A Cold Flame – Aidan Conway
Five men burnt alive.
In the crippling heat of August in Rome, a flat goes up in flames, the doors sealed from the outside. Five illegal immigrants are trapped and burnt alive – their charred bodies barely distinguishable amidst the debris.
One man cut into pieces.
When Detective Inspectors Rossi and Carrara begin to investigate, a terror organisation shakes the city to its foundations. Then a priest is found murdered and mutilated post-mortem – his injuries almost satanic in their ferocity.
One city on the edge of ruin.
Rome is hurtling towards disaster. A horrifying pattern of violence is beginning to emerge, with a ruthless killer overseeing its design. But can Rossi and Carrara stop him before all those in his path are reduced to ashes?
My thanks to Finn at Harper Collins for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour.
Another chance for readers to head to Rome and join Aidan Conway’s investigative duo Rossi and Carrara. We first encountered the pair in the excellent A Known Evil and I have been looking forward to seeing what A Cold Flame would bring.
Housekeeping first – reading A Known Evil is not an essential requirement before picking up A Cold Flame. Both books can easily be enjoyed as stand alone reads, however, as is the way of recurring characters there are comments and discussions which will mean more to returning readers. Both books make for great reading so returning readers will enjoy A Cold Flame just as much as those discovering the series for the first time will.
This is another tightly plotted police procedural and I got totally drawn into the investigation. I love a story which allows us to track the progress the investigating officers are making, watch them uncover clues and follow the leads which draw them closer to the criminals. What makes A Cold Flame more entertaining is that we get multiple viewpoints and narratives so readers can see what is happening before the cops.
As a fan of recurring characters in my reading I particularly like that Aidan Conway is brining Rossi and Carrara to life for me. They are people away from the crime scenes and I want to learn more about them…I particularly want to eat in the same places as they do as their dining choices always sound delicious!
A Cold Flame features a number of attacks on citizens of Rome. However the victims are not native Romans but immigrants to the city. A plot which sadly seems too possible in current times. It made the book more relevant and engaging than many of the stories I have read of late and I was often unsettled by what I was reading. I love when a book engages me in this way – you know the author has hit the correct balance.
In short – another gripping thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters and location made the story shine and there is a cracking read waiting for you here.
A Cold Flame is published by Killer Reads and you can order a digital copy now with the paperback due in September. Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-Flame-gripping-thriller-Detective-ebook/dp/B077SK69P8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532205084&sr=1-1&keywords=a+cold+flame