I picked up Deadlock completely by accident while looking for Backfire by Catherine Coulter on my library app. Since Backfire wasn’t available, I figured I’d give another one of her books a try—and I’m glad I did. Now Backfire is officially on hold, and I’ve got another author to keep my “murder and mayhem” shelf in business.
This one pulled me in right away. The villainous Marsia Gay gives off major “evil to the core” vibes from the get-go, and even though I hadn’t read a single Coulter book before this, I could tell Savich was one of the good guys. Marsia, who’s understandably bitter about Savich putting her behind bars, decides to repay him by going full psycho—think: arson, threats, and targeting his family. As you do.
There are two main cases in the book: Marsia’s revenge plot and something called “The Big Take,” involving a congressman’s missing granddaughter and a whole family dynamic that redefines the word dysfunctional. While both stories were compelling, I found myself more drawn to the revenge arc—probably because it felt more personal and, well, dramatically unhinged in the best way.
Savich and Sherlock make an adorable crime-fighting couple. I’m honestly thinking about going back to the beginning of the series just to see how their story started. Deadlock had just the right blend of crime, a smidge of romance (seriously, just a smidge—any more and I start flipping pages), and a perfectly measured dose of crazy.
Pippa was a standout new character for me. I don’t know if she’s appeared in other books, but I liked her grit, smarts, and willingness to take risks. Also, I had a feeling the sweet B&B grandma who bakes oatmeal cookies was up to no good. She gave me those “behind-the-doilies” bad vibes, and I was not wrong. I love when my instincts are rewarded like that.
The pacing? Perfect. I tore through 300+ pages in one day and wrapped it up the next. The balance between the personal drama and the investigative work was spot-on—not so much procedure that my eyes glazed over, but just enough to keep things grounded. As for the girl chasing after Chief Wilde... girl, no. That man was not into you. Move along.
Overall, Deadlock is a solid read. Not a re-read-for-life kind of book, but definitely one I’d recommend—even to someone new to the series. It works well as a standalone, delivers the goods, and lets you sleep at night. That’s a win in my book.
