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Dead Cold Mystery #3
Garden of the Damned
When the body of a tramp was found in a dumpster on Lafayette and Bryant in the Bronx, with no papers and no ID, the case was filed as unsolved – another victim nobody cared about, shot by some punk nobody cared about.
That was twelve years ago.
Then Detective Stone notices that the ‘tramp’ had a hundred dollar haircut and manicured nails. That makes him curious. He wants to know, who dresses a murder victim up as a tramp, then leaves them in full view in a dumpster? But the answers he gets are not the ones he expects, and before long their investigation leads Stone and Dehan to St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, and the darkest recesses of the human soul.
It also leads them to some of the most powerful men in New York. Some, like Conor Hagan, head of the Irish Mob, are known criminals. But others are not… Stone’s problem is deciding which of them are just criminals, and which are truly evil. That is, until ghosts start appearing from Dehan’s past. Then things get complicated…
That was twelve years ago.
Then Detective Stone notices that the ‘tramp’ had a hundred dollar haircut and manicured nails. That makes him curious. He wants to know, who dresses a murder victim up as a tramp, then leaves them in full view in a dumpster? But the answers he gets are not the ones he expects, and before long their investigation leads Stone and Dehan to St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, and the darkest recesses of the human soul.
It also leads them to some of the most powerful men in New York. Some, like Conor Hagan, head of the Irish Mob, are known criminals. But others are not… Stone’s problem is deciding which of them are just criminals, and which are truly evil. That is, until ghosts start appearing from Dehan’s past. Then things get complicated…
204 pages, ebook
First published September 29, 2017
3635 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
Blake Banner
151 books394 followersUSA TODAY and Amazon #1 bestselling author of the OMEGA and DEAD COLD MYSTERY series. Learn more about Blake Banner at his website: www.blakebanner.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 23, 2019
If you like your mysteries short, smart and full of action then this is a series for you! I really enjoy the two main characters and their interactions as well, which makes the books the complete package.
In this book Detectives Stone and Dehan are again looking at a twelve year old cold case. Combining their talents and local knowledge they get results, but maybe not the judicial kind. Lots of bodies fall by the wayside and it is all very entertaining.
(It would be nice if someone could correct the link too. It should be Garden not Gardened.)
In this book Detectives Stone and Dehan are again looking at a twelve year old cold case. Combining their talents and local knowledge they get results, but maybe not the judicial kind. Lots of bodies fall by the wayside and it is all very entertaining.
(It would be nice if someone could correct the link too. It should be Garden not Gardened.)
April 30, 2018
I really enjoy reading the great stories of the law that this author writes, and love to read one in between my 'review' books for a sure fire fun read! Due to making his supervisor upset with him,(again!), Detective Stone and partner Dehan are looking over cold cases. Stone spots some interesting things in a twelve year old murder, showing Dehan that the man was dressed as a tramp yet had manicured fingernails and an expensive haircut! No one noticed this when the man was found...
So the investigation begins by this determined pair, who go to great lengths to find the answer to several troubling facts they come across! The characters are great, easy to believe in and follow through their adventure.
The 'mob' is involved, Irish and Italian, along with a fed, the Church and a police officer, making the plots full of fear and intensely exciting.
A wonderful story that keeps you turning pages as soon as you start!
I give it 5 stars for keeping your interest, making you laugh and cry, hold your breath and gasp throughout ! If you are looking for a great story involving police officers, enemies and all the horror criminals can invoke open this book and start on a wonderful adventure..
So the investigation begins by this determined pair, who go to great lengths to find the answer to several troubling facts they come across! The characters are great, easy to believe in and follow through their adventure.
The 'mob' is involved, Irish and Italian, along with a fed, the Church and a police officer, making the plots full of fear and intensely exciting.
A wonderful story that keeps you turning pages as soon as you start!
I give it 5 stars for keeping your interest, making you laugh and cry, hold your breath and gasp throughout ! If you are looking for a great story involving police officers, enemies and all the horror criminals can invoke open this book and start on a wonderful adventure..
