Black & Blue by James Patterson and Candice Fox

Detective Harriet Blue is the only female cop in the sex crimes team and she is determined to prove herself - and she is not afraid to go outside the law to teach some criminals a lesson.  When the body of a young woman is found washed up in the same area as an active serial killer she jumps at the chance to work on the case, hoping it will lead to her joining the serial killer case - even if that means working with the most detested detective in Sydney.  As Detective Blue works her way through the case with the extremely unorthodox and loathed Detective Barnes at her side, she realises that they have stumbled across something bigger and badder than they thought.  They have to solve the case before more people die - and before Blue is forever tainted by working with Tox Barnes.

Black and Blue is part of the Bookshots series and the first introduction to Detective Harriet Barnes who features in the upcoming novel Never Never.  As someone who lives "Down under" it is nice to read a book set so much closer to home, although admittedly Australia is still across the Ditch (not sure if we can convince James Patterson to write a book based in New Zealand so this might be as close as we can get!).  Being set in Australia adds a different flavour to the story which makes a nice change from having to puzzle out some of the little subtleties that Americans and the British pick up when reading books set in their own backyards.

Detective Harriet Blue is an interesting character, full of all the flaws that make people people - and it was somewhat amazing that Patterson and Fox managed to squeeze in so much about her in such a short novel.  The dynamic between Blue and Barnes was interesting, as was the petty and nasty things that the other cops did to both of them - it made for some surprising reading that cops would do that to each other.  It took me a little longer to settle into Black and Blue but it was a great read and finished all too quickly, so hopefully we don't have to wait too long for Never Never to come out!  Another great addition to Bookshots.

If you like this book then try:

• Private Royals by James Patterson and Rees Jones
• Zoo 2 by James Patterson and Max DiLallo
• The hostage by James Patterson and Robert Gold
• Heist by James Patterson and Rees Jones

Reviewed by Brilla