Acclaimed and internationally bestselling crime novelist Caz Frear returns with her third superb novel featuring Cat Kinsella, a cop “on par with Susie Steiner’s and Tana French’s female detectives” (Kirkus Reviews).
Four victims. Killer caught. Case closed. . . or is it?
Growing up in a London family with ties to organized crime, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella knows the criminal world better than most cops do. As a member of the city’s Metropolitan Police, she’s made efforts to distinguish herself from her relatives. But leading an upstanding life isn’t always easy, and Cat has come close to crossing the line, a fact she keeps well hidden from her superiors.
Working their latest case, Cat and her partner Luigi Parnell discover a connection to a notorious criminal: serial killer Christopher Masters, who abducted and killed several women in 2012. Though the cops eventually apprehended him, his final victim, Holly Kemp, was never found and he never confessed to her murder, despite the solid eyewitness testimony against him. Now, six years later, the discovery of Holly’s remains near Cambridge seems to be the definitive proof needed to close the case.
Still, a few key items of evidence don’t quite line up. As Cat and Parnell look closer, they find discrepancies that raise troubling questions. But someone will do anything to keep past secrets hidden—and as they inch closer to the truth, they may be putting themselves in jeopardy . . .
4.5/5
Shed No Tears by Caz Frear is the third installment of the Cat Kinsella series and I have to say I am officially addicted. I love Cat’s character, and the way Frear writes brings her and every case she has to life for me. She is a smart cookie which I love in a leading character, and she just feels so real like you could reach out and touch her. I am also always fascinated by her family and the bits the author chooses to tell us about them and her past. But not only that, the team Cat is on is stellar as well, and I love the witty banter they sometimes have. Her partner Parnell is quite the character, and I love her boss DCI Kate Steele so much I would definitely take a spinoff from her perspective. There are a lot of characters to love in this series, and I always enjoy the procedural aspect as well as they bring down the criminals.
Shed No Tears managed to surprise me just as much as the other books in the series have, and I loved the suspensefulness of the plot. This was another slower burn, but the suspense builds as you go, and this is definitely one of my favorite police procedural series. I listened to the audio for this one too and Jane Collingwood was again our narrator. I love that she has been the voice of Cat for the series so far, and she is the perfect choice to voice these books. I love her narration and highly suggest listening to the series if you are a fan of audiobooks. I do think there is a lot going on though and the number of characters makes it nice to have a physical copy on hand as well. I really liked the way Frear ended Shed No Tears although she has left me very anxious for a book 4! I recommend reading this series in order, but they are okay as standalones as well. If you like crime fiction and police procedurals this is an excellent choice to pick up.
This is a great series! Can’t wait for the next.
Immediately from the first page, SHED NO TEARS by Caz Frear plunges you into a fast-paced, twisty police investigation chock-full of intrigue, secrets, and lies. Frear’s expert plot and pacing will have you turning the pages wondering who’s deceiving whom, the pinch of family drama will make you wonder if anyone can make it out unscathed, and protagonist Cat Kinsella’s wry sense of humour and deadpan one-liners are sure to make you laugh out loud. An irresistible, perfect, and thrilling read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for my honest review. My copy was full of text and formatting errors that hopefully will be corrected before publishing.
That said, this was an excellent police procedure that follows DC Cat Kinsella as she tracks down the killer of Holly Kemp – previously believed to be the victim of ‘The Roomate Killer’, Christopher Masters. It soon becomes apparent after Holly is found in a field in Cambridgeshire, that Holly’s murder differs from that of Master’s previous ‘victims so a completely new investigation is instigated.
As it’s the third in a series I felt that I should have read the previous ones first to get the full history of Kinsella for the references to her family life to make sense. However this is a stand alone story that doesn’t suffer too much for lack of more background. The story did lack a sense of place, as the main thrust of the story was police narrative. However, the twists and turns as the end was unveiled were excellent so if you enjoy police procedures then this is one of the best!
A great read and recommended.