A review by kristineisreading
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

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

4.5

So far I haven't read anything by Simone St. James I didn't thoroughly enjoy. This one is no exception. It's just the right amount of creepy, just the right amount of suspense, and just the right amount of paranormal. The mystery is intriguing. Who is Beth really? She's definitely not a very relatable character, but she's not entirely unlikable either. Shea on the other hand is much more relatable. Who doesn't have some sort of trauma in their past that affects their every day lives? Granted Shea's is more extreme and the lasting effects are more debilitating, but she shows a lot of growth over the course of the book. As for the ending, well, it was pretty satisfying. There's a good build up to the climax and although some of it seems inevitable, it wraps up neatly but not too neatly. I rated this a 4 because it didn't quite hit 5 stars for me (I've gotta walk away saying "wow I loved that!" and I didn't), but it's close enough for 4.5 stars.