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Title: DEAD COLD
Author: Jennifer Chase
Publisher: JEC Press
Pages: 326
Genre: Crime Thriller

My Review

I like to go into a book cold, not knowing a whole lot about the plot. It wasn’t long before I figured out this isn’t the first book in the series. No worries though. I got an idea of who was who and how they connected as I continued reading.

Told from four different points of view, this kept things interesting and the story fast paced. The character’s have strong voices, making them easy to identify.

The only thing I was left wondering about was how Emily and her partner, Rick, were able to survive. I mean, they were both in law enforcement but left it behind to pursue behind the scenes justice. They’d solve a crime and call in a tip, leaving the credit to the police. I couldn’t figure out how they lived without money as they didn’t get paid by anybody. It wasn’t a big deal. Just means I should go back to the beginning of the series and find out. And I’ll definitely be checking out the other books.

I mentioned four different points of view. Lets talk about that. You get the view of Emily and Rick  as they research each crime, often putting themselves in grave danger to rescue someone in a bad way. I like them as a couple. They’re in love and have to allow each other freedom to take risks. That could break up most couples, but they’ve found a way to make it work.

 Then there’s Detective Danny Starr. He’s catching on that someone is helping the force in fighting crime and he’s just landed a huge new case. Someone is killing people, freezing their bodies, then later spreading the body parts around to be discovered.

And Kayla, rescued by Emily and Rick several years ago, is now shadowing the case, trying to reconnect with Emily and thank her for saving her life. She’s putting herself smack dab into danger again. Being a teen, I cut her some slack for what she was doing. Young people seem to think they’ll live forever and she clearly believes lightning won’t strike twice.

Last but certainly not least is the serial killer. Suffering from a violent past, the killer is used to violence and revels in taunting the police, leaving body parts for them to discover and a puzzling motive to figure out. Going through trauma isn’t an excuse to dish out crap on others, and I couldn’t find much symphony for the serial killer. Just too much evil there.

I know. There’s a lot happening. I got caught up in the suspense. I could see the character’s heading on a collision course. And when they all converged, the suspense darn near killed me. I really had no idea how it would end, who would come out of it alive.

Dead Cold is a puzzling thriller with a ton of suspense and very real characters.  If you’re a fan of the genre, this would be a good one to pick up.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

What happens when one California community has a disturbing spike in homicides? It catapults cops into a deadly game of murder. Frozen human body parts hideously displayed at the crime scenes offers a horrifying interpretation that only a sadistic serial killer could design—and execute.

On the hunt for a complex serial killer, vigilante detective Emily Stone must face her most daring case yet. Stone’s proven top-notch profiling skills and forensic expertise may not be enough this time.

Young and ambitious, Detective Danny Starr, catches the homicide cases and discovers that it will test everything he knows about police work and the criminal mind. Can he handle these escalating cases or will the police department have to call in reinforcements—the FBI.

Emily Stone’s covert team pushes with extreme urgency to unravel the grisly clues, while keeping their identities hidden from the police. With one last-ditch effort, Stone dangles someone she loves as bait to draw out the killer. She then forces the killer out of their comfort zone with her partner Rick Lopez, and with help from a longtime friend Jordan Smith. A revelation of the serial killer’s identity leaves the team with volatile emotions that could destroy them.

The killer continues to taunt and expertly manipulate the police, as well as Stone’s team, and as they run out of time—they leave behind everyone and everything—in Dead Cold.

Amazon

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Meet Author Jennifer Chase