Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Broadway Butchery

SERIES:  Memento Mori

AUTHOR:  C.S. Poe

PUBLISHER:  Emporium Press

LENGTH:  311 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 22, 2023

BLURB:

The Cold Case Squad of the NYPD is overworked, understaffed, but receiving great press due to star detective Everett Larkin. His uncanny memory and Holmesian-like skills of deduction have already led to the capture of one serial killer. Now he’s identified a second predator and brought an end to their twenty-plus year reign of terror.

Routine construction at a Broadway souvenir shop leads to the discovery of a mummified woman in the wall. And when Larkin receives a mysterious VHS tape that same night, he knows it’s no coincidence. Expecting a Victorian mourning artifact to surface in this new mystery, Larkin wastes no time turning to boyfriend Ira Doyle of the Forensic Artists Unit for help.

A web of nameless victims, countless suspects, and endless lies drag Larkin and Doyle deep into the gritty past of Times Square, reopening painful wounds and testing the fortitude of their relationship. And all the while, someone is watching, biding their time until they can make Everett Larkin nothing… but a memory.

REVIEW:

Note:  This is the third book in this series and is NOT  a standalone.

Larkin is called into a cold case.  He’s also sent a mystery box – again from the same culprit as the previous taunts.  “The Sender” is playing with him.  When this case ties to his other cases, he and Doyle are in a race against time to find the killer(s) and also to unmask whoever this mystery person is who keeps reaching out.  I don’t way to say anything else about this mystery because I think it’s best left to be read without prejudice by the reader.  But suffice to say it’s another rollercoaster ride for our two heroes?  Anti-heroes?  And it is well worth the time to read it.  Fantastic story telling 😀

I’m not sure what else I can say about this series.  This new book is just soooo good.  In soooo many ways.  The mystery.  The setting.  The period details.  The relationship between Larkin and Doyle.  While I had some suspicions about the culprits and how this was going, but I was wrong on a lot of counts.  Do not go into this thinking you will have all the answers 😉  The chase is really setting us up here though.  This series is truly one of the best mystery series out there.  The difference with this series to others is the relationship dance between our two protagonists.  Doyle’s past is being revealed slowly through each case Ira and Evie are working.  And the fact that they are all connected and leading them on a merry chase to find out who is truly the mastermind taunting Larkin is really rather thrilling a sort of macabre way.  Each twist and turn leads us not only to solving cold case murders, uncovering serial killers and adding new accolades for Larkin, but we also learn a lot about Ira Doyle and why he is the man he is.  Then there is Everett’s impending divorce, his attempt to stop self-medicating to the extreme and still be able to deal with his HSAM – literally remembering every single detail and feeling of his life since his TBI.  (As an aside, this is a fascinating topic about which not much is known but very interesting research.)  The way that these cases since book one tie together relies on Larkin’s ability to never forget and piece things together.  But “the sender” is still taunting Larkin and the stakes keep getting higher.  Larkin and Doyle are in this together.  Their relationship is more solid but still building.  I loved how the author has brought them together and how Everett and Ira are both dedicated to making things work – despite of or maybe because of the complexity of their lives and experiences.

Another absolutely incredible aspect of this series is the attention to detail and genuine love of New York City – both today and in the past.  Ira’s knowledge of death ritual and mourning across eras is staggering.  His artistic ability and how he uses that to solve cases is fascinating.  The seedy environment of Times Square in the 70s and 80s – so different to today is a marvel.  The rivalry between NYPD and FDNY?  It’s there too 🙂  It’s like New York City is the third Main Character in this series and as a fan of this great city, I am there for it.  If you haven’t read this series, start now!!  It’s so good.  I’m confident this book will be in my best of the year once again – as it has been the past two years.  It’s just a real gem.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon