The Book of Cold Cases Published by Berkley Books on March 2022
Genres: Adult Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 344
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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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?
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?
Beth and Shea, two very different women with one thing in common: an obsession with the Lady Killer murders in their small town.
Beth Greer, the leading suspect in the case, is ready to talk to Shea and tell her the strange truth.
But is Shea really going to get the truth or only Beth’s twisted version?
Simon St. James is an auto buy author for me. I loved her since The Sundown Motel. This is so well written. I love the atmosphere and the foggy unreliable narrators. She really does this the best. It’s effortless to drop into one of her novels and by chapter 2 be totally engrossed. Well crafted writing and deep ambiance and atmosphere makes her a favorite author for me.
The Book of Cold Cases is no exception.
I liked going back and forth between Beth and Shay, especially Beth’s POV in the past when the murders were occurring. Both narrators seem murky at best. I have to be honest, I didn’t trust either narrator at first. Is this a murder mystery? Supernatural ghost story? Maybe both? That’s one of my favorite things about this book is that I really couldn’t tell what was real or not as I kept reading. I basically got up at a very unreasonable hour to finish reading this book and I have NO REGRETS 🙂
I enjoyed the twisty plot and I really really like Beth. Is she the Lady Killer? I hoped she was and hoped she wasn’t. It was more that I could SEE her being the Lady Killer. She had her own agenda and even Shay was wary of her.
The story starts off strong and creepy. It’s a little slow in the beginning, introducing the characters and the murders. But by the mid point everything picks up and the story rushes forward. I think the last quarter of the book I didn’t breathe once. There’s the current storyline with Shay’s investigation and the danger she is in. There’s Beth’s current story line and there’s Beth’s past timeline about the original murders. St. James is a solid writer who grabs the reader’s attention and starts tugging at what they think they know. Slowly at first, on the outskirts and then more and more until doubt is everywhere.
I don’t want to give too much away but I will say this.
The ending is fitting and getting there was satisfying. But I wouldn’t want to visit the Greer mansion alone. Or really, even in a group.
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
