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

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I was not a huge fan of The Sun Down Motel but wanted to give this one a shot. I was pretty underwhelmed. The concept was okay - a true crime blogger runs into the number one suspect of a female serial killer from the 70s who was acquitted. The accused, Beth Greer, now in her 60s grants Shea, the crime writer, an exclusive interview and she’s thrown into the story. What follows is an unbelievable story, a haunted house and numerous victims.

St. James is able to write some spine tingling scenes, just like in Sun Down Motel but for me there’s still something missing. The story is so far fetched and things don’t quite make sense or add up which leads to a mediocre thriller. I was never fully invested and while I usually can read thrillers quickly this one dragged for me and I found myself just rushing to get to the conclusion. Not a thriller I’d recommend as anything mind blowing.