FREEZER BURN - D.H. Dublin
Berkley Books
ISBN: 978-0-425-22194-5
June 2008
Suspense

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Present Day

Madison Cross is the newbie at the C.S.U. (Crime Scene Unit) in Philadelphia. She has worked here as a technician for nine months. The teasing that she endures doesn’t bother her. Her boss Lieutenant Cross, aka Uncle Dave, makes sure she doesn’t get special treatment, and that is the way Madison wants it. Only one of the detectives gives her a bad time, and that is Detective Vince Fenton or, as he is called, cold case Fenton. Fenton makes it clear to Madison that he has clout, but his only link to influence is his cousin, Deputy Commissioner Harold Fenton. Seems nepotism is alive and well, but Madison has her allies. The detectives and investigators recognize that Madison knows her job. Tony Parker, one of the investigators for C.S.U. has taken Madison under his wing. When Madison works with Tony, she often takes the lead at a crime scene and Tony steps back to monitor her work.

Madison’s week starts off with a bang. She finds herself running from one crime scene to the next. A drug house is set on fire on Oxford Street with six casualties. The Schuylkill Expressway is Madison’s next stop. A young male body has been thrown from a moving car onto the expressway, and now traffic is at a standstill. While there, she gets called to Bucknell Street, where a sanitation worker has found a trash bag filled with body parts. To make Madison’s day worse, Detective Vince Fenton arrives on scene at the expressway, insults her and leaves. Madison can’t help but wonder, is there a full moon?

Chief Matt Boone’s week is not starting out any better than Madison’s. The night before there was a rolling gunfight between two cars, with one dead body left behind. This type of problem doesn’t happen in the small town of Lawson. When he discovers the car abandoned at the scene was stolen from Philadelphia, he calls his friend, Lieutenant Cross, for some help in processing the scene. Uncle Dave gets a glint in his eye, and decides to send Madison along with Detective Tate Johnson to help the Chief. Madison feels irritated until she meets Chief Boone. Something clicks between these two, and Madison likes it.

The action doesn’t stop as FREEZER BURN racks up the bodies. Madison is sassy and street smart, plus she doesn’t let the disdain from cold case Fenton bother her. Madison puts her life on the line when she finds evidence that these murders are linked. When the organized crime unit takes over the cases, they ask for her and Chief Boone’s help. Can Madison work with the handsome chief and keep herself safe? Or will work get in the way?

Jonathan McGoran, aka D. H. Dublin, has crafted a fast-paced, action-packed story. The characters are well defined, and the plot is wild, full of unexpected twist and turns that will keep the reader immersed in the story. FREEZER BURN is the third in this series, but can stand on its own merit. As much as I was mesmerized with FREEZER BURN, I find myself looking forward to reading the two prior books in this series, BODY TRACE and BLOOD POISON. D.H. Dublin delivers the goods. Turn the TV off and get yourself comfortable; you will enjoy FREEZER BURN.

Deborah C Jackson