July 1, 2025
Hard read with too much gruesomeness and sadness.
June 15, 2020
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I love the cold case detectives John Stone and Carmen Dehan! However, I felt there was too much going on in Garden of the Damned and the coincidences strained credibility. On to Let Us Prey!!
I love the cold case detectives John Stone and Carmen Dehan! However, I felt there was too much going on in Garden of the Damned and the coincidences strained credibility. On to Let Us Prey!!
July 8, 2019
I’m really enjoying this series. I love the pace and unfolding of the plot! Banner really keeps you guessing, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Right up there with Bosch!
November 22, 2018
An unsavory subject handled really well. This time there was a personal tie to the story as well. Again - a good, engaging, interesting read. So glad I stumbled upon this series.
February 25, 2020
WOW!!
Another great Stone/Dehan novel. Super story and great characters. Chocked full of action and police procedure. On to the next one.
Another great Stone/Dehan novel. Super story and great characters. Chocked full of action and police procedure. On to the next one.
April 28, 2024
As with the previous two books in this series good twists and turns in the investigation makes an interesting read
February 16, 2018
I got this book as part of a four-book box set and I had read the first two before this one. I really liked the first two and this was the same. The protagonist and his partner are tough, hard-working, seasoned, and somewhat damaged. They are likeable and appealing and it is fun to follow along as they slowly move towards a solution. My favorite police procedurals are the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly, but these books are very close, indeed.
March 22, 2025
It's necessary to have read the first book in the series, An Ace and a Pair, to have any hope of understanding this. The plot is deeply entwined with the events that happened and as such required reading.
Detectives John Stone and Carmen Dehan have been relegated to solving cold cases - because it's hard to argue they should be anywhere else when they deliver results. In their third case they find themselves interested by what only appears to be a murdered homeless John Doe. Quickly discovering the name of the victim they have a whole new angle to pursue and then another and another until they're drowning in crimes but lacking the proof necessary to obtain justice. But John Stone always has another trick up his sleeve.
I felt there was slightly less lost in translation in this book than I experienced with the first two. There was still a few references and slang that went over my head but I definitely felt I understood this one better. That said, I feel like I'm always playing catchup to what John is thinking and doing and it's a bit annoying. He always seems to be working an angle or a theory I can't quite grasp.
Still, all that aside, this was much better than the first two books. The plot was intense. There was danger and suspense and I was on the edge of my seat as I flipped through the pages. A more comprehensive summary of Dehan's past is revealed in this one and it's horrific. I mean I suspected it probably was, but damn.
Which brings me to the next point - she was very inconsistent in this book. Prior to this one, she was very gungho, street justice, sort of. Or at least not overly upset by scumbags getting what's coming to them. Even in this one she's like that. Which is fine. I rate it. The problem is later when Sadiq Khan I didn't get it. It was totally at odds with her earlier personality and I hated that it led to her
The romance between them is slowly progressing to flirtation but hasn't gone further. I like that they seem to be genuinely best friends. There's not a whole lot of character development so far (this is very plot driven) but they clearly care about one another and I can get onboard with a slow burn romance. I was less okay after Dehan's issues with Sadiq. They seemed to resolve it but I was less enthusiastic after.
One thing I didn't get and that was driving me insane was the list. There were a few other loose ends that didn't seem to go anywhere but I was mostly happy with the how the story resolved itself.
A gritty, hard boiled murder investigation with two opinionated detectives . 3 stars.
Detectives John Stone and Carmen Dehan have been relegated to solving cold cases - because it's hard to argue they should be anywhere else when they deliver results. In their third case they find themselves interested by what only appears to be a murdered homeless John Doe. Quickly discovering the name of the victim they have a whole new angle to pursue and then another and another until they're drowning in crimes but lacking the proof necessary to obtain justice. But John Stone always has another trick up his sleeve.
