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Gruesome murders, a dash of romance, and intricate forensic details make this third installment in the C.S.U. series a must read for police procedural fans.

It’s hard for me to find a serial that I truly enjoy enough to keep reading. I seem to tire of characters and cookie cutter scenarios more quickly than most readers. When it comes to police procedurals, I have a hard time finding novels that don’t play out like an episode of CSI or Law and Order, or some other police/legal thrillers. As a former a journalist, it’s tough for me to get past some of the oh-so-obvious blunders of writers who did far too little research into police investigations, chain custody or courtroom antics.

D.H. Dublin is a cut above many other authors in this mystery subgenre. His Crime Scene Unit Investigation series offers up incredibly authentic details on evidence gathering and processing, and his protagonist, Madison Cross, is a rookie who is at a crossroads in her life. Dublin proves that he can keep the series real and interesting with his latest thrill ride, Freezer Burn.

Madison Cross’ past blunders with superiors have left her off a major crime scene investigation. She gets sent to several gruesome murder scenes throughout Philadelphia. They seem to be either weird or gang related, but not connected. But the brass got it wrong. Instead of keeping Cross out of the limelight, they’ve put her in the middle of an evil conspiracy involving organized crime, gang violence and greedy, power-hungry killers.

Dublin has hit his stride in this tightly-crafted novel. You won’t be able to put it down – and you won’t see where it’s going until the very last few pages. Dublin expertly pulls together all through threads carefully placed throughout to bring the reader to the explosive end. Heroine Madison Cross is starting to come into her own. We first met her in Body Trace, after she gave up her budding medical career and fiancé to move back home to Philly, where personal demons still haunt her. Now, Cross is starting to move through the crossroads of her life. There is incredible potential for where that will lead throughout the series.

Be sure you read carefully. There are several murder victims to track throughout, and it would be easy to get lost if you aren’t paying attention.

If you haven’t already, check out the C.S.U. series. I recommend you read them in order to see the character development and get to know Cross’ family history. Other books in the series include Body Trace, and Blood Poison. 

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