Book Review: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

   

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

   When it comes to books, I always gravitate to thrillers and ghost stories. I cannot help it. They are a lot of fun. And who doesn't want to be scared, especially when you know there is no danger to you? I have read several of Simone St. James's novels and have loved them all. This time she delivered a spooky read that had me reading this book in one day.

  

   The Book of Cold Cases is published by Berkley Publishing, a division of Penguin Random House. In this spooky tale, St. James combines two of my passions: true crime and the paranormal. Shea Collins is known as Girl A, a survivor of the child killer, Anton Anders. At nine, she was abducted and almost became the latest victim of Anders. But she escaped and lived to go on to write the popular true-crime blog, the Book of Cold Cases. 

   In all her years of writing, one case has always been an infatuation, the Lady Killer Murders. Beth Greer, a wealthy socialite, was accused of murdering two men, and quite possibly her own father. For decades she has been followed, interviewed, and covered in many true crime documentaries and podcasts. Did she really kill those men? If so, why? Shea finds herself in a prime position to interview Greer since the doctor she works for is also Beth's physician. One day, Beth meets Shea and agrees to be interviewed for her blog. It is time for Shea to finally learn the truth about Beth Greer and the woman's haunted home overlooking the ocean. Can Shea stay alive long enough to discover the true story? Or will she be the next victim of the vengeful spirit that inhabits Beth's home?

   The Book of Cold Cases was an engaging read that held my attention from beginning to end. St. James delivers a rich tapestry of spooky scenes and nail-biting tension. Haunted houses, serial killers, and peril await Shea Collins as she worked her way through the piles of deceit that the Greer family had built through the years. I loved Shea's personality, with her layered PTSD and self-doubt. She was down to Earth and made her feel like someone you may know. Beth Greer was a fantastic foil for Shea, with her caustic sense of humor and secrets. I loved the paranormal aspect of the book. Greer mansion was an isolated abode of nasty nightmares and scandals. Every turn of the corner made me anxious. After everything was laid out and the story progressed, I was somewhat disappointed in the ending, which was told in time jumps. We were told the ending instead of being given a chance to live it within the narrative. 

  I read the Book of Cold Cases in part with the narration of Kirsten Potter (Beth), Brittany Pressley (Shea), and Robert Petkoff (various male voices). I enjoyed the break in narrations, which changed the mood of the story as both Potter and Pressley gave us insight into the two women's lives. The combined effort made the novel fly by. Excellent work.

  I gave this novel four stars. I would have given it five, however, the rushed ending told in time jumps was a bit anti-climactic for me. 

Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.

 

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