Customer Reviews

Revenge Served Cold

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I received an advanced reader copy of Jackie Fullerton's book Revenge Served Cold from the publicist promoting the book. I needed some escape reading, and I hoped that this would fit the bill. Overall, Revenge wasn't bad in terms of plot or action. I struggled with the characters who weren't primary to the story, however. Not sure if I missed an earlier installment or what, but there was little in the way of color to explain how they all came together and worked out the details of the crime.

The main character is Katherine Spence, and she's going through some significant emotional struggles that are slowly revealed to others over the course of the plot. One of her problems is that she self-medicates with alcohol. Her husband knows all this, and tries to help keep her stable. That stability evaporates one day when a former lover shows up at her door, thinking that he can convince her to leave her husband and rekindle their romance. This visit and the associated argument and trauma drives her back to the bottle where she drinks herself into a stupor. But that night, her husband meets an estranged friend at a bar, and is the victim of a hit and run when he leaves the bar to get in his car and head home. All the signs point to Katherine being the killer, based on the car being hers and a witness saying the driver was someone who looked remarkably like her. Since she was blacked out during the time, she can't offer an alibi, but she knows she'd never do anything to kill her husband. The cops see it differently, however. They're ready to indict her for the murder, and the only person trying to clear her name is Anne Marshall, a legal stenographer and amateur sleuth who is relentless in her investigation with the help of her father's ghost who shows up and helps her figure things out.

I'll be the first to admit that a plot device of a ghost partner who is your dead father may sound far-fetched. But it's actually funny and special as to how it works between the two of them. He keeps showing up unannounced and surprising her, usually when there are other people around who can't see him. My biggest issue involved Marshal and her friends who work together to solve the crime. They had no character to me and I couldn't really keep them straight. Since they figure into the storyline to a moderate degree, their lack of background or personality made the story harder to follow than it should have been. If there's a prior book to this that uses the same characters, it may explain why there's little backstory here. But as a stand-alone story, it's a bit of a distraction.

Disclosure:

Obtained From: Publicist

Payment: Free

Law professor Elliott Spence meets his estranged college buddy, Ross, for drinks and is then killed by a hit-and-run driver. Elliott's wife, Kathy, fits the description of the driver and her car is found a few blocks away with Elliott's blood on the windshield. Kathy has a past with Ross; and a recent run-in with him that didn't go so well. Now Kathy is about to be indicted for murdering the man she loved.

Anne Marshall court reporter, part-time law student and amateur sleuth doesn't think Kathy Spence had the motive or the ability to kill her husband. Although she has been warned to keep her nose out of the case, Anne feels it's her duty to prove Kathy's innocence. So, with the help of her father's ghost, Anne gets to work gathering evidence. However, Anne's diligence will uncover some dark secrets that will once again put her life in danger.

Despite the interesting concept of a father's ghost teaming up with his daughter to solve crimes, the writing style was a little off for me. Fullerton has a tendency to over-explain every detail--things that should be assumed or inferred. Coupled with the fact that everything was so blatantly obvious from page one and the author's insistence on repeating things over and over, sort of raised my annoyance level.

There are way too many frustrations with the plot line to even begin to list. I could overlook the oft-used revenge killing and framing of a loved one, but most of the characters were just one fried brain-cell away from wearing a helmet. I'm sorry, but when the investigating detectives are given "new evidence" from a court reporter/part time law student because she interviewed the bartender where the deceased was having drinks moments before his death, you've reached a whole new level of stupidity.

Then there's Anne herself. Instead of being helpful and endearing, her actions come off as juvenile and reckless; a civilian investigating a homicide which includes withholding evidence, tampering and impersonating an officer of the court... Her father's ghost coming back required less suspension of belief than the fact that Anne was allowed to get away with any of the things she did.

Elliott Spruce leaves a restaurant after having cocktails with old college friend, Ross Craig, and is run down by a car and killed.

Elliott's wife, Kathy, has been depressed and drinking recently due to an abortion of Ross Craig's child, when they had been involved during college. Medical complications resulted from the abortion and her current mental state is due to that.

Soon after Elliott's death, Kathy is questioned and eventually accused of running down her husband while she was drunk.

When Ross sees her drinking, he thinks that she's sorry that she isn't back with him. He appears at her front door, confident Kathy really wants him. When she orders him out, he is furious. She tells him that he has ruined her life.

Ross calls Kathy's old college roommate, Alice. She tells him about Kathy's aborting his child. Ross was angry before but now he wants to hurt Kathy.

Anne Marshall is a court reporter and law student. She is also an amateur sleuth. Her father, a respected attorney, died of a heart attack two years ago. Now he returns, as a spirit that smells of pipe tobacco. He helps Ann with her investigation, and, when needed, protects her. Other authors, notably, Charles Todd, have used a spirit to question and assist their investigation but it's still enjoyable.

