A Cold Killing: Rosie Gilmour 5

The fifth in Anna Smith's 'Rosie Gilmour' series looked from the blurb very promising. Rosie returns from hiding out (avoiding yet another serial killer) in Bosnia with her sort-of lover Adrian to the news that a Glasgow university lecturer has been shot and killed in a London cafe. It subsequently turns out that the man, Tom Mahoney, was not only a lecturer in East European history but also a double-agent spy. But which side killed him off and why? And what exactly does Ruby, the young woman who witnessed the killing, have to do with it all, if anything?To begin with, this novel had all the potential of a Le Carré or a Stieg Larsson - a Cold War love affair, a British spy for the Russians who then returned to spy for his own side, and revelations of corruption at government level and of government deals with criminals. But to my great disappointment, the Tom Mahoney story virtually gets dropped after the first 100 pages or so - we learn nothing really about Tom's great Cold War love affair with 'Katya', or his past as a spy, or what drove him back to support the British - and Tom's death gets reduced to the level of a subplot. Instead, we are back with an almost identical Glasgow gang to those in 'Screams in the Dark' - only this time they're exporters of illegal weapons rather than body parts, and have different names - and the usual wild chases and attacks on Rosie from past books. There's also the rather unbelievable story of Ruby, a prostitute's daughter who befriended a criminal family to get revenge and has managed to part achieve this by burning a couple of people alive, but appears to be wax in the hands of a third villain - at least for some considerable time - and who has somehow managed to become some star accountant and master criminal with minimal education.I think my main problem with the book was the same as with 'Screams in the Dark' - except that having read one Rosie Gilmour novel a lot of the themes had become overly familiar! The characters just aren't as interesting as the potential plots. Rosie remains as tough and in many ways unsubtle as ever - if she has any interests outside her work and drinking I've yet to discover them - and though Adrian is very attractive (thank goodness the bland TJ has gone) his habit of turning up in the nick of time and shooting baddies is getting rather predictable - also, Smith never really tackles the guilt Rosie must feel at not finishing properly with TJ before taking up with Adrian (if she has - there's a lot of very circular 'I'm bad at relationships' here). The killers are exactly the same as in 'Screams in the Dark' - noisy louts with no redeeming features of any kind, perpetually stuffing cocaine up their noses and quaffing booze, and seemingly so thick that it's hard to believe they could run an international operation. There wasn't enough differentiation between Ruby and Rosie as characters - both tough women with difficult memories and seemingly no fear - and, as noted, I felt that Ruby's success as a criminal felt unlikely - and wouldn't she worry that it made her as bad as the people she hated? Also - how had she managed to make a whole life for herself in France without (I presume) speaking the language? By the end of the book too I felt any subtlety in the writing was getting lost quite fast - we were back in the familiar territory of 'Screams in the Dark' with a lot of violent encounters and shouting, and Rosie in trouble with everyone.There could have been a very good book here - but I felt Smith's decision to concentrate on the Ruby story rather than the Tom Mahoney story was a fatal error, turning what could have been an enthralling spy thriller into just another 'sex and violence' novel. Not sure I will follow Rosie's adventures further.

I'm dragged in deep now into the life and loves of Rosie and completely hooked!The Gilmour books haves it all, action, brutality , tension (omg so much tension)! Rosies daring escapades are brave whilst borderline insane but totally scary and the people caught in the crossfire are collateral damage! Rosies lovelife is as hectic as her work. The relationship she has with mick is endearing and his bust a gut moments are so funny.I love how the story unfolds in each of these books as I feel like i'm on that journey with her from the madness of Moroccco to the rooftops of a warehouse with life threatening carnage. Rosie is my superhero fighting for justice but turning a blind eye to low life scum who shuttle off this mortal coil in an unsavoury fashion, if she feels it’s no big loss and sees the retribution and injustice for what is is “so be it”. I cant wait to read the last 3. Thanks Anna for the blinding read that these books are.Tracy P x

This really is a fantastic series of book and one I have no problem recommending to anyone. ​Journalist Rosie has a super knack of getting into trouble, sometimes it just seems to find her.​But one thing Rosie can certainly do is, get her story. And it seems she will go to any lengths to do that.​When a university lecturer is shot at close range, this gives Rosie a new story to get her teeth into and she certainly does that. ​It's great to see Rosie's pal Adrian turn up again, I'm thinking it's about time he became a more permanent fixture in Rosie's life, not just there when she's in trouble.​Another great read by a very talented author and I can't wait to dive into the next one.

Another good read in the rosie gilmour series of books

This is the best in the Rosie stories so far, so much graphic information and opened my eyes to what actually goes on in this world today and the people who are involved in the crimes committed . I know this is fiction but reading this the way it has been written I could actually see the characters in my mind as I read about them, and some of the events as I read them made me feel quite sick! Anna has surpassed herself in this book and makes me wonder how much further Rosie can go without being caught or exiled forever.Would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller,Cannot wait for the next book hope it's in the making.5 stars because I think it deserves it

Good read

Usual brilliant writing by Anna Smith

All the books in the Rosie Gilmore series are brilliant. So much so I read them before and after letting family and friends have I have just bought again so I can read again and must say enjoying them as much as did first time round, just can’t put them down