Cold Killing: A Novel

Cold Killing (DI Sean Corrigan #1) by Luke Delaney4.5 stars!!!“Whether it’s in their nature to do it or not, someone has to stop them, and right now that someone is you.”For those that follow me on social media you will be aware that I have been raving about this new serial killer series that I have been reading at the rate of knots. I am absolutely addicted to this series, and although most of the books are near or over the 500-page mark, I have devoured nearly four of the books in as many days. As I said, addicted!!It is refreshing that Luke Delaney is an ex-detective with the Metropolitan Police. The attention to detail and the insider knowledge certainly reflects extremely well through procedures and the inside mind and workings of an active officer. I love Criminal Minds, CSI etc so am an avid fan of anything psychological and forensic and this series certainly melds both together perfectly. I loved how this author shows the police as real people, the effects their jobs have on their family and the pressures of what is expected and the little time that leaves for them to have a social life and more importantly family life. However, this is just a very small part of this book. This was a fantastic psychological thriller, one that leaves you guessing at every turn as you become so embroiled in the investigation you almost become a copper yourself.DI Sean Corrigan is a complex character and one that I came to respect. He is unconventional in how he tackles an investigation from the very beginning and I am hoping to learn a lot more about his past as this series progresses. Sean Corrigan has a knack of being able to put himself in the minds of the killers, he can think like them and can often predict their next move. This is not a gift he enjoys possessing, however, he loves the fact that it enables him to get results, despite the pain and mental suffering it can often inflict on him. Sean Corrigan immerses himself 100%, becomes tunnel visioned in his quest to succeed, he can be unfiltered, emotionally detached but this only enamours him all the more.In Cold Killing, Sean Corrigan is up against the perfect criminal, but even the best makes mistakes. No forensics, no single modus operandi, no correlation between victims, he is dangerous because he is unpredictable, or is he? Sean Corrigan is up against the seemingly impossible and as this book progresses the pressure only intensifies. For me, this book was unputdownable, I was engrossed from first to last page, was side swiped with the big reveal and was left desperately wanting more. So, onto The Keeper. For those that love serial killer books, psychological thrillers and/or police procedurals this book is up there for me. I can’t wait to read what comes next.

Cold Killing is an impressive entry into the Crime/Thriller/Mystery genre. Author Luke Delaney has written a vulnerable hero in DI Sean Corrigan...a man who has suffered a past that enables him to bring a unique almost psychic insight into the crimes he investigates Delaney also creates some chilling characters who bring shocking plot twists to the story line. I highly recommend this book and The Keeper, the second book in the DI Sean Corrigan series.

I came upon the novel, 'Cold Killing' by chance, and it could be one of the best crime thriller/procedural ski have read this summer.The first chapter gives us a hint how excellent a book this is. This is the author, Luke Delaney’s first novel and, from what I have read his second novel is just as good. Luke Delaney worked in years in the Met murder squad in London, and he knows f what he speaks. His writing is authentic, the reactions of his characters are so well written that we become so engrossed in the characters themselves, we feel the emotions, the sweat, and the worrisome u certain future of all. DI Sean Corrigan had a very unsavory upbringing. A child of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, he feels akin to some of the criminals. He thinks like a murderer, and, at times leaves his colleagues wondering what he is all about.Someone has killed a man with grisly effects. No clues, no part of the murderer have been left behind. If not for the extensive CCTV and high technology, no clues would be apparent. The story of the killings is told from two viewpoints, that of DI Corrigan and that of the killer. The killer's voice is so cold and calculating, we follow him, we are afraid of him, and we are rooting for DI Corrigan. Them killer is always two steps ahead of the police. He feels himself so superior to everyone around him, even his family. He leads the police astray and laughs all the while.This novel is so well written, I was immediately taken in with the story and the characters. Luke Delaney has a talent for writing one of the best novels I have read.Recommended. prisrob 09-06-13

When all the evidence points in one direction and the Detective in charge of the investigation can feel the evil emanating from his main suspect, it should be a simple matter to join the dots and make all the right connections to be able to take the said suspect off the streets. This killer seems to be going out of his way to make himself known to the Police but never leaving any trace of himself as evidence. The investigation here is very thorough but perhaps limited in its scope. The team is working well together, all following up different angles, but one of them is looking to be the one who gets any relevant information first and uses his connections to do so, another is following up on leads which have generated further leads but without necessarily feeding back the resulting information in a timely manner. Despite all of that, I liked the sense of purpose of the team working together and the DI using his connections to get in on the ground floor of the investigations into murders which occur in locations which come under a different division. There is some good lateral thinking and by being methodical they make connections where none might otherwise have been made. This helps them to establish a pattern, or lack thereof, which nonetheless helps them to make the necessary links. Added to all of this is an uncanny ability on the part of DI Sean Corrigan to get inside the mind of the killer and to think like him which is both a blessing and a curse, as, he is not only able to pick up on clues but also leads him to fixate on one person.This is a well put together story which has an almost mesmeric quality as it keeps the reader gripped with a slight sense of unease, and a desire to go on reading in order to get through the next disturbing passage and hope to gain more insight. Although the investigation is primarily led by DI Corrigan, the team which he works with is well described. There is a twist at the end of the novel which neatly sets up the potential for a further book in a series. I found it hard to put down and would have happily continued reading for many more hours.

