Latency by Chris Coppel

Up until now, the only monsters the LAPD had ever seen were of the human variety...

When two down-on-their-luck detectives are forced to work together on a series of cold cases, they slowly begin to uncover a common thread that may hold the key to solving some of their town's grizzliest unsolved murders. Little do they know that the same key will unlock secrets from a different dimension; one filled with monstrous creatures that should never be disturbed...

 
 

Praise for LATENCY

'...a demonic, growling, gruelling tale that takes you down into the vortex of satanic rituals, beasts and brutes.' - Simon Marlowe, author of the Mason Made trilogy.

'...an excellent crime novel, it gripped me from start to finish.' - Russell Wate, author of DCI Alexander McFarlane crime series.

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It clocks in at 435 pages but it's so readable that I finished it in two days!
Set in LA it's a police procedural but with a supernatural/paranormal horror element to some of the crimes.
Monsters are real in every sense, from the depraved & horrific acts of people to the powerful monsters & satanic devils.
It's a combination that could be a disaster but Chris wisely keeps the paranormal in the background for much of the book concentrating on the detectives & their work on some intriguing cold cases. I suppose as a starting point you could compare it to X-Files.
Mason Darby has been off the force for a year after, falsely accused & ostracized by his colleagues. When his name is cleared they're reluctant to have him back but he's one of the best detectives there is so he's teamed up with new detective Teri Grey (against her wishes) and assigned to look into some unsolved murders, partly to keep him out of the way but also with the hope that he's got the ability to do something about them.
The back stories for Mason & Teri are believable with enough detail for us to quickly get to know the characters, there's a good supporting cast & plenty of banter adding a much needed lightness to compensate for the murders being investigated.
LA is completely brought to life. It feels like you're driving the streets with them taking in everything from the restaurants, the swanky Hollywood homes, down to the hordes of homeless on the streets.
Discovering a common thread between unsolved murders then being called into help with a new killing the detectives are soon in the middle of the most dangerous & bizarre case of their careers.
I also liked the way the characters are fleshed out naturally with the use of sub plots rather than any information dumps & the sub plots featuring a coyote and an illegal renter have satisfying conclusions as does the whole book.

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Chris Coppel's 'Latency' is high-caliber entertainment, a super cool horror-thriller type of story, brimming with subtle humor, police banter, and deeply unsettling scenes of urban horror. The author portrays the Los Angeles area realistically, mentioning local details in a manner that shows both love and exasperation for the place; he's equally adept in bringing out the best in his characters, even when they don't deserve it - dropping brief episodes of urban daily life, from ultra-rich Beverly Hills to less fortunate neighborhoods. In fact, the inclusion of a couple of plotlines only tangentially related to the main story (the so sad coyote episode, the so satisfyingly resolved bad renter tale), brought so much authenticity to the book, I started wondering if it' s based on a true story police detectives have been telling each other. In any case, Coppel's storytelling flows effortlessly, the characters keep you interested thoughout, and the abundance of tiny details are always enjoyable, never tiresome. I should emphasize that the characters are really, really well drawn, far better than any police procedural I've read that combines detective work with supernatural horror. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

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Two detectives team up to work on a series of cold cases. What they don't know is that what they're about to uncover will lead to a whirlwind of danger. The monsters are from a different dimension and were better left alone.
This has to be the best crime novel I've ready in a long time! The author's writing made this story impossible to put down! The banter between the detectives was highly enjoyable. I loved how they developed as the story progressed. Latency is perfect for readers who enjoy crime, mystery, suspense, and lots of supernatural aspects!

 Click on the images below to learn more about Chris Coppel’s psychological thriller books

Books by Chris Coppel

 
 

Imagination Comes to Life

“With six new novels publishing in less than one year the author is perhaps making a challenge to the current grand masters of horror -Stephen King in the USA and Graham Masterton in the UK? There are echoes here of the horrors of H.P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood in a plot carefully blending the tropes of classic horror with the new. There's everything one could wish for in a good horror novel from deadly portals to other worlds, rabid creatures in the attic, a centuries-old witch, to a picnic at Hanging Rock.”

(5 out of 5 stars: verified NetGalley reviewer)