Stone
Cold Heart by
Laura Griffin brings suspense to the forefront, sprinkled
with some romance. The Tracer series shows the different aspects
of CSI investigators, where each book highlights the approach
to solving a crime.
Griffin
noted, "I have been fascinated by this field for a number
of years. I have read a lot of books and interviewed those
in the field. The inspiration is a research center in Central
Texas that helped me to come up with the fictional Delphi
Center Forensic Lab. The heroine, Sara, is a bone expert that
can identify the type of bone and then uses it to unravel
the murder. Her field is somewhat like an archeologist, but
with a crime-solving twist. She gets called in when bones
are found, or the decomposition of the body is so advanced
that identification cannot happen. They can identify the difference
between human and animal bones. They can also use the bones
to see if the cause of death was violent or from natural causes."
Sara
Lockhart is a forensic anthropologist with the Delphi Crime
Center in Texas. She is called in after human bones are found
in a park by police detective Nolan Hess. He wonders if these
are the bones of a local teenage climber who vanished a year
ago. The mystery ratchets up when more remains are found.
After more bones are discovered, Sara and Nolan race against
time to find the serial killer before he abducts, tortures
and kills more young women.
"I
wrote Sara as someone committed and smart, much like her father.
He was in the Coast Guard, and like him, she has a mission
to bring closure to families whose loved ones are missing.
This story starts with hikers discovering bones in a gorge.
Sara is trying to provide answers for this family because
they are unable to grieve and are stuck in this limbo. I wrote
this book quote, ‘(Sara) couldn't imagine the nightmare
of having a child disappear and going without answers for
many months or years. The discovery of bones was the reason
to hope.' She can be headstrong, pretty, assertive professionally,
a science expert, thorough, dedicated, and empathetic."
During
the investigation, Sara and Nolan become attracted to each
other. Nolan is a workaholic who is well-known for his integrity
and compassion. As a detective, he has great insight and judgment.
While Sara has turned into a loner, wanting nothing more than
to solve cases. She is strong, independent, and a workaholic
that tries to avoid relationships. Although intelligent, spunky,
dedicated, and willing to forge her own career path, she is
the direct opposite when it comes to getting close to someone.
Readers
will be on the edge of their seats as the mystery unravels.
The search to find the serial killer is riveting and as an
added bonus, Griffin develops an intriguing connection between
Sara and Nolan.
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