Let Us Prey

Dead Cold Mystery #4

by Blake Banner

It seemed to be a cold case like any other. So much so that Stone and Dehan hadn’t even considered reviewing it – until private investigator Karl Baxter requested a copy of the police file. Then Stone got curious.

Why did a second rate PI in the Bronx want to look into the case of a low life petty criminal found tied to a chair in his apartment, beaten and shot through the heart? And that question led to other questions, like, whose was second pool of blood on the floor? If there was a second victim, where was the body?

Unfortunately, a chat with Baxter only raises more questions that threaten to drive Stone crazy: who is the mysterious Tamara Gunthersen? And what was the gig she did for the even more mysterious Geronimo dos Santos, back in 2015? At every turn the questions get deeper, and the women more tempting - and more dangerous. Until the strain on Stone and Dehan’s partnership threatens to make it snap.

Then Stone will be on his own…

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Procedural, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

207 pages, ebook

First published October 14, 2017

About the author

USA TODAY and Amazon #1 bestselling author of the OMEGA and DEAD COLD MYSTERY series. Learn more about Blake Banner at his website: www.blakebanner.com

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent entry in this entertaining series. Banner has a really good thing going here in the partnership between Stone and Dehan, platonic so far, but constantly teetering on the edge of becoming a relationship. They work well together and their dialogue is always amusing.

Each book introduces us to a new cold case. The case may be cold and old, but once our intrepid duo start looking into it new murders pop up all over the place. There's a clever twist which I was beginning to suspect shortly before it happened.

This is all packed tightly into just over 200 pages. Well done Mr Banner. Another winner and I still have so many to read:)

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read the first 4 books and that's enough for me.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stone and Dehan set on solving another cold case. Great book.

[Valleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Let Us Prey better than I liked the prior book. The errors that weren't caught when the book was edited continue to distract me, however. I find cold cases to be fascinating and I love the Stone/Dehan team!!

[Angela Verdenius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another mind-puzzler with engaging characters.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weak link in this great mystery series, mainly due to too many characters, coincidences and a convoluted plot

I had to back track a lot to remind myself who was who from previous books

[Catriona Kupper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy these books the duo have a good rapport and work well together, the plots are full and have many twists, well put together read

[Mark Patton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I purchased a set including books 1-4 of this series from Audible, and I can't believe that the series continues for another 26 books because each one of these gets more lame than the one before. This one is especially bad because the detectives overlook something so very, very obvious that I began to question myself, thinking that maybe there was going to be a really cool twist, but nope, they just don't see it. Also rather annoying is that these cold cases shouldn't really be cold cases at all because they all rest on some cops or detectives in the past failing to follow extremely basic procedure. Example, without being a spoiler: a dead body dressed like a homeless person is found in a dumpster near a church. Stone, glancing at the crime scene pictures, notices immediately that the corpse has manicured nails and "a $100 haircut," and off they go. Supposedly, the original investigators just saw homeless clothes and dumped the guy in the morgue, not even considering that this could be the missing guy associated with the church who has disappeared. Over the course of these four books, the main characters consume almost nothing but steak and bacon and lots of steak and bacon, so I'm surprised that they lived long enough for the writer to have them solve another 26 cases.

[Asterope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be a general review for why I like this series. If I have any specific comments for each book, I will add to it. Here's why I'm liking this series (not in order or importance):
[This is after reading #1-5]
1. Likable MCs that aren't one dimensional
2. Though it is told through Stone's POV, we get a good sense of Dehan
3. Multi-layered, interesting mysteries that are not (IMO) easy to guess and figure out
4. Interesting dynamics between Stone and Dehan. The romance between them is going to happen (I happened upon the blurb of book #11, LOL) and it plays out really well. Not rushed, natural. I also like how things are written where you can read the subtext and know what is sort of doing on with their thoughts/feelings for each other without it being obvious and shoved in your face.
5. Things are well written and they make for compelling reads. I find myself reading many back to back like binging on a TV series.

[Logan Horsford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weakest book in the series so far. You have to suspend a lot of disbelief.

It becomes painfully obvious that the writer doesn't know much about police procedure, guns, etc. You bring together a couple people who have done some murders with zero precautions? What the actual F?