I felt there was slightly less lost in translation in this book than I experienced with the first two. There was still a few references and slang that went over my head but I definitely felt I understood this one better. That said, I feel like I'm always playing catchup to what John is thinking and doing and it's a bit annoying. He always seems to be working an angle or a theory I can't quite grasp.
Still, all that aside, this was much better than the first two books. The plot was intense. There was danger and suspense and I was on the edge of my seat as I flipped through the pages. A more comprehensive summary of Dehan's past is revealed in this one and it's horrific. I mean I suspected it probably was, but damn.
Which brings me to the next point - she was very inconsistent in this book. Prior to this one, she was very gungho, street justice, sort of. Or at least not overly upset by scumbags getting what's coming to them. Even in this one she's like that. Which is fine. I rate it. The problem is later when Sadiq Khan I didn't get it. It was totally at odds with her earlier personality and I hated that it led to her
The romance between them is slowly progressing to flirtation but hasn't gone further. I like that they seem to be genuinely best friends. There's not a whole lot of character development so far (this is very plot driven) but they clearly care about one another and I can get onboard with a slow burn romance. I was less okay after Dehan's issues with Sadiq. They seemed to resolve it but I was less enthusiastic after.
One thing I didn't get and that was driving me insane was the list. There were a few other loose ends that didn't seem to go anywhere but I was mostly happy with the how the story resolved itself.
A gritty, hard boiled murder investigation with two opinionated detectives . 3 stars.
July 29, 2022
A twisty turny mystery with a great audiobook
I alternately read the ebook and listened to the audiobook as the story was so engrossing I didn’t want to stop reading when I had errands to run. So I downloaded the book and listened in the car to a significant portion.
The narration was very well done. Adam Grupper’s voice choice for Stone was perfect. Exactly like I imagined him sounding. Dehan’s voice, not so much, but I find very few males narrators that can do an effective female voice without it sounding ridiculous. (Interestingly quite a few female narrators do good male voices.)
The story here is a new one but there are elements that trace back to book one. So while the book can be read as a standalone it is better to read them in order to more fully understand the main characters as well as the circumstances that brought them to where they are.
The cold case here is an interesting one, which like the previous books, turns into more than Stone and Dehan bargained for. The connections here to previous books will no doubt also push forward to subsequent books. I really like Stone. His intellect and his attitude and approach to the job are all things I respect and admire. I have liked Dehan in the previous book but she annoyed me in this one. And it was made worse because I didn’t quite get where it was coming from. It was also pretty hypocritical since part of what she was annoyed about was exactly what she herself wanted to do in a previous circumstance.
The one minor criticism, and it’s probably not a big deal to others, but it’s jarring and takes my head out of the book which is a major no no for me, is the use of Britishisms in characters that are born and bred in NYC. I tried to determine if the author was British but I couldn’t tell from the bio on the website. But, as I said, to most people this is a minor thing if it is a thing at all. It’s certainly not keeping me from moving right on to the next book and audio.
I alternately read the ebook and listened to the audiobook as the story was so engrossing I didn’t want to stop reading when I had errands to run. So I downloaded the book and listened in the car to a significant portion.
The narration was very well done. Adam Grupper’s voice choice for Stone was perfect. Exactly like I imagined him sounding. Dehan’s voice, not so much, but I find very few males narrators that can do an effective female voice without it sounding ridiculous. (Interestingly quite a few female narrators do good male voices.)
The story here is a new one but there are elements that trace back to book one. So while the book can be read as a standalone it is better to read them in order to more fully understand the main characters as well as the circumstances that brought them to where they are.
The cold case here is an interesting one, which like the previous books, turns into more than Stone and Dehan bargained for. The connections here to previous books will no doubt also push forward to subsequent books. I really like Stone. His intellect and his attitude and approach to the job are all things I respect and admire. I have liked Dehan in the previous book but she annoyed me in this one. And it was made worse because I didn’t quite get where it was coming from. It was also pretty hypocritical since part of what she was annoyed about was exactly what she herself wanted to do in a previous circumstance.
