A review of “What We Bury (Detective Madison Knight series Book 10)” by Carolyn Arnold

Full disclosure, I was provided a copy of this book by the author, however, have voluntarily chosen to write a review.

Another day, another Jane Doe

A woman is found dead in a garden shed in an upscale neighborhood. With no ID and no backstory, the only clue is a dying message scrawled in the victim’s blood. Detectives Madison Knight and her partner Terry Grant have very few leads to go on, but as they start to follow the ones they uncover the mystery only deepens. Was this a professional vendetta, a random act of violence, or a desperate act of a prior lover?  Add into the mix Madison’s unsanctioned midnight stakeouts of a known mafia hangout and a lingering illness that has the detective concerned for her well being and this is not the typical case. Just when the puzzle starts to come together, Knight experiences a setback that could cost her not only the case but also her life.

What We Bury is the tenth in the ongoing Detective Madison Knight series of books by author Carolyn Arnold. Taking place several weeks after Shades of Justice, the detectives of the Stiles police department are back on the case with the discovery of a murdered female. Once again Madison encounters opposition from her superiors when her handling of the case threatens to blur departmental lines. It is hard for her personality to let any crime go, especially when her nights are still consumed with staking out the bad players within her own ranks. Add in a growing tension in her relationship with her SWAT team leader boyfriend, newly discovered health issues, and a death scare and Knight’s life is anything but boring in this newest book. For long-time fans of the series, Arnold has delivered with another intriguing and convoluted case. I often found myself attempting to analyze things that were said or gestures that were made in an attempt to suss out the mysterious GB.

If you are new to this series, do not let the fact that this is the tenth book deter you. While the series follows a central cast and a loose storyline all books in this series can easily be read as stand-alone books without losing any of the major themes, relationships, or plot nuances.

If you are a fan of the police procedural genre, appreciate a strong female lead character, and like to be immersed in the story to the point where the hours and pages easily fly by, What We Bury is an excellent choice for you. After having read only two books in this series, I am considering trying to make room in my reading list to go back to the beginning and catch up with some of the earlier installments. While I know that I am not missing much by not having read them, I can help but wonder how much more my enjoyment of the future Madison Knight novels would be enhanced by knowing the entire story.