Anne is the star of the novel and reminds this reader of Evanovitch's Stephanie Plumm. She's gutsy, intelligent, persistent and fun to read.

Since the reader knows that Kathy isn't guilty, there are limited possibilities, either Ross or Alice, or both of them were responsible for Elliott's death. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing. Although Kathy was overly naieve and other characters unoriginal, this was an enjoyable read and perfect for the summer vacation.

I love reviewing books and learning about new authors. Jackie Fullerton is one such author and I am pleased to say that this is one talented author! Her story is filled with fantastic characters, humor and lots of mystery! A perfect combination.

In Revenge Served Cold, Anne Marshall is full time law student, part amateur detective. Her college professor, meeting up with an old college buddy, dies after an accidental hit and run....or was it really an accident? When his wife, whom he adores, is suddenly accused of murdering him, Anne takes it upon herself to piece together the clues, something the local cops aren't doing a good job of, and solve the case. She wants to save the innocent and prove the guilty are just that....guilty. But, as she's putting her instincts to good use, there's a twist to her crime solving.....her help comes in the form of a pipe smoking, fun loving ghost. Yep, Anne's dad, a former lawyer now deceased, can only be seen and heard by her, and hops around helping with the "investigation".

Between Anne's detecting, the ghost, and the mystery, I had a fun and often twisty time solving this case with her! There were LOTS of twists, LOTS of turns and some laughs along the way.

I am now a Jackie Fullerton fan and I HIGHLY recommend this as a 5 star, fast reading mystery! Mystery lovers every where are sure to fall in love with Anne and her Ms. Marple sluething. I'm already looking forward to going back and reading the first Anne Marshall book.

Many thanks to the folks at The Cadence Group for providing me with Ms. Fullerton's latest thriller, Revenge Served Cold. My thoughts in this book ran the gamut of emotions from the moment I picked it up until I finished the last page.

I will admit that as I worked through the first 40-50 pages, this book read like a soap opera and I began to wonder if I would make it through the story. Then, however, Fullerton starts putting the pieces in place and I was hooked. Yes, we know that Kathy Spence is not the murderer, but we are left guessing as to who it might be--from two possible suspects. I was pretty sure I knew who did it all along and upon reading the inevitable (though relatively minor) "twist" I learned that I was right! Paced rather quickly, Revenge Served Cold is an easy read with just enough pull to keep you turning pages. The writing and dialogues may lack color, but I finished it easily in one morning and it was nice to whip through the pages and forget the outside world for a few hours. I could have done without the ghostly encounters with Anne's father, mainly because she likely wouldn't have been able to solve this mystery without her deceased father's help, and that point bugs me just a bit.

For the most part, though, I was enjoying my escape into this book until the last couple of chapters of the book when our heroine did something so ridiculously reckless and stupid, I found myself annoyed through what was meant to be the most suspenseful part of the book. I just don't see how anyone with half a brain at all would do what Anne did towards the end of the story--particularly upon learning that the case should be wrapped up fairly shortly. I will leave it at that. Sadly, the way things played out with Anne further tainted my feelings on this book, but if you are looking for a tidy little mystery that won't occupy too much of your time, Revenge Served Cold is just the book for you!

I love a good mystery/thriller. While this one probably falls more into the cozy mystery category, I still enjoyed it. I did find it extremely predictable in the who-done it category. I had the criminal pegged the moment the character stepped into the story. I liked Anne. It was a different twist that the person helping her with her case with the ghost of her father. It played out better than I expected. The story has a first in a series sort of feel. We're just touching the surface of the characters with the potential to get to know them better in future books. The only thing that bothered me a little is there's a previous case that Anne solved. It's mentioned in passing a few times, and I wish it was explained a little better. Also, I know cozy mysteries are light on sex and violence. But, the slight sexual references seem out of place in this story.

I would read more if the author decides to continue this into a series. I would recommend it to those who like cozy mysteries, stories about amateur sleuthing, and who done it stories!

Following a late night drink with his former best friend Ross, Elliott Spence is tragically rundown in the parking lot of the bar. An investigation into the hit-and-run reveals the person behind the wheel looked like Elliott's wife Kathy and her damaged car is found nearby with his blood on the windshield. Unfortunately, the alcoholic has no recollection of the tragedy.

Kathy is the reason the two college buddies are no longer friends. Still, there was no reason why a woman who loved her husband as much as Kathy loved Elliott would want to kill him.

Court reporter by day, law student by night, Anne Marshall begins her own investigation after being contacted by a friend of Kathy. With the help of her District Attorney and live-in fiance, Jason, and several other friends, the amateur sleuth and her ghostly father find there is more to the story than the police realize. With the help of her deceased father, Anne is able to solve the case.

Herein lays a problem with an otherwise interesting story. Although there are twists and turns, and the typical amateur sleuth now finding her own life in danger, it is difficult to believe the police investigators are that incompetent.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Fullerton's debut novel Piercing the Veil, I had high hopes for the follow-up. Unfortunately, Revenge Served Cold reads like a book that was written quickly without the necessary depth in its characterization or plotting that would have brought it up to the level of her first novel. Hopefully, the next installment will showcase her true ability.

Kathy Spence has been extremely depressed, due to an botched abortion in college she is unable to conceive a baby with her husband, the love of her life, and she finds comfort in a bottle or two of wine nightly. She almost drinks herself into a coma after receiving a distressing anonymous package, when she is awakened in the middle of the night by the police who inform her that her beloved husband as been killed by a hit-and run. An eye witness and damage to her vehicle make her the number one suspect.

Terrified, she calls her friend Shirley, who works with Anna Marshall, an amateur sleuth. Shirley asks Anne to help prove that her friend Kathy did not kill her husband. The police think they have an open and shut case, so they are not even investigating, so Anne, her friends, and the ghost of Anne's father waste no time trying to find the real killer.

2 STARS

I may be in the minority here, but I really didn't like this book. To start with I didn't know that this was the second book in a series. The first book in the series was called Piercing The Veil by Jacqueline Fullerton, I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I had read that book first. The are so many references to the previous book in this book, connecting the characters, and explaining the ghost, that I really felt lost at times.

Also "the bad guys" are revealed almost at the start of the book, so there really is no mystery, it is more about Anne rehashing things with her friends and keeping things from the police, the police are made to look like bumbling idiots, when Anne feeds them another elementary clue. The only suspense was near the end of the book, when Anne refuses to listen to her friends and gets caught in the murders hotel room and is driven off into the woods and chased by the murderer.

The thing I liked best about the book was the ghost, Anne's father, who only she could see and hear, but he smoked a pipe and everyone could smell the tobacco. It added a little humor to the story, things he could do were pretty far-fetched, but it did show the great bond between a father and a daughter.

You may enjoy this story but be sure to read Piercing The Veil first. If we all liked the same thing life would be pretty boring, this story just didn't suit me.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Cadence Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Kathy Spence is devastated when her beloved husband is killed by a hit and run driver and even more so when she becomes the number one suspect in his death - her car was the one that killed him. She says she is innocent and her friends believe her and ask amateur sleuth Anne Marshall to investigate the case. Anne must work fast to clear Kathy's name before she is charged with murder. Good thing she has plenty of help from her friends - and her father's ghost.

"Revenge Served Cold" is an interesting, somewhat different mystery novel. You know from the beginning who the bad guys are so the book isn't a whodunit type of mystery but more of a character study as you watch Anne, her father, and the police unravel the clues. While you feel sorry for Kathy and her loss, as well as her drinking problems, the focus of the book is really on Anne as she tries to clear Kathy's name. Anne is a resourceful heroine, still mourning the loss of her father (even if his ghost still appears to her), creative, stubborn, and a bit too headstrong as she often enters dangerous situations even after she's been warned about the danger. The ghostly appearances of her father are well done, although you probably don't want to think about it too much or you might begin to question how people can smell his pipe and something he does towards the end of the book is unbelievable (even for a ghost) and should've been explained more. Speaking of the end of the book - it is filled with heart pounding action that will keep readers turning the pages to see what happens next. The writing isn't perfect - it seems a bit stilted at times, and there are inconsistencies (Anne tells her boyfriend not to go to a bar with her because she's afraid people won't talk to her, but then turns around and asks two male friends to go to said bar with her). Still, the story is engrossing enough to make readers forget the slight flaws in the novel.

"Revenge Served Cold" is a nicely done mystery.

Kathy Spence is in trouble, but her heart was already wounded before she became the primary suspect to her own husband dying. Could things get any worse for Kathy, or for Anne, who she has turned to for help. Perhaps Anne is a little different than most people, not everyone sees dead people, but Anne maybe Kathy's only hope before it is too late. What a read!

I enjoyed this book. I liked how the author built her characters personalities and background, giving just enough information to keep you on tract and building suspense as you read along.

There were a lot of loops in the story, and that is a good thing, not boring but giving you some whacks, if you will, along the way to waken you to what is taking place. It is a fast paced read, but not to the point where you get lost. This is of course a mystery read, suspenseful and packed with action, but it is also one that brims with emotions in many other areas of the characters that the author has tied into the storyline with exceptional skill. That made the story more alive. All in all a very good read and one I am proud to recommend.