In The Line of Duty by Carolyn Arnold may not be the action packed, in your face suspense and danger that I love so much, but I do enjoy learning about the step by step procedures of a murder investigation, especially when it is one of their own…and the impact it has on the characters personal lives.

Carolyn Arnold has done her research, including the impact the media has on an investigation. I, too, think they dwell too much on the bad, never telling the whole story.

Madison is a detective with the Stiles Police Department and Troy, her boyfriend, is a member of their SWAT team. Their relationship takes a direct hit. Both of them were friends of the murdered officer, but Troy had grown up with him, been his best man and was the godfather of his children.

Troy’s nickname for Madison is Bulldog. She is tenacious, aggressive and determined, sometimes forgetting to eat and sleep. She’s like the energizer bunny, she doesn’t stop. Just the type of person you would want working your case, if you had one.

It takes a real knack to figure out who’s lying, who’s telling the truth, getting the information they need from uncooperative suspects and witnesses and Madison is like a dog with a bone, her mind putting the puzzle together, piece by piece.

I think their situation could actually be a benefit to their relationship if they could let the old baggage go, knock down some walls, and use the knowledge of the nature of the beast, their work, to overcome some of the bumps in the road sure to come their way. Imagine if you were the other half and not a police officer…their late nights, not knowing where they are and what they are doing, and the danger, never knowing if the car they pull over will have a criminal that will blow them away rather than be taken.

I became invested in the characters, even the most peripheral, because they all had their place in the story. Some were good, some were bad, but they all have a ring of truth to them. The police kept their cool, when they could have gunned down the suspects and got away with it. The bad guys did what bad guys do, lie and muddle the investigation.

I do like some humor with my danger and Carolyn Arnold supplied it. Madison and her partner Terry are quite a team and I look forward to more adventures with them

In The Line Of Duty by Carolyn Arnold rings of truth and realism, the slow and steady investigation into the murder of one of their own. I loved following each thread of the mystery, unraveling it a strand at a time, veering this way and that, eliminating one thread only to find another.

I only figured it out right before she told and I LOVE IT! Carolyn Arnold had to break it down for me. That is so rare, that I can only bow down and say I’m not worthy.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of In The Line of Duty by Carolyn Arnold. ( )

A hard hitting, emotional novel which covers the true meaning of comradeship and team spirit. When an off duty policeman is shot dead at a petrol station it causes ructions and resentment throughout the station. The loss of a close colleague stirs the full range of emotions from anger to sorrow. It also tears the relationship within the investigation squad to pieces.

The excellent descriptive writing brings the characters to life and the most impressive part of it is the human element that is protrayed and will touch the heartstrings of the reader. The investigation route takes us on a roller coaster of ride through a page turning twister of a thriller. You get a real feeling of what it is like to work and live in a close community like the police force, where everyone knows each others families and the tragedy runs deep.

A riveting read and if you like a thriller you need to read this book. ( )