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Detective Ella Marconi #3
Cold Justice
A teenage girl stumbles across the body of her classmate, Tim Pieters, hidden amongst the bushes. His family is devastated, the killer is never found.
Eighteen years later, political pressure sees the murder investigation reopened. Detective Ella Marconi tracks down Georgie Riley, the student who found the body, and who is now a paramedic. Georgie seems to be telling the truth, so then why does Ella receive an anonymous phone call insisting that Georgie knows more? And is it mere coincidence that her ambulance partner, Freya, also went to the same high school?
Ella's confusion increases when Tim's mother, once so willing to get the police involved, suddenly turns her back on the investigation. Meanwhile, Tim's cousin, the MP whose influence reopened the case, can't seem to do enough to help.
The more Ella digs into the past, the more the buried secrets and lies are brought to light. Can she track down the killer before more people are hurt?
Eighteen years later, political pressure sees the murder investigation reopened. Detective Ella Marconi tracks down Georgie Riley, the student who found the body, and who is now a paramedic. Georgie seems to be telling the truth, so then why does Ella receive an anonymous phone call insisting that Georgie knows more? And is it mere coincidence that her ambulance partner, Freya, also went to the same high school?
Ella's confusion increases when Tim's mother, once so willing to get the police involved, suddenly turns her back on the investigation. Meanwhile, Tim's cousin, the MP whose influence reopened the case, can't seem to do enough to help.
The more Ella digs into the past, the more the buried secrets and lies are brought to light. Can she track down the killer before more people are hurt?
329 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Howell
15 books136 followersKatherine Howell worked as a paramedic for fifteen years while completing her Bachelor and Masters degrees in creative writing. Her first novel, Frantic, was published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan and set a paramedic alongside Sydney police detective Ella Marconi in 'an adrenaline rush of a thriller' (Sydney Morning Herald). It won the 2008 Davitt award for best crime fiction. Her second book, The Darkest Hour, continued the pattern with Ella and another paramedic in 'a finely paced and engrossing novel' (Guardian UK). The third in the series, Cold Justice, made the Australian bestseller list, saw Katherine travelling on a P&O cruise as guest author, and was described by NYT bestselling author Tess Gerritsen as 'one of my favourite books of the year'. It also won the 2011 Davitt award for best crime fiction, making Katherine the only author to have won twice. Her fourth book, Violent Exposure, was described by Bookseller & Publisher as 'arguably her best yet - four stars', while the fifth, Silent Fear, was chosen as a ‘Guaranteed Book You Can’t Put Down’ by the national Get Reading! programme. Katherine’s books are published in multiple countries and languages and have been likened to the work of Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell. Katherine is studying female doctor investigators in crime fiction for her PhD at the University of Queensland, and teaches writing and editing. She lives in Queensland with her partner, who owns a bookshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 9, 2017
3.5 stars from me.
Another quick moving instalment. I don't remember Detective Ella Marconi being shot, though! (In the prior book). I think the detective takes the back seat in these books, and I quite like that actually, as the author is an ex paramedic, and now registered nurse, her scenes on the job are very realistic. I'm always left feeling like I'm in safe hands. These stories are very local. I read about Pennant Hills, Pendle Hill and the Great Western Highway it's a bit of a treat. I'm so glad I'm only three books in, as there's a lot for me to enjoy. My only failing here was it's holiday season for me and I was after something lighter. Not the books fault.
Recommended, a realistic suspenseful piece, by yet another talented Australian woman writer. Thanks library!
Another quick moving instalment. I don't remember Detective Ella Marconi being shot, though! (In the prior book). I think the detective takes the back seat in these books, and I quite like that actually, as the author is an ex paramedic, and now registered nurse, her scenes on the job are very realistic. I'm always left feeling like I'm in safe hands. These stories are very local. I read about Pennant Hills, Pendle Hill and the Great Western Highway it's a bit of a treat. I'm so glad I'm only three books in, as there's a lot for me to enjoy. My only failing here was it's holiday season for me and I was after something lighter. Not the books fault.
Recommended, a realistic suspenseful piece, by yet another talented Australian woman writer. Thanks library!
September 5, 2015
A sad moment for me as I finish the last book I still had to read from the Ella Marconi series. I am very sad that the author has finished writing them as I have enjoyed every single one! This one was excellent as always. I must admit I always prefer the chapters about the police more than the paramedics but together they do make an interesting book. I very much enjoyed having the story set in my own local suburbs. That was fun! The pace of the book was excellent and made it hard to put down and of course there was the surprise ending. All very satisfying. Thank you Katherine Howell for a delightful series.
August 6, 2019
Brilliant!
Katherine Howell has written another captivating novel with Detective Ella Marconi. This grabbed my attention from the beginning with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final clues fell into place revealing an unexpected conclusion! Highly recommended!
Katherine Howell has written another captivating novel with Detective Ella Marconi. This grabbed my attention from the beginning with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final clues fell into place revealing an unexpected conclusion! Highly recommended!
February 6, 2023
Ella Marconi is back in another riveting mystery that has seen author Katherine Howell again hit her readers with the two-pronged attack of an engaging police procedural thriller with the hectic pace of the paramedic. It is a dual storyline that works extremely effectively in drawing together the thin trails of a cold case and the closely guarded secrets of the guilt-ridden.
Ella is back on the job after the traumas of her last investigation (The Darkest Hour) and has been assigned to working the cold case files. Her first case involves the murder of Tim Pieters, a teenager who was found dead in the bushes by one of his fellow school students one morning. It’s a case that has remained unsolved for 19 years and has been reopened due to the influence of his cousin, Callum, who is now a state MP.
As with most cold cases the early work is all slog work as the ground that was covered by the earlier investigators has to be reworked. Katherine Howell has used a clever device to ensure that this otherwise slow part of the storyline doesn’t drag. She calls on her substantial knowledge as a paramedic to follow the daily emergencies of ambulance officers.
The girl who found Tim Pieters’ body 19 years ago is now an ambulance officer and has recently been transferred from country NSW to Sydney where she is undergoing assessment for her job performance. Georgie Daniels is a competent paramedic coping with a stressful job, but she is also battling memories of past failures. Not only that she has one eye over her shoulder, certain that enemies from her hometown have followed her to Sydney to get revenge.
The pace is frenetic as Georgie and her partner, Freya race from one job to the next and the procedure of the paramedic is deeply involving. But behind all of this comes the gradual realization that both Georgie and Freya hold links to the death of Tim Pieters. Exactly how they are linked remains unclear but the secrets run deep and promise to be shocking.
In the meantime Ella determinedly works her way through the case despite the interruptions from her boyfriend and mum and dad who are overly concerned about her well-being. The case quickly gathers momentum and rises to a fiery crescendo.
Cold Justice is another memorable thriller by Katherine Howell who has a gift for telling a story that is both interesting and shocking. The characters are given believable voices and it is easy to recognize and empathize with the emotion that is described in each situation.
From the doubts felt by Georgie as she is reunited with her one-time school friend to the distress of Tim’s mother who is still grieving after 19 years, you are drawn in and your own emotions are deeply challenged.
Cold Justice is a tremendous follow-up novel to The Darkest Hour and only cements Katherine Howell as an author who should be followed. I have to admit I've become a fan but that's only because in 3 books, Howell not only delivered stories that are completely engrossing, but has also developed her main character to the point where you simply want to know more about her.
Ella is back on the job after the traumas of her last investigation (The Darkest Hour) and has been assigned to working the cold case files. Her first case involves the murder of Tim Pieters, a teenager who was found dead in the bushes by one of his fellow school students one morning. It’s a case that has remained unsolved for 19 years and has been reopened due to the influence of his cousin, Callum, who is now a state MP.
As with most cold cases the early work is all slog work as the ground that was covered by the earlier investigators has to be reworked. Katherine Howell has used a clever device to ensure that this otherwise slow part of the storyline doesn’t drag. She calls on her substantial knowledge as a paramedic to follow the daily emergencies of ambulance officers.
The girl who found Tim Pieters’ body 19 years ago is now an ambulance officer and has recently been transferred from country NSW to Sydney where she is undergoing assessment for her job performance. Georgie Daniels is a competent paramedic coping with a stressful job, but she is also battling memories of past failures. Not only that she has one eye over her shoulder, certain that enemies from her hometown have followed her to Sydney to get revenge.
The pace is frenetic as Georgie and her partner, Freya race from one job to the next and the procedure of the paramedic is deeply involving. But behind all of this comes the gradual realization that both Georgie and Freya hold links to the death of Tim Pieters. Exactly how they are linked remains unclear but the secrets run deep and promise to be shocking.
In the meantime Ella determinedly works her way through the case despite the interruptions from her boyfriend and mum and dad who are overly concerned about her well-being. The case quickly gathers momentum and rises to a fiery crescendo.
Cold Justice is another memorable thriller by Katherine Howell who has a gift for telling a story that is both interesting and shocking. The characters are given believable voices and it is easy to recognize and empathize with the emotion that is described in each situation.
From the doubts felt by Georgie as she is reunited with her one-time school friend to the distress of Tim’s mother who is still grieving after 19 years, you are drawn in and your own emotions are deeply challenged.
Cold Justice is a tremendous follow-up novel to The Darkest Hour and only cements Katherine Howell as an author who should be followed. I have to admit I've become a fan but that's only because in 3 books, Howell not only delivered stories that are completely engrossing, but has also developed her main character to the point where you simply want to know more about her.
April 23, 2014
Nineteen years ago the body of Tim Pieters was found hidden amongst bushes and now the case is being reopened. Leading the investigation is Detective Ella Marconi who knows this case won't be easy. Trying to find witnesses from nineteen years ago will be a challenge and seeing what they can remember may also be a tough ask.
Georgie is a paramedic and the last person she expected to be partnered with is Freya. Georgie and Freya were best friends when they were younger until the day when Freya left school with not a word to anyone. Georgie had tried contacting her and going around to her house only to find that she and her family no longer lived there. Georgie was distraught and confused at the time wondering where and why her friend had left. Will Freya tell Georgie the truth why she left all those years ago?
Speaking with family and friends, Ella is beginning to get a clearer picture of what might have happened to Tim Pieters. It seems that straight after Tim was found was the same time that Freya left town so was she connected in some way? Will Ella be able to find the killer or will the killer strike again?
Another fantastic page turning thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is the third book in the Detective Ella Marconi series and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to those who enjoy a really good thriller.
Georgie is a paramedic and the last person she expected to be partnered with is Freya. Georgie and Freya were best friends when they were younger until the day when Freya left school with not a word to anyone. Georgie had tried contacting her and going around to her house only to find that she and her family no longer lived there. Georgie was distraught and confused at the time wondering where and why her friend had left. Will Freya tell Georgie the truth why she left all those years ago?
Speaking with family and friends, Ella is beginning to get a clearer picture of what might have happened to Tim Pieters. It seems that straight after Tim was found was the same time that Freya left town so was she connected in some way? Will Ella be able to find the killer or will the killer strike again?
Another fantastic page turning thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is the third book in the Detective Ella Marconi series and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to those who enjoy a really good thriller.
December 28, 2015
Georgie Riley has been assigned to work with Freya Craig as a paramedic operating out of The Rocks ambulance depot. Georgie is returning to work after sick leave, during which she spent time in a psychiatric ward, due to PTSD. Freya is her assessor, and it is a big surprise when they realise they were in the same class at Macquarie High School twenty years previously. They had been best friends until Freya abruptly left the school a couple of days following the murder of Tim Pieters.
Ella Marconi is returning to work as a detective following sick leave due to being shot. Assigned to the Unsolved cases unit, her senior officers ask her to reopen the cold case of Tim Pieters. There is also political pressure as Tim’s cousin Callum has recently been elected to Parliament. After a few days a former colleague, Murray Shakespeare, is assigned as her partner. Georgie is interviewed by Ella because she was the young girl who found Tim’s body in scrub adjoining a local park in Pennant Hills where she grew up. Thus Katherine Howell sets up the circumstances for the mystery plot which sees a number of intersections and clashes between the the lives of the main protagonists.
This is a tense thriller, with lots of credible action. It kept me interested and guessing all the way. The back history between Georgie and Freya with so many apparent connections and coincidences in the present, stretches the reader’s credibility. The emotional tenor of the minor players is very well managed, especially Tim’s mother, the intensely bitter and angry Tamara.
Some of the ambulance stories are so crazy they can only be drawn from real life, as truth is so often stranger than fiction. I particularly liked the story of the emergency call to a medical clinic where a child had been reported as having acute meningococcal with cyanosis in the legs - a very desperate, life-threatening illness. After their dash to the clinic, the doctor was found to have done no diagnostic tests like BP, and nothing in the way of first aid, i.e. no drip, no drugs, no lifesaving equipment. It turned out that the girl got blue dye from upholstery on her legs and the mother panicked! A similar lack of organisation was disclosed at Dr McLennan’s surgery, when the cancer victim collapsed in the waiting room. Seems Howell may be sending a message out about poorly resourced, under-qualified sole practitioners. She should know from first hand experience, having worked for several years as a NSW paramedic before turning to writing.
For me the character of Ella Marconi is problematic - does the author want the reader to sympathise with her or not? Not content with treating her loving parents with utter contempt, she is now abusing the good relationship she has enjoyed with her boyfriend Wayne. For her, the case is everything. She is so driven to succeed that she has no time in her life for leisure, enjoyment, and love. Wayne wants her to spend time doing things together, but she cannot resist the call of work.
[Wayne] didn’t smile. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not cheating on you.’ She walked to the front door.
‘You were working.’
‘So, what if I was?’
‘After everything we talked about,’ he said sadly.
‘You talked about it.’ She rammed the key into the lock. ‘You told me what you think and feel, and I think and feel differently. What’s so hard to understand about that?’
He stood on the step, looking up at her. ‘I love you.’
‘I…what?’
‘I love you.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’ He was looking at her with a question in his eyes.
She pressed her lips together. She couldn’t say it back to him, and she couldn’t shake the thought that love was another way to control a person.
Seems to me that Ella is modelled on those sad, lonely, driven characters in US crime novels, like Harry Bosch. They may be brilliant at their jobs, but their lives are empty. There’s no human warmth, no self-love. Just ego and driving ambition, which may mask insecurity and fragility that they are desperate to hide.
4★s
Ella Marconi is returning to work as a detective following sick leave due to being shot. Assigned to the Unsolved cases unit, her senior officers ask her to reopen the cold case of Tim Pieters. There is also political pressure as Tim’s cousin Callum has recently been elected to Parliament. After a few days a former colleague, Murray Shakespeare, is assigned as her partner. Georgie is interviewed by Ella because she was the young girl who found Tim’s body in scrub adjoining a local park in Pennant Hills where she grew up. Thus Katherine Howell sets up the circumstances for the mystery plot which sees a number of intersections and clashes between the the lives of the main protagonists.
This is a tense thriller, with lots of credible action. It kept me interested and guessing all the way. The back history between Georgie and Freya with so many apparent connections and coincidences in the present, stretches the reader’s credibility. The emotional tenor of the minor players is very well managed, especially Tim’s mother, the intensely bitter and angry Tamara.
Some of the ambulance stories are so crazy they can only be drawn from real life, as truth is so often stranger than fiction. I particularly liked the story of the emergency call to a medical clinic where a child had been reported as having acute meningococcal with cyanosis in the legs - a very desperate, life-threatening illness. After their dash to the clinic, the doctor was found to have done no diagnostic tests like BP, and nothing in the way of first aid, i.e. no drip, no drugs, no lifesaving equipment. It turned out that the girl got blue dye from upholstery on her legs and the mother panicked! A similar lack of organisation was disclosed at Dr McLennan’s surgery, when the cancer victim collapsed in the waiting room. Seems Howell may be sending a message out about poorly resourced, under-qualified sole practitioners. She should know from first hand experience, having worked for several years as a NSW paramedic before turning to writing.
For me the character of Ella Marconi is problematic - does the author want the reader to sympathise with her or not? Not content with treating her loving parents with utter contempt, she is now abusing the good relationship she has enjoyed with her boyfriend Wayne. For her, the case is everything. She is so driven to succeed that she has no time in her life for leisure, enjoyment, and love. Wayne wants her to spend time doing things together, but she cannot resist the call of work.
[Wayne] didn’t smile. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not cheating on you.’ She walked to the front door.
‘You were working.’
‘So, what if I was?’
‘After everything we talked about,’ he said sadly.
‘You talked about it.’ She rammed the key into the lock. ‘You told me what you think and feel, and I think and feel differently. What’s so hard to understand about that?’
He stood on the step, looking up at her. ‘I love you.’
‘I…what?’
‘I love you.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes.’ He was looking at her with a question in his eyes.
She pressed her lips together. She couldn’t say it back to him, and she couldn’t shake the thought that love was another way to control a person.
Seems to me that Ella is modelled on those sad, lonely, driven characters in US crime novels, like Harry Bosch. They may be brilliant at their jobs, but their lives are empty. There’s no human warmth, no self-love. Just ego and driving ambition, which may mask insecurity and fragility that they are desperate to hide.
4★s
September 7, 2017
Cold Justice is book three of Detective Ella Marconi series by Katherine Howell. First day back at work for Detective Ella Marconi after shooting was assigned a cold case on the death of Tim Pieters. Paramedic Georgie Riley was sent to The Rocks Ambulance Station to have a review of her ability to be a Paramedic after an incident at Woolford Ambulance Station. Detective Ella Marconi and Georgie Riley paths cross due to the Tim Pieters case. The Readers of Cold Justice will continue to follow the twist and turns into Detective Ella Marconi investigation into the death of Tim Pieters. Also, the readers will learn what happens to Paramedic Georgie Riley.
I enjoyed reading Cold Justice. I love the way, Katherine Howell portrays her characters and especially Ella Marconi. I like Katherine Howell writing style, and she does a great job of entwining her plots and then have them climax together at the end of Cold Justice. I did not expect the ending of Cold Justice. Also, Katherine Howell in Cold Justice does a fantastic job of highlighting child abuse and how it affects everyone.
Readers of Cold Justice will learn about being a Paramedic. Also, the readers of Cold Justice will start to realise that case might be cold. However, they are never forgotten about by law enforcement.
I recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading Cold Justice. I love the way, Katherine Howell portrays her characters and especially Ella Marconi. I like Katherine Howell writing style, and she does a great job of entwining her plots and then have them climax together at the end of Cold Justice. I did not expect the ending of Cold Justice. Also, Katherine Howell in Cold Justice does a fantastic job of highlighting child abuse and how it affects everyone.
Readers of Cold Justice will learn about being a Paramedic. Also, the readers of Cold Justice will start to realise that case might be cold. However, they are never forgotten about by law enforcement.
I recommend this book.
May 7, 2015
Another great entry in the series. These are real page-turners: don't start reading unless you've got a few hours to spare!
In this one Detective Ella Marconi has been moved to the Unsolved Crimes Division, and it's not long before she's working on the cold case of a teenaged boy who was found dead by the side of the road one morning--by a girl who went to his school. That girl, Georgie, is now an ambulance officer on probation, and her new partner is also an old school friend, who doesn't seem quite as happy to see Georgie as she ought, and turns positively frigid when Ella starts asking Georgie questions. There are a lot of secrets, both here and among the family of the victim, and Ella is determined to bring them all to light.
In this one Detective Ella Marconi has been moved to the Unsolved Crimes Division, and it's not long before she's working on the cold case of a teenaged boy who was found dead by the side of the road one morning--by a girl who went to his school. That girl, Georgie, is now an ambulance officer on probation, and her new partner is also an old school friend, who doesn't seem quite as happy to see Georgie as she ought, and turns positively frigid when Ella starts asking Georgie questions. There are a lot of secrets, both here and among the family of the victim, and Ella is determined to bring them all to light.
October 29, 2014
Getting use to the Aussie lingo and this author. From a paramedic's point of view and a detective's, two intertwining stories, a fairly large cast of characters - new paramedics, but same detectives. Who really is guilty of what and why. If you can solve one of the questions, can you solve them all, or does it lead to more questions? Yes to both :)
Once I had separated out the characters into their respective "cases", and the traveling between 2 different time periods, I was all set. An old case is given to Det. Ella Marconi, basically as a test to see if she is fit to work the streets again after the last book and her run in with the bad guy. The old case ties in to the paramedics in a way that kind of misleads you as the reader. Really like the style of these books and the way the author brings her first hand knowledge as a paramedic to the books.
2 thumbs up and a solid 4 stars - worth the read!
Once I had separated out the characters into their respective "cases", and the traveling between 2 different time periods, I was all set. An old case is given to Det. Ella Marconi, basically as a test to see if she is fit to work the streets again after the last book and her run in with the bad guy. The old case ties in to the paramedics in a way that kind of misleads you as the reader. Really like the style of these books and the way the author brings her first hand knowledge as a paramedic to the books.
2 thumbs up and a solid 4 stars - worth the read!
July 26, 2015
Although still an interesting read, I didn’t find this one quite as gripping as the second in the series which I read earlier this month. I also felt that I’d either missed something in the development of the characters or something seemed to have been fast-tracked. Without giving too much away, there was a singular event that occurred at the end of the second book that all of a sudden seemed to be a well-established occurrence in the third, and that threw me initially.
Still a good read - 3.5 stars.
Still a good read - 3.5 stars.
July 19, 2017
A rollicking police yarn featuring three women all dealing with traumatic pasts.
Ella, the detective, is returning to work after being shot. She is given a cold case to solve.
Georgie, a paramedic, has been relocated to Sydney for assessment after experiencing trauma from a drowning and the worse case of workforce bullying I've read about.
Freya, Georgie's paramedic partner and assessor, has darker secrets from her school days.
The various storylines come together. The women are all believable and likeable. Ella's mother's attempt to text on her new phone was humorous.
