Reviews

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

vvhiplash's review

3.0

Nope. Another bomb like this one and I’ll drop off the bandwagon for sure. Sun down Motel was her best work imo.

thepaperbackplanner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

This book looked so intriguing on the BOTM list that I used a leftover credit to get it as a bonus pick. I wish it had lived up to my expectations. It seemed like it would have everything — murder mystery from the past, intrepid heroine trying to Nancy Drew the whole situation, also maybe ghosts?! — but for some reason, it all fell a little flat for me. Maybe it’s a pacing thing? This was really fast compared to the recent mystery books I had read, so maybe I just missed having more time to chew on the mysteries before they were solved. 

ashley_w's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

3.0

sarahlassx's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mrskatyg's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ashify's review

4.0

4.16! 

That was an unexpected punch to the gut. Because she was right—I did feel responsible. It made no sense, but guilt doesn’t have to. It simply exists, weighing you down and choking you until you can’t breathe anymore. 

I guess this book finally satiated my thriller mood. It was a thriller with a dash of horror, the horror did not do much for me. 

In 1977, Beth Greer is arrested for two murders - making her the Lady Killer. But she has been acquitted and lives in the shadow of her past in the infamous Greer Mansion. The murders stay as cold cases. 

2017, Shea Collins works as a receptionist by day and a true crime blogger by night, affected by an abduction she survived when she was nine. She crosses path with Beth and after all these years, she is determined to find the truth. As they meet in the Greer Mansion for interviews, the house seems to be lurking with unknown dangers, trying to speak of the past that was buried there. 

Was it plot driven or character driven? 

For it was a mix of both. The author did a wonderful job of putting the cold feeling of being watched over your shoulder when there is no one with a dash of murder mystery. The story skillfully weaves the past and the present as the old secrets buried resurface and the people involved try to hang on, as a way to finally getting it down. 

The plot was unpredictable, making me question. The horror element wasn’t spine-chilling, but it did make me uncomfortable, tense even. 

For the characters, I think the author did a wonderful job of portraying Beth and Shea. All the other characters came up from time to time, but they didn’t seem that fully flashed out to me, making me care less about them. The pacing was well done from the beginning and I enjoyed it from the start. 

Anyway, it was a very enjoyable read. 

emmadporter's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

sspace_invader's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.5

dgilbreath's review against another edition

3.0

The Book of Cold Cases is a supernatural, true crime thriller. This was so eerie at times and I loved that it truly creeped me out. The spooky aspects of this book were top notch and definitely has me interested in checking out some other Simone St. James novels. While I enjoyed the book, I realized that the combination of true crime and the supernatural might not be my preference. It’s a unique concept, just not my cup of tea. Still, I had a great time exploring the story.

heidikundin's review

4.0

As both a blogger and a true crime fan, The Book of Cold Cases was a fun ride with lots of familiar aspects. I've become a fan of the way that Simone St. James writes her split timelines (here in "present day" 2017 and the 1970s), and I thought that it worked well in this book, too.

The paranormal aspects of the book are only mildly hinted at in the synopsis, but this is Simone St. James here, so I guess I should have expected that it would be far more prevalent than the description led me to believe. I love ghost stories, and St. James does paranormal well, but to be honest, I really think this book could have stood well on its own without it, or with slightly less emphasis on it, this time. Some of the repeating paranormal elements

Spoiler

like the disappearing and reappearing murder scene in the kitchen

just started to feel a bit repetitive after a while, and the twists weren't very twisty or unexpected, but all in all, this was still a fun mystery to unravel!