Delaware is the one who links the crimes and finds several others that may also be related. The single clue that connects the crimes is an independently published zine called GrooveRat.

Yet another murder is committed. This time the victim, a homeless woman, was possibly involved with an earlier murder. Petra, along with her new partner Eric Stahl, Milo Sturgis, and Delaware will combine their efforts to solve the murders.

Slow, plodding detective work - not to mention some lucky breaks - may be the way police sometimes solve crimes, but it doesn’t make for very breathtaking reading. While I didn’t quit midway through A Cold Heart, I had no difficulty putting it down when needed. A book has to grab my interest more strongly than that to gain a recommendation.

This is a mystery with little emphasis on the mystery - Alex Delaware’s dysfunctional love life is nearly as important. As a practicing psychologist Delaware ought to be able to recognize codependency. He and his long-time live-in lover Robin are now splitsville, and Robin has moved in with another man. Does this mean that Delaware is free to look around for another lady love? Nope. It means he agonizes over Robin’s departure and suffers feelings of guilt when he starts fooling around with another woman, Allison Gwynn, a psychologist. And wouldn’t you know it? The case has connections to Robin so he’s got more excuses to go visit her and obsess over their bygone love. Whine, whine, whine.

Get a grip, Delaware! This is not a healthy relationship. You could have married her ages ago. I don’t blame Robin for cutting her losses and moving out and moving on. Fact facts, Delaware: you blew it. Retire your teenaged angst and start acting like a mature adult.

Thank heavens Petra Connor and Eric Stahl have equal billing because this story needs some relief from Delaware’s throes of unrequited love. Stahl, however, shows all the signs of being another psychological basket case. A late scene in A Cold Heart indicates more to come.

Fans of this long-running series (A Cold Heart is the seventeenth book) will undoubtedly want to read this most recent installment. It is, however, one of the less successful books in the series and is not likely to gain the author many new fans. Besides the over-emphasis on Alex Delaware’s love life, several loose threads (and I’m not referring to Eric Stahl) are left dangling. Readers are advised to borrow A Cold Heart from their public library or wait until it comes out in paperback.

--Lesley Dunlap