Cold Grave by Kathryn Fox

Book Synopsis: Like a lot of reviewers of Cold Grave, I read it in a couple of days and really enjoyed it. A crime series is only as strong as its characters and the broader story arc. While we have watched Dr Anya Crichton being tormented by her ex-husband and their custody battles over their son, it was refreshing to see a more human side to Martin in this book, reminding Anya why she fell in love with him in the first place. Another thing that was good was that little Ben was happily occupied in the kids’ club while Anya solved a bunch of crimes. Too often, the reader feels a vicarious ‘mother’s guilt’ along with any female protagonists who are trying to juggle a duel role. What is really enjoyable about the character of Dr Crichton is that she always retains a very analytical approach to her investigations, and she is always the voice of reason. Another thing that Fox does really well is intertwine her research with her narrative, so that in this case, the reader gets a bird’s-eye view of the inner workings of a giant cruise ship, the living conditions of the poor workers who earn a pittance, and even the amount of waste generated by a week at sea with 3,000 people. It is this additional information that makes Fox’s novels even more interesting.