Customer Reviews

A Cold And Silent Dying

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I'm not a mystery reader. I'm a little too impatient to find out what happens. I'm also not very fond of cops. But I immediately embraced this story from beginning to end about a troubled man who, because of his troubled past, has grown to hate women. That bit of anger helps him kill them, especially women who don't have close family to look for them. Unfortunately, he messed up and messed with one who did have family connections, leading to the two police officers who came aboard to stop him. Factor in a troubled veteran, a dog, more homeless people, a politican, and a Robosupervisor (Robocop+Supervisor) and this story makes for great dialogue, strange behavior, and a decent plot. I enjoyed the book.

Homeless people are dying in Lincoln Prairie, Illinois and the big question is does anybody care? Since they are considered the invisible people in society, one less doesn't make a difference. Detectives Marti MacAlister and Vik Jessenovik believe that everyone, regardless of their social standing, deserves justice and are on the case. However, they are running up against a major obstacle in working the case; their overzealous boss has them on a short leash and everything they do is being scrutinized.

Lieutenant Gail Nicholson rules with an iron fist and everything is done by the book. Her rules are law and violators will be punished to the fullest extent. As an African-American woman, she is determined to move quickly and efficiently up the chain of command, so she only takes cases that she feels will make her shine. When a series of homeless murders begin to plague Lincoln Prairie, Lt. Nicholson insists that MacAlister and Jessenovik wrap things up as quickly and quietly as possible. She doesn't really feel that the homeless are worthy of the time and money an extensive investigation might cost. In addition to all of this Nicholson sees Marti as a threat because she is a well-respected, popular, black female detective, and Nicholson intends to make her life a living hell.

Besides a serial killer, Detective MacAlsiter has other problems. Her best friend's deranged ex-husband, Devonte Lutrell, has revenge on his mind. He blames Marti for ruining his life. Devonte's ultimate goal is to kill Marti, and if anyone gets in the way of that goal, they are as good as dead.

A COLD AND SILENT DYING is a story filled with suspense, hate, hubris and compassion. Marti MacAlister is completely dedicated to her job, but at the same time her family is her most important work. Her love for them often gets her through a difficult case. Author Eleanor Taylor Bland has a way of making her character's strong but vulnerable, and she often allows readers into the minds of her characters' I love her writing style; however, in this story, I was disappointed by the ending. It was anticlimactic and I felt as though I were left hanging. With that being said, I'm still a huge fan of her books and look forward to reading more of the Marti MacAlister series.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

A number of changes have flooded Lincoln Prairie's police department. Marti's boss moved up in the heirarchy only to be replaced by a woman who will stomp on those below her to get to the top. She chooses Marti to become her next victim. Things don't get any better. Sharon (Marti's best friend) receives a call from the murderous "Mr. Wonderful" whom she thought was dead. Mr. Wonderful is not only in the land of the living but wants to make sure that those who thwarted his plans should also be sentenced to death. Add in Vik's wife getting sicker, a number of homeless murders and an alderman keeping a secret, guess what you have? A large group of changes that keep you confused as to what is going on.
Our author presents us with some great themes and issues in this new book. The problem is that you're overwhelmed with all of the sidetracks in the story until you wonder what is the main point? Who is the main focus? Why are we chasing one rabbit after another when the first few chapters had us focused. In many parts of the story I felt something was missing as you transitioned from one character to the next. Bland's book was some choppy reading and wasn't that enjoyable. With that said I must commend the author on dealing with the issues of investigation when it comes to the victims being homeless.
Should the police waste their time investigating the murder of an indigent person? After all the outstanding citizens in one's community are far more important. The questions raised will make you take a closer look at how justice is served on all levels of our society. Another issue is that of a small town that has now grown to a point where murders have gotten to the point of being common. How does a community deal with those changes? Again, interesting issues are raised but get lost in the quagmire of changes.

With a change in administration Lincoln Prairie homicide detective Marti McAllister reports to Lieutenant Gail Nicholson. This situation neither woman likes because the lieutenant wants to be the only African-American in the department and Marti because she put too many years into being a police officer to deal with petty garbage. Lt. Nicholson is recording every move Marti makes waiting until she has enough evidence to fire her.

While Marti is coping with the Lieutenant, she and her partner are dealing with a case in which two homeless people were murdered in an abandoned house. A Desert Storm vet was in the house but they don't have enough evidence to arrest him. The lieutenant wants Marti and her partner to forget about trying to get more evidence on the vet because the public cares more about a man who served his country than two homeless people. The case is far from closed because more bodies turn up murdered in the same way the first two victims were. Marti doesn't know it but this perpetrator is known to her and poses a danger to her and those she cares about.

The animosity between the two cops feels realistic because Marti's boss is a woman who wants no competition and she knows that her subordinate could take the limelight away from her. The case is solved by good old fashioned detective work with many officers putting in plenty of man hours to catch the perpetrator before he strikes again. Eleanor Taylor Bland is an expert at creating true-to-life characters for readers who like strong independent women will definitely want to read A COLD AND DYING DAY.

Harriet Klausner