The one minor criticism, and it’s probably not a big deal to others, but it’s jarring and takes my head out of the book which is a major no no for me, is the use of Britishisms in characters that are born and bred in NYC. I tried to determine if the author was British but I couldn’t tell from the bio on the website. But, as I said, to most people this is a minor thing if it is a thing at all. It’s certainly not keeping me from moving right on to the next book and audio.
May 9, 2024
★★★★☆.25
Blake Banner has done it again, I read this book in 24 hours. He just knows how to grip you to a story with his quick, suspenseful and grasping crime books! 😭
This one is probably the first of his series that has given me the full on chills. It starts of with an unknown man being executed and then stripped out of his clothing to then he dressed like a tramp and have his nails painted. Little did we know that it was much more than that. We end up looking really into the deep parts of the church he was helping. It broke my heart when we find out that the orphaned, homeless and helpless kids they were looking out for, mostly girls from 11 to 15, were being prostituted and then they were murdered in cold blood by ‘powerful’ men who disgust me. Finding out the secret of Mick, what he did to Detective Dehan’s mum, and then what he did to those young girls and many other victims - I really hope he’s rotting in hell. Alicia and Sean were trying to do good, especially Arvan when he tried to come forward to Detectives Stone and Dehan about the files Sean had. I’m glad they found justice for Alicia, Sean and the young girls even though most of the suspects were already dead 🥲
I really feel the chemistry between both Stone and Dehan and I know I keep saying it but I will keep rooting for them until something happens! I feel it in my bones that it will happen throughout this series. Especially after how close this case was for Dehan with Alicia being her cousin, Mick hurting her mum and the topic of the innocent young girls - Stone was there for her and held her when she needed him 🥺🫶🏼
I’m curious and excited to read the rest of this Dead Cold Mystery series!
Blake Banner has done it again, I read this book in 24 hours. He just knows how to grip you to a story with his quick, suspenseful and grasping crime books! 😭
This one is probably the first of his series that has given me the full on chills. It starts of with an unknown man being executed and then stripped out of his clothing to then he dressed like a tramp and have his nails painted. Little did we know that it was much more than that. We end up looking really into the deep parts of the church he was helping. It broke my heart when we find out that the orphaned, homeless and helpless kids they were looking out for, mostly girls from 11 to 15, were being prostituted and then they were murdered in cold blood by ‘powerful’ men who disgust me. Finding out the secret of Mick, what he did to Detective Dehan’s mum, and then what he did to those young girls and many other victims - I really hope he’s rotting in hell. Alicia and Sean were trying to do good, especially Arvan when he tried to come forward to Detectives Stone and Dehan about the files Sean had. I’m glad they found justice for Alicia, Sean and the young girls even though most of the suspects were already dead 🥲
I really feel the chemistry between both Stone and Dehan and I know I keep saying it but I will keep rooting for them until something happens! I feel it in my bones that it will happen throughout this series. Especially after how close this case was for Dehan with Alicia being her cousin, Mick hurting her mum and the topic of the innocent young girls - Stone was there for her and held her when she needed him 🥺🫶🏼
I’m curious and excited to read the rest of this Dead Cold Mystery series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2017
This is the third book I've read in this series, and I've enjoyed each one very much. This was a relatively straightforward story, but that is truly a relative thing as there are always twists and turns you don't see coming in all of these stories.
Twelve years ago a vagrant was found, executed and dumped, in a dumpster, and the case almost immediately went cold.
Skip forward twelve years to the newly formed "cold case squad", a detective with the best solve rate in his precinct, and his new partner that no one else wants and she doesn't want them either, doing the job because he pissed off his Captain.
The personalities of our protagonists are very well drawn, and I very much like them, each for different reasons.
The main suspects are not always as well drawn, but that is improving with each new edition.
In this outing, you get a feel for each of the possible suspects, and while some of it is reaching for the "difference between a stereotype and an archetype", you feel you know their kind, if not themselves.
