Cold Shoulder [Hardcover]

Lynda La Plante (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 1994

A kid runs. A cop fires. The boy dies. He has committed no crime. The cop is drunk and her name is Lorraine. But before Lorraine can find justice for the victims and redemption for herself, she must hit the pits of alcohol abuse and prostitution.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Admirers of La Plante's Edgar Award- winning TV miniseries, Prime Suspect, and of her earlier crime-thriller fiction (Bella Mafia), will want to give this novel anything but the cold shoulder. After acute alcoholism ruins her career and marriage, former Pasadena, Calif., police lieutenant Lorraine Page winds up as a skid-row prostitute. One day, Lorraine, newly sober, is solicited by a man who then tries to kill her with a hammer; she escapes by biting him on the neck. After she learns that her attacker is probably responsible for a series of hammer murders of back-street hookers, Lorraine determines to bring the serial-killer to justice. As she tracks her quarry, she begins to take strength from her recovery from addiction. Meanwhile, her astute police instincts lead her through L.A.'s netherworld of transsexual prostitution and kiddie porn, propelling her toward the dark secrets of a powerful family. Finely tuned characters, a well-wrought plot and plenty of suspense made this novel a success in England; its appeal should cross the Atlantic with ease. Major ad/promo; film rights sold to Michelle Pfeiffer/20th Century Fox; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Attention, movie fans: Michelle Pfeiffer is slated to star in the film version of this work, due out in 1996. La Plante follows up her EmmyR Award-winning TV mini-series Prime Suspects with the story of Lt. Lorraine Page, a discredited ex-cop-turned-prostitute who winds up in pursuit of a serial killer.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; First Edition edition (September 9, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0333616219
• ISBN-13: 978-0333616215
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,501,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars cold, hard realism!, April 3, 2001

By 

Eric McCalla "reviewboy" (Denver, COLORADO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cold Shoulder (Paperback)

I was familiar with Lynda LaPlante from the PBS series, Prime Suspect featuring Helen Mirren as Jane Tennyson. Ms. LaPlante does not disappoint readers with her first American character, Lorraine Page, who supposedly is based on the real-life story of a female LAPD officer. I don't know if that's true, or just publicity to help sell the book, but in any case, COLD SHOULDER is quite realistic.

Lorraine Page is an alcoholic and finds herself leaving on the streets of LA after her husband takes their children away from her. She goes into survival mode as she's fighting her way up from the depths of alcohol and drug addiction. She turns to prostituting herself, when one afternoon she has a quite unexpected run-in with a serial killer she is servicing. Not to give anymore away, but suffice to say her police training and instincts take over and the hunt is on!

The plot is full of twists and turns, the characters are well-written and the ending is gripping. The book is open-ended, so you know a sequel will follow. Overall, the realism is what makes the story work so well. Do yourself a favor and read a really strong female character's story. It's a nice change to see a woman detective who's as strong as any man in a mystery novel!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery, realistic heroine, August 21, 2002

By 

"angelamarie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cold Shoulder (Paperback)

Enjoyed this mystery thoroughly. Not only was the plot well thought out and well written, portrayal of Lorraine Page and her life was realistic, gritty, and left no rock unturned. I didn't find this story depressing, I found it hopeful. I enjoy stories that don't sugarcoat the bad things that happen but also leave the reader hopeful that there are good, smart people who can overcome adversity and catch the bad guys! Her fellow compatriots, Rosie (sweet and optimistic) and Rooney (tough, unperfect cop with a big heart) are interesting as well. This is the kind of book you keep so you can read it again! If you like a good whodonit with realistic characters and an interesting plot, you'll like this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping, Suspence, Moving, ...just Fantastic, February 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cold Shoulder (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the 'cold' series, I could not put any of the books down. I found they all were equally enjoyable, and I learned to love Lorriane as a friend. I was hoping for another sequel, it is sad to see her go. An excellently written novel, well done Lynda!!!