It's odd to say that the tv show is better than the book. But if you've ever watched this show, you'd be surprised if it was otherwise.

That being said, for a fan, this is a worthwhile read. It's a prequel of sorts, a story of a case that happened before Linden & Holder partnered up, yet this brought them into proximity.

The writer is Karen Dionne. Don't know her, but from her bio it sounds like she had nothing to do with the show; she's just a respectable writer who presumably got tapped for this project. And her handling of the crime is well done: it's intricate enough to keep you in suspense & keep you moving along.

There are two flaws:
1. Hearing these characters described after watching them in action for 3 seasons, the descriptions fall flat. The actors being so much life to these roles, & Dionne's descriptions don't do that nearly as well.
2. We don't get to know any of the other characters - almost at all.

I don't know if the plan is to do more of these. I would try another one; perhaps it would flesh out some other SPD characters, or give us a juicier bad guy. And for a quick fun read, I'd recommend it to a fellow fan.

But if you haven't yet watched the show, find it first. Otherwise you'll be wondering what all the hype was about. ( )