Title: Dead in the Water: A Mystery
Author: Meredith Cole
ISBN: 9780312625047
Pages: 272
Release Date: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Photographer Lydia McKenzie is back, only this time her new project is taking pictures of prostitutes along the Brooklyn waterfront.  Once again, her line of work and choice of subject matter take an unexpected turn, as the prostitute she’s been photographing winds up dead, and Lydia is the one who is unlucky enough to find the body.  Her involvement with the victim exposes her to the Brooklyn underworld of gangs, pimps, and hookers as she tries to solve the mystery of the murder.

Review:

I enjoyed Meredith Cole’s Posed for Murder so I was excited to discover that it was going to be the first in a series.  Lydia is a bright, resourceful young woman who is an appealing protagonist.  Her combative relationship with Detective Romero of the NYPD only adds to her allure.  She’s brave and wants to help others, yet doesn’t take unnecessary chances.  She’s strong enough of a character to carry her own series, so I’m thrilled that Cole has chosen to stick with her and develop the character further in this book.

The mystery in Dead in the Water was very well done.  I had my suspicions about who the murderer really was, but Cole really threw me for a loop.  She keeps it intriguing, which makes it a very entertaining read.

I also appreciated the setting – the underbelly of Brooklyn.  It was interesting to see the pimps, prostitutes, and other characters that Lydia met along the way.  I also liked reading about how her project affected her – one the one hand, it made her more cynical, but it also made her a lot more aware of the victimization of these women.

Dead in the Water was an easy, enjoyable read that is great for mystery lovers.  You don’t need to read the first book in the series to understand this one, but I recommend it just because it’s a fun book as well!