COLD TEARS sets up Foxjohn's David Mason mysteries as a force to be reckoned with., November 3, 2007

John Foxjohn spent his childhood in Nacogdoches, Texas. He quit high school and joined the army at 17, where he was an Army Ranger in Vietnam and Germany. After he left the Army he became a police officer and worked homicide. He solved many cases and developed an interest in forensics and fingerprinting. He went on to graduate from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches in history and moved on to teaching and coaching. He is now a full-time writer and speaker who instructs writers in forensics, crime scene investigations, and writing mystery and suspense. COLD TEARS is his third novel and second David Mason mystery.

David Mason is a Houston homicide detective who has a reputation for solving a high percentage of his cases. He has also had to kill a few people in the line of duty. While performing a neighborhood sweep, David comes face to face to a grieving woman with a gun, who shoots him several times. He returns fire and kills her, and her eyes haunt him. His fiance, Beth Porter, panics after David is shot and breaks off their engagement. In the meantime, a serial killer is zeroing in on David, and taunts him with notes before he brutally abuses and kills his victims. A senator's daughter is one of the victims, so David finds he has to deal with Washington politics that threatens his investigation. To add to the mix, a beautiful rookie F.B.I. agent is assigned to work with David:

"She knew why they had to do it this way, but she didn't have to like it. He'd surprised her. Although she'd read his file, she hadn't expected as much cooperation as she received from the detective. She'd heard horror stories of agents who attempted to work with locals. She also knew it wasn't all the local's fault. In her experience, field agents tended to come across as arrogant, and most looked down on local law enforcement."

COLD TEARS is a realistic, suspenseful, crime scene investigation mystery written by a veteran police officer who understands violence and how it rips lives apart. Foxjohn's experience with politics also stands out in this book that can't be put down once started. Foxjohn is also a sensitive writer who does a wonderful job plotting his novels. David Mason is sort of a renegade detective, but he is extremely likeable as the hard-working, blue collar hero he is. COLD TEARS sets up Foxjohn's David Mason mysteries as a force to be reckoned with. Excellent!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer