CSI: Mortal Wounds

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #1-3 omnibus

by Max Allan Collins

Three Classic CSI Novels in One Volume - Based on the Critically Acclaimed Hit CBS Series! DOUBLE DEALER Meet the little known and even less understood heroes of police work in Las Vegas -- the forensic investigators. Led by veteran Gil Grissom, the remarkable team assigned to the Criminalistics Bureau's graveyard shift -- including Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, and Sara Sidle -- must combine cutting-edge scientific methods and old-fashioned savvy as they work to untangle the evidence behind the yellow police tape. While Nick and Catherine investigate a newly discovered murder committed fifteen years ago, Grissom, Warrick, and Sara must uncover the identity of a cold-blooded killer -- one whose execution-style, "double-tap" signature has now provoked the interest of the FBI.... SIN CITY "If anything happens to me, get this cassette to the police," Lynn Pierce told her friends the night she disappeared without a trace. Lynn was a devout Christian, and a devoted wife and mother -- who left behind a recording of a husband threatening to cut her into little pieces.... Jenna Patrick was a professional stripper trying to get out of the sex trade and into junior college -- but wound up strangled in a locked room at the club where she worked.... What could these two women possibly have had in common -- aside from the fact that they're both victims of homicide? COLD BURN Remote. Peaceful. Picturesque. That's how the Mumford Mountain Hotel bills itself in its brochure, and it lives up to its reputation -- most of the time. But this year, the hotel is hosting a prestigious conference for the study of forensic science, and the organizers have extended CSI head Gil Grissom an invitation he can't refuse. Joined by fellow investigator Sara Sidle, Grissom leaves the department in the capable hands of Catherine Willows and heads east. But he and Sara soon find themselves in all too familiar territory -- while back in Las Vegas, Catherine, Warrick Brown, and Nick Stokes have uncovered foul play of their own....

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller

688 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Ambersreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really adored this book, the writing style and everything else about it.

The stories are well written and each character is different and I love that you can see that very clearly. These books can all be read as stand alone stories and they read away quite easily.

As a law student stores like these intrigue me a lot and I am definitely planning on reading more CSI stories!

They're not too scary so for someone who might not like scary things but does want to go out of their comfort zone a little bit, the CSI books might be a good start!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

CSI: Mortal Wounds was a great three book series. It held true to the CSI TV show. The author captured the characters and their personalities perfectly. It was a fun filled series that kept me guessing in each episode. LOVED IT!

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and reviewed each of the three novels collected here separately, so this is basically just for my own records. They were all three star reads for me; I liked the focus on science. I can't say that I've ever had a yearning for a career in forensics myself - as a scientist, I have occasional daydreams about being a different sort of scientist (an archaeologist, maybe, or an astronomer) - but when it comes to dead bodies, I prefer to read about other people dealing with them. It's entertaining because I don't have to do it.

I read the book because I'm a fan of the tv series and I've been rewatching it lately. I can't say that I've ever considered Grissom's smile to be "angelic" before, however - Collins clearly thinks it is, though, because that descriptor gets used a lot. And now I'm paranoid about repeated descriptions in my own work...

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me really miss the original cast of CSI before the show went to shit.

[Josh Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read this one, but the stories were gripping and I loved each one, probably mostly for the similarity with the show.

[Nouf Y. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hooked to CSI series after this! .. this addictive.. sweet lovely kind of addiction

[Danielle Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains three separate stories following the CSI team from the hit TV show. Each story contains unique cases that are all very much different from the next and bring back the original characters from the series (this is an older book after all). The stories are simple and straightforward though I do recommend that you do not leave that long a gap between each reading because I forgot what was going on in some cases and that can lessen the impact of the story. This set of books goes back to the original essence of the CSI show - the science and the fact that the 'evidence does not lie'. I feel like the newer episodes of this show have changed dramatically but these stories brought back what I loved about the first few series. There isn't too much action that you may come to expect in a crime book but instead this follows clues and the science in a much more systematic approach, quite often working out the culprit mere pages before the end of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia of the stories and the characters and really reminded me how great Grissom was - I miss this character!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like the TV show, chances are you'll like this too. It seemed like there was a bit more story to these investigations than the scientific type speak/actions that you see on the show. While some of the CSI type shows can get very predictable, I found that I had a harder time picking out the killer in the books. Although that might just mean I'm out of practice reading mysteries. :) I really liked that there were three novels in this edition because once I read the first one, I had an urge to read another. After three, I think my mystery craving has been fulfilled for a bit.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first three books in the CSI series. Fast-paced and entertaining mysteries.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read especially for CSI fans. Was really good to have Gil Grissom involved in these cases,sure miss him on the show!

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book. Explains in detail how the CSI work to come up with suspects. Highly recommend if you like police work behind the scenes.