Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Back in Black
SERIES: McGinnis Investigations #1
AUTHOR: Rhys Ford
NARRATOR: Greg Tremblay
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 7 hours, 2 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2020
BLURB:
There are eight million stories in the City of Angels but only one man can stumble upon the body of a former client while being chased by a pair of Dobermans and a deranged psycho dressed as a sheep.
That man is Cole McGinnis.
Since his last life-threatening case years ago, McGinnis has married the love of his life, Jae-Min Kim, consulted for the LAPD, and investigated cases as a private detective for hire. Yet nothing could have prepared him for the shocking discovery of a dead, grandmotherly woman at his feet and the cascade of murders that follows, even if he should have been used to it by now.
Now he’s back in the dark world of murder and intrigue where every bullet appears to have his name on it and every answer he digs up seems to only create more questions. Hired by the dead woman’s husband, McGinnis has to figure out who is behind the crime spree. As if the twisted case of a murdered grandmother isn’t complicated enough, Death is knocking on his door, and each time it opens, Death is wearing a new face, leaving McGinnis to wonder who he can actually trust.
REVIEW:
Cole McGinnis is back (in trouble)! I was so happy when Rhys Ford announced there would be more books in the McGinnis universe. I read the original series years ago when I was still new to the genre. It’s nostalgic and comforting, so when Back in Black was released I couldn’t wait to listen to it.
I think you could read or listen to this book even if you haven’t read the Cole McGinnis series since the high point of it are summarised. But I also think that it’s a good idea to start from the beginning so that you can pick up the importance of certain things.
True to form when we catch up with Cole he’s running from trouble from his latest surveillance case. A surveillance case that turns into a murder investigation. You know, just like things go whenever Cole is near. This is a fast paced tale about betrayal, love, murder and theft. The mystery might be on the more convoluted and over the top side, but it’s still entertaining. And the most important; I had a lot of fun being back with them all.
I loved being back in this world, spending time with old friends. There is a different feel to this series, well this book at least. The romance and relationships have taken a backseat for the investigation side of things. They are still there in all their glory, but they aren’t to main focus anymore. I don’t mind this at all. I love Cole & Jae, Bobby & Ichi, Claudia and the rest of them, but I’m also a sucker for mysteries and police procedurals, and I was all over this book.
Greg Tremblay did it again. He brought Cole and the gang to life. We ran with him from the dogs, hid behind the cars during the gun fights, and were torn apart when Ichi tore into him. He has so many different voices for all of the characters, main and otherwise. They are also consistent throughout the series (original one) so it’s easy to identify the speaker by the voice alone. Tremblay is as much a part of this world as Cole. They are magic together, and makes it impossible to stop listening.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Rhys Ford and Greg Tremblay are the perfect match and I can’t wait for more.
RATING: 
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