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Detective Jesse McCord #5
Booked For Murder
Fans of James Patterson and Michael Connelly will love C.M. Sutter.
The Chicago homicide unit arrives at the scene of a drive-by shooting, but when Detective Jesse McCord realizes the victim is the mother of one of his closest friends, the case becomes more than personal. Charlotte Sanders doesn’t have enemies, but neither do the other victims whose lives are taken that week, and the number of murders is escalating quickly.
Are random murders in the Windy City on the rise, or are these gruesome acts being committed by one perpetrator with an agenda for taking out specific people?
With no connection between the victims, the police department is at a loss on finding the killer, and when one face keeps popping up in the investigation, Jesse needs to find out why. He wonders if he or someone on his team is about to be targeted next—and time isn’t on their side.
The Detective Jesse McCord Police Thriller books are listed in chronological order below.
#1 Sniper's Nest
#2 At Large
#3 Deadly Pursuit
#4 To Die For
#5 Booked for Murder
Editorial Review
“Investigating a murder is never easy for Homicide Detective Jesse McCord of the Chicago PD, but it gets even tougher when the victim is Charlotte, the mother of one of his closest friends, who is killed in a drive-by shooting. Other murder victims appear to have a slim thread of a connection to Charlotte, but Jesse and his team are stumped as they investigate the growing number of dead bodies. This fast-paced tale is packed with emotion and a terrific addition to C. M. Sutter’s latest police thriller series.” Angela M., Line Editor, Red Adept Editing
The Chicago homicide unit arrives at the scene of a drive-by shooting, but when Detective Jesse McCord realizes the victim is the mother of one of his closest friends, the case becomes more than personal. Charlotte Sanders doesn’t have enemies, but neither do the other victims whose lives are taken that week, and the number of murders is escalating quickly.
Are random murders in the Windy City on the rise, or are these gruesome acts being committed by one perpetrator with an agenda for taking out specific people?
With no connection between the victims, the police department is at a loss on finding the killer, and when one face keeps popping up in the investigation, Jesse needs to find out why. He wonders if he or someone on his team is about to be targeted next—and time isn’t on their side.
The Detective Jesse McCord Police Thriller books are listed in chronological order below.
#1 Sniper's Nest
#2 At Large
#3 Deadly Pursuit
#4 To Die For
#5 Booked for Murder
Editorial Review
“Investigating a murder is never easy for Homicide Detective Jesse McCord of the Chicago PD, but it gets even tougher when the victim is Charlotte, the mother of one of his closest friends, who is killed in a drive-by shooting. Other murder victims appear to have a slim thread of a connection to Charlotte, but Jesse and his team are stumped as they investigate the growing number of dead bodies. This fast-paced tale is packed with emotion and a terrific addition to C. M. Sutter’s latest police thriller series.” Angela M., Line Editor, Red Adept Editing
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 21, 2020
443 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Sutter
51 books288 followersC.M. Sutter was born in San Jose, California and split time between the sunny California coast and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a senior in high school, she chose Wisconsin as her permanent address. After many years in the Badger State, she decided on a warmer year-round climate to call home and moved south.
Years of progression took her from working in large companies, to twelve years as a massage therapist, and finally, owning a corporation. She has been self-employed for over twenty years.
Ms. Sutter has been writing and self-publishing since 2014 with eleven titles published in a different genre. Because of her deep interest in crime and thriller novels, she took up writing in the police procedural/crime thriller genre in 2016.
Years of progression took her from working in large companies, to twelve years as a massage therapist, and finally, owning a corporation. She has been self-employed for over twenty years.
Ms. Sutter has been writing and self-publishing since 2014 with eleven titles published in a different genre. Because of her deep interest in crime and thriller novels, she took up writing in the police procedural/crime thriller genre in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 30, 2023
BOOKED FOR MURDER
C. M. SUTTON
Review by Author Roy Murry
BOOKED reminded me of the TV's DRAGNET (1967 to 1970), a police procedural series. Yes, I am that old. Look up Jack Webb's work.
Chicago's Detective McCord is put in a position to find the killer of his friend's mother. This one murder turns into a tailspin, with the executioner going wild and leading the homicide department around in circles.
McCord follows procedures, informing the reader, and has a hunch leading to a deadly conclusion. Reading the events will keep the reader engaged.
The prose is as snapping as Webb's DRAGNET. The pages will keep changing to a satisfying end.
C. M. SUTTON
Review by Author Roy Murry
BOOKED reminded me of the TV's DRAGNET (1967 to 1970), a police procedural series. Yes, I am that old. Look up Jack Webb's work.
