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leebeeloves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, Murder, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Rape, Medical content, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault
theidlereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Car accident, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Bullying, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
shadowbearreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Death, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicide, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Rape, Medical content, Blood, and Infertility
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Shea Collins is a receptionist by day and a true crime blogger by night, her passion for crime stories fueled by her own experience surviving an attempted abduction as a child. When she convinces infamous suspected (but acquitted!) serial killer Beth Greer to sit down for an interview about the unsolved “Lady Killer” murders, Shea is unwittingly pulled into a web of murderous secrets and ghosts that won’t stay buried (literally!)
Simone St. James’s The Sun Down Motel is one of my all-time favorite books, so needless to say The Book of Cold Cases was one of my most-anticipated reads of 2022. It’s almost impossible for a book to live up to expectations as high as mine were, but this novel came *very* close. The spooky paranormal vibes were impeccable, and I loved the characters so much—Shea was endearing, Beth was intriguing, Michael was a gem, and Winston Purrchill the cat was, of course, a stand-out favorite. I did wish for a few more twists from the plot, which reveals its secrets fairly quickly (around the halfway point), but I am also someone who likes a lot of closure in a book and this one definitely delivered in that regard.
In short, The Book of Cold Cases definitely didn’t replace Sun Down Motel in my heart, but I also won’t stop thinking about it any time soon!
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: true crime vibes; paranormal spookiness; layered and lovable characters.
CW: Death (including death of a parent); murder (including mentions of child abduction/murder); alcoholism; mentions of rape/sexual assault; mentions of infertility/miscarriage/pregnancy.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Car accident, Infertility, Pregnancy, Rape, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
ohhthehorrors's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Rape, Terminal illness, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Child abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder
paisleypetty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Blood, Cursing, Pedophilia, Violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Child death, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Car accident
Minor: Classism, Miscarriage, Medical content, Infertility, and Pregnancy