ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mark won’t claim he has done it all in the world of publishing, but he has packed boxes, edited manuscripts, made sales calls, created marketing plans, directed design and illustration, started companies, consulted, agented the works of others, and written advertising and catalog copy. He’s authored, compiled, and ghost written books that have landed on an array of bestsellers lists and sold millions of copies. His first ghost writing project, The Wal-Mart Way, was done for Don Soderquist, Sam Walton’s longtime right-hand man.
In early 2012 he put on a new hat as a fiction author. His debut novel, Cuts Like a Knife, was released in April 2012 and was met with rave reviews from USA Today, Fresh Fiction, Publishers Weekly, and other leading national reviewers. His second novel, Every Breath You Take, second in the Kristen Conner Mystery Series, released in Fall 2012 to similar acclaim. Kristen Conner returns in Cold As Ice, which releases in Fall 2014.
Gilroy has extensive writing credits. He scripted and served as creative consultant for a two-hour training video that was honored with the Award of Excellence by the International Television Association. He has compiled and written close to fifty books and penned hundreds articles and curriculum pieces for a variety of periodicals and publishers.
Gilroy and his wife Amy reside in Brentwood, Tennessee. Their six children are Lindsey, Merrick, Ashley, Caroline, Bo, and Zachary—the youngest has now headed off for college, so he and Amy are officially empty nesters.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Detective Kristen Conner is back on a new murder case. She’s still fighting with her sister—and no surprise, someone new wants to kill her! He was a pillar in his Chicago neighborhood: popular school teacher, devoted father and husband, political activist on behalf of underprivileged children—and a master gardener who liked to plant flowers in his neighbor’s yards. What wasn’t to love about him? Who would want him dead?
When Detective Kristen Conner lands the case she knows from day one who the key suspect is. That’s simple. The person most likely to kill you is someone close that you know and love. But the wife? She was always at her husband’s side and just as passionate about his causes as he was. No way could this loving wife and mother of three be a killer. Right? Mix in her on-again, off-again relationship with FBI Agent Austin Reynolds, a quick trip to New York City where Kristen helps her media-star sister for a new apartment—only to discover the body of a man who appears to have been executed by a professional killer on a run through Central Park—and Kristen Conner is once again swept into a world of danger, intrigue, and a confusing love life.
What she doesn’t know just might kill her.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Cold as Ice, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Detective Kristen Conner is dedicated to her job and becomes extremely frustrated if prevented from doing it. For that reason she balks at mandatory visits to a therapist and is pretty unhappy that she is surrounded by protection after accidentally nearly stumbling upon an execution in Central Park while on vacation. A murder in her mother’s neighborhood is at the top of her list and she has no time to be worried about the Russian mafia.
“Cold As Ice” is a suspenseful book with plenty of action and danger as one would expect when dealing with cold-blooded killers such as the Russian mob. That scenario kept things moving right along while the closer-to-home murder provided more insight into the actual detecting process by the homicide department. A little romantic misunderstanding and family dynamics add a touch of realism to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed “Cold As Ice” but might have liked it better if there hadn’t been so many different points of view. At times it came very close to being quite confusing. Other than that, it was a pretty good read and I would most likely be interested in the next book in the series.
