First and foremost, a large thank you to Lara Coates for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Lara Coates is back with another Australian police procedural that doubles as a psychological thriller. It’s sure to keep the reader up well into the night discovering every detail that makes this new series one to watch. The Cash Life Club is the most elite collective in all of Melbourne, quite possibly the world. The Club’s motto, “pay with cash…or your life” is as literal as it comes, where members front a massive fee to bid on human ‘items’ and then orchestrate a torture session of their dreams. As long as fees are paid, there are no problems… for now. Detective Sergeant Will Carson is enjoying a rare day off when he gets a cold call from a woman who wishes to report her husband missing. While Carson works strictly homicide, he placates the woman and agrees to make a few calls before booting things off to Missing Persons. As the case of Andrew West turns up some oddities, Carson thinks little of it and remains focussed on some work of his own. His interest is piqued when one of his fellow detectives fails to show up for work and has a highly encrypted phone at his home, much like Mr. West. DS Carson cannot put his finger on it, but there’s something out of sorts and he’s not able to shake it. Trying to clear his head, DS Carson takes a trip out of town and meets a lovely young woman, developing an instant spark and budding romance, though it appears they cannot agree on its depth. Work always seems to get in the way and the discussion gets derailed at the worst possible moment. A gentleman arrives at the precinct demanding to speak to DS Carson, promising that he has essential information. Carson soon learns of the Cash Life Club and how this man is both a member and their next target, all because he has not been able to settle his debts. After giving DS Carson the full story on the Club and its sadistic goings-on, all efforts are made to locate its whereabouts and stop things before they get even more out of hand. As the story comes to its climactic moment, much is revealed about Will Carson and the lengths he will go to protect those he loves. A stunning follow-up to her debut thriller, Coates educates and entertains in equal measure, while leaving the reader felling disgusted in the best possible way. Recommended to those who love their psych thrillers as raw as possible, as well as the reader who enjoys a quick and gritty procedural.
I stumbled upon Lara Coates early in 2020 and devoured her debut novel in a single day, much as I did with this piece. The story here is paced so well that the reader will likely not want to stop once they get into the groove, particularly with the first and final ten chapters that take things to the next level. With DS Will Carson back in the protagonist’s seat, there is much to enjoy about his character. Touching on a backstory buried in Los Angeles with the FBI, Carson has fled twelve thousand kilometres to start a new life and hit the reset button. Heading up the Homicide Squad, he uses his superior policing skills to locate any killer that crosses his professional path without becoming too high and mighty. Always up for a little ribbing, Carson is affable and eager to engage with others on a social level. As Coates shows, he’s also willing to let down his wall enough to show a little romantic side, but don’t expect too much all at once. Some of the other characters within this piece as just as alluring, though not for the same reasons. Coates creates them to fuel the various plot lines she has germinating and keeps the reader guessing how they might fit into the larger storylines that gain momentum throughout. The story is like few others I have read in a long while, compacting a great deal in short order. Coates is able to push some of the most graphic and depraved incidents between chapters of wonderful police work, keeping the reader guessing where things will go and how DS Carson will find an opening through which he can crack the case. Use of the quick chapter helps to propel the story forward and leaves the reader demanding more, devouring pages until there is some resolution. Lara Coates leaves it all on the page with the last ten chapters, which opens the reader’s eyes and creates a cliffhanger that will need at least one more novel to resolve. I cannot wait for more by Lara Coates as she makes her impression on the genre, both within her native Australia and around the world!
Kudos, Madam Coates, for another sensational book. Will Carter is a fabulous character and you have crafted him so well that I cannot wait for what else you have in store for him.
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
Book Reviews to Ponder 