The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James – a Review

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Description:
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?

Review:

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James is another one of her excellent psychological thrillers.  The story takes place in Claire Lake, Oregon and revolves around two POV’s; Beth in 1977 and Shea in 2017.

By day, Shea Collins works as a receptionist at a doctor’s office and at night, she runs a blog website called the Book of Cold Cases. Shea is obsessed with solving true crimes, especially since she was abducted as a child, and luckily managed to escape; she continues to be haunted by that memory. The man who attempted to abduct her, was caught and sent to prison, with a possible parole coming up; which makes her nervous.  

In 1977, Beth Greer, who lives in alone in a huge mansion, very wealthy and only 23 years old; when two men were murdered during the night, with the same gun that killed her father, Beth is accused of the crime. They called her the Lady Killer, as one man claims to have seen her near the crime scene. After a major investigation and trial, Beth was acquitted, and no real evidence could be found, as she returned to her mansion, to be rarely seen.

One day, while at work, Shea is shocked to see someone from the past, who is in the office to meet the doctor. Face to face with the infamous Beth Greer, she asks if she could have an interview with her; and a few days later, Beth agrees to meet with Shea, at her mansion. Shea will learn quickly when she realizes the mansion is haunted, as she hears footsteps, water being turned on, draws opening, cold breeze of someone passing by, blood, and even seeing a young girl outside, enough the scare the crap out of anyone, and Beth was still sitting downstairs.  Make no mistake, this is a very scary, frightening story that had me holding my breath a number of times. 

Despite her being scared, Shea is determined to find out the truth of what happened 40 years ago, as with Beth Pov’s we learn all about how her father and later her mother who were murdered; not to mention who was behind the Lady Killer Murders.  During the flash back to 1977, we do meet this new suspect, who no one really knew anything about. 

What follows is an exciting, dark, suspenseful and creepy mystery in both time periods, which kept me hooked to find out what happened.  The mansion was very scary, as Shea found herself in a dark and dangerous place; to tell too much more would be spoilers.  The Book of Cold Cases was an intriguing story that was also a gothic thriller. If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers with a ghostly background, I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher