The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James #bookreview #thriller #horror #paranormal

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Title: The Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

Page Count: 350

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

About the book:

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James is a thriller read with a side of horror that the author has become known for. The story in The Book of Cold Cases is one that alternates the point of view while also alternating between events in the past and the current timeline.

In 1977 two different men had been shot with the same gun and notes were found at the crime scenes leading police to believe it was a woman killer. The murderer became known as the Lady Killer and Beth Greer was arrested and charged with the crime. Beth had gone to trial with everyone sure she had done it but was found innocent and the murderer had never been caught.

In 2017 Shea Collins who is a true crime blogger. Shea started her website, the Book of Cold Cases, as a way to cope with what happened to her as a child when she was abducted but narrowly escaped. When Shea meets Beth she can’t help but be obsessed with getting to the truth and begins to meet up with the woman at her home to interview her about the old case.

Having read The Broken Girls by Simone St. James and absolutely loving it I knew the author had a strong writing style and was excited to dive into The Book of Cold Cases. The story didn’t take long at all to have me completely engaged and flying through the pages. Did she or didn’t she?? What would happen next? I couldn’t wait to find out and the then the book gets and eerie side that dragged me in even more. Another great read that I rated at four and a half stars and will certainly come back to this author again.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /   Amazon

About the author:

Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel and The Broken Girls. Her debut novel, The Haunting of Maddy Clare, won two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada.

Simone spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives just outside of Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled rescue cat.