Headline says it all really. It was gripping in some places, and very fast-paced throughout, which pulls you into the story and keeps you turning pages. Which, if that's what you're after, then it's a great book for that purpose. However, don't expect to find anything new in here. The characters are some of the flattest, most two-dimensional individuals you'll ever come across in fiction. Clichés abound in this book, and there is very little originality in both the story or the characters. It's all been done before a million times over. And the 'twist' is obvious a mile off.But for many, that's okay - it was an entertaining read that kept me occupied during a holiday, and for that purpose it suits just fine. Just don't go expecting any groundbreaking novelty - it's not a terrible book, but it's not great either - it's just okay.

I enjoyed this introduction to DI Sean Corrigan and his murder squad detectives. A cop who flies close to the wind and obviously has his own demons within. The main protagonist is a similar character and there is some entertaining jousting between the two. A book with its dark side which can be harrowing but a good read nonetheless. I look forward to seeing how the series and characters develop.

This is a very promising start to a new series and yes, I enjoyed it but at times was a bit loathe to pick it up again but I couldn't tell you why. It's quite long-almost 500 pages-and that's possibly why-I didn't seem to be getting anywhere each time I read some more. Hard to put my finger on it but it took me 6 days to read which is quite a long time for me.However, I'll certainly get the next one in the series and see what I think of that one as it really has promise. I've never seen Dexter but know a little of what is was about and this is a similar type of idea, I believe.I REALLY liked the dialogue in it. The police guys 'n' girls talk my sort of language and it comes across as very real. A lot of what was said I can imagine I'd also say in their positions so I liked that a great deal. No grey areas-it's black or white.I liked what he wrote about Mike at the beginning too-that was lovely.Now......Americanisms in a book set over here is a massive bugbear of mine and yet he does it but not all the time-so you get realize/recognize/visualize/organized but then he spells the English (proper) way as well-fantasise/brutalised.....usually authors go one way or the other so this was unusual, although they're my only real gripes. I've read books by ex-police personnel in the past and they've been painful to read as their spelling/grammar is often atrocious but not in Mr Delaney's case at all. I was very impressed !!I laughed aloud at his comment-"we live in a country where seventy percent of the population don't know the difference between a peadophile and a peadiatrician"......so true !!! His observation of the magpies made me quite sniffy, too.....so he elicits a fair few emotions.I look forward to reading about the team's next case.

What can i say.. Brilliant.This author has really pulled it off with this story, just brilliant, I read a few reviews on how people knew who it was early on,,, I didn't lolBrilliant twists and turns and gripping throughout.DI Sean Corrigan - a police officer like no other.This is Luke Delaney's Debut Crime novel, a perfect read for any Crime fiction fans. The good thing about only just reading this book is the fact i can go right to the next one as soon as i want, i dont need to wait for it coming out.Well done Luke. I will be reading more from this author.It's quite scary when you think about it---where do the authors get the ideas for books like this..Terrifyingly authentic, London-set debut crime novel with a psychological edge, by an ex-Met detective. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Stuart MacBride.DI Sean Corrigan is not like other detectives. The terrible abuse he suffered in childhood hasn't stopped him enjoying family life with his wife and two daughters, or pursuing an impressive career with South London's Murder Investigation Unit. But it has left him with an uncanny ability to identify the darkness in others - a darkness he recognises still exists deep within his own psyche and battles to keep buried there. Now Sean's on the trail of the most dangerous killer he's ever encountered. The perpetrator has no recognisable MO, leaves no forensic evidence and his victims have nothing in common. But Sean knows they were all murdered by the same man. Now all he has to do is find the evidence, convince his bosses and stop the killing ...before his adversary gets too close to home.

*Spoiler Alert*I really liked this book, until it reached the closing scenes. It was almost as if the author was writing a new style of crime book, one where the police knew the killer but didn't have the evidence to convict. Then, someone like his publisher or agent, decided what it needed was a twist, but the killer in this case appeared as if pulling a rabbit out of a hat - there's no indication of his guilt anywhere in the book. In fact, with Hellier himself behaving like a criminal - owning a gun, stealing money and leading the police a merry dance - what are the chances of finding two of them in the same highly-paid finance office?

I love to have a crime series on the go and having picked this up on a kindle deal I thought I would give it a try. I am a big fan of Val McDermid's "Wire in the Blood" series featuring the profiler Tony Hill so this appealed to me, but I have to say that I found Sean Corrigan's unscientific technique of getting into the perpetrators head a little unrealistic. Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and having got a strong sense of what it is like to work in a London based CID department from it, it was no surprise when I discovered that it was written by an ex murder detective. I plan to read the four remaining books in the series.

Well what can I say about one of the best thrillers I have ever read? Thumping good read comes to mind, or even unputdownable. This book has everything I look for in a crime novel and it is a complete tour de force.In a nutshell we have the wonderful insightful DI Sean Corrigan (brilliant character) and his loyal team of detectives. They are chasing an evil murderer who kills because he can and whom they believe is James Hellier; the problem is getting the evidence to convict him.Hellier is a Junior Partner at Butler and Mason International Finance and he certainly knows how to give the police the slip, even when he has a top surveillance team watching him.The tension never lets up and Sean Corrigan is one of my all time favourite Policemen; he is insightful, very clever but above all unafraid of this menace roaming the streets and whom he intends to get under any circumstances. The case virtually takes over his whole life, with tensions running high at home with his doctor wife and two small children.This is my first Luke Delaney novel, who I understand is ex-police himself, and I am just about to devour his follow up novel, The Keeper.Totally and utterly engrossing novel and very highly recommended.

Delaney has done an excellent job of crafting his first novel, The plot is exceptionally well handled, the pacing is fast and furious, and the protagonist is well drawn. His police background means that police procedures are completely correct within the confines of the story. But there are a few reasons I haven't given it 5 stars. Many of the main supporting characters are only sketches with no real depth or development. And he has unfortunately used the extremely hackneyed 'diabolically clever serial killer' motif which, in my opinion, is the the ruination of most American crime fiction. It's been beaten to death folks - let's move on to something else!That said, Delaney writes very well, uses good, strong, straightforward prose, and minimizes digressions into, as Elmore Leonard put it, 'the parts people tend to skip over'. I expect his future efforts will only improve on an excellent start.

This first offering from Luke Delaney is a very promising debut, I thought it owes a huge amount to "Red dragon" by Thomas Harris, with a gifted detective and a killer who thinks he is more than human.This is a gift to authors, as you don't have to worry too much about logic or clues to discover the bad guy, a flash of inspiration and everything becomes clear.Mr Delaney does come up with a good twist to the tale, and overall it's a very enjoyable read, my main criticism is with the dialogue, it is very stilted and sounds as if everyone is giving a speech rather than indulging in a conversation, I'm sure this will improve as the author hones his craft.The police procedure rings true, as it should with Mr Delaney being a CID detective. I give this book 3 stars but I am sure future novels will rate higher.

Delaney's plot rips along and his characters are well drawn. This is an excellent procedural and I would normally recommend it without reservation, but I have a real concern. Like many other people I love a good crime thriller and I accept the gruesome nature of the genre. The trouble with this book is that it contains several 'real-time' descriptions of the most horrible sexually motivated murders. The first time I thought 'this is a bit strong', but the second time it felt gratuitous - salacious even; and that I do not like. A nice gory crime scene is one thing, but I am not entertained by the graphic detail of torture based assaults on women. I don't think this is a matter of me being squeamish, it is about the line exposition and titillation; and in this book I feel that line was crossed.

Well done Luke......what a first novel. Am a retired Police Sergeant so always look at 'police procedure' novels with a little scepticism.But this was a terrific novel, full of twists and turns. The police 'language' was also spot on. No policeman ever goes around calling each other by their full ranks as they do in other novels.My only gripe was that Graydon's body was never officially I.D'd. There was an assumption it was him from letters in his flat. Normally the I.D is done by a relative, or a friend/colleague.Again, with Kotler, only a colleague looking through a window from a ladder at a trussed up body has made any I.D.Minor points but as all other procedures are spot on, this aspect jars a littleHowever, it does not detract from what is a superb first novel, read at a frantic, page turning pace.I shall be downloading Luke's next book with extreme anticipation.

This is the first time that I've read any of Luke Delaney's work and I must say that I was impressed. No superhuman heroics or unbelievable coincidences which all too many crime novels seem to have in them. It's obvious that the author knows the procedures that are involved in a serious crime incident which makes the story all the more interesting. Ok you can see the twist in the tail coming but it doesn't take away much of the enjoyment of the read. The ending also leaves room for two of the main protagonists to meet again in the future. Looking forward to the follow up.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, it kept up a good pace but then .....The ending was unnecessarily convoluted - maybe I missed something but I couldn't be bothered to go back to check. OK leave space for the next book but it seemed as though the author wasn't sure how to end it so he threw in a few red herrings in order to make you buy the next one to see what happens. Sorry, but I don't care. To me the endings of books are the most important part, if I read a review that says 'shame about the ending/ending rather rushed' it stops me even considering it. It was a disappointment after what was a pretty good read up to that point.

A good crime thriller. I read a lot of these books and am pleased to see what I hope is the start of a new series. The only reason for 3 instead of 4 stars is that it has very graphic violent scenes which I found I had to skip over. While violence is to be expected in this genre I once again wonder if these type of books should have a warning about extremely violent content.