The Chill of Night by James Hayman

Synopsis from Goodreads: Glamorous young Portland attorney Lainie Goff thought she had it all —brains, beauty, and a fast-track to a partnership in a top-ranked firm that was going to make her rich. But then one cold winter night she pushed things too far, and her naked frozen body is found in the sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier.

The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night.

With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost.

My thoughts:  This summer has been full of new to me authors.  I had never heard of James Hayman before reading the synopsis of The Chill of Night.  I am rediscovering several genres and had a great experience with my most recent foray into suspense with The Last Track so I thought that I'd give this one a try.   When I heard that it was the second novel featuring Detective McCabe I was worried that I was going to be lost. I had absolutely nothing to worry about, this book is easily read as a stand alone. I found myself wishing I knew Detective McCabe a little better so maybe that is what I was missing by not having read The Cutting.  I thought that The Chill of Night was absolutely riveting.  I had a hard time putting it down each time I picked it up.

I was sure that I knew who the killer was at several points in the story and I was wrong at each point.  I love it when an author can stump me, it makes the book worth reading.  I will issue a word of caution.  There are some very graphic descriptions throughout story so beware of those.

If you read the synopsis you know that Lainie is the murder victim.  It was interesting to me that Hayman lets the reader get to know a bit about Lanie before she is killed.  I thought that this helped me to become invested in the outcome of the investigation, she's not just another corpse.

James Hayman writes a thrilling tale in which you actually care about the characters and want to know what happens to them after you put the book down.  I've never really thought of myself as a fan of thriller/suspenseful novels, until now. Looking on James Hayman's website I didn't see any indication of a third McCabe novel in the works, but I hope that Hayman does write one.  Until he does I will have to pick up The Cutting to satisfy my desire for more.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful read with interesting characters.  This one will appeal to men and women alike, but is absolutely for mature readers.  This one will be making the rounds to to friends and family. 

Edited to Add:  I just saw a post over at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers that there will be a third novel!!