Trevor Douglas

STORY-LINE:

Cold Comfort, the first book in the Bridgette Cash Mystery Series, features Bridgette Casseldhorf; she's a rookie detective on her first murder investigation. No one believes Bridgette when she is sure they have a serial killer at large; least of all her crusty opinionated partner. As a result, will she convince the powers in charge or will they ignore the rookie detective as a killer plies his trade? My book reviews follow.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

Cold Comfort is a fast-paced, nonstop thriller. The author grabbed me immediately and did not let go until the final page. He held me in the palm of his hand with descriptive writing, many twists and turns, multi-plotting, and the vividly choreographed scenes.

Each character is fully developed; from the self-serving Assistant Commissioner to the savvy, intelligent serial killer. Trevor Douglas' writing is fluid and flows smoothly. His portrayal of the crusty, socially clueless, seasoned detective, Lance Hoffman, is excellent. With retirement in less than three months, Hoffman has little time for social niceties. Watching Hoffman and Casseldhorf warm up to each other is a thing to behold. Including the compassionate, understanding, seasoned Chief Inspector, Felix Delray balanced the scales of tension between Hoffman and Casseldhorf. Then, the author added a self-serving obnoxious Assistant Commissioner of the Hartbourne Metropolitan Police, Leo Cunningham. What a stroke of genius; this added another layer of controversy and departmental jealousy to the storyline.

Trevor Douglas gave Bridgette a background of a family torn apart by murder and accusation. He then added in a police conspiracy, which ramped up the plot. As she slowly learns more and more including the involvement of the police force, she is also on the trail of an intelligent, savvy, and prolific serial killer. For good measure, he threw in a jurisdictional take over by the FBI. However, Bridgette and the team are one step ahead of the Feds. I had a good laugh when Chief Delray -------, no that would be a spoiler. You can only get the scoop by reading Cold Comfort.

MY OPINION:

A multi-plotted intense and spine-tingling police procedural raised the hairs on my arms and chills ran down my spine. I found myself on the edge of my seat many times. Cold Comfort is one of the best procedurals I have read in some time. With a rich storyline and a variety of well-developed characters, I became involved in the story. Author Trevor Douglas evolved his characters and storyline with skill and finesse. He included an action-packed, dramatic ending; which left me craving the next book in this series. This series is addictive, and like most addictive things you can't stop with one. Move over police procedural authors; there's a new sheriff in town.

The scenes are vivid and realistic; I could see each twist and turn, each character's conversation, and the working of Bridgette's genius, in my mind's eye. The scenes transition smoothly, and the writing is clear, easy to follow, and flows well. Exploring the mind and profiling a serial killer is fascinating, Trevor Douglas skillfully achieved both in this story. I found Bridgette's profiling of the motives and next move of the killer masterfully written. The intellect of the serial killer gave me chills.

Trevor Douglas held the suspense and mystery at high peak throughout the story. Including the conspiracy of her mother's murder, the ongoing cover-up, and her father's disappearance, added another layer to this twisting tale. What did he know that someone in the Police Department did not want to be told? Douglas held and continued to hold this mystery close to his chest. I am incredibly impatient for the unraveling of this conspiracy.

COLD COMFORT RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4

You will not be disappointed in Cold Comfort. It will grab you from the first pages with action, suspense, mystery, and finely tuned plotting. You will find it hard to put this novel down. I would not hesitate to buy this novel for myself or friend; it is suitable anyone who likes a story with twists and turns, action, and believable characters.… (més)