“There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I’ve read many books by Chris Owens and enjoyed every single one of them.
Cortland Strang is a homicide detective investigating a new murder that was stumbled upon by the victim’s neighbor, off duty Computer Crimes Detective Patrick Gallagher. The two aren’t familiar with one another since they work in different departments on the force. After talking about the scene for awhile they exchange phone numbers, you know, just in case. You just feel the attraction they have for one another jump off the page. And later that evening a chance meeting at the precinct gym, these two get hot and steamy in the sauna room.
I loved going along with Cort while he investigated the murder, interviewing the victim’s co-workers, his boss, and trying to get in touch with his sister. On the Clock is a straight forward detective story with old fashioned legwork without a lot of twists and turns, but it is far from predictable. The question of who did it keeps you on your toes that whole time.
Cort asks Gallagher for his assistance on this case since the victim was working from home on his computer. Cyber crime is Gallagher’s area of expertise, so he’s happy to help. I enjoyed reading about the whole process of what it takes to recreate a person’s online footprint. The author did a great job of explaining the steps on how things worked in collecting evidence from a computer, especially for those who aren’t really tech savvy, like myself. They were able to determine of the victim’s personality and habits by using the victim’s search, download, and chat history. There were also clues as to who would want the victim dead. I found it all fascinating. And Cort and Gallagher worked so well together without stepping on each other’s toes. You sense the respect they have for each other.
This story is a glimpse in the life of Cort. It mainly focuses on the murder investigation. The budding relationship between Cort and Gallagher is on the sideline, but you see these two develop what I believe is going to be something long-lasting. When they get together it’s intense; they just fit.
This is a murder mystery with a splash of romance. An enjoyable fast paced read. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by: Lynn
You can buy On the Clock here: