A review by bookcrazyblogger
Dead Connection by Alafair Burke

3.0

Rookie NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher might look like a low-key model but she’s got the grit, determination and brains to back that ass up. A transplant from Kansas after her cop dad was allegedly murdered, Ellie was content to work felony robberies. She’s pulled into the beginnings of a serial murder case by seasoned detective Flann McIlroy, who wants Ellie’s help in catching a killer who targets women using a dating site. As the leads begin to pile up, so do the similarities with the case her father was working as well as beginning to point some fingers at some shady FBI dealings. This was a pretty good police procedural and I had a lot of fun trying to put together the connections before the cops did. One thing that was a little annoying to me was how hard the novel worked to set up the sequel, which I presume is more on Ellie’s family life, specifically the case that launched her into being a cop. Another thing that frustrated me, was how hard the novel worked to convince me that she was this media darling-but I practically needed a prequel to know what case they were talking about that led to her becoming this media NYPD star. However, as far as police procedurals go, I’m going to recommend this one because Ellie really was quite the badass lady cop and if there’s one thing about me, it’s that I love badass female characters.