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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First of the Truth series., July 4, 2005
This review is from: Cold Truth: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
When Cass was only six, her entire family was massacred in their home. Cass had been left for dead, but amazingly survived. Craig Denver, a rookie, carried her out of that house. He became her mentor. That had been twenty-six years ago, almost to the day. Now she is Detective Cassandra "Cass" Burke. She has been a copy with Bowers Inlet, New Jersey, for about ten years. Craig Denver is not the Chief of Police. It is still a small town on the shore and Cass is the only detective. She suddenly finds herself in a serial homicide investigation. The killer is sending Denver taunting notes, just as the Bayside Strangler did the former chief, twenty-odd years ago. But why would he kill so many and then disappear for so long before beginning anew? Or was it a copycat killer? There are four victims in only six days. Denver and Cass need help. John Mancini with the FBI sends Special Agent Rick Cisco to help Cass and Denver out. Mancini also sends Special Agent Mitchell Peyton to the home of Regan Landry. Regan is a writer. Her father was famous for his true crime best sellers. many criminals wrote to him in hopes of being immortalized in one of his books. But he had been murdered eight months ago by Lowell (a killer in one of the "Dead" series). While going through her father's things, Regan locates files and notes about the Bayside Strangler. The killer had been in contact with Regan's father long ago. But the files and notes are scattered. With Peyton's help, perhaps they could find some clue to identify the killer currently in Bowers Inlet. Time is running out. The population is about to triple due to summer renters. If the killer is not captured before then, the body count will sky rocket! ***** If you read Mariah Stewart's "Dead" series, then you are going to recognize a few secondary (law) characters. This makes it all more realistic to the readers. However, this novel is actually the first of the "Truth" series. So you do not need to have read any of Stewart's other books to get the full impact. And this story will feel like a sock in your gut. The author obviously did some deep research in order to paint such vivid pictures with her words. I found this one to be so real, it was hard to fall asleep at night. Excellent beginning to a new thriller series! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another excellent book from Mariah!, January 31, 2006
This review is from: Cold Truth: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
I do not like the sappy-type romance books. I really like how Mariah adds a little romance to these books WITHOUT getting sappy. I do not understand what everyone else is saying about there being too many characters. I thought it was great. I love how the characters in her books overlap. It's like meeting old friends. I have the other two and can't wait for the final book to come out! I'm trying to pace my reading so I finish these just as the third comes out. I get really into the books and can't put them down so I doubt that plan will work.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely not solid as a single novel, January 10, 2006
This review is from: Cold Truth: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
Cold Truth is the first FICTION novel in the Truth series. Let's start by saying that this is not a Romantic Suspense in any way. Do not make that mistake.
Having read the first, the premise of each book revolves around the cold cases of the past. Regan Landry finds old letters from a killer that were sent to her father some time earlier just as the killer is resurfacing. However, the real story in Cold Truth is about Cass Burke. The detective in charge of finding the Bayside Strangler. Twenty six years ago, a number of women were murdered along the Jersey shores. The killer was never caught. Now, he has returned to finish what he started. With some help from John Mancini's FBI team from the DEAD series, they must solve the case before more women die, but Cass may just hold the key to catching the madman.
My only real complaint of this novel was that you never really had suspects. It was all told from the police angle where you uncover the details as the police finds them. When they know the suspects, then you also learn about them. For those readers that enjoy figuring out who done it, this novel may be a bit of a let down. The story line plotted along at a decent pace, but there were many characters that had very little to do with the plot. I would say that it is possible they may turn up in one of the other books, but frankly, I don't think so. It was a bit annoying to read about a character, start to get an idea of what kind of person they are and then to have that person leave town.
The book does stand alone, but definitely poses questions for others in the series. Is it worth buying? Alone, probably not. As a set of all the novels, possibly. I will have to read the other two I currently have before making my final decision on the whole series and whether I will spend the money to buy Final Truth coming out in May.
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