This was supposed to be my read for the week, but I couldn’t stop once I started. The main character, Detective Larkin, has just the perfect amount of quirk to keep him interesting and me engaged. And Doyle is such a perfect balance. The appeal of cold cases, which are stories that as of yet do not have an ending, combined with the vibrant pace of New York City, added an extra layer of excitement.

After a skeleton is unearthed in Madison Square Park, Larkin requests assistance from the Forensic Artists Unit and his polar opposite, Detective Ira Doyle, enters his world. Factual reasoning and facial reconstruction put Larkin and Doyle on the trail of old homicide cases and a murderer obsessed with making a mask in his victims’ likeness in death. The dynamic between Larkin and Doyle is electric, and the meticulously woven plot kept me hooked until the very end. This gripping thriller combines fascinating forensic details with the unyielding pulse of New York City versus relationships, making it a must-read for mystery lovers. And I already have the next book in the series waiting for me!

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SUMMARY

Everett Larkin works for the Cold Case Squad: an elite—if understaffed and overworked—group of detectives who solve the forgotten deaths of New York City. Larkin is different from others, but his deduction skills are unmatched and his memory for minute details is unparalleled.

So when a spring thunderstorm uproots a tree in Madison Square Park, unearthing a crate with human remains inside, the best Cold Case detective is assigned the job. And when a death mask, like those prominent during the Victorian era, is found with the body, Larkin requests assistance from the Forensic Artists Unit and receives it in the form of Detective Ira Doyle, his polar opposite in every way.

Factual reasoning and facial reconstruction puts Larkin and Doyle on a trail of old homicide cases and a murderer obsessed with casting his victims’ likeness in death. Include some unapologetic flirting from Doyle, and this case just may end up killing Everett Larkin.