Chicago's Detective McCord is put in a position to find the killer of his friend's mother. This one murder turns into a tailspin, with the executioner going wild and leading the homicide department around in circles.
McCord follows procedures, informing the reader, and has a hunch leading to a deadly conclusion. Reading the events will keep the reader engaged.
The prose is as snapping as Webb's DRAGNET. The pages will keep changing to a satisfying end.
November 2, 2023
The book begins with a chapter from the viewpoint of the murderer called Vic. The next chapter is first person of Jesse McCord, a police detective in Chicago. And so begins a whodunit and why did they do it, with the police playing catch-up until the puzzle pieces start to fall into place. As the story plays out, the reader is privy to some of the killer's thoughts and more info than the police have. There are a few words of mild profanity, but otherwise the book is clean, except for murders which aren't described too graphically. It's a good book and kept my interest.
December 29, 2025
A good page-turning read with a strong main character. The plot is great and really gripping, thought the romance does seem very clunky and unbelievable. But it's a good thriller.
September 23, 2022
Great book!
When one of Detective Jesse McCord's friend's mom dies suddenly, at first he assumes it's because of her connection to him. Then, when others are killed that he doesn't know he's got to put the pieces together to figure out the real connection. Can he figure it out in time?
When one of Detective Jesse McCord's friend's mom dies suddenly, at first he assumes it's because of her connection to him. Then, when others are killed that he doesn't know he's got to put the pieces together to figure out the real connection. Can he figure it out in time?
April 1, 2020
Good follow on
Good story line which keeps you interested and hard to put down. Not easy to guess what’s going to happen next.
Good read for people who like crime and police stories
Good story line which keeps you interested and hard to put down. Not easy to guess what’s going to happen next.
Good read for people who like crime and police stories
October 17, 2023
WHY SO MUCH HEAD JERKING & NODDING? ALL THE DETECTIVES SEEMED OFF TO ME AND UNREAL AND DULL, NOTHING GRIPPING ABOUT THIS STORY. IT WAS MEH, VERY BLAND CHARACTERS, I THOUGHT I'D NEVER GET TO THE END. ;<
May 27, 2023
Multiple murders and dead ends
Complicating the life of a large city police detective is the challenge of having to work many cases at the same time. Jesse handles this well and eventually figures things out.
As a dedicated book lover, I have often thought it would be neat to be a beta reader. Not anymore!! Not after reading this story! A good read.
Complicating the life of a large city police detective is the challenge of having to work many cases at the same time. Jesse handles this well and eventually figures things out.
As a dedicated book lover, I have often thought it would be neat to be a beta reader. Not anymore!! Not after reading this story! A good read.
February 5, 2020
Great novel
Well written with excellent clues to assist the reader as well as the characters in finding the killer. I like how the author brings the characters to life by making them real to the reader. I look forward to more stories.
Well written with excellent clues to assist the reader as well as the characters in finding the killer. I like how the author brings the characters to life by making them real to the reader. I look forward to more stories.
January 15, 2024
This book was pretty slow moving. A killer was murdering people, and the detectives couldn't figure out why. I figured out it had something to do with books after the second murder. But the detectives had no clue until the light suddenly turned on for our hero, Jesse. *cue eye roll here.
Here are some of the unrealistic things:
Jesse is in a committed relationship with Hanna, but they never do more than eat together. Maybe it's a new relationship since I haven't read any of the other books in this series. But wouldn't she have at least spent some extra time with him after he had to tell his best friend that the best friend's mother had been murdered? Apparently not.
Also, Hanna is the one with all the insights. She's the one who gives Jesse the ideas that lead him to figure the whole plot out. What does she do? Clearly, she should be the detective, but I have no idea what she does since she is a tiny part of the book.
While we are on the subject of things that don't make sense, how does Jesse have a dog if he is gone 23.5 hours a day? Is his dog able to pour his own water, make his own food, and let him out? There is no explanation of how this scenario really works. It's a minor one, but it really just points to how many things don't make sense in the story.
Vic, the killer, is conducting her killing spree because she got mad at online reviews of her book. I mean, I don't like when people tell me they don't like the things I do, but I haven't considered doing a drive-by because someone was mean to me. Her whole reason was so she could write a true crime book about what she did. Which she reveals to Jesse on the last page. And he just shrugs and thinks, "Well, that's true." That was it. The end. So we suffered through all of Jesse's lengthy and boring inner dialog to reach an end that was very unsatisfying.
My rating: 2 stars
Here are some of the unrealistic things:
Jesse is in a committed relationship with Hanna, but they never do more than eat together. Maybe it's a new relationship since I haven't read any of the other books in this series. But wouldn't she have at least spent some extra time with him after he had to tell his best friend that the best friend's mother had been murdered? Apparently not.
