The Pain of Strangers: Killing Them Since 1987 (CSI Eddie Collins Book 1)

The Pain of Strangers is the new first book in the Eddie Collins CSI series set in Leeds, England. It is part of a series that already have other installments published. The interesting thing about this book is that there is another original first book previously published under the title The Third Rule, which is quite different from the rest of the installments. The author decided that it is a good time to “reinvent” Eddie Collins so he would be introduced to us in a brilliant way through The Pain of Strangers and to fit better with the rest of the books about him, and he did it pretty well.

We are reading about CSI Eddie Collins (a beautifully built character) who is complicated, ironic, honest, hardworking, dedicated to his work, and angry most of the time. He is doing everything he can to help in easing the pain of strangers, even at the cost of losing his family. we are having a lot of characters who are fascinating, some evil, other victims, some repulsive.

When a wannabe gangster robs an old man, Eddie tries in every way to find the one who did it, and everything starts to roll out. Meanwhile, Norton Bailey, a deeply damaged man is on a mission to save his city of muggers in his nasty way. When the police investigation into a street murder leads them to Norton’s door, his deadly obsession will endanger them all.

I loved to read a story of a police procedural thorough the actions of CSI, not just the police. There’s lots of action, plenty of nastiness, loads of dark humor, lots of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. Loved the ending too!

I would recommend this book to fans of Hannibal Lecter novels and films, or modern police procedurals.