This novel is a very solid procedural, with some twists. I found it very satisfying with one caveat, which I hope to see resolved in a future case.
I would recommend reading the entire series, as there are references that will make more sense if you have the back story.
I am very much looking forward to the next volume in this series.
Twelve years ago a vagrant was found, executed and dumped, in a dumpster, and the case almost immediately went cold.
Skip forward twelve years to the newly formed "cold case squad", a detective with the best solve rate in his precinct, and his new partner that no one else wants and she doesn't want them either, doing the job because he pissed off his Captain.
The personalities of our protagonists are very well drawn, and I very much like them, each for different reasons.
The main suspects are not always as well drawn, but that is improving with each new edition.
In this outing, you get a feel for each of the possible suspects, and while some of it is reaching for the "difference between a stereotype and an archetype", you feel you know their kind, if not themselves.
This novel is a very solid procedural, with some twists. I found it very satisfying with one caveat, which I hope to see resolved in a future case.
I would recommend reading the entire series, as there are references that will make more sense if you have the back story.
I am very much looking forward to the next volume in this series.
July 15, 2025
“Garden of the Damned”, third in the 'Dead Cold' series, sees detectives John Stone and Carmen Dehan investigating a case that is 12 years old - and they start with not a single clue, just a couple of photographs of the scene where a vagrant was murdered.
It's Stone who notices (it's almost his signature at this point) that the deceased, despite his ragged clothes, has an expensive haircut and a perfect manicure.
It's case solved within a few pages - but the identity opens a whole new can of worms.
The dead man was a lawyer and a dedicated worker in the local Catholic parish.
And, prior to his death, he had been engaged in a long-running battle with an Irish Mafia boss over the eviction of squatters from a building he intended to demolish.
Little by little new evidence is found, his home was burgled immediately after the murder, his girlfriend disappeared at the same time, and his computer was scrubbed.
Gradually, a picture emerges of a series of horrific crimes.
With no proof a morally ambiguous side of Stone emerges, one that shocks Dehan to her core.
Unusually for the series there is no clear cut solution, just a partial ending which leaves room for the plot to re-emerge further down the line.
4 Stars.
It's Stone who notices (it's almost his signature at this point) that the deceased, despite his ragged clothes, has an expensive haircut and a perfect manicure.
It's case solved within a few pages - but the identity opens a whole new can of worms.
The dead man was a lawyer and a dedicated worker in the local Catholic parish.
And, prior to his death, he had been engaged in a long-running battle with an Irish Mafia boss over the eviction of squatters from a building he intended to demolish.
Little by little new evidence is found, his home was burgled immediately after the murder, his girlfriend disappeared at the same time, and his computer was scrubbed.
Gradually, a picture emerges of a series of horrific crimes.
With no proof a morally ambiguous side of Stone emerges, one that shocks Dehan to her core.
Unusually for the series there is no clear cut solution, just a partial ending which leaves room for the plot to re-emerge further down the line.
4 Stars.
April 21, 2018
When Stone and Dehan reopen the case of a tramp found in a dumpster 12 years ago. When they notice that the corpse had an expensive haircut and a manicure, they start looking at missing persons and discover that he was a young lawyer who did pro bono work for the down and out. He also helped at the local Catholic church, along with his fiancee, Alicia, who disappeared at about the same time he did. As they dig deeper into the case and discover information that he left, they find suspects in the Irish mob, the Italian mob, and the Catholic diocese itself. Both Stone and Dehan come close to getting killed in this one. Dehan is having trouble dealing with the case because Alicia was her cousin, and the church is the one she was taken to as a child (her mother was Catholic, her father Jewish.) Things get very dark before the end. This was a riveting story - the best so far, in my opinion. I read it in one sitting! Looking forward to the next one.