Also, Hanna is the one with all the insights. She's the one who gives Jesse the ideas that lead him to figure the whole plot out. What does she do? Clearly, she should be the detective, but I have no idea what she does since she is a tiny part of the book.
While we are on the subject of things that don't make sense, how does Jesse have a dog if he is gone 23.5 hours a day? Is his dog able to pour his own water, make his own food, and let him out? There is no explanation of how this scenario really works. It's a minor one, but it really just points to how many things don't make sense in the story.
Vic, the killer, is conducting her killing spree because she got mad at online reviews of her book. I mean, I don't like when people tell me they don't like the things I do, but I haven't considered doing a drive-by because someone was mean to me. Her whole reason was so she could write a true crime book about what she did. Which she reveals to Jesse on the last page. And he just shrugs and thinks, "Well, that's true." That was it. The end. So we suffered through all of Jesse's lengthy and boring inner dialog to reach an end that was very unsatisfying.
My rating: 2 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2023
Good story but .....
I really liked the story - although it ended very abruptly. The writing style was very irritating (to me) and just too 'wordy'. The main detective kept checking the time but he didn't look at his watch, he "tipped his wrist". Such a strange phrase and massively over used throughout the book. Jesse (main detective) was also very strange; a guy in his 30s with a girlfriend that kept coming round for dinner but who never stayed, he seemed to work 16 hour days but owned a dog who clearly fed and walked himself as there was no mention of a dog sitter/neighbour and he talked in long and overly descriptive sentences. All the police officers seemed to need be instructed to do the most basic things and there would be a piece of prose explaining Jesse's thought processes and then he would tell a colleague the exact same thing. I guess police procedures are very different in the US to here in the UK but our police can't just arrest someone and leave them in a cell for days and they also can't just batter down an apartment block door because they think a suspect might live in one of the apartments (they ended up not doing that but that that was their initial plan).
The blurb about this book says that fans of James Patterson will like it but James Patterson books are fast moving, well written and have sharp dialogue - definitely not the case here but looking at all the 5 star reviews there are plenty of people that do like her style.
I really liked the story - although it ended very abruptly. The writing style was very irritating (to me) and just too 'wordy'. The main detective kept checking the time but he didn't look at his watch, he "tipped his wrist". Such a strange phrase and massively over used throughout the book. Jesse (main detective) was also very strange; a guy in his 30s with a girlfriend that kept coming round for dinner but who never stayed, he seemed to work 16 hour days but owned a dog who clearly fed and walked himself as there was no mention of a dog sitter/neighbour and he talked in long and overly descriptive sentences. All the police officers seemed to need be instructed to do the most basic things and there would be a piece of prose explaining Jesse's thought processes and then he would tell a colleague the exact same thing. I guess police procedures are very different in the US to here in the UK but our police can't just arrest someone and leave them in a cell for days and they also can't just batter down an apartment block door because they think a suspect might live in one of the apartments (they ended up not doing that but that that was their initial plan).
The blurb about this book says that fans of James Patterson will like it but James Patterson books are fast moving, well written and have sharp dialogue - definitely not the case here but looking at all the 5 star reviews there are plenty of people that do like her style.
October 3, 2023
Booked for Murder was a delightfully twisty police procedural that hooks readers in from the first page. The action starts right at page one with the discovery of our first victim, and it continues until the end. This was book five in the series, but this could easily be read as a stand alone book. The back story wasn't particularly important, at least for this volume. The author gives you enough to know what you need to know.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I recommend going in blind. The less you know, the better the final twist will land. Highly recommended for bookworms who enjoy mysteries and crime buffs.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I recommend going in blind. The less you know, the better the final twist will land. Highly recommended for bookworms who enjoy mysteries and crime buffs.
October 1, 2023
Booked For Murder by C.M Sutter (Detective Jesse McCord #5).
My thoughts:
This is a stand-alone story even though this is book 5 in the series. The story is told both from the villain and team of detectives' point of view. It is an engaging story and shows the impact of a violent crime and the aftermath not only on the immediate family but on society as a whole and how we deal with the perpetrators. 4 stars.
My thoughts:
This is a stand-alone story even though this is book 5 in the series. The story is told both from the villain and team of detectives' point of view. It is an engaging story and shows the impact of a violent crime and the aftermath not only on the immediate family but on society as a whole and how we deal with the perpetrators. 4 stars.
