A Matter of Blood by Catherine MaoirisiA Matter of Blood by Catherine Maiorisi is an NYPD thriller featuring an ostracized Detective and her new partner.

Detective Chiara Corelli is one of the good guys. Fresh from an undercover operation where she exposed a number of her fellow NYPD Officers as corrupt, Corelli is quickly discovering trust is something earned… and lost. With no one prepared to watch her back, Corelli is facing desk duty. That is, until P.J. Parker comes along. Parker desperately wants to be a homicide detective. So desperate that she will even consider working with Corelli when no one else will. And Corelli is the best, so Parker finds it difficult to say no to her new “assignment” as Corelli’s partner and protector.

When assigned to a brutal murder, Corelli and Parker find themselves drawn into a web of corruption and lies that places Corelli’s family firmly in the sights of dirty cops determined to take revenge. Can they put their differences aside and join together to solve the murder and put away the dirtiest cops at the top of the ladder?

The Characters

Chiara Corelli is a woman who, if she was anyone else, would probably be completely broken. But Detective Corelli is not an ordinary woman. Like the proverbial diamond in the rough, Catherine Maiorisi slowly digs away at her lead, revealing piece by piece an exceptional character with so much to fall in love with. Strength, courage and smarts, Chiara Corelli will likely have you swooning before the end of this book. Thank goodness there’s going to be a sequel!!

[tweetthis]“I’m your special assignment. The deal is, we work homicides, you watch my back, and I train you.”[/tweetthis]

P.J. Parker is a newly minted detective with everything to lose if she doesn’t agree to work with Det. Corelli. Parker comes across as sweet and a touch naïve, but with her history as an ADA, her obvious intelligence and her desire to succeed, P.J. Parker brings plenty to the table. You get the sense Parker would be an immensely loyal partner and friend, and she is definitely someone I would want on my team!

The peripheral characters are an entertaining lot. I was particularly fond of the dynamic between Corelli’s family, which is your typical Italian American family. The more I read of them, the more I liked them.

The Writing Style

This book was a long time in the pipeline for Catherine Maiorisi, and it shows. The pacing is perfect, and there has clearly been a lot of work done over a long period on making sure that everything is just right. As a result, this is a really easy read that will hold your interest until the final page.

[tweetthis]She felt as if she had swallowed a hallucinatory drug, her feelings surging and swelling unexpectedly right beneath the surface, her senses heightened.[/tweetthis]

The Pros

I loved the backstory of Corelli. I also found the foreword from Maiorisi really interesting. Brett was originally written to be a male character, but she reads perfectly as a woman!! This is a really entertaining book, with lots of potential for more Corelli/Parker stories to come!

The Cons

None. Just a great read all round.

The Conclusion

For an obvious labour of love for Maiorisi, this book has very little self-indulgent writing. The characters are well fleshed out and relatable, with terrific chemistry between the leads and a great story line. There is nothing in this book that doesn’t need to be there, and it was a pleasure to read from start to finish. My only gripe is that number 2 in the series is not out yet!!

[tweetthis]Did that lazy ass just call me Mata Hari? Corelli leaned in the window. “What did you say?”[/tweetthis]

Excerpt from A Matter of Blood by Catherine Maiorisi

She lifted her chin in the direction of the slender, chestnut brown woman standing near the coffeepot. “Who’s the fashion plate by the window?” The sophisticated haircut, the tan designer pantsuit, the red silk shirt, and the fancy leather bag slung over her shoulder were more appropriate for a high-priced law firm than the rough-and-tumble life of a detective. But her eyes, the almost imperceptible bulge at her waist, and the sensible black shoes said cop.

Dietz spoke softly. “Detective Penelope Jasmine Parker. Rich girl and former assistant district attorney turned cop, saved a Harlem family of five from a crazed shooter and made detective a couple weeks ago.”

“Jeez, I hope she didn’t break a nail.” Parker. Shit. Chief of Detectives Harry Broderick had set the terms for her being back on the job. Either be glued to the hip with a new detective, P.J. Parker, or be chained to a desk. No contest there. Parker won hands down.

 

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Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781594935718
  • Publisher: Bella Books

Catherine Maiorisi Online

 

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The Killing Ground by Syd Parker

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: I received a free review copy of A Matter of Blood by Catherine Maiorisi. No money was exchanged for this review.