I didn't get the need for the ambulance burning scene and I just wish there was a police officer who gave some more time to their families. Otherwise, I think I have found another Australian author to read more of.
Ella, the detective, is returning to work after being shot. She is given a cold case to solve.
Georgie, a paramedic, has been relocated to Sydney for assessment after experiencing trauma from a drowning and the worse case of workforce bullying I've read about.
Freya, Georgie's paramedic partner and assessor, has darker secrets from her school days.
The various storylines come together. The women are all believable and likeable. Ella's mother's attempt to text on her new phone was humorous.
I didn't get the need for the ambulance burning scene and I just wish there was a police officer who gave some more time to their families. Otherwise, I think I have found another Australian author to read more of.
January 30, 2010
It's nearly impossible for a reader to understand what it must be like to write a series of books, based around the same characters. All we can do is be extremely grateful that writers like Katherine Howell can do it, book after book, maintaining the same high standard, giving us new stories, and new situations for the characters to appear in, keeping the series fresh and interesting all the time.
Following on from FRANTIC and THE DARKEST HOUR, the third book COLD JUSTICE again simply does not miss a beat. Part of the reason that these books are so good is the shifting viewpoint. Not only does the author use her paramedic / ambulance officer background to great effect, writing characters from within that world, she combines them with a good, solid, interesting police cast, concentrating on a central character - Detective Ella Marconi. This switching perspective gives the stories some real depth, although, in COLD JUSTICE, the formula is twisted slightly again. Georgie Daniels is a paramedic with current day work problems, and a teenage connection back to the murder of a classmate. Nineteen years ago she discovered the body of Tim Pieters hidden amongst bushes. His family was devastated and Georgie's own friendship with Freya destroyed overnight. All these years later, having problems with an out of control boss, she's transferred to a new ambulance station and finds herself working with (and being assessed by) her old school friend Freya. At the same time the investigation into the death of Tim Pieters is reopened and Ella Marconi has nowhere else to start but with the person who discovered his body, his friends at school and his family members.
There's some really good balancing of all of the elements in this story - Marconi has a work life, and a personal life, and they coincide and collide realistically. Whilst everything in her life isn't perfect, it's also not so imperfect that it's unbelievable (although I'd kill any boyfriend who taught my mother how to send text messages like that!). Georgie and Freya have their own lives as well - Georgie and her husband, away from their beloved country home and animals, Freya with kids and a husband she loves no matter what sort of a twit he can make of herself. Both women have a demanding work life, and a not straight-forward private life and the complications of their teenage friendship, the murder of Tim and how they went their separate ways creates a prickliness between them which really works. On the victim's side the damage that was done to Tim's family as a result of his murder is carefully displayed - the pain and struggle of his mother Tamara in particular is graphic.
The final balancing act, however, is to give a good cast of characters a great plot to work within. Resolving a cold case from so long ago isn't an easy task for Marconi, but persistence, focus, good sixth sense, and a willingness to put reluctance aside and work with the less than ideal partner that is assigned to her, and eventually the truth is revealed.
COLD JUSTICE is a terrific book. It would work as a standalone, or it works as part of the continuing story of Ella Marconi. It works as a character study, or as a plot driven police procedural. Basically it just works. Really really really well.
Following on from FRANTIC and THE DARKEST HOUR, the third book COLD JUSTICE again simply does not miss a beat. Part of the reason that these books are so good is the shifting viewpoint. Not only does the author use her paramedic / ambulance officer background to great effect, writing characters from within that world, she combines them with a good, solid, interesting police cast, concentrating on a central character - Detective Ella Marconi. This switching perspective gives the stories some real depth, although, in COLD JUSTICE, the formula is twisted slightly again. Georgie Daniels is a paramedic with current day work problems, and a teenage connection back to the murder of a classmate. Nineteen years ago she discovered the body of Tim Pieters hidden amongst bushes. His family was devastated and Georgie's own friendship with Freya destroyed overnight. All these years later, having problems with an out of control boss, she's transferred to a new ambulance station and finds herself working with (and being assessed by) her old school friend Freya. At the same time the investigation into the death of Tim Pieters is reopened and Ella Marconi has nowhere else to start but with the person who discovered his body, his friends at school and his family members.
There's some really good balancing of all of the elements in this story - Marconi has a work life, and a personal life, and they coincide and collide realistically. Whilst everything in her life isn't perfect, it's also not so imperfect that it's unbelievable (although I'd kill any boyfriend who taught my mother how to send text messages like that!). Georgie and Freya have their own lives as well - Georgie and her husband, away from their beloved country home and animals, Freya with kids and a husband she loves no matter what sort of a twit he can make of herself. Both women have a demanding work life, and a not straight-forward private life and the complications of their teenage friendship, the murder of Tim and how they went their separate ways creates a prickliness between them which really works. On the victim's side the damage that was done to Tim's family as a result of his murder is carefully displayed - the pain and struggle of his mother Tamara in particular is graphic.
The final balancing act, however, is to give a good cast of characters a great plot to work within. Resolving a cold case from so long ago isn't an easy task for Marconi, but persistence, focus, good sixth sense, and a willingness to put reluctance aside and work with the less than ideal partner that is assigned to her, and eventually the truth is revealed.
COLD JUSTICE is a terrific book. It would work as a standalone, or it works as part of the continuing story of Ella Marconi. It works as a character study, or as a plot driven police procedural. Basically it just works. Really really really well.
March 19, 2012
Wow, Howell is a masterful storyteller. Her writing is sharp, her action is clear, and her clever interweaving of conversation and clues with active, energetic scenes makes this book almost cinematic.