November 1, 2023
interesting twist
Booked For Murder was a fast paced murder mystery set in Chicago. The only thing missing was more background on the city. While trying to find a serial killer, the detective is thwarted by a lack of clues and even certainty that the murders are all linked to the same perpetrator. Were people killed for revenge or something more? The ending has a surprise twist that I didn’t see coming.
Booked For Murder was a fast paced murder mystery set in Chicago. The only thing missing was more background on the city. While trying to find a serial killer, the detective is thwarted by a lack of clues and even certainty that the murders are all linked to the same perpetrator. Were people killed for revenge or something more? The ending has a surprise twist that I didn’t see coming.
April 30, 2022
Booked for Murder
#5 was a great book. Kept everyone guessing until the end. I'm not sure if I like Jess with a girlfriend or not??? Maybe in the next book, which is where I am going now. Thank you C.M. Sutter
#5 was a great book. Kept everyone guessing until the end. I'm not sure if I like Jess with a girlfriend or not??? Maybe in the next book, which is where I am going now. Thank you C.M. Sutter
November 7, 2025
Booked for Murder
Wow once again I have to admit this book was pretty intense and keeps you intrigued and waiting to see what was going to happen next. Highly recommend reading. Onto the next in this series.
Wow once again I have to admit this book was pretty intense and keeps you intrigued and waiting to see what was going to happen next. Highly recommend reading. Onto the next in this series.
February 7, 2020
Amazing book! I finished it in 5 days!
This book topped the rest in terms of a clever killer. The ending left me shocked! It left the detective Jesse McCord shocked too!
This book topped the rest in terms of a clever killer. The ending left me shocked! It left the detective Jesse McCord shocked too!
February 15, 2020
Review of: "Booked for Murder"
You can quit comparing C. M. Sutter with Patterson and Connelly. She's better than they are. This book is well worth the time to read it.
You can quit comparing C. M. Sutter with Patterson and Connelly. She's better than they are. This book is well worth the time to read it.
September 12, 2020
Another home run
Aside from the quirky plots, the characters are so much fun. They aren't stoic hardcore cops, they feel and you share their emotions
Aside from the quirky plots, the characters are so much fun. They aren't stoic hardcore cops, they feel and you share their emotions
July 11, 2021
Captivating
This book is keeps you wanting more and not letting you put the book down once you start reading it.
This book is keeps you wanting more and not letting you put the book down once you start reading it.
May 11, 2022
BOOKED
A disgruntled author who murders her dissenters to achieve lasting fame. Maybe all of us who review should be more careful. When is Jesse going to pop the question?
A disgruntled author who murders her dissenters to achieve lasting fame. Maybe all of us who review should be more careful. When is Jesse going to pop the question?
March 21, 2023
Another page turner
These books never fail to get me hooked from page 1. You get a real feel for the characters, such an easy read.
These books never fail to get me hooked from page 1. You get a real feel for the characters, such an easy read.
July 13, 2023
Crime pays
An amazing example of the judicial system and its many loopholes that allow criminals to profit from their misdeeds at the expense of their victims.
An amazing example of the judicial system and its many loopholes that allow criminals to profit from their misdeeds at the expense of their victims.
July 29, 2023
What a twist at the end. I guess
not being able to profit on crimes
didn't apply to first amendment.
not being able to profit on crimes
didn't apply to first amendment.
October 3, 2023
Who
This is an excellent who done it type of book to read. It is very engaging and will keep you flipping through the pages.
This is an excellent who done it type of book to read. It is very engaging and will keep you flipping through the pages.
October 6, 2023
Booked For Murder,Book 5
Wow, edge of your seat thrilling, characters all good, story line great sure can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Wow, edge of your seat thrilling, characters all good, story line great sure can't wait to read the other books in this series.
October 9, 2023
Fast paced. Good mystery.
October 11, 2023
Serviceable, unmemorable serial killer detective novel. The characters are flat & 2 dimensional with an unimaginative writing style.
October 16, 2023
Wow
Scared to review this book after the topic it's written about.
Very clever, nicely written.
Had me guessing all the way thru.
Scared to review this book after the topic it's written about.
Very clever, nicely written.
Had me guessing all the way thru.
November 4, 2023
captivating
Keep me wanting to keep reading. I was always looking forward to seeing the next thing to happen would be.
Keep me wanting to keep reading. I was always looking forward to seeing the next thing to happen would be.
December 19, 2023
lackluster
This Jesses Mccord book left a lot of details without much progress in finding the murderer. Things pucked up near the end, but the ending was perplexing.
This Jesses Mccord book left a lot of details without much progress in finding the murderer. Things pucked up near the end, but the ending was perplexing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews