3 Wine Glass #Audio #Review of Cold Fear by Toni Anderson

Title: Cold Fear
Series: Cold Justice #4
Author: Toni Anderson
Narrator: Eric G. Dove
Format: Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hours and 59 minutes
Published: May 26th 2015
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Audiobook 
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Inkslinger PR
Rating: 3 out of 5 Wine Glasses

A relentless FBI profiler hunts a vicious killer.

When old evidence turns up on a fresh corpse, ASAC Lincoln Frazer is determined it won’t delay the execution of a convicted serial killer. But when more young women are brutally slain, it becomes clear—this new killer is intimately familiar with the old murders.

A dedicated emergency physician hides a dark secret.

Former Army Captain Dr. Isadora Campbell helped her mother hide a terrible crime. After her mother’s death, Izzy resigned her commission and returned to the Outer Banks to raise her rebellious teenage sister. But it doesn’t take long for Izzy to suspect that someone knows exactly what she did, all those years ago.

If they work together, maybe no one else will die.

With pressure mounting to reopen the old case, Frazer will use any means possible to catch the killer. Thrust together during the investigation, he and Izzy find themselves reluctantly attracted to one another, and begin an affair. Meanwhile, the killer is much closer than they think. Izzy’s confession of her secret drives Frazer away as he struggles with her deception. By the time he realizes he’s fallen in love with the stubborn woman, the killer has her. Now the race is on to save Izzy, and any chance of a future they might have together.

Linda's Thoughts:
“She’d do whatever he wanted to save her dog or her sister.” 

Cold Fear by Toni Anderson is a suspenseful murder mystery set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It’s the fourth installment in the author’s Cold Justice series and my first Toni Anderson book. It’s primarily a pulse-pounding whodunit thriller with the romantic element secondary. The story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout hoping that the killer would be found quickly while dreading another victim.

I’m not going to bore you with a description as you can derive that from the book’s blurb. The opening scene is quite emotional and very sad. The story is told from multiple points of view including that of the killer. The killer’s thought processes are deeply disturbing and brutal multiplying the horror aspect of the tale.

ASAC Lincoln Frazer and former Army Captain Dr. Isadora “Izzy” Campbell are the main featured characters. They are well-written and developed as being likable, driven, efficient, genuine and smart. However, I had issues with both. Without going into specifics, Izzy withholds critical evidence that wastes days of valuable law enforcement time while women are horribly dropping like flies. In her defense, she committed the initial atrocious deed while she was a minor and under extreme duress. But, her whys and wherefores for withholding the information are rehashed over and over which makes those parts of the story drag. Izzy should have disclosed the information long before now, but she holds back the info now because she fears repercussions. I had a hard time digesting this seeing how Izzy is a doctor and privy first-hand to the horrors being perpetrated.

To be fair, I also found the hero’s reaction to Izzy’s confession to be deplorable. He was the opposite of supportive while she was obviously experiencing such trauma reliving her childhood experience. I’m obviously in the minority with this opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt.

Other than the above issues, I liked the characters and the story. The chemistry between Frazer and Izzy was great and their few sex scenes were well done.

I listened to the audio edition. It marked my first time listening to anything voiced by Eric G. Dove. He did a very good job with the narration. His voice was smooth, easy on the ears and clearly and purposefully articulated. The end product was polished and professional. I would not hesitate to pick up another of his works based upon this narration.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from Cold Fear:

“He thrust the thoughts away. He rarely thought about his parents’ murder. He honored their memory by remembering how they lived not how they died, by catching killers and making sure they couldn’t hurt anyone else again.”
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 “Her eyes met his, swimming with tears, but they didn’t affect this version of Lincoln Frazer. This version hunted monsters. He smiled. “You’re in safe hands. Trust me.”
---

“With one exception, Izzy was a big believer in following the rules, which had made her a damn good Army officer.”

I jumped into this series with this installment – which is the fourth in the series. The story seemed to work well as a standalone. Overall, I enjoyed this book and never considered not finishing it. The identity of the murderer remained elusive until the surprising twist of an ending. The story was extremely emotional and riveting. That said, I read to escape and prefer my mode of entertainment to include a bit more romance and less descriptive, too-real, hard-core violence. If you fancy heart-pounding fear, chills and fright with your thrillers, this action-packed read could be your nirvana.

Suggested Reading Order:
A Cold Dark Place (Cold Justice, #1) 

Cold Pursuit (Cold Justice, #2) 

Cold Light of Day (Cold Justice, #3) 

Cold Fear (Cold Justice, #4) 

Cold in the Shadows (Cold Justice, #5) 

Cold Hearted (Cold Justice, #6) 

Cold Secrets (Cold Justice, #7) 

Cold Malice (Cold Justice, #8) 

A Cold Dark Promise (A Wedding Novella, Cold Justice Book 9)