so frequently meet in other police procedurals In fact all the characters are convincingly portrayed and the storyline is knockout brilliant The relationship between Cat and her Sergeant, Luigi Parnell was truly wonderful to read but even better was the relationship between DCI Kate Steele and her team, realistic humour, excellent leadership and a perfectly believable working scenario I enjoyed this fantastically plotted story from the very first page, with relevant twists and turns and with frequent forays into Cat s personal life, this made for very impressive reading and one that I found very hard to put down All through the story I felt I was a part of the hard working team solving the murder, so good was the author in engaging the reader every step of the procedural way This is the second in the DCI Cat Kinsella series and by no means do you need to read the first one, as this works just as well as a standalone Although for personal enjoyment and to fully engage with the superb characters, you may want to read Sweet Little Lies first The last sentence leaves a fantastic opening for book three which I m now eagerly anticipating for the future, and I wouldn t hesitate to recommend this seriously addictive series, the author Caz Frear, or DCI Cat Kinsella herself If you re a crime fan you shouldn t be disappointed An amazing five stars for a read that kept me thoroughly entertained
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for an advance copy of Stone Cold Heart, the second novel to feature DC Cat Kinsella of the Met.When Joseph Madden approaches Cat in his coffee shop she thinks he s being creepy but it turns out that he wants advice she s unqualified to give, he thinks his wife Rachel is threatening him Months later the team are investigating the murder of Naomi Lockhart, a young Australian working in London and discover that Joseph Madden may have had something to do with it.On the whole I thoroughly enjoyed Stone Cold Heart It is told in the first person by Cat Kinsella and she has a wonderful voice There is nothing unfiltered about it so the reader gets her thoughts, editorials on events and decision making in an authentic tone which is warm and inviting For that alone I would have given the novel five glorious stars but there is a downside Something Cat did in the previous novel, which I have read but after so much time and so many books I can t remember what, drives much of her current personal behaviour As it is never spelled out it gets a bit annoying so I would recommend reading the books in chronological order and close together.The plot is very clever Mostly it is a case of he said she said with some excellent characterisation thrown in to muddy the waters Cat spends most of her time trying to unravel fact from fiction and deciding who to believe As a result it is not a fast moving read but it is quietly compulsive as the lies are uncovered and the solid ground slowly becomes a quagmire.None of the family the novel revolves around is particularly likeable but nobody really is under the microscope of a murder enquiry They are all well drawn and I really liked the gradual unveiling of their true character Nothing should be taken at face value.Stone Cold Heart is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Caz Frear has done it again with this cracker of a book DI Cat Kinsella was back with her partner DS Luigi Parnell in this intelligent police procedural.A murder of a young woman with her head bashed in caused the cops to rush to the investigation And the Maddens and their extended family were all suspects The investigation had just started when Cat remembered that one of the Maddens had complained about his wife And now the same wife did not support his alibi for the murder, and Cat was stumped What was she missing Whom should she believe Who had killed the girl The book was a bit slow at the beginning but soon picked up A clever plot where Cat had to find out who was lying gave it a psychological twist The turns in the story along with unlikable characters made it easy for me to suspect all of them Cat and partner Parnell had a great work chemistry, their banter made me smile Romantic interest with Aiden gave the book a softer edge.Though it could be read as a standalone, the team would be interesting if the first book was read A good murder mystery with a clever plot line solved by hardworking cops made this an exciting read.
4.5 5 stars Another great read from Frear Again we are following DC Cat Kinsella as she navigates the murder of a young woman and her own personal drama and family secrets Although this one could be read without reading Sweet Little Lies Frear s debut , I highly suggest you start with SLL You get to know Cat and her questionable family Cat is a good detective and a strong woman but she must toe the line between how to be a good sister daughter and how to be a good cop I highly recommend this series if you are a fan of detective mysteries with great characters Thanks to Harper Collins for the ARC
Caz Frear s debut novel, Sweet Little Lies, was a winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a best seller competition and promptly went on to fulfil that particular prophecy Given this level of success, it would be easy to imagine that the difficulties traditionally associated with second book syndrome would be a little acute for her but there are no signs of faltering in Stone Cold Heart If anything, I preferred this to her impressive debut and am now well and truly settled in for a gripping and entertaining series.What impressed me most here was the quality of the writing, particularly the dialogue which is pitch perfect throughout and absolutely crackles in places The central character, DC Cat Kinsella, is a feisty pitbull cum kitten, a survivor of a dysfunctional family upbringing, an impulsive child seemingly incapable of staying within the constraints of her professional responsibilities but driven on by a seething sense of injustice and a desperate need for approval The relationship between her and her immediate superior Parnell, who provides the steadiness and loyalty she so desperately wants from her father, is beautifully observed and the first person narrative allows us to explore all of Cat s complexities from a privileged close up vantage point It might not have worked in less skilled hands but the author has a terrific ear for dialogue which is delivered with sharp humour and unerring accuracy.The plotting is elaborate but controlled and anyone claiming as so many readers like to do that they d worked it all out long before the halfway stage is surely being than a little disingenuous It s one thing to decide who killed Naomi yes I managed that It s quite another to untangle the threads which eventually explain why Caz Frear releases everything we need to know at exactly the right time and it s all there if we know where to look for it no remarkable coincidences, no implausible coup de theatre, just plain, old fashioned attention to detail.I have a list of authors whose next book I will buy at the earliest opportunity and Caz Frear has just joined it.
I really enjoyed the debut from Caz Frear and so was delighted to be able to read her second DC Cat Kinsella book Although possible to read as a standalone, I do think you probably need to read Sweet Little Lies first as there is quite a chunk of backstory that s quite relevant to understanding Cat and her relationships especially that between her and her father and will add to your understanding and enjoyment of Stone Cold Heart.DC Cat Kinsella is a brilliantly complex and intriguing character that you can t help but root for even though she s her own worst enemy at times Her reactions to incidents in her relationship and her career are pretty much determined by things that have happened in the previous book but her emotions are full on, honest and compelling making her a character that you really can relate to When she s approached by Joseph Madden in a coffee shop she initially just puts his suspicions about his wife down to some sort of weird flirting but when the body of a young Australian woman is found in her flat, the trail leads back to Joseph and his very strange and rather unlikeable family.I thoroughly enjoyed Stone Cold Heart Caz Frear writes with a fabulously dark humour and an undercurrent of frisson that made me shudder at times The storyline was slow to unfold which helped to keep the tension tight and I enjoyed seeing it come together with twists and turns that I hadn t been expecting But it is definitely Cat who is the star of the show here Her thoughts on everything were always kept wide open for the reader to see and it gave her a vulnerability because nothing is hidden what you see is what you get I really like her and hope to meet her again in future cases especially as the last page made me want to read about her life IMMEDIATELY Stone Cold Heart is a crime drama that would translate perfectly to television and so I have my fingers crossed that someone will spot the potential here and bring DC Cat Kinsella to a wider audience.