Dark City

A Cooper & Quinn Mystery #0.5

by Catherine Lee

[Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B01DTRFUY6]

A fast-paced murder mystery set in the city of Sydney, Australia, DARK CITY is the prequel novella to the Dark series featuring Detectives Cooper and Quinn.

DARK CITY tells the story of how Cooper lost his first partner, Stocky. It's a tale of families, greed, corruption, and murder.

How well do you know the people you love?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Novella, Mystery Thriller

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2017

About the author

Australian author of fast-paced, mostly clean, crime fiction.

The Detective Charlie Cooper Mysteries tackle some topical issues with crimes at their heart, set in Sydney, Australia.

The Getaway Bay Cozy Mysteries feature a charming collection of eccentric locals and visitors working their way through the alphabet of cozy crimes.

Missing, featuring Detective Bonnie Hunter, picks up where Charlie Cooper left off.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the Cooper & Quinn series and it sets the scene for what is to come later. I had already read the rest of the series before I came across this novella but I enjoyed it anyway for the back ground information it provided.

In this book Detective Sergeant Charles Cooper is partnered with Detective Sergeant Stockton who suffers a few unfortunate events and retires thus setting the scene for the entrance of Quinn in the next book. I have enjoyed the whole series to date and was happy to read this short but interesting book.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this prequel to Catherine Lee's Cooper & Quinn series describing how Cooper lost his old partner Stocky before being partnered by Quinn. A short and snappy murder mystery and family drama with a sociopathic killer who has been hiding in plain sight for years. An excellent introduction to this series!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Sergeant Charlie Cooper had just strapped his two children into the car, loaded the luggage into the boot while his wife settled into the passenger seat – and his phone rang. Their weekend away was no more; disappointment and condemnation from his wife and children was becoming the norm with his job. But the criminals didn’t rest and when his partner Detective Sergeant Russell Stockton (Stocky to everyone) said it looked like The Adultery Killer was on the hunt once again, Cooper knew they had no other option – leave was on hold.

Running parallel to the search for the missing woman was the fear the killer who attacked on a regular basis was either the culprit or, if he wasn’t, he would soon strike. Cooper had other concerns as well; would he be able to placate his wife in the not too distant future? And what was wrong with the Stocky?

Dark City by Aussie author Catherine Lee is the prequel in the Cooper & Quinn series set in Sydney, Australia, and my first by this author. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Fast paced, some great twists and a great plot! Can’t wait to read book #1, Dark Heart. Highly recommended.

[Li'l Owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to see what happens next!

I liked Stockey and Cooper instantly. This was a great start to what seems like a great series. My last thought was... What happens next??

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good short story. I liked the plot and the location but due to it's length, some of the characters felt a little undeveloped. The wrap up at the end felt a little unfinished as well.

I would read more from this author.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark City was written to introduce Detective Sergeant Charlie Cooper from the Homicide Division and the reason he needs a new partner. Dark City opens up with Detective Charlie Cooper and his partner Detective Sergeant Russell Stockton going to investigate a missing person case wondering if it the next victim of the Adultery Killer who's being killing women at this time the year for the last nine years. However, this not the case. Dark City makes the reader think about identity faud and the importance of keeping your personal information secured. I recommend this book

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark City by Aussie author Catherine Lee is the prequel in the Cooper & Quinn series and what a great start to the series it was.

With twist and turns this story will have you guessing right the the very last page. A fast paced book which I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.

[John Winston · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was okay, maybe a little stunted, but I just couldn’t relate to the characters which kept causing me to drift during my reading or go back over parts more than once. I was think maybe a bit more fleshing out of the story and characters may have helped.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sydney, Australia. Royce Gilmore (52, husband/father) reported Rebecca Gilmore (52, wife/mother) was missing.
DS Charlie Cooper & DS Russell Stockton (Charlie’s partner) were doing the interviewing & investigation.
Others on the various homicide cases are: DSC Ray Davis, DS Sammy Saulwick (Ray’s partner), Sr. Sergeant Frank Munro, Sr. Constable Isaac Baker & Constable Salerno (f).
Is Carmel Payne (Jack’s wife, real estate, Rebecca’s BFF, nee Simpkins) hiding any information?
Rebecca’s body was found at Devlin’s Creek (Lane Cove National Park).
Dr. Garrett Byrnes (Sr. forensic pathologist) did the autopsy.
Will the murder mystery be solved & someone brought to justice?

Mrs (.)

Warning: This book contains graphic adult content, or violence, which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written cozy murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free instafreebie; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (11/20/2018)!💝

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Detective Sergeant Charlie Cooper couldn’t win.’

Charlie Cooper and his family are all packed ready to leave for a weekend away, his first weekend off in a month, when his ‘phone rings. It’s his partner, Detective Sergeant Russell Stockton. There’s a woman missing.

And even though he’s not on call, and even though his wife Liz is seriously annoyed, Cooper has to respond. He and Stockton have been chasing a killer, known as the Adultery Killer, for almost the entire ten years they’ve been partners. The Adultery Killer is due to kill again, and every report of a missing woman is referred to them. When the missing woman is found dead, there are a number of lines of enquiry. The woman fits at least part of the Adultery Killer’s murder profile, but not all. Who killed her, and why?

‘Everyone has a life to lead, everyone has a job to do.’

This fast-paced murder mystery is set in Sydney, Australia and is the prequel to Ms Lee’s Dark series which features Detectives Cooper and Quinn. Cooper and Stockton’s backstories unfold as the investigation into the murder proceeds. Cooper has family issues to manage, while Stockton has some challenges of his own.

As soon as I finished this novella prequel, I purchased the first three books in the series (a fourth will be available next year). Meet Detective Charlie Cooper: one of my newest heroes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was another amazing find via InstaFreebie and the author. It is a prequel to the Cooper & Quinn series.
I love it when I manage to find Australian Indie authors - and there's quite a few out there.
This was a tightly spun tale, written well and with wonderful warm characters you could relate to. (well, except for the baddie) I think the most frightening part of the plot was that the crime was so very real and could easily happen in real life.
An engaging read that was thoroughly enjoyable. Bonus points for taking place in Oz!!

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't bad though it's a novella and I rarely bother with them. It came out AFTER I'd read book 1 as a prequel, which irritates me no end and I only bothered with it as it was free and I'd really enjoyed book 1. It's a bit of a misnomer as Quinn doesn't feature at all in this story, it's all about Cooper pre-Quinn. I don't think we really needed it if I'm totally honest. The story's an interesting one, however.
There were mistakes I spotted......instead of three-months-worth I'd have written three months' worth and there's a hyphen/spacing issue as well......drive through, straight forward, straight away are all wrong. Then persistently writing Gilmore's as opposed to Gilmores' and more apostrophes missed in other parts, too, then dropped speechmarks for variation !!
I was annoyed that Liz's occupation isn't referred to until we reach the very end, especially as it merited more than a hasty inclusion as an afterthought !!
It ended very abruptly at 86% according to my Kindle so even shorter than advertised ! I'd give this a miss, you really don't need to bother with it to enjoy the proper-length books in the series.

[D.S. Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant read!

Catherine Lee is an amazing writer!
Her stories are original, characters still amazing.

It was great to see a bit of Coop's past. I will definitely be buying the rest of the series 👌

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn't read like a novella and I enjoyed it very much. The writing style is easy to read. A great introduction to a new series.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery plot was okay and it kept moving at a steady pace, but there were scenes where thoughts and actions were left unfinished, especially with regard to the spouses of the detectives. Even though it's a novella, this left a feeling of frustration and disconnect with the story. Nice location, clean editing, and the plot kept me guessing, just needs a little more refining on the delivery.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read by Catherine Lee, I enjoyed this novella. I liked the relationship between the two main characters and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Balthazar Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story prequel to a series of crime books I've not read yet. They are based in Sydney and I like Australian stories. This story features Detectives Cooper and Stockton who are investigating a missing person who may or may not be the victim of a serial killer they have been hunting.

I enjoyed the story. It's easy to read and, although it was a short story, still had twists and turns to make it interesting. A good introduction to a series I'll no doubt read.

[Melyssa Winchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice jumping off point to what the series that comes after is all about.
Getting to see where Cooper begins, and why after this story, he's with a new partner in Quinn, it was great. I also enjoyed the mixture of happenings within the precinct (what was happening to his partner), as well as them having to put that in the background to solve the case they're placed on here.
I enjoyed it beginning middle and end, and the style though I read this after I completed the first book, was much the same as the first. A thoroughly addictive read with just the right of suspense to really make it jump off the page.
Looking forward to reading even more from this author, and this series, in the future.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing quite like getting the family in the car at the start of a weekend away, and then being called back into work, to ruin the holiday spirit of all concerned.
Det. Sgt. Charlie Cooper is brought back after a woman disappears in Sydney, Australia. Could she be the latest victim of the Adultery Killer?
At first everything checks out but exhaustive investigations turn up something very strange indeed.
In parallel Cooper's partner, Det. Sgt. Russell 'Stocky' Stockton is under investigation after an allegation that he had stolen $10,000 from a crime scene. He's innocent, but it seems the deck is stacked against him.
“Dark City” is a solid police procedural with a carefully twisted plot.
3 Stars.

[Judie Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and would like to read others in the series. Good story line and characters. A mother is found missing and different scenerios come up as to what happened to her until she is found dead. there are many twists and turns while trying to locate her killer and why she was killed. The ending was a complete mystery and not anyone who I I thought it was. . It seemed like something was missing after her son and his friend had a falling out, and her family wasn't mentioned again. I kept thinking I missed something and had to go back and re-read it. Otherwise a good who done it story.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good police procedural set in Australia. This is the 2nd one in the series that I've read, and they were both a pleasure to read. This one is a short (novella) book which provides the backstory on Cooper. It was clear, well-constructed, and logical with a likeable protagonist. Like many other good stories of this ilk, the lead cop is torn between loyalty to duty and to his personal issues (in this case, family obligations.) I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more in the series.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second one of Ms. Lee's books I have read, unfortunately I read Dark Heart first and I loved it. I also really enjoyed Dark City but think I would have liked it better if I read it first. I still really enjoyed it, it answered alot of questions I had from the first one I read (like what happened to Coop's first partner? What does his wife do?) This book answered these questions and more. Can't wait to read more from this author.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll Read Other Books in This Series

Enjoyed this well-written police procedural novella set in Sydney, Australia. Likable detective protagonist who is partnered with an older, smarter detective who is currently having problems with his superiors. For a novella, the plot is remarkably twisty. However, there is the over-used drama about a cop’s job vs wife/kiddies. I plan to read other books in this series. Overall 3.5-4 Stars, bumped to 4 stars.

[Jim B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good short read to start a new series. A murder mystery where the hero police do not have troubled pasts. That alone is refreshing. There is animosity with another detective, but that is understandable with any group of coworkers, much less those with a high stress job. The animosity is a sidebar and not part of the central story. My next read is Dark Heart.

[Michael Nethery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast fun read. Just the way a good prequel should be. A bit of character development and a general intro of many of the future supporting characters and the hock! A real big hook🤓 And it did its job. Cat Lee did a great job of dealing me in.i am now definitely going to be reading more of Cooper and Quinn ,

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prequel set in Sydney, Australia where detectives Cooper and Stockton investigate the disappearance of a married woman. Could she be the next victim of the Adultery Killer. Or is there another motive.
An enjoyable well-written mystery, which introduces some of the characters for the next in the series.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and written well. Kept me turning the pages.
In search for the murderer the adulterer to find the latest killing was all orchestrated by a woman who made her current lover, who was under her spell kill the innocent woman because she had came to the end of her uses. The tearing apart of a family who believed the murdered had an affair.

[Cajjha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and satisfying. I rarely read novellas because they very often turn out to be either overly-long short stories, or skimpy excuses for novels. DARK CITY stands on its own as a fully realized piece of work, so much so that when I finished reading I was surprised at how few pages in which the work was accomplished. Great storytelling and plot.

[Daniel Fiebig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice prequel to the dark series. Gave you a sense of Coop and his ex-partner and a little background information for the main character. Would rate this 3.5-4 stars but enjoyed the short detective thriller based in Sydney!