The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
on February 28, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Supernatural, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
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“Being a girl is the best, because no one ever believes you’d do something bad. People think you’ll do nothing, which means you can do anything.”

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?

Chilling and atmospheric without the gore. The mystery ties in great with a ghostly feel and characters you can root for. The story unfolds in two parts, about equal in length. I would have preferred to have been kept in suspense a bit longer because once we reach the second half the pace slowed a bit for me, as we learn much of what actually happened in the past, before Shea does. Once she catches up, the pace ramps up again, and it circles around to a satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy the slow burn, amateur detective style crime fiction with a little slice of the paranormal on the side, give this one a try for yourself.

I rated this novel 3.5 stars. Overall I didn’t find the unsolved crime to be all that compelling. It was kind of obvious what had happened, and I also didn’t think the ghosts really added anything to the story when it came right down to it. Yet I still found it a compelling read, and I moved through it very quickly. The writing is clear and the storyline is interesting enough that it kept me turning the pages to find out how everything concluded. It helped that Shea is a likable character and I was invested in her success.