I did have a hard time separating the multitude of characters - there are at least 6 point of view characters & every one of them comes with a full background of lovers/friends/family/enemies. Chapters are assigned arbitrarily across the characters (& the years) so that you never get more than a few pages of any one character. Which is good if you're not particularly interested in that character. But is also bad, because - strictly imho - multiple points of view (POVs) can make for a choppy reading experience & serve to slow down the action, often spinning us into another internal monologue or a personal circumstance or a small repetition when we really just want to know what the hell was happening with this cold case under investigation. (There are 2 too many paramedic call-outs for me, for instance.)
I admit I cared less about some characters than others. Georgie, for instance, with her penchant for ringing 'home' to hear her menagerie of animals ('gods,' I remember thinking, 'i hope the animals don't end up with bloody point of view sections'). And Freya - despite absorbing most of my interest during the book - did have a rather repetitive habit of announcing "nobody knows anything, howcouldthey!" to some shady character who ends up, somewhat tenuously, with a position in her life again. And I admit many of the male characters (Matt/Wayne/James) merged into one.
Some of the journeys were tough to witness, & Howell charts them with compassion & a humane insight. Freya is one particularly good example of this, & I wished I could have had one final section from her point of view to see how she was *feeling* by the time the book's events had unfolded around her. Others, like Georgie, struck me as having a lot less to do or achieve - though apparently this book is one in a series, & so perhaps I'd be more interested if I'd read about Georgie & her animals in an earlier book. Detective Ella Marconi does stirling work at somewhat of a personal cost & I would love to read more of her.
But best of all: the ending, rather than feeling kind of tacked onto the end as it often can in some thrillers, was convincing and satisfying. The prose was efficient & never self-conscious & the Sydney detail was free of sentimentality. Katharine Howell is one of our great thriller writers.
I did have a hard time separating the multitude of characters - there are at least 6 point of view characters & every one of them comes with a full background of lovers/friends/family/enemies. Chapters are assigned arbitrarily across the characters (& the years) so that you never get more than a few pages of any one character. Which is good if you're not particularly interested in that character. But is also bad, because - strictly imho - multiple points of view (POVs) can make for a choppy reading experience & serve to slow down the action, often spinning us into another internal monologue or a personal circumstance or a small repetition when we really just want to know what the hell was happening with this cold case under investigation. (There are 2 too many paramedic call-outs for me, for instance.)
I admit I cared less about some characters than others. Georgie, for instance, with her penchant for ringing 'home' to hear her menagerie of animals ('gods,' I remember thinking, 'i hope the animals don't end up with bloody point of view sections'). And Freya - despite absorbing most of my interest during the book - did have a rather repetitive habit of announcing "nobody knows anything, howcouldthey!" to some shady character who ends up, somewhat tenuously, with a position in her life again. And I admit many of the male characters (Matt/Wayne/James) merged into one.
Some of the journeys were tough to witness, & Howell charts them with compassion & a humane insight. Freya is one particularly good example of this, & I wished I could have had one final section from her point of view to see how she was *feeling* by the time the book's events had unfolded around her. Others, like Georgie, struck me as having a lot less to do or achieve - though apparently this book is one in a series, & so perhaps I'd be more interested if I'd read about Georgie & her animals in an earlier book. Detective Ella Marconi does stirling work at somewhat of a personal cost & I would love to read more of her.
But best of all: the ending, rather than feeling kind of tacked onto the end as it often can in some thrillers, was convincing and satisfying. The prose was efficient & never self-conscious & the Sydney detail was free of sentimentality. Katharine Howell is one of our great thriller writers.
May 22, 2012
Detective Ella Marconi has been handed a cold case involving a gruesome murder nineteen years ago of school boy Tim Pieters. Tim’s cousin, Callum, is now a member of Parliament, and has decided to push the police to re-open the case to find the killer.
During the course of locating witnesses from 19 years ago, Ella tracks down Georgie who was just a teenager at the time, and also the one who discovered Tim’s body, hidden in bushes. She was at the same school as Tim, even though they were two years apart in age, and she didn’t really know him.
Now Georgie is a paramedic with problems of her own. She has been sent to an ambulance station in Sydney to be assessed, from the country, as she has been having harassment problems from Ross at her old station. But her assessor and ambulance partner just happens to be Freya, her best friend from school, and the girl who disappeared immediately after Tim’s death. Georgie hasn’t seen or heard from Freya in all those years, and was devastated to lose touch with her. Now Freya seems dismayed to see Georgie, and extremely tense and uptight.
The more Ella digs, the more she finds, and the secrets and lies that are coming out are pointing to some horrifying answers. Will Ella be able to find the killer before Georgie gets hurt, or worse? Will the killer manage to do more damage to Tim’s family before he is caught?
The twists and turns in this, the third Detective Ella Marconi novel, are ingenious, the suspense is gripping, and the result shocking!
During the course of locating witnesses from 19 years ago, Ella tracks down Georgie who was just a teenager at the time, and also the one who discovered Tim’s body, hidden in bushes. She was at the same school as Tim, even though they were two years apart in age, and she didn’t really know him.
Now Georgie is a paramedic with problems of her own. She has been sent to an ambulance station in Sydney to be assessed, from the country, as she has been having harassment problems from Ross at her old station. But her assessor and ambulance partner just happens to be Freya, her best friend from school, and the girl who disappeared immediately after Tim’s death. Georgie hasn’t seen or heard from Freya in all those years, and was devastated to lose touch with her. Now Freya seems dismayed to see Georgie, and extremely tense and uptight.
