Thank you Berkley Books, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Book of Cold Cases in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Berkley Books / Penguin Audio
Published: March 15, 2022
Summary:
In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?
A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.
My thoughts:
I have been a fan of Simone St. James for quite some time now. She is definitely one of my favorite writers of atmospheric thrillers. I have loved each book just a little bit more and find her writing style to be so addicting and all-consuming.
As soon as I heard about this latest book, I just knew I was going to love it – it had so many elements that appealed to me and I was right! I found myself hooked from the get-go and maybe because I decided to listen to it this time around or maybe it was just the story itself, but I think this one was just so unique and compelling and I really had such a hard time putting it down. I loved the true crime aspect, especially as that is something I have really started to get into, so following Shea – and side note, I absolutely LOVE this name as it’s my husband’s name, though here it’s a girl’s character, but still! – as she investigates The Lady Killer Murders really kept me engaged. I also love the way the author is able to weave in just a hint of the paranormal into her stories. It’s never too much, but just enough to provide a little spookiness that enhances the storyline, and it totally works here.
This book is equal parts suspenseful and atmospheric, and I loved every second of it. I loved getting the backstory on both our main characters and felt that they were richly developed. Going back in time at just the right moments really helped move this story forward, keeping us guessing as to what really happened. This is the perfect book to add to your Spooky Season tbr if you haven’t already read it.
Audio thoughts:
This book translated really well onto audio and I thought the narrators, Brittany Pressley, Kirsten Potter and Robert Petkoff, did a great job bringing the story to life. They infused just the right amount of tension and suspense into their voices as needed and their pacing was spot on. I had such a hard time putting this down once I started listening to it…it really was a great audio production!