March 22, 2019
This will be a general review for why I like this series. If I have any specific comments for each book, I will add to it. Here's why I'm liking this series (not in order or importance):
[This is after reading #1-5]
1. Likable MCs that aren't one dimensional
2. Though it is told through Stone's POV, we get a good sense of Dehan
3. Multi-layered, interesting mysteries that are not (IMO) easy to guess and figure out
4. Interesting dynamics between Stone and Dehan. The between them is going to happen (I happened upon the blurb of book #11, LOL) and it plays out really well. Not rushed, natural. I also like how things are written where you can read the subtext and know what is sort of doing on with their thoughts/feelings for each other without it being obvious and shoved in your face.
5. Things are well written and they make for compelling reads. I find myself reading many back to back like binging on a TV series.
[This is after reading #1-5]
1. Likable MCs that aren't one dimensional
2. Though it is told through Stone's POV, we get a good sense of Dehan
3. Multi-layered, interesting mysteries that are not (IMO) easy to guess and figure out
4. Interesting dynamics between Stone and Dehan. The between them is going to happen (I happened upon the blurb of book #11, LOL) and it plays out really well. Not rushed, natural. I also like how things are written where you can read the subtext and know what is sort of doing on with their thoughts/feelings for each other without it being obvious and shoved in your face.
5. Things are well written and they make for compelling reads. I find myself reading many back to back like binging on a TV series.
April 28, 2020
I love this series, the interaction between the two detectives Stone and Dehan, the clever banter, the twists and turns and resourceful investigation. However I am having a few problems with this book. The body count throughout the book is WAY to high for my liking, and there isn't really a satisfactory end in my opinion. Although the case is solved, I cannot quite figure out why The other thing that bugs me is Dehan's personal involvement, and the things being revealed from her past. If Mick Harragan did to her parents what she said, why on earth was she not much more hateful/passionate/aggressive in book number 1 of the series, when they hunted down said Harragan? As a standalone story it would have been plausible, but not in conjunction with book 1.
Anyway, it's still a great story and a page turner, and I enjoyed it. But this time only 4* because of the above.
Anyway, it's still a great story and a page turner, and I enjoyed it. But this time only 4* because of the above.
December 22, 2022
Another entertaining cold case murder mystery from Blake Banner featuring detectives Stone and Dehan of the NYPD.
Reviewing a case involving the body of the tramp found in a dumpster 12 years ago, Stone notices the man's hair, nails and hands are too much better cared for than you would expect of a tramp. After shooting him in the back of the head, the killer must has dressed him up as a tramp so np one would recognise him. It doesn't take Stone long to identify the body of that of a missing lawyer who was working to help a group of vagrants at the time of his death. The case quickly becomes more than just a murder case, involving some powerful evil men, and more killings will occur before it's solved.
This was a quick, satisfying read with two smart detectives who have a good personal relationship and work well together.
Reviewing a case involving the body of the tramp found in a dumpster 12 years ago, Stone notices the man's hair, nails and hands are too much better cared for than you would expect of a tramp. After shooting him in the back of the head, the killer must has dressed him up as a tramp so np one would recognise him. It doesn't take Stone long to identify the body of that of a missing lawyer who was working to help a group of vagrants at the time of his death. The case quickly becomes more than just a murder case, involving some powerful evil men, and more killings will occur before it's solved.
This was a quick, satisfying read with two smart detectives who have a good personal relationship and work well together.
December 12, 2017
THREE OF FIVE in a set I bought - let me say, I read a LOT of mysteries. These EXCEL. I dint have a clue about the end twist, on all five!
personal note, I HATE REVIEWS THAT REGURGITATE STORY LINES - why read the book after reading the spoilers...?
Suffice it to say that this book (and series) is a real page turner, enough to keep ME turning pages as I burned through all five in a row.
This series has a distinct enjoyable feeling of the old tv series Remington Steel and the chemistry between the characters is just phenomenal. Still somewhat unrequited, but that's the energy.
I see there are more books available - gonna go snag them. .. and believe me, there are so may freebie books out there it takes something a little extra to get me to pop ;-)
personal note, I HATE REVIEWS THAT REGURGITATE STORY LINES - why read the book after reading the spoilers...?
