I haven’t read any of the other books in this series but I also feel you don’t need to, as Detective Katie Scott is a well established character from the start. There’s a little  bit of backstory but just to give you some background and that’s all that is needed. 

The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the need for the killer to try and wipeout everyone connected to the case, it seemed a bit needless to have all the death. 

The case and the cold case were interesting, especially when it was worked out they were linked. Unfortunately the killer was exactly who I thought it would be because although they try and move away from it, it was obvious. 

However, it was a really enjoyable story. It’s clear that the forensics and dog-training side of the story are well researched, I ended up getting lost in the story as I really wanted to know who the killer was! I wanted to see if I’d got it right or not. 

Katie is a great detective, she’s great friends with her colleagues and everyone felt like a family. It was nice to read them bonding between the grittiness of the crime. 

4/5 stars

I would recommend.
I’m tempted to go back and read the others now