The more Ella digs, the more she finds, and the secrets and lies that are coming out are pointing to some horrifying answers. Will Ella be able to find the killer before Georgie gets hurt, or worse? Will the killer manage to do more damage to Tim’s family before he is caught?
The twists and turns in this, the third Detective Ella Marconi novel, are ingenious, the suspense is gripping, and the result shocking!
January 17, 2017
Ella Marconi returns to duty after recovering from being shot to a cold case. Tim Pieters was murdered as a teenager. His murder devastated his family and Howell shows how the wait for justice has compounded their suffering. She compares this with the effects Ella's determination to find the murderer and bring about justice has on her own family and relationships.
As a teen Georgie found Tim's body and then lost her best friend. Watching the responders that day inspired her to become a paramedic. She has moved to The Rocks unit and now her best friend has turned up. She is the subject of cruel campaign, the police keep questioning her about Tim and her friend is behaving weirdly. What is going on? Is she really safe here?
I really like Katherine Howell's Ella Marconi series and am usually glued to the pages. That being said this is not my favourite. There is a red herring at the beginning that I found not believable and I was annoyed all the way through that the police had fallen for it, as I thought it so unlikely. I also thought the convergence of the two story lines was a bit clunky. On the other hand Ms Howell is so good I would still recommend it.
As a teen Georgie found Tim's body and then lost her best friend. Watching the responders that day inspired her to become a paramedic. She has moved to The Rocks unit and now her best friend has turned up. She is the subject of cruel campaign, the police keep questioning her about Tim and her friend is behaving weirdly. What is going on? Is she really safe here?
I really like Katherine Howell's Ella Marconi series and am usually glued to the pages. That being said this is not my favourite. There is a red herring at the beginning that I found not believable and I was annoyed all the way through that the police had fallen for it, as I thought it so unlikely. I also thought the convergence of the two story lines was a bit clunky. On the other hand Ms Howell is so good I would still recommend it.
August 15, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, I was able to delve into the minds of the characters of Detective Ella Marconi, who is investigating a cold case and Georgie Daniels a paramedic who had stumbled across the body of her classmate nineteen years ago. Katherine Howell cleverly brings all those from the past who have a connection with the victim, to the present day, drawing you into the mystery with tiny clues of who killed Tim Pieters and why, bringing you to a conclusion that will not only surprise you, but a satisfying end. I will certainly be looking for more of Katherine Howell's books.
March 15, 2015
This is the third book in the Detective Ella Marconi series. It follows the same Point of View pattern as the others. One main POV from the police with Ella, and the other from the paramedics. I enjoyed both points of view equally this time. I must be tuning up my detective skills from reading the first three of these books all in a row, as I figured out "who done it" and why a lot earlier in this book than the others.
December 30, 2019
On the positive, great to read an Australian author who doesn't need to resort to the typical cliches about Australian life. Apart from gratuitous mentions of "that" bridge!
The plot had a nice twist too.
This story however is largely reliant on a handful of unlikely coincidences, which personally grate me in books.
The plot had a nice twist too.
This story however is largely reliant on a handful of unlikely coincidences, which personally grate me in books.
September 20, 2019
This was a good enough read but I felt it lacked depth. Three main characters whose viewpoints we need to be aware of meant that they were all slightly diluted and that the reader had to constantly flip from character to character. The male characters were basically interchangeable and added nothing to the plot for me. I also felt that there was too much extraneous detail - ambulance callouts that didn't advance the plot, Ella's relationship with Wayne, her exchanges with her mother. But maybe these are introduced now to be developed in a later work? On the plus side, this was an easy read with a mystery to solve and the denouement maybe wasn't what the reader was expecting. A bit of a mixed bag but recommended anyway.
October 18, 2021
I'm a little conflicted by this book. There could have been slightly more book at the start to explain the marked differences between this and the previous book, but I soon caught up. I am still very much enjoying the interplay between the ambulance service and the police, but I think that focusing on two disparate story lines left the book poorer for it. The climax turned up very late, and brought the main plot points together deliciously, but then they separated again. The final reveal of the antagonist was a little obvious to my mind, and the resolution was a little disappointing, I would have liked to seen a little more.
August 9, 2023
Ik viste dit boek op uit de bieb van de camping. Aanvankelijk vond ik het vooral technisch goed geschreven. Om en om komen de politie en de paramedics aan t woord. Ik vind die innerlijke stem in schuine letters heel irritant die een aantal hoofdpersonen hebben.
Het is een goed degelijk verhaal maar t mist een ziel.
Het is een goed degelijk verhaal maar t mist een ziel.
June 30, 2018
Great page turner.
Believable characters
Believable characters
July 25, 2018
One of my favourites, a book where reading one chapter at a time is not an option.
September 21, 2018
Just Love this series.
June 16, 2019
love this series. I have read it out of order and am now going back to read at least the next one again.
February 2, 2020
Wish I could find more in this series, great reading
June 19, 2020
This was the first Katherine Howell book that I’ve read and it won’t be the last! It featured great characterization, an intricate plot with many layers where details were gradually uncovered.
July 3, 2022
Part of the Ella Marconi series. I’m enjoying working my way through them all. Nothing particularly deep, emotional or memorable but a nice simple read.
July 28, 2025
Probably a 31/2
March 15, 2014
Book Review
By Jill Smith © November 2010
Title: Cold Justice
Author: Katherine Howell
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
This is a really great read. The action and interaction between the main character and her work mate has you guessing immediately, a real hook into the story.
