A Colder Kind of Death [Hardcover]

Gail Bowen (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart (1994)
• ASIN: B000G3LNTS
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Exploration of Joanne's Past..., August 19, 2001

By 

Jonathan Burgoine "bookseller" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Colder Kind of Death (A Joanna Kilbourn mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

The first time I read "Deadly Appearances," I was struck by the fact that Joanne Kilbourn's husband had died before the series had even begun, and in a random act of violence, no less. It was enough to raise an eyebrow, and now here, in "A Colder Kind of Death," the past comes to haunt Joanne again.

When her husband's killer is himself killed in prison, Joanne Kilbourn picks up her Nancy Drew ways and delves into the life of her husband's life, the lives of his friends, and finds more and more things that don't add up, and secrets that might better remain in the past. As she uncovers a conspiracy that might cast a very dark shadow on who her husband was (and even how solid their marriage was), Joanna is solid in her determination to find out the truth.

As always, Gail Bowen's strength is in her characters. Joanne is a very well-written character, with solid history and plausible emotionality. She is active and intelligent, something you rarely see in an over-forty female character, and moreover, this is done in a believable, important way.

Pick this one up - though it might be best to read the Joanne Kilbourn series in order, starting with "Deadly Appearances." This is definitely one of the best in the series.

'Nathan

5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Series, May 6, 2007

By 

Marlene B. Simon (Emeryville, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Colder Kind of Death (Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I came across the first Kilbourn mystery by chance and enjoyed it enough that I looked for more by Bowen at a local bookstore. Couldn't find any and finally ordered several at one time from Amazon and read them in order. I love the series--was sad to read the last one I had, and am planning to order the couple I've not read. What do I like about the series? The people involved and their lives are interesting; the mysteries are intriguing; the gore and violence are limited; I enjoy the regional setting; I can identify with the protagonist.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Superior Mystery Story, November 5, 2000

By 

James Kenneth Wood (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Colder Kind of Death (A Joanna Kilbourn mystery) (Hardcover)

Written in good, unpretentious prose, this book seems simple at first, but quickly gets the reader involved. The characters are interesting and well developed. The story is interesting and complicated enough to be intriguing. It is very well written and well edited. I prefer the author's style to that of many better known writers.