I enjoyed Cold Truth. It was a quick read and as with the other Mariah Stewart books I've read it was more romance than thriller. But it was a nice story.Cassandra Burke is a detective in the small Jersey Shore town of Bowers Inlet. One of only two detectives in the small town. When a very prolific serial killer decides to take his show on the road he comes home, home to Bowers Inlet. The small police force is overwhelmed with the string of murdered women that start showing up. It becomes even worse when the only other detective up and quits in the middle of the case. The chief of police has no choice but to bring in some help. He asks the FBI to take a look at this case. That brings Agent Rick Cisco to town.When the killer's letters to the police are made public, true crime writer Regan Landry, recognizes the form of the letters as being the same as some her father has in his files. Regan's father, Josh Landry was also a writer and was killed by Archer Lowell in an earlier book, Dead Even. When her calls to the police chief in Bowers Inlet go unanswered. she calls the FBI saying she has information concerning a possible serial killer. When agent Mitchell Peyton shows up to help her go through her fathers files, they soon realize just how busy this killer has been. Cass, Rick, Mitchell and Regan get together with FBI profiler Anne Marie McCall and decide that this killer started his spree in Bowers Inlet. Some twenty years earlier, around the time another tragic murder happened in town. Annie thinks that this murder was the trigger that started him on his spree. He may have returned to town to finish off what he started.I love the way this author develops her characters, you fall for them early in the book and feel what they feel. While it's heavy on the romance, there is still some good detective work going on and one really creepy killer. I cant wait to read the next one.
Narrated by Anna Fields - Narration 5*sReviewed for AAR's Speaking of Audiobooks - http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=7437I wanted to listen to this Mariah Stewart book primarily for narrator Anna Fields. I expected to enjoy her narration but I was also hoping there might be a thread of romance in this suspense story. I was right about Anna Fields but I was wrong about a possible romance angle.Though I see the word thriller associated with Cold Truth, it falls into a slot just above cozy mystery – maybe serious cozy mystery?At the age of six, Cassie Burke came home to find her parents and sister murdered. A vagrant was tried and convicted of the murders, but shortly thereafter a serial killer, dubbed The Bayside Strangler, began killing women in the general area. Then the murders stopped as abruptly as they had started.Now 26 years later, Cassie is a police officer and a copy cat of the Bayside Strangler is murdering women in the vicinity – or could it be that the original killer is back? FBI agent Rick Cisco joins in the hunt while Cassie’s past tragedy haunts her in the wake of these new murders. The killer is eventually identified through some interesting means before he’s taken down. Cassie and Rick do become attached and walk into the sunset together at the end, but that’s it for the romance.For me, Anna Fields was the saving grace. Her ability to define characters and deliver a story made Cold Truth an easy listen while I sat back, admired her talent, and wished for a dollop of romance to go with my mystery.
What do You think about Cold Truth (2005)?
This is the first of the series and I plan on reading more (next one being Hard Truth).The writing style is easy to read. There are a few mistakes that I found humorous (e.g., He started the car, but did not put it in gear as they talked. He started the car and backed out . . .) and sometimes there were jumps that you filled in the obvious (e.g., person one: I have a photo of the bad guy. person two: I have a name. Let's go get him--shouldn't they make sure the two IDs match?). But that's all trivial.The story moves quickly from the first page. It sets up and starts developing the story very quickly. It's hard to be original, so you can make guesses on most books and get it right. Despite some predictability at the end, it was written well enough and move well enough that I didn't mind.Note, I wish they had a seven star scale. With five stars, most my ratings end up three. This would be a high three or low four.
—Jim
Another excellent and absorbing novel by Mariah Stewart!!From back cover:"Twenty-six years ago, even before a series of brutal murders rocked the idyllic town of Bowers Inlet, Cassie Burke lost her parents, her sister, and nearly her own life to a transient befriended by her father. Back then, Cassie was a scared kid - now she's a homicide cop. Back then, the suspect was caught and convicted - he died in prison. But now the killing has started again. And all signs indicate that the Bayside Strangler has come back for more.With too many victims and too few suspects, Cassie has her hands full investigating the case, while working through the old trauma it has brought to the surface. Luckily, FBI agent Rick Cisco is dispatched to lend support. Together, Cassie and Rick must uncover the link between the dark past and the dangerous present to bring this small town's long nightmare to an end. If they fail, an elusive fiend will slip back into the shadows...too watch and wait - and kill another day."
—Louise
Got to page 134 and TSTL characters caused rage-quit. If you don't mind stupidity in your female law enforcement characters, you may like this book. I don't enjoy it when 1) law enforcement is showcased as stupid/incompetent, 2) when females are written as dumb, especially when they are supposed to be smart or are in law enforcement and 3) being in the crazy killer's head. Not my type of book and not reading anymore by this author. I tried two and both irked. Another reviewer said the cop female MC went off by herself and got caught by the bad guy. The last book I read by this author, same thing happened and Our Hero had to save the FBI chick from the bad guy and her own stupidity. I assume this book has the hero saving the chick as well. Not my idea of a good book. I don't do damsels in distress.Women need help at times, men do too. But it shouldn't be the men saving the women all the time. Not if the women are supposed to be tough. Don't claim they are tough and then have them need saving.1 star. Not for me. May be for someone else.
—Jen
