COLD FURY (Cold Justice: Most Wanted 4)by Toni Anderson-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 13, 2024

Seven years ago, Hope Harper was a star defense attorney with a great life—until she got the wrong defendant released, and he turned around and viciously slaughtered her family. Since then, the only thing Hope cares about is locking bad guys behind bars where they can’t hurt anyone else. When the killer escapes from a maximum security prison during a winter storm, Hope refuses to run and hide.

The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team is called in to protect the handful of public figures the notorious serial killer threatened. Operator Aaron Nash draws the short straw—he’ll be heading up Assistant District Attorney Hope Harper’s close protection detail.

Much to Aaron’s frustration, the cool blonde refuses to go into protective custody. As the hours and days wear on, Aaron and Hope manage a fragile truce. He begins to understand and admire the tenacious prosecutor, and the two of them begin to work together.
As the escaped serial killer’s rampage spins on, Hope knows it’s just a matter of time until he comes for her. Except something’s changed. For the first time since losing her family, she has something to live for. But is history doomed to repeat itself?

••••

REVIEW: COLD FURY is the fourth instalment in Toni Anderson’s contemporary, adult COLD JUSTICE-MOST WANTED erotic, romantic suspense series- a spin off, set in the author’s Cold Justice series. This is FBI HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) Operator Aaron Nash, and attorney Hope Harper’s story line. COLD FURY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Hope and Aaron COLD FURY follows in the wake of the escape of a serial killer. Approximately seven years earlier, defense attorney Hope Harper was successful in obtaining the release of billionaire Julius Leech, a man who would turn around and murder Hope’s husband and daughter. Fast forward to present day, Julius Leech, along with several other prisoners, has escaped in the wake of a prison transport accident, and anyone connected to Julius’ case is now a target of betrayal and revenge. At the top of the list is the now ADA Hope Harper, and the FBI has assigned a team of agents to protect our story line heroine. Enter FBI HRT Operator Aaron Nash, the man with whom Hope will fall in love but as the body count begins to amass, Julius Leech continues to control the narrative of his vengeance, pulling Hope Harper into his game of cat and mouse. What ensues is the protection of Hope Harper; the building relationship between Hope and Aaron, and the potential fall-out as secrets reveal a deeper betrayal that no one saw coming.

The world building is intricate and detailed as we are up close and personal with a killer, and a woman who is struggling with the loss of her family. Refusing to believe she is the target of Julius Leech, Hope tries and fails to decline the protection of the FBI but more so, in the face of her attraction to our story line hero.

The relationship between Hope and Aaron is trepidatious. Aaron refuses to cross the line, and Hope battles between head and heart as she continues to push away, not only Aaron, but the FBI HRT team. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters who play a significant and consequential role in the current time line including FBI agents Will Griffin, Seth Hopper, Sebastian Black, Cowboy, Livingstone and Cadell: attorney Jeff Beasley; Hope’s PA Colin Leighton; Julius Leech, his PA Blake Delaware, as well as several questionable characters surrounding Julius Leech.

COLD FURY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, murder,madness, and obsession, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is twisted and captivating; the romance is impassioned but subtle; the characters are determined and tenacious.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Cold Silence
Cold Deceit
Cold Snap

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Toni Anderson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Originally from a small town in England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she’d never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko.

Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fourteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016, and she also got to shove another car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin. Watch out world!

Follow: Website / Goodreads/ Facebook / Twitter / Instagram/  bookbub /  Pinterest