The ending is made silly by cars going 120-150 MPH through an occupied city - near the docks. Apparently, all of the other cars, pedestrians and such had gone somewhere else to allow 'large numbers to make chase scene seem more dramatic'.

Quote from the book: "It's a less than satisfactory outcome...it isn't up to your usual standard..." Quote from the captain at the end of the book mirrors my review!

The ending was so bad (and predictable) I didn't even bother listening to the last six minutes of the audio book. Seriously.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last of the 4 books in the box set I bought, and I have already bought the next set. I am really enjoying this series. The relationship between the two cold case cops - Stone and Dehan - is very entertaining. And so far the plots have also been fascinating. In this one, they get interested in an old case because a local P.I. wants a copy of the file and they wonder why. A criminal was found shot in his apartment, but there is blood on the floor that is not his. So who does it belong to? They end up following a myriad of trails and meeting some very interesting people, from a billionaire to some sleazy criminals, and their associated women. A well-tangled plot and well-written.

[Michele Girard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the author's best

I enjoyed reading books 1, 2 and 3 but this one is definitely not the author's best work. The story is unbelievable even if you suspend your disbelief, it's so far out of the realm of possibility that I ended up losing interest. The supposedly smart detective keeps acting like he's dumb as a rock. The criminals are caricatures of comic book vilains. Vermont by the sea? Really? Whatever...it's a good thing that I already had bought a box set of books 5, 6, 7 and 8 because I don't think I would have read another book in that serie otherwise. Let's hope the next ones are better than this one. I

[Kim E Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked

I've waited until book 4 to review just to be sure. So yes, I do so enjoy the interaction and banter between the partners and am very curious to see how their relationship plays out. Oh, the plots are good, too.

[Mella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detectives John Stone and Carmen Dehan have been relegated to solving cold cases - because it's hard to argue they should be anywhere else when they deliver results. This time they look into a cold case that has recently been requested by a private investigator who claims to know who was in the room when the crime happened. But none of their cold cases are ever that simple.

I don't know know what I just read. It started out strong and I thought maybe I was right to continue with this series and then Emma comes into play and it all went to hell. I am confused. I find the vernacular and slang of this series difficult to begin with. It's like being thrown into a town where everyone already knows everyone but no one bothers to explain the dynamics and you're left on the outside looking in. Maybe it's easier for New Yorkers to read - I don't know. I just know I often feel like I'm missing half the plot.

Regardless, I've stuck with this series and I've enjoyed the gist if not the entire picture. But this one leaves a lot to be desired. Dehan is crazy jealous and it's difficult to read, made all the more difficult by Stone's unwillingness to observe what's in front of him. They like half live together for god sakes. His inability to understand was cute in the last few books but in this one it's just irritating. On the other hand we have Dehan who apparently has given up all self respect. She's busy giving him a hard time and interrogating him on whatever is going on with Emma and it's like why not just tell him you like him and be done with it. Act like a bloody grown up.

As for everything with Emma - it all just goes to hell once she shows up. The romance or whatever you want to call it between Emma and Stone is torture. It's awkward and disturbing and cheesy to the extreme. Worse than that the plot just falls apart after she appears. Instead of a straightforward theft once she realises the items she stole are worth more than she was told it turns into the bloody Da Vinci Code. The painting is actually the Holy Grail, the shadowy and rich employee of the Vatican is driven by religious zealousness, Emma is Tamara who is Tasha who is, etc, etc all with a side of batshit crazy.

And Stone - Stone is fkn dumb in this one. He accepts a drugged drink from a suspect, continually gets involved with the other suspect/witness, even knowing she's killed a bunch of people invites her in for coffee and is surprised when she tries to kill him - it was all just fkn insane and way too ridiculous. I was just confused, annoyed and done. I read to the end but it was a struggle.

I'm not sure if I'll continue. I do like the idea of this series but I've finished all the ones that were on my tbr pile and I'm not sure I want to invest the time into this. It's a shame because I was thinking at the start that Stone and Dehan had rather grown on me - but the fallout of this might be too much for me to overlook. In any case this one requires a lot of suspension of disbelief in order to get through. 1.5 stars, rounded to 2 stars.

[sara ❥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

I think this is probably by far my favourite in this series because it had be shook with the biggest plot twist and had me wanting to keep reading more and more. I mean, I read this in 24 hours so it says it all 🤠

I loved the storyline for this cold case because it really had you wondering the different kind of mysteries and some of the case was just a whole mindfuck like Dehan said. It would have you leading one way and then it will make you go another way especially when knew suspects would come to light. It’s crazy that this was all due to a box that was not even worth the kills and pain caused on others. The fact that Emma was actually her own sister and pretended to be the long lost sister who was worried about Tammy because Emma actually died when she was 6. The fact that she was married, ‘fell in love’ with a billionaire only to steal something from him but then have her ‘boss’ who ordered her to steal it, come after her was insane. It made it seem like in reality, we were wondering what happened to Steve and how he was murdered but also trying to find Tammy and if she was actually killed or not 👀

I was honestly really hope that Stone was not falling for “Emma” aka Tammy because you could see he was lowkey losing the plot 🥲 I am truly and honestly rooting for Stone and Dehan to get together! I know they keep hinting it and all but you can honestly feel the chemistry between them and I don’t care that they’re partners, it’s not stopped others before. I don’t know if it’s the romantic in me but I am really hoping they actually get together in the next books throughout the series 🥰

It was a great storyline and I am really loving this series from Blake Banner. He really knows how to write a quick, gripping, crime and mystery book. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who loves a quick mystery and crime read!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not up to the standards set by the first three books

I would swear that this book was written by someone other than the author of the earlier books. Stone and Dehan act totally out of character throughout the book and the police work is sloppy bordering on incompetent. Stone has never been sloppy nor incompetent. And Dehan comes off as a harpy. In fact in an irritating development she has gotten dumber and more annoying with each book.

Additionally there are so many mistakes and sloppy errors in the book I have to wonder if anyone proofread it or if there were any editors or beta readers. After reading the author note at the end about how fast the author churns our books I am beginning to see why that might be possible. No care is taken with research or editing. I’m so disappointed as I really enjoyed the first book but the quality has diminished with each subsequent book I’ve read. I’m debating whether to continue reading in hopes of improvement or throw in the towel.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Let Us Prey”, fourth in the 'Dead Cold' series, ultimately devolves into something very, very silly, but the journey there is a lot of fun.
It all starts when a P.I requests the police file on an unsolved murder.
Looking at the photos from the crime scene Stone notices an anomaly - the blood evidence indicates two bodies, but there was only one found at the scene.
When Stone and Dehan investigate they find themselves on the trail of a missing actress, Tamara Gunthersen.
She is certainly a woman of mystery and is either dead or on the run.
But why?
That's the $1M question, even if $1M is quite a low price considering what is on the line.
There's a millionaire, gangsters, a prisoner, a bishop close to the Vatican, and Tamara's very pretty sister (a woman who sparks the green-eyed monster in Dehan).
I may be wrong but I think that author was having fun and drawing on the Hammett and Chandler novels quite intentionally.
It's not as 'noir' as it would like to be but it is a good attempt.
3.5 Stars, raised to 4 Stars.

[RaChelle Holmberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOUR OF FIVE in a set I bought - let me say, I read a LOT of mysteries. These EXCEL. I dint have a clue about the end twist, on all five!
personal note, I HATE REVIEWS THAT REGURGITATE STORY LINES - why read the book after reading the spoilers...?
Suffice it to say that this book (and series) is a real page turner, enough to keep ME turning pages as I burned through all five in a row.

This series has a distinct enjoyable feeling of the old tv series Remington Steel and the chemistry between the characters is just phenomenal. Still somewhat unrequited, but that's the energy.

I see there are more books available - gonna go snag them. .. and believe me, there are so may freebie books out there it takes something a little extra to get me to pop ;-)

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

More or less a police procedural, although he takes liberties with police procedure in the series. This particular novel in the series is less of a procedural and rather more of an homage/satire on noir dectective novels, in particular using some of Spillane's writing style and some of the Maltese Falcon for a plot. If you know both you'll get a kick out of the novel.

I was a little peeved at the marked change in style of Let Us Prey, but by the end I was giggling at the tropes he employed. I also suspect there is a small salute to McBain in Banner`s placing of the series in the 43rd precinct. (A little less than half the 87th, but the 43rd really exists.)

Highly recommended to fans of noir and whodunnits and thrillers.

[Teresa Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A psycho thriller.

There's nothing like trying to figure out the next move of a psychopath, but then, what are thrillers for but to map out human behavior at its weirdest? this time, Stone and Dehan face an unlikely killer with a twist. Who goes in search of the Holy Grail in the twenty first century? Our dynamic duo, of course. Throw in a tease of the idea of a love interest and you have a puzzling but engrossing tale. I'm seeing a pattern here of impressive interpretation of human nature at least up until the last minute, when everything goes awry and the sky's the limit. However, in true detective tale form, the partner comes to the rescue just in time to save the day.

[Diego Guzmán · Rating 4 out of 5]

I choose this book because my goal was to read something to pass time without getting bored. To much luck, this was te perfect option to it.

The reading is easy, the characters are good (main character Detective Stone and her partner detective Dehan)and the plot good too. If you like books of detectives solving cases, this is your kind of book to read.
The theme is the same as every book of detectives.
A murderer without solid evidence. A detective trying to solve it. And finally a good plot-twist.

Comments: I love the tension between the main character and her partner. There is something there , or she likes him or the other way…I don’t know. I want something to happen between them. That’s like the second theme of the book. A good secondary theme with another point of view.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let Us Prey Blake Banner

A beautiful young lady Actually she has the ability to play, out manuver, deceive anyone. Well all most everyone, except detective John Stone and his partner detective Dehan. Actually it took them a while to figure it out. This cunning psychopath pretended to be her deceased sister at times, very convincingly. Killing people who stood in her way was not a problem for her. She was drained of any kind of emotional reactions from a traumatic childhood. Another excellent read, a marvelous who dunnit!

[Bethanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories

The series revolves around Detective Stone and his partner Detective Dehan in the cold case department of the NYPD. Every case is different and the characters are well written. Each case gets more convoluted than you can imagine. It's virtually impossible to figure out who did it! My only concern is that the writer is going to make this couple have a romantic relationship and that would destroy the friction because them.

[Rosemary Dreyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars: This novel in the series was a whacky, wild ride. I’ll hand it to the author that his twisted plots are certainly inventive. What I liked: the relationship between Stone and Dehan; the quick read; and the ending. What I didn’t like: the captain seems so passive and forgiving; the characters as a whole were not well drawn; the author desperately needs a good editor to correct his many, many mistakes. Overall, this one was just okay.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating - 3-3/4 stars. Blake Banner has become the author du jour! I discovered his first book An Ace and Pair … then next was his second book … then his third! I loved all first three books … but this book slip down a slippery path 3/4 ways into the book. The last 1/4 of the book was a little off course … to say the least! Still good reading, just not up to par with the others! I am still interested enough to go to book 5

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to give 5 stars but..

The bad proofing must be acknowledged. The use of Sally's name by accident.... Otherwise, I love John Stone. And Carmen Dehan's not bad either. My major issue is John's underestimating how a take down can go wrong. And as I always ask- come on! These two have heat, let's get it ON.

[Fred Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read from Mr. Banner

Stone and Dehan find themselves caught up in a cold case that becomes anything but cold. Bodies start showing up in frequent order and Stone must figure out who is responsible. Dehan finally saves the day as their personal relationship continues to evolve. An excellent read, spellbinding!

[Ricardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Banner really went overboard with this one: Church treasures, two coasts, a private eye, gangsters, and a very disturbed set of sisters. It could have been a notch down, but in the end, everything is at least clarified and no serious loose ends remain, which requires reliable professionalism. That's what you can expect from his cold case novels.

[Chrystal Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy

I dunno some how I picked the whole Emma Tammy storyline but let's be honest Baxter should have got his 'ah huh' moment and told us how he found her. That wasn't all stone and Dehan afterall

Anyway i enjoyed it and enjoyed Dehan saving his butt again. Surely she isn't little grasshopper anymore

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5⭐: this book went from ok to good to couldn't put it down to unbelievable. SPOILERS: I didn't like how Banner made Stone go stupid after he met "Emma" or how "mad jealous" he wrote Carmen. Then to make the stolen item in the end The Holy Grail 🙄, the painting was a better idea. Overall this was a good read.