ARC Review: Shallow Grave by Brian Thiem

Shallow Grave
Author: Brian Thiem
Series: A Matt Sinclair Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 11, 2017)

Description: When the Oakland coroner’s office uncovers a body buried in a shallow grave in the outskirts of the city, homicide sergeant Matt Sinclair expects to find a drug dealer caught in the crosshairs of a turf war. Instead, the victim is identified as Phil Roberts, the commander of the police department’s intelligence unit and Sinclair’s former partner.

Police brass want to pin the murder on a dead member of an outlaw motorcycle gang and they want the case closed quickly, but Sinclair and his current partner, Cathy Braddock, aren’t satisfied with that answer. As Sinclair delves into the details of Roberts’s past, secrets from his work and personal life come to the surface--secrets that some people will go to any length to keep buried. But Sinclair won’t stop until he finds the truth, even if it means sacrificing his former partner’s reputation and possibly his own career.

With Shallow Grave, Brian Thiem brings back his beloved detective for a thrilling third adventure in his acclaimed police procedural series.

My Thoughts: Matt Sinclair and his partner Cathy Braddock catch the case of a body buried in a shallow grave when the rest of the force is dealing with one motorcycle gang member killing another. They are surprised to learn that the victim is Phil Roberts who is the sergeant of the intel unit. He also trained both Matt and Cathy and was Matt's partner too.

Now the hunt is on for the one who killed a police officer. Matt is determined to find out what happened to the man he had a falling out with a few months earlier. His investigation puts him at odds with the Chief of Police when it looks like a city Councilman who is a leading candidate for mayor might be involved. Matt has gotten in trouble for investigating this councilman before.

Matt finds himself suspended from the force and discovering things that lead him to believe that Roberts might have been a dirty cop. He needs to find out if that is true before the huge police funeral for him.

Matt is an interesting character. He is an alcoholic and has issues with his father that have been unresolved since his childhood. In this story, his father suffers a heart attack and Matt is just going to keep on working until his colleagues almost force him to go support his mother during his father's illness. Matt is also relationship-shy but starting something with a nurse who is a friend of his partner Cathy.

This was a fascinating police procedural. Fans of that genre who like complex characters will enjoy this story.

Favorite Quote:

It made no sense that Tiny would attempt to lose him by making quick turns when his bike's advantage lay in the sraightaways. But cops only caught the dumb crooks, as many of Sinclair's police buddies were fond of saying.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.