Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

70 reviews

harpoonholly's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Audiobook. Brittany Pressley, Kirsten Potter, and Robert Petkoff were perfect. I wish there could be some consensus on how to pronounce "rifling"; there's "riffle-ing" or, the correct and better sounding way, "rifle-ing".
 
This is the second St. James horror I've listened to, the first being Sundown Motel, which I also enjoyed, but The Book of Cold Cases is more satisfying at the most important times, though the horror/plot of Sundown Motel is more compelling (to me).

Also, I get it, Beth Greer is beautiful, I didn't need to be convinced with repeated assertions. She was hot in her 20s and she was hot in her 60s, noted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Sexism, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

The mentions of the attempted sexual assault of a child are not graphic and only referenced (despite the 1st-person POV, the reader still isn't made aware of even passing details), but the trauma related to it is brought up regularly.

leahthebooklover's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense

4.0

"On the bus, I pulled out my phone, put my earbuds in my ears, and played the audiobook I was in the middle of listening to. A thriller: a woman in danger, most of the characters possibly lying, everything not quite as it seemed. A twist somewhere near the end that would either shock me or it wouldn't. There were dozens of books just like it, hundreds maybe, and they were the soundtrack of my life. The woman's voice in my earbuds told me about death, murder, deep family secrets, people who shouldn't be trusted, lies that cost lives. But a novel always ends, the lies come to the surface, and the deaths are explained. Maybe one of the bad characters gets away with something --that's fashionable right now --but you are still left with a sense that things are balanced, that dark things come to light, and that the bad person will, at least, most likely be miserable." p.7

  These are the words of Shea Collins; doctor's office receptionist, part-time true crime blogger, and child abduction survivor. She is the main character in "The Book of Cold Cases" and when I read this in the opening pages of the book, I wondered if I had just had the main points of the plot summed up for me. It's not too far from the way the book played out, but even with that neat little outline to follow, this was one gripping story. Thriller? Check. Murder mystery? Check. Amateur sleuthing? Check. Creepy haunted house? Check. Family secrets? Check. Morally ambiguous/possibly mentally unstable characters? Check. Throw in multiple POV's and timelines, a dash of romance, and enough twists that what might have been formulaic felt original and utterly readable. This was my February "Blind Date With a Book" selection from my local library, and it was a hit. Because of the supernatural/ghostly aspects of the book, I probably wouldn't have picked this book out for myself, but because I really did enjoy reading this, I will undoubtedly look for this author again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Death, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Car accident

hexmex's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Drug use, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Rape, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Drug use

jillie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.25

Ooooh!! Loved this atmosphere & the way this story unfolded! Dark & eerie, this story pulled me in & stuck with me. I REALLY enjoyed the mystery & how even when I guessed pieces, I never got the whole picture on my own. Can’t wait to read more from this author! Check the content warnings.

Read if you like:
- dual timelines (done well)
- creepy atmosphere
- slight paranormal elements

November 2023

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Child death, Drug abuse, and Addiction

Minor: Sexual assault and Forced institutionalization

amccurley's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Alcohol, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Infertility, Gore, Child abuse, and Cursing

sosocrafty's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Child abuse

Minor: Infertility, Rape, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Miscarriage

jocelyn_fowler's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence

maddiearthur's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Car accident, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Infertility and Pregnancy

lmorrell13's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book! It was fast-paced, with twists and turns to keep you guessing. Some aspects were predictable, but not to the point that I lost interest. It’s more of a crime/mystery story than a ghost story, though ghosts are involved. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun read. 

I listened to the audiobook, and the performance was excellent. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

someryarns's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Infertility and Pregnancy