Cold Case [Paperback]

Kate Wilhelm (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Mira (August 1, 2008)
• ASIN: B001DJVDE4
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,852,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in 1928, Kate Wilhelm the author of more than thirty novels including Where Late the Sweet Bird Sang and The Unbidden Truth. Her work has been adapted for TV and film and translated into twenty languages. She has been awarded the Prix Apollo, Kurd Lasswitz, Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. In 2003, she was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Her short fiction appeared in landmark anthologies such as Again Dangerous Visions, Orbit, The Penguin Book of Modern Fantasy by Women, and The Norton Book of Science Fiction. A cofounder of the Clarion Writers' Workhops, she continues to host monthly writing workshops in Eugene, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable regional whodunit, August 7, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cold Case (Hardcover)

Over two decades ago in Eugene, Oregon, someone murdered teenager Jill Storey. The police and much of the small town believed that either teens David Etheridge or Robert McCrutchen killed her. However, no evidence was found and the case went cold.

Twenty-two years later, David an author returns to his hometown and ends up staying with Robert who is a senator and his wife. Soon afterward, someone murders Robert. The police once again suspect David, believing they have motive, means and definitely opportunity. He, knowing that he is a person of interest, hires attorney Barbara Holloway to represent him. She and her team begin to investigate the two homicides with each clue making the case stronger against her client.

The latest Holloway investigative thriller is an enjoyable regional whodunit starring an eccentric Oregonian cast, but not quite as powerful as most of the previous tales (see SLEIGHT OF HAND and A WRONGFUL DEATH). With humor to somewhat abating the tension, fans will appreciate Barbara's efforts to find proof that someone else committed the recent homicide although she and the audience begin to believe David is guilty until a beating occurs. Her digging means no time to mount a defense and takes away from the overall story line as she gets nowhere for much of the novel. Still COLD CASE is a fine Holloway tale.

Harriet Klausner

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Latest but not the best, March 3, 2009

By 

Linda Pagliuco "katknit" (CT, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Cold Case (Hardcover)

Barbara Holloway is a brilliant defense attorney with little stomach for the sorts of maneuvers required to attain acquittal. When she does accept a case, it always takes a lot out of her, both physically and emotionally. At this point, she's in a great relationship, the personal part of her life in order. But her latest case, a double murder trial, involving 2 victims who died 22 years apart, in the vicinity of her client, is about to shake her up professionally. For Barbara, though she believes in the innocence of the accused, can't get a handle on an effective way to counter the charges.

Cold Case is set up well enough to build interest, and the finale is also adequately satisfying. What the heart of the book lacks, however, is a sense of urgency and danger, consisting mainly of long passages of "woe is me, what are we going to do" teeth gnashing by Barbara and her team. To the author's credit, she did not resort to any DNA/forensic rabbits in the hat, bringing Barbara to her solution with good old fashioned evidence examination. All in all, this is a lackluster outing for the Holloways.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertainin, September 18, 2009

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Cold Case (Barbara Holloway Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I use to read Kate Wilhelm all the time and for some unkown reason, I stopped reading her.

I am glad that I picked up Cold Case because this book features Wilhelm at her best.

In Cold Case, we find Barbara Holloway is back again. I really like this character as I always found her to be extremely savy and smart and quite entertaining at the same time! So, she is always a joy to read.

Cold Case takes a look at a case that was extremely delicate - 22 years ago - hence the title Cold Case. Holloway finds herself with a new murder on her hands - except that the victim was once accused of murder himself - Holloway will find herself caught up in the middle of both the Cold Case and the new murder and must beat the clock in order to save the accused who may or may not be guilty.

I loved the fact that the author did such a great job of joining the past and the present - and she does it in a clever way - without making it feel as though it is "forced" or plot oriented.

Great pacing as always - this is never a problem with Wilhelm's novels - she is a master at keeping the story moving.

I really, really enjoyed this one.