Cold As Ice by Mark Gilroy - REVIEWED

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Cold As Ice by MARK GILROY

About the Book: What can go wrong on a run on in Central Park on your last day of vacation? Even if it is brutally cold? Everyone told Detective Kristen Conner to stay inside, which guaranteed she would go outside—and stumble onto a gang murder that puts her in the cross-hairs of a Russian “Red Mafyia” hit man. 

Back in Chicago, murder strikes closer to home. Just down the street from where her mom lives, a popular schoolteacher, solid citizen, and great guy—he shovels snow for widows and volunteers to work with underprivileged kids—is found dead. It was supposed to look like an accident, but crime scene investigators discover more than one killing blow to the back of his head. 

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 . . . someone you know and love. But his wife? The nice lady down the street. How could that be possible? Kristen is about to discover there is more violence beneath the surface of the working-class neighborhood she grew up than she ever dreamed possible. 

She’s also about to discover that when the Red Mafyia wants you dead, there is no place to hide. You better be ready to fight. Mix in her on-again, off-again relationship with FBI Agent Austin Reynolds, and Kristen Conner is once again swept into a world of danger, intrigue, and a confusing love life.
My Thoughts:

“I have to stop going out in the cold.”  (Kristen Conner – Chicago Police)

Cold As Ice is the third installment of Mark Gilroy’s Kristen Conner Mystery series.   This book served as my introduction to the series, but I have a feeling that most of Kristen’s r career as a member of the Chicago Police Department is a combination of wily skills and being in the right place at the wrong time.  Her early morning run certainly landed her in the midst of a very dangerous series of events that spiraled out of control in a hurry! 

Kristen is a very easy-to-get-to-know person in spite of her self-proclaimed lack of relational skills.  She stays in a constant state of unrest, because she is constantly misunderstanding or over-thinking practically every single situation in her life.  From her mother, to her sisters to her co-workers, Kristen can’t seem to find a measure of peace about who she is and what purpose she serves in the lives of those she cares about most.  I kind of feel sorry for her some of the time, because relationships of any kind are so difficult for her.  I think Kristen longs for someone to ground her in life, and yet she keeps everyone, including God, at arms’ length.  After some of the loss and trauma she’s faced, it’s not too surprising, but even she has a hard time recognizing her self-imposed isolation.

Yet it is this very aspect of her personality that serves to protect her from the evil she encounters in her job at the Chicago Police Department.  As random as she seems to stumble into trouble, Kristen is very good at her job, and she garners the highest respect and admiration from her team members.  She has a very good method of intuition that enables her to discern inconsistencies in the stories she hears from the criminals’ whose lives impact her own. 

Kristen has experienced her share of trauma and loss during her lifetime, and at the point I encountered her, she was longing for a family of her own.  I look forward to seeing what Mark Gilroy has planned for Kristen’s future!  I am happy to recommend this series to everyone!

About the Author:

Mark "M.K." Gilroy is a 30-plus-year publishing veteran, having worked in just about every area of the industry, from his first job as a sports writer for a local newspaper while in college to proof reader, occasional box packer, vice president of editorial and marketing, publisher, and everything in between.

When not writing Detective Kristen Conner novels, he creates projects for publishers, retailers, ministries, and businesses as a freelance publisher.

Gilroy's debut novel, CUTS LIKE A KNIFE, quickly garnered critical acclaim and is a tribute to his love for character-driven mysteries and thrillers. His second novel featuring Detective Kristen Conner, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE, has received similar accolades. The third Kristen Conner novel, COLD AS ICE, hits the market soon.

Gilroy's education includes the BA in Biblical Literature and Speech Communications, the M.Div, and the MBA.

Gilroy is the father of six children. He resides with his wife Amy in Brentwood, Tennessee.