Madison Square Murders

Memento Mori, Book 1

By: C.S. Poe

Narrated by: Kale Williams

Everett Larkin works for the Cold Case Squad: an elite - if understaffed and overworked - group of detectives who solve the forgotten deaths of New York City. Larkin is different from others, but his deduction skills are unmatched and his memory for minute details is unparalleled.

So when a spring thunderstorm uproots a tree in Madison Square Park, unearthing a crate with human remains inside, the best Cold Case detective is assigned the job. And when a death mask, like those prominent during the Victorian era, is found with the body, Larkin requests assistance from the Forensic Artists Unit and receives it in the form of Detective Ira Doyle, his polar opposite in every way.

Factual reasoning and facial reconstruction put Larkin and Doyle on a trail of old homicide cases and a murderer obsessed with casting his victims’ likeness in death. Include some unapologetic flirting from Doyle, and this case just may end up killing Everett Larkin.

©2021 C.S. Poe (P)2021 C.S. Poe

One problem

The audio quality went a bit wonky towards the end. At about an hour and 30 minutes left of the book, the audio sounded like someone had dropped my phone in water so there is water in my speakers, making the audio sound weird. I tried listening through my headphones with the same results, so it's not my phones problem.
This happened 4 times at varying intensity.

Other than that I absolutely LOVE this book and Ira's voice is just, chefs kiss, perfection.

Great characters!

Such a good story, amazing narrator and engaging characters. Can’t wait for the next in the series!

Wonderful

I went into this book completely blind, didn’t read any blurbs or anything I simply saw who the author was and knew I would love it.
Love it I did. Doyle and Larkin are both such wonderful characters with deep wounds that never heal but they deal in their own ways and keep living. Larkin in particular is remarkable with the kind of pain his “gift” for memorization brings him it’s amazing he can get through the day really. We don’t learn much about Doyle until a good bit in but he too is so strong with how he buries such horrible wounds under his happy personable exterior. They seem unlikely but complement each other well in both life and work.
When a cold case comes up involving the body of a young man unearthed in a park Larkin is called in. Most people would think it’d be impossible to track down a killer after so many years but not Larkin especially after he finds Doyle, a forensic artist who works his own magic with a pencil and together they do the impossible and identify the unfortunate man and track down people of interest.
I listened to the audio book of this narrated by Kale Williams who’s a new to me narrator and I absolutely loved how he brought these guys to life. I was hooked from the beginning with the wonderful characters and compelling mystery. And of course Poe couldn’t help herself and ended with a little cliffhanger ensuring that I’ll be begging for the next in this series.

A lovely beginning to a new series

Madison Square Murders by CS Poe is the first book in a new, and hopefully long, series. The main protagonists are Everett Larkin and Ira Doyle and I adore them.
Everett is the pinnacle of persnicketiness, but it’s not by his choice. A tragic accident has left him with some quirks and foibles; some helpful for his job as a cold case detective and some that he tries valiantly to deal with on his own. For all his buttoned-upness, he’s also vulnerable, which most people miss.
Ira Doyle is also a NYPD detective, but with the Forensic Art department. He is mellow and uber observant and the perfect foil to Larkin. Doyle smooths out Larkin rough and brittle edges so well that even Larkin is unaware of it at times.
I was worried about the cheating aspect but it was handled delicately and laid the foundation for future books. There was also the sweetest proposal for a work husband I’ve heard.
The narrator does an amazing job bringing Everett and his clipped tone to life. He was just as I imagined Everett in my head. He also captures Doyle’s velvety quietness.
I can’t wait for the next installment.

Another winner! 😍😍😍

AUDIOBOOK- Dec 2021: Fantastic characterization of both MCs’❤️❤️❤️

ORIGINAL REVIEW- Sept 2021:

4.5 Stars….A WINNER! 👏👏👏

What wholly intriguing characters! I had a hell of a fun time getting to know these two men & figuring out whodunnit in CS Poe’s latest mystery!

Meet Larkin, (aka: Evie, Grim Reaper), a neurodivergent cold-case detective on the trail of a possible serial killer. Meet Doyle, a laid back sketch artist who attaches himself to Larkin’s case and to the man himself.

The plot and mystery were solid. There was a slow burn between the two men & nothing more than a kiss happens in this book—yet, I was so involved in the case, I didn’t miss the sex! 😱😍

The writing was solid, save for a bit of overwriting here and there, which I attribute to Larkin’s POV—am I right, Carol??

I love how Poe has a penchant for creating neurodiverse characters and making me fall in love with them!

Here’s to the rest of the series, which I need ASAP!

Thanks to the author for the ARC, all views and opinions are my own.