Lethal Assumptions, A C.o.P. on the Scene Mystery

by Kassandra Lamb

There's a new female cop on the scene!

Judith Anderson’s no-nonsense attitude and confidence served her well in her climb to homicide lieutenant in the Baltimore County PD, but that confidence is shaken when she finds herself one step behind a serial killer—just eight days into her new job as Chief of Police in a small Florida city.

The first victim, a female college student, may be a case of wrong place, wrong time. But the bodies keep coming, with a mishmash of MOs, and the murders may be linked to various cases in nearby Jacksonville.

While Judith assumed the CoP job would be challenging, she’s finding it harder than she imagined to establish her authority without alienating and be more hands-on without micro-managing. Plus, evidence is stacking up that there’s a leak in her department.

Who can she trust? If she makes the wrong assumption, the wrong decision, it may be her last. In a race to save lives, she’ll draw on every talent and instinct that made her a star in Baltimore.

But will it be enough this time?

Fans of JA Jance’s Sheriff Joanna Brady and JD Robb’s Eve Dallas will love this new female cop on the scene!

310 pages, ebook

Published December 13, 2021

About the author

Psychology and writing (or writing and psychology) have always vied for the number one spot on my list of greatest passions. I am now a retired psychotherapist and can afford to spend as much time as I want on my writing.

I am in Heaven! (Well, actually I live in Florida now.)

Some people have asked me if my protagonist, psychotherapist Kate Huntington, is me. I wish! She's much more consistently kind and compassionate than I am.

I was born and raised in Maryland and lived there most of my adult life. In addition to my psychotherapy practice, I also taught at Towson University for a decade. It was my favorite job of my entire lifetime, so I decided to base my first series, the Kate Huntington mysteries, in Towson, Maryland. My newer series, about a service dog trainer, is set in central Florida near where I live now, the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries.

I blog about psychological topics, or anything else that strikes my fancy, about twice a month at www.misteriopress.com.

Reviews

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! The characters, the mystery and the suspense are perfect. Judith Anderson is the no nonsense brand new Chief of Police of a town in Florida. As she starts her job, learning about her officers and town, there is a serial killer challenging them all.
This story is emotional, both highs and lows, with a variety of real characters. People with strengths and weaknesses, humour and empathy. I have been reading Kassandra's books for a long time and have enjoyed them all. but I think this is going to be the best series yet.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He looked around, slowly shaking his head. 'A serial killer’s one hell of a welcome to Florida for you.'

Ya think? Only 10 days into a new job as Chief of Police, Judith Anderson has literally stumbled on what looks like a long drawn out killing spree that obviously predates her coming on the job. But how could all these victims tie into one killer? And why is her squad so small? The killer, seems to be smart and able to stay under wraps until they get sloppy and Judith and her fellow officers.

All this and she needs to unpack and get settled and learn everybody's name even. Can she trust her team? With a bit of help from old friends, the perpetrator will be found! Highly recommended 5/5

[ Disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily read and reviewed it]

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and sincerely hope there will be more! Humanized police procedural - not all violence and gore.

Judith, a newly hired chief of police, walks a fine line of getting the job done while learning what her team is capable of. Cagney meets Captain Rador meets Jane Rizzoli

[Liz Boeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first in series police procedural is a powerful story with deeply layered characters. I loved the main character, a big city detective who has taken the lead of a small-town police department. This is a gritty, stark story, that does not skimp on making the humanity of the characters the star.

[Kassandra Lamb]

I am so pleased by the early response to this first book in my new series. Like all my stories, this one is character-driven. Indeed, although this police procedural series is a little bit darker than my previous books, these will still be much more about the characters and the mysteries, not so much about gore and violence.

If you'd like to check out this new book, here are the places you can grab an ecopy:
AMAZON UNIVERSAL: http://hyperurl.co/c1g4ta
APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id159...
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/leth...
NOOK: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leth...
GOOGLE PLAY: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...

(Note: as is the case with all of my series, each book will have a complete mystery. Although the characters grow and evolve during the course of the series, there are no cliffhangers.)

Thanks so much for your support!!
Kass Lamb

[Lando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kassandra Lamb’s new Police Procedural, Lethal Assumptions

Judith Anderson is the new Police Chief of a small Florida town, (think female Jesse Stone.) Before she even gets her office chair warm, it becomes apparent that a serial killer is operating in her jurisdiction. Not only does she need to ferret out the bad guy, but at the same time, she needs to get to know her team. Who can she trust and depend on in a crunch? She finds out.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook with AI-generated voices. There was a greater distinction between the voices of the characters than one would expect from a human narrator. The story is great, with believable characters, mystery, and action. I highly recommend it.

[Pernette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lethal Assumptions, A C.o.P. on the Scene Mystery #1 by Kassandra Lamb is a slight departure from most of her books. I like this side of her fiction. It is a little darker and shows the criminal side of human behavior. I enjoyed Judith's thoughts on being the new Chief of Police, from answering the phones to relationships with her police department, politicians other LEOs, and friends. Not to mention a serial killer when she hasn't even been the Chief for 2 weeks. This is a spinoff of the Kate Huntington series and I enjoyed that series immensely. I am looking forward to a sequel. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Anderson is the newest Chief of Police for Starling. She thought a small town would be better for her and help her get over the things that happened in the 'big city'. But she has a lot of things to learn not only about the job, but her new subordinates. It doesn't help that there is a serial killer in town, plus someone is leaking information out that only detectives and herself know. Who can she trust when she doesn't really know anyone yet? A great beginning of a series! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[E.L. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Anderson leaves the hustle and bustle of Baltimore County, Maryland for a small Florida city hoping to slow the pace of her life. Named as the new Chief of Police, she is ready to start her new job. Except there seems to be a crime spree in progress - a deadly spree. Kassandra Lamb has created a wonderful, realistic heroine in Anderson, who presses on in spite of the situation and keeps the reader guessing from chapter to chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more books in this series.

I received a copy of the book from the author.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous start to a new series! This one is much more “thrilling” than some of her other work and I absolutely loved it. Suspense, plot twists, engaging complex characters and multiple murders combine with expert storytelling to make this book hard to put down. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the more from these characters. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in a new series.

Judith, a mature, intelligent and no nonsense female Chief of Police in a small town is finding her way in a new job .

Before she has a chance to unpack or become acquainted with her new team, bodies begin to pile up. Is this a serial killer?

There are twists in the plot that keeps you guessing as to who can be trusted, who is the killer and is this really the best place for Judith to live?

I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Anderson has moved from Maryland to Florida to be the Chief of Police in a small town. Before she gets to know her team she is pulled into a serial killer case. This is a fantastic start to a new series. We get to meet the team and their personalities. There are plenty of twists and turns as the investigation develops. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Marie Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great first book in a new series. I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait for the next story. It was great to spend time with Judith in a totally new role. I definitely recommend it. However, try not to have too many interruptions when you read it.

[Rita Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was more language than I cared for and I wasn't thrilled that she had one of the cops as gay. The storyline was gripping

[Jack Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

A great opening to a new series. Good characterisation, well paced story and plenty of twists. I will certainly be buying Book 2 asap.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new series by a favorite author. Loved everything about this book! And look forward to more books in the series. Thanks for yet another great book!

[Mark Latour]

an all right procedural from a new point of view

[Jolene MacFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

New series is a winner to me

finally was able to finish reading one book this quarter. Thankfully it was this one. Excellent story line. Kept me guessing all through till the end. Nice job and looking forward to more of the same