Suffice it to say that this book (and series) is a real page turner, enough to keep ME turning pages as I burned through all five in a row.
This series has a distinct enjoyable feeling of the old tv series Remington Steel and the chemistry between the characters is just phenomenal. Still somewhat unrequited, but that's the energy.
I see there are more books available - gonna go snag them. .. and believe me, there are so may freebie books out there it takes something a little extra to get me to pop ;-)
April 30, 2018
This book was not on my TBR list. My wife stayed up all nite Friday night reading it. In the morning she said she was upset because it was the third of a 5 book series. She told me I should read it. Which I did. After 42 years with the woman it is easier to just do it. She was right, it is an excellent thriller. Too many people write a synopsis, and not a review. My wife will do neither. Blake Banner puts a darn good story together. Great character development. But you’d expect that by the third book. Because of pressure all 5 books are now in my library. My dear wife started book 4, ignoring both Mr Banner and myself. But in 42 years my spouse has never admitted being wrong.
She was right, darn good book. She only cried at 3 different parts. I still have no clue.
She was right, darn good book. She only cried at 3 different parts. I still have no clue.
September 30, 2022
3 3/4 Stars rounded up, barely. I enjoy these fast-paced detective novels and this one had a crazy, twisted plot. What I liked: Jones and Dehan and their relationship; the twists and turns; how various elements tie in from previous books in this series, explaining things. What I didn’t like: there are so many incorrectly used words and lack of proper use of adverbs that it was driving me bonkers; this author also consistently writes really awful, stilted and stereotypical dialogue for characters who are poorer or of another heritage (we should all be upset by this); leaps in plot elements hoping we won’t notice. There are certainly things I think are good about this series, but he really needs an editor.
April 5, 2025
I really like the way the characters are developing their professional relationship, but also a friendship. Fingers crossed, it does not get ruined by the obligatory romance that everybody seems to feel has to be in a book. I think they work really well together and this is another great mystery. Discussions of rape and child prostitution are always a little bothersome, and there is some reference to that in here, so be worn. But an unfortunate aspect of life, and in a way it’s interesting to see that there are police officers who are dedicated to closing these cases. I realize this is a work of fiction, but these are the kinds of police officers that are out there, so it is really pretty cool. It’s an interesting story, too.
December 17, 2018
Fast paced book, and I enjoyed it as I love mysteries. Wish that the F bomb did not have to be used so much. It does not enhance the story for me. I also wish that another religion could have been used....some evangelical church! Being Catholic, I know so many good and wonderful priests who help so many people. This just feeds the hatred so many people have of Catholics, in general.
See review above! I think I wrote it in the title portion of the rating. To recap, too many F bomb words. Would have been just as good without them!!!! I never hear or see anyone saying, "I wish the author had used the F bomb more!"
See review above! I think I wrote it in the title portion of the rating. To recap, too many F bomb words. Would have been just as good without them!!!! I never hear or see anyone saying, "I wish the author had used the F bomb more!"
October 14, 2018
Beautifully written crime mystery/ thriller.
I am relatively new to Blake Banner's writing but I am definitely hooked. They are certainly my favourite US based crime stories at the moment. They are the only books I have ever bothered to stop reading to highlight excerpts on my kindle. I love the intelligent dialogue - banter is perhaps the right term to use - between Stone and his partner Dehan. The internal musings of Stone and the descriptive passages are often a delight. I will be reading the rest of the Dead Cold series . Brill.
I am relatively new to Blake Banner's writing but I am definitely hooked. They are certainly my favourite US based crime stories at the moment. They are the only books I have ever bothered to stop reading to highlight excerpts on my kindle. I love the intelligent dialogue - banter is perhaps the right term to use - between Stone and his partner Dehan. The internal musings of Stone and the descriptive passages are often a delight. I will be reading the rest of the Dead Cold series . Brill.
May 16, 2020
Some parts make no sense
I enjoy reading Banners books. She keeps me guessing and at least I can say..yeah that's possible. This book left to many unanswered questions. Really? A priest and a bishop murdering minor girls after sharing them sexually with other perverts and then burying 14 girls all at once under the church lawn!! Banner really blew it with her desire to write a story. She never explained adequately why these characters did what they did. Appears Banner just wanted to jump on the band wagon and make clergy evil.
I enjoy reading Banners books. She keeps me guessing and at least I can say..yeah that's possible. This book left to many unanswered questions. Really? A priest and a bishop murdering minor girls after sharing them sexually with other perverts and then burying 14 girls all at once under the church lawn!! Banner really blew it with her desire to write a story. She never explained adequately why these characters did what they did. Appears Banner just wanted to jump on the band wagon and make clergy evil.
August 1, 2020
Beyond evil, lies indifference.
This is a story about real heroes, real victims, and real tragedy bound by greed, perversion and evil most people cannot even imagine. The story about two young lovers with a passion for doing the right thing and those who prey on the innocent without conscience, is a fast paced thriller with surprises sprinkled throughout the plot. In a mystery, it doesn't get much better than that. If you can stand looking deep into the black hole of human depravity, you will enjoy this book.
This is a story about real heroes, real victims, and real tragedy bound by greed, perversion and evil most people cannot even imagine. The story about two young lovers with a passion for doing the right thing and those who prey on the innocent without conscience, is a fast paced thriller with surprises sprinkled throughout the plot. In a mystery, it doesn't get much better than that. If you can stand looking deep into the black hole of human depravity, you will enjoy this book.
December 19, 2020
Super quick read. I read all 201 pages (Kindle) in just one afternoon. Story had me hooked from page one on. Seems like all of the books in this series are short and quick reads. It's a really wonderful thing to occupy a dark and cold December afternoon. John Stone and Carmen Dehan make a good team. Solving cold cases is their thing. A 12 year old murder case has implications for Carmen that's she's not ready to face. Easily a five star read. Check out this do not miss in a do not miss series. Red books one and two first. To get the whole gist of the plot you kinda must.
May 31, 2022
Garden of the Damned (A Dead Cold Mystery Book 3)
Another case is solved by Detective Carmen Dehan and her old school partner Detective John Stone. Lots of twist in this book involving government officials, the Catholic church/priests and Irish mob members. Discovering their participation in a child porn and sex trafficking business is heartbreaking. But, as folks are eliminated one by one, it seems to be the best outcome as the detectives keep pushing for the truth.
Read 5/31/2022.
Another case is solved by Detective Carmen Dehan and her old school partner Detective John Stone. Lots of twist in this book involving government officials, the Catholic church/priests and Irish mob members. Discovering their participation in a child porn and sex trafficking business is heartbreaking. But, as folks are eliminated one by one, it seems to be the best outcome as the detectives keep pushing for the truth.
Read 5/31/2022.
December 17, 2017
I am enjoying this series. Characters are interesting, if possibly much bigger than life, and acting independently in situations that, in real life, would be extraordinary, if not impossible. However, this is fiction and meant for entertainment.
My major criticism is the poor editing and/or publishing. Many misspellings, misused homonyms, and missing words, which detract from the overall impact and impression.
My major criticism is the poor editing and/or publishing. Many misspellings, misused homonyms, and missing words, which detract from the overall impact and impression.
May 23, 2019
Garden of the dambed:a dead cold mystery/B.Banner
This story kept me riveting to the end. I couldn't put it down . It has so many twist to it , it kept you interested. A few good story how two detectives never have up in their quest to find justice for an sincere attorney who was killed trying to do the right thing. You got the church, the two powerful mafia family. And you got a good writer Banner who knows how to write a good story that kept you intrigue and entertained.
This story kept me riveting to the end. I couldn't put it down . It has so many twist to it , it kept you interested. A few good story how two detectives never have up in their quest to find justice for an sincere attorney who was killed trying to do the right thing. You got the church, the two powerful mafia family. And you got a good writer Banner who knows how to write a good story that kept you intrigue and entertained.
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