Lots of twists and turns in this one and I think suspected everyone at some point. The twist at the end was a surprise. Looking forward to more from the author!

Fast becoming an author who goes on the pre-order list, Caz Frear is back to follow up her barnstorming debut, 'Sweet Little Lies' with another dark and twsisting investigation.
This time around, Cat Kinsella and partner Luigi Parnell are investigating the death of a work experience girl from Australia, who landed in the UK and 12 weeks later is dead, potentially murdered.
What has this got to do with the approach made in a coffee shop by a frankly sleazy, overbearingly familiar man who is concerned about his wife threatening him?
Where do you draw the line with being a police professional and how far does it extend into your peronal life?
As Cat lines up several suspects, her difficult balancing act in managing her relationship with home boy from ireland, Aiden, the cautious return of her dad into her life becomes ever trickier. There is nothing worse than a cop with secrets and you would need a stone cold heart to keep the ones that Caz has hidden deep inside hers...
A searing social commentary on wealth, thwarted ambition and greed framed in a police procedural, this is a very modern, fresh take on the pursuit for justice. The links between past and present, the fact that crime cases are never fully closed gives hope to the notion that one day there will be a reckoning for the lost and Cat will be there to firmly close the book on each case.

Caz Frear books are always brilliant to read and never let you down. Wonderful story that's really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to read this. Thank you for the chance and sorry my review is late.

Book two in Caz Frear's Cat Kinsella series is another completely absorbing and character driven read that will keep you guessing right to the end of the book. Investigating the murder of a young Australian woman, Naomi Lockhart, Cat and the team of MIT4 are faced with a complex case, one in which they find no end of suspects and a complex and twisted tale of extended families, drugs, jealousy, manipulation and possibly, far far worse. With a lead suspect who couldn't lie straight in bed and a wife and mother who will do anything other than point the finger of suspicion at her husband , it is up to the team to sort the truth from the lies, a task which takes in them in a surprising direction.

I am loving catching up with this series, if for no other reason than the fact that Cat Kinsella is such a great character. She is far from perfect - a far too complicated childhood and a bad decision in her last case strips that titles away - but she is a good Detective with good instincts, even if sometimes the evidence doesn't always immediately present itself to back up her theories. Her family skirts both sides of the law creating conflict between Cat and her father, their relationship wrapped in a very uneasy truce, but it makes is believable. The very real and complex feelings Cat has for her Dad make her likeable and is played out perfectly on the page. Contrasting to this, her relationships at work are a joy to read (or listen to) wth mentor Steele and her usual partner in crime fighting, Parnell, proving to be great counters to her impetuous nature. As a team they really work and I love the way the author has developed the dynamic between them, especially Steele's reactions to Cat's instincts. She values them but also brings Cat back down to earth with some of her more fanciful thoughts. She's not dismissive, but she doesn't over encourage her either, exactly what you'd expect of a superior officer.

The main suspect in this case is a charming and yet arrogant man who has idea's well above his station. The more I got to know about him, the more i disliked him and again, the author has done a brilliant job in creating a character who seems very plausible and yet has the ability to make your skin crawl and drive you to anger, something that happens all to often in Cat's case. But he is not the only person with something to hide and the more the team dig, the more uncertainty is cast over his possible guilt. It was certainly a story that kept me guessing, and whilst I had suspicions over who could possibly be guilty of the murder, I certainly didn't foresee the final reveal.

I loved the way in which Cat's personal relationship with Aiden was further explored in this book. He is a great character, someone who compliments Cat perfectly, but theirs is not straightforward partnership and the guilt that is inherent in how they met affects the smooth running of their romance, and the events that play out, further complicating Cat's life. It was an interesting side story and I'm intrigued to see how it plays out, where the author takes us.

This isn't a series that is full on hard core murders and if that is what you are looking for then it's probably not the right book for you. What you do find is great, compelling storytelling, in a character driven story where the lines of law and order frequently blur. Definitely recommended.

Following on from Caz Frear’s cracking debut, Sweet Little Lies, her second police procedural is a brilliantly crafted and realistically handled investigation featuring one of the most likeable protagonists in crime fiction, twenty-six-year-old DC Cat Kinsella. After a stint at the Mayor’s Office, Cat is back where she belongs: Murder Investigation Team 4 at the Met with the fallout from her last case leaving her relations with her family messy, a new boyfriend who she can’t be totally honest with and a heck of a lot on her conscious. Still, she is relieved to be back with her ‘work dad’, DS Luigi Parnell and sharp-eyed boss, DCI Kate Steele and when a barista making eyes at her starts talking about his wife’s vague threats and instability during a quick coffee run she sends him down his local police station. Five years into her career and three months after originally meeting the barista, the murder of twenty-two-year-old Australian, Naomi Lockhart, rather uncannily throws Casanova - real name Joseph Madden - her way again.

It turns out that Naomi was temping for Madden’s sister-in-law, Kirstie Connor, who happens to have thrown a party that both attended prior to Naomi returning to her flat and being murdered. With Naomi’s body discovered by her ex-con roommate, Kieran Doyle, in whose direction she was pointed by way of Kirstie’s husband who runs a charity for reformed felons, the preliminaries are extensive. All the evidence points to Joseph Madden who quickly reveals himself to be an emotionally abusive and philandering narcissist and when his wife, Rachel, contradicts his alibi it starts to look like an open and shut case. However he claims that he is being framed and with the team building the case around him as the killer, Cat is sent in to buddy up with Rachel and get the low down on the Madden marriage. As numerous inconsistencies present new angles and subsequent insights give the team more food for thought they struggle to work out just what did go on. And with Rachel Madden a mix of weak-willed wife and an overly involved mother and a smart mouthed teenage daughter intent on studying criminology, Cat has her work cut out trying to detect just who is telling the truth and to what degree...

The narrative consists entirely of DC Cat Kinsella in the first person and combined with her lively inner monologue which is full of wit and warmth, her character practically compels the reader to vie for her. Not only is Cat relatable, hugely witty and very determined, but there is a real vulnerability about her after the first novel veered into her own family background and left her with a guilty conscious that is a clear sign of her humanity. Although there are references to Cat’s family dynamics and the storyline in Sweet Little Lies and readers will appreciate understanding her personal predicament, Stone Cold Heart is essentially a straightforward investigation into Naomi Lockhart’s murder. The team dynamic is at its best when acerbic DCI Kate Steele, DS Parnell and Cat are hammering the case out together and feel like a team that know each other inside out. Their banter, rapport and support for each other is a real positive with DCI Steele the role model that Cat aspires to.

Admittedly less pacier than the first novel, Stone Cold Heart is less of a thriller and more a realistic execution of a murder case with a whole load of he said/she said. As subsequent revelations cast new light on the situation, omissions, downright lies and blatant cover-ups further muddy the water, the end result is a satisfying tying up of all the loose ends. It is only then that reader will be able to appreciate just how cleverly plotted Stone Cold Heart really is. Expect false starts, frustrations aplenty and the gut punch of being none to wiser days into the investigation, but as the scenario plays out it makes for an engrossing mystery with a real sense of urgency about it.

A thoroughly well-worked investigation and a worthy follow-up to Sweet Little Lies making DC Cat Kinsella and author Caz Frear hot property. A definite series to follow for fans of British crime fiction everywhere and with slightly tighter editing and brisker pace this would have been a sure-five five star!

I wasn’t aware in advance that this was the second in her series of police procedurals featuring D.C. Cat Kinsella. However, there was enough background so that I didn’t feel lost. There were snippets of information about the case covered in ‘Sweet Little Lies’ throughout to help a newbie like me keep pace. A gripping, pacey novel.

Always love a good thriller....this one was awesome! So easy to read and such an engrossing storyline - I need more from Caz Frear :)

I absolutely loved Sweet little lies and was looking forward to this. It didn't disappoint, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Stone Cold Heart is Caz Frear’s second novel and I’m sorry to say that I didn’t get on with it very well. However, I’m in the minority as there are lots of 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. My copy is a NetGalley copy that I’ve had far too long – I did start reading it when I first downloaded it but soon realised that it would be better if I read her debut novel, Sweet Little Lies first. These are police procedurals written in the first person present tense narrated by DC Cat Kinsella who is part of the Murder Investigation Team 4, and her personal life is a major part of both books.

Naomi Lockhart, a young Australian woman was murdered and at first it looked as though her flatmate had killed her. The night before she was murdered Naomi had been at a party held by her employer, Kirstie Connor and her husband, Marcus. Also at the party were Joseph Madden and his meek wife, Rachel, Marcus’ sister. Joseph is an emotionally abusive narcissist, who manages the local coffee shop and when suspicion then falls on him and he is arrested he claims that Rachel is setting him up. And so begins a most convoluted and tangled tale about Joseph and the rest of his family, filled with secrets and lies, most of which are complete red herrings.

Alongside the murder mystery, the book follows the story of DC Cat Kinsella’s family and the mystery surrounding Maryanne Doyle that was told in Sweet Little Lies – you really do need to read that book first to understand what is going on in her family life in this book. Cat is a conflicted character to say the least and although other readers have found her a warm and likeable character I found her one of the most irritating fictional detectives in crime fiction. She is full of guilt and angst about her family, in particular about her father and her brother. She is keeping the identity of her boyfriend a secret from everybody – if you’ve read Sweet Little Lies you’ll know why, otherwise you’ll be as mystified as her family and police colleagues are.

I found the secrets surrounding Cat’s family the most interesting part of the book, more so than the investigation into Naomi’s murder. The Murder Investigation Team all get on well together, but their continuing team meetings in which they endlessly consider all the possible theories about the murder and what happened, although interesting at first soon became tedious – far too much hypothesising. The book just dragged on and on. And then there is the ending – except it’s just the murder mystery that ends as it looks as though there is still more to come about Cat Kinsella. If you like long detective stories, full of twists and turns, lots of red herrings and dubious and unreliable characters who withhold evidence you may like it more than I did.

My thanks to the publishers, Zaffre, for a review copy via NetGalley.

A great cover. A thoroughly riveting book. It kept my interest throughout. A little complicated/confusing in places but stick with it. It's well worth it. Recommended.

Fast paced thriller that leaves you wanting more!!! Really enjoyed it and am off to find the previous book in the series!

Didn’t put it down until I finished it and will be recommending it to all my friends 😊

This book was very exciting all the way through. It had all the elements that I love in a book of this type, very twisty. It kept me wanting to read another chapter instead of putting it down and doing other things, which, I love when it is such an enjoyable book.
I haven’t read other books by this author but, I intend to in the near future.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Indie Books got giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A fractured marriage.

A silent family.

A secret that connects them all.

I loved this book! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. Cat Kinsella is just Ace, shes dealing with her own demons as well as trying to find out what happened to Naomi. Each character is complex and believable.

Read it!

Took me a while to get into this book, but then I was hooked.
Police drama with a hint of corruption mixed in? Excellent.
A whodunnit with a few twists and turns? Jobs a good ‘un.
And then it ends without a proper ending! I feel cheated. What happened to Maryanne in those eighteen years? What does Frank have on our protagonist?
This was like ordering your favourite Chinese and they forget to deliver the prawn crackers.

A good read but not brilliant but managed to finish


Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A great thriller, and my first introduction to the character of Cat Kinsella. There's been a murder of a younf Australian girl working in London. The main suspect approached Cat in a coffee shop several weeks back, and was.... odd. Cat is determined to do Naomi justice and find her killer.
I always know when I've really enjoyed a book, as it makes me go and discover more books by the same author. Can't wait!

Thank you to netgalley the publishers and the author for this ARC in exchanged for an unbiased review

Great characters and exactly what you want from a thriller! brilliant read!

Even though I did end up buying myself a physical copy of this book to read, I would still like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me a copy of the read in exchange for an honest review.

A tightly plotted book that me guessing at the end of every page! I loved Sweet Little Lies and Cat Kinsella, as a character, is really growing on me! Cant wait for the next book in the series!

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author Caz Freer.
This is exactly what you want from a crime thriller. I've read this on holiday and it was the perfect poolside companion. Nothing groundbreaking but does exactly what it says on the tin. 3.5 stars rounded up.

The brilliant DC Cat Kinsella is back, in the new release from Caz Frear which follows on from the hugely entertaining Sweet Little Lies (read my review here).

Stone Cold Heart builds on the brilliant character of Cat, with her own issues (largely around her dad and his less-than-squeaky-clean history) and faults, but despite all this – or perhaps because of this – she’s a hugely likable character. I love her and the way she interacts with her colleague, Parnell, who is another brilliant character. There are lots of snarky comments and lines from Cat and her colleagues which made me laugh, as well as a satisfying lack of cheesiness or predictability in her relationship with boyfriend Aiden. We find out more about their relationship and Cat herself, on top of the information from book one, and although it’s not necessary to read the first book, I think it enhances the reading of this one.

Another great aspect of this novel is the tight, intriguing plot. Although focused on the investigation into Naomi's death, there's plenty more revealed as the team dig deeper, and a variety of people find themselves in the frame for her murder. There are multiple strands to the story which come together really well towards the end and left me feeling satisfied with the result, and excited to return again to this great cast of characters (whenever book three is released)!