Freya and Georgie had been friends at school and had lost touch with one another. This was a very unusual reunion. Both had secrets they were unwilling to share that dated back to their adolescence. Little did either of them know that an aspiring politician would raise a re-investigation of an unsolved murder that happened at their High School nineteen years earlier, and bring their shared past, into the view of police investigator Detective Ella Marconi.
Freya is desperately trying to salvage her career, recently grossly smeared, and she depended on Georgie for her assessment of her competence as a paramedic, to return to her happy life in a rural town with her family. She hated the big smoke, however, she and her husband and two children were trying to forge a new life in strange surroundings.
Georgie, on the other hand, was still burying the fact that she stumbled across a body of a school mate Tim Pieters, nineteen years previously. She didn’t want anyone, especially her husband to discover, why she was there and who she was with. This had to be kept a secret. Would Freya ruin this for her by letting the police know something she might recall from their High School days?
The investigation takes on many twists and turns. The relationship between the aspiring politician and the Detective Marconi could blossom. The conclusion to the book is a winner.
This is her fourth book and her first ‘Frantic’ won winner of the Davitt Award for Best Crime Novel, ‘The Darkest Hour’, ‘Violent Exposure’ followed as a prelude to this book. For anyone looking for a thriller crime book to add to your collection, any or all of these books would be a must add.
Merged review:
This is a really great read. The action and interaction between the main character and her work mate has you guessing immediately, a real hook into the story.
Freya and Georgie had been friends at school and had lost touch with one another. This was a very unusual reunion. Both had secrets they were unwilling to share that dated back to their adolescence. Little did either of them know that an aspiring politician would raise a re-investigation of an unsolved murder that happened at their High School nineteen years earlier, and bring their shared past, into the view of police investigator Detective Ella Marconi.
Freya is desperately trying to salvage her career, recently grossly smeared, and she depended on Georgie for her assessment of her competence as a paramedic, to return to her happy life in a rural town with her family. She hated the big smoke, however, she and her husband and two children were trying to forge a new life in strange surroundings.
Georgie, on the other hand, was still burying the fact that she stumbled across a body of a school mate Tim Pieters, nineteen years previously. She didn’t want anyone, especially her husband to discover, why she was there and who she was with. This had to be kept a secret. Would Freya ruin this for her by letting the police know something she might recall from their High School days?
The investigation takes on many twists and turns. The relationship between the aspiring politician and the Detective Marconi could blossom. The conclusion to the book is a winner.
This is her fourth book and her first ‘Frantic’ won winner of the Davitt Award for Best Crime Novel, ‘The Darkest Hour’, ‘Violent Exposure’ followed as a prelude to this book. For anyone looking for a thriller crime book to add to your collection, any or all of these books would be a must add.
By Jill Smith © November 2010
Title: Cold Justice
Author: Katherine Howell
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
This is a really great read. The action and interaction between the main character and her work mate has you guessing immediately, a real hook into the story.
Freya and Georgie had been friends at school and had lost touch with one another. This was a very unusual reunion. Both had secrets they were unwilling to share that dated back to their adolescence. Little did either of them know that an aspiring politician would raise a re-investigation of an unsolved murder that happened at their High School nineteen years earlier, and bring their shared past, into the view of police investigator Detective Ella Marconi.
Freya is desperately trying to salvage her career, recently grossly smeared, and she depended on Georgie for her assessment of her competence as a paramedic, to return to her happy life in a rural town with her family. She hated the big smoke, however, she and her husband and two children were trying to forge a new life in strange surroundings.
Georgie, on the other hand, was still burying the fact that she stumbled across a body of a school mate Tim Pieters, nineteen years previously. She didn’t want anyone, especially her husband to discover, why she was there and who she was with. This had to be kept a secret. Would Freya ruin this for her by letting the police know something she might recall from their High School days?
The investigation takes on many twists and turns. The relationship between the aspiring politician and the Detective Marconi could blossom. The conclusion to the book is a winner.
This is her fourth book and her first ‘Frantic’ won winner of the Davitt Award for Best Crime Novel, ‘The Darkest Hour’, ‘Violent Exposure’ followed as a prelude to this book. For anyone looking for a thriller crime book to add to your collection, any or all of these books would be a must add.
Merged review:
This is a really great read. The action and interaction between the main character and her work mate has you guessing immediately, a real hook into the story.
Freya and Georgie had been friends at school and had lost touch with one another. This was a very unusual reunion. Both had secrets they were unwilling to share that dated back to their adolescence. Little did either of them know that an aspiring politician would raise a re-investigation of an unsolved murder that happened at their High School nineteen years earlier, and bring their shared past, into the view of police investigator Detective Ella Marconi.
Freya is desperately trying to salvage her career, recently grossly smeared, and she depended on Georgie for her assessment of her competence as a paramedic, to return to her happy life in a rural town with her family. She hated the big smoke, however, she and her husband and two children were trying to forge a new life in strange surroundings.
Georgie, on the other hand, was still burying the fact that she stumbled across a body of a school mate Tim Pieters, nineteen years previously. She didn’t want anyone, especially her husband to discover, why she was there and who she was with. This had to be kept a secret. Would Freya ruin this for her by letting the police know something she might recall from their High School days?
The investigation takes on many twists and turns. The relationship between the aspiring politician and the Detective Marconi could blossom. The conclusion to the book is a winner.
This is her fourth book and her first ‘Frantic’ won winner of the Davitt Award for Best Crime Novel, ‘The Darkest Hour’, ‘Violent Exposure’ followed as a prelude to this book. For anyone looking for a thriller crime book to add to your collection, any or all of these books would be a must add.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews