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5/5 Stars!

I discovered Ross Greenwood a few months ago with his prison-life crime fiction, Prisoner, and had no idea the DI Barton crime thriller series existed.

Wow! Compelling and engaging, The Cold Killer is another winner.

Though it is book four in the series, I didn’t feel as though there were blank spots or missing info from the previous books.

DI John Barton, like Jim Dalton in Prisoner, is diligent and hardworking while trying to keep a balance between work and his family.

When an aged sex offender is brutally murdered in prison, Barton and his team are called in to investigate the not-so-unusual death. When the victim’s home is burglarized, Baron realizes there’s nothing normal about the case. All too soon, they realize they’re dealing with a serial killer, and he’s escalating as crimes and the body count rise. Is the killer a vigilante or seeking a special type of justice? Is the Peterborough prison the only connections between the victims? As Barton runs out of witnesses, he finds he may also be running out of time.

This slow burn read is masterfully written with points of view from both sides of the prison bars. Characters are likeable—or deliciously unlikeable—and memorable. Even the story’s villain, though vicious and brutal, evokes a certain amount of sympathy.

I’ve already downloaded the first three books in the DI Barton series and look forward to reading more of his cases.

Enjoy!

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Synopsis

It’s hard to live when you think you deserve to die…

When a tired old inmate is found dead in his cell, the prison is obligated to investigate and so DI Barton attends. The men he interviews have been convicted of some of the worst things a human being can do, but it appears likely that the death was due to natural causes.

When the house of the dead man is burgled and that crime is followed by a suspicious fire, Barton desperately needs to speak to his widow, but she’s nowhere to be found.

In the space of twenty-four hours, everyone he wants to talk to has vanished. Then he receives some post which makes him believe he could be the next to disappear.

Barton’s investigation goes full circle, through a series of brutal murders, back to the prison, and all signs are pointing to the fact that he’s made a terrible mistake.

There’s a violent killer on the loose, who wants everyone to learn that some people deserve to die.

DI Barton is back as Ross Greenwood continues with his bestselling series, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin.