Customer Reviews

Cold Truth (Wheeler Romance)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

My preference in reading is light because I read a lot of medical stuff for work. I love suspense with a touch of romance. Mariah Stewart is very entertaining. If you like heavy sappy romance or trashy sex scenes, this is not the author for you. I prefer it's kept clean without eye-rolling lines, so I prefer Stewart. I used to read a lot of James Patterson, but he got way too grewsome for me, so again, this is enough gorey detail for me. All in all, her books are well-written and more than enough to hold my interest until the end. Plus, I'm a Jersey girl, and I love books that take place in that area, like Mary Higgins Clark.

Twenty-six years have passed since the horror, but Cassandra "Cass" Burke will never forget. When she was six, someone killed her family, but made one mistake; the assailant thought she was dead too. Rookie police officer Craig Denver comforted the child and over the tears provided support to her.

For the past decade, Cass has served as a cop turned detective with Bowers Inlet, New Jersey, headed by Craig. Suddenly in the past week four homicides occurred by the same person who has taunted Craig with notes just like the Bayside Strangler did twenty plus years ago. Craig and Cass know they are out of their league so ask for help from the FBI. Special Agent Rick Cisco works with Cass and Denver while Special Agent Mitchell Peyton is dispatched to the home of writer Regan Landry, daughter of a recently famous bestselling true crime author to see if he had information on the Bayside Strangler and hopefully a lead to stop Bowers Inlet killer.

Though this is the first novel of the Truth mini series, Mariah Stewart's fans will recognize some of the law enforcement characters from the previous Dead tale leading to the feeling that crime never sleeps. The story line is action-packed as the beleaguered local cops and their outside allies struggle with time slipping into the future summer tourist rush, which could mean an exponential increase in homicides. There is romance in the tale, but that takes a back seat to a strong serial killer police procedural that will leave Ms. Stewart's grateful but frightened audience leaving lights on 24/7.

Harriet Klausner

Twenty-six years ago, Cassie Burke lost her parents and her sister - and was almost killed herself - in a vicious attack on her family. A transient, befriended by her father, who is discovered covered in blood and hiding in the garage, is subsequently blamed, arraigned and put into prison for the crime, where he dies. This attack took place right before a string of brutal killings by a serial killer called the Bay City Strangler. There are never any clues left and when the killings suddenly stop, Bowers Inlet believes they are safe again.

Cassie is now a homicide cop, spending her life trying to prevent the sort of terror that she lived through. However, when the killings start again, leaving too many victims and very few clues, Cassie gets assistance from the FBI to help solve the case. FBI agent Rick Cisco joins Cassie in trying to track down this killer, before he can again melt into the night and disappear.

A heart-racing thriller, a realistic and enjoyable romantic assignation, and a twisted mystery that keeps you guessing - all these add up to a highly enjoyable book. I am looking forward to getting the remainder of books in this series, and can definitely recommend this book to fans of the romantic thriller.

This book was about a girl whose entire family was killed by a homeless guy that the father be-friended. Or was it?

Cass Burke is on the trail of a serial killer who targets young white women with long dark hair. During her investigation she uncovers shocking evidence that her own family were among the first victim of the Bayside Strangler. In comes help in the form of an FBI Agent, Rick Cisco who is assigned to assist Cass. Also helping out Rick and Cass are Regan Landry a true-crime reporter and Mitch Peyton an FBI Computer Whiz.

Once Cass Burkes starts connecting the past to the present, will the serial killer let her get away like he did 26 years ago?

Read the book and find out.

I expected a more electrifying conclusion but it was still a good read.

GENRE CONFUSION:

The author's bio talks about awards for romantic suspense and contemporary romance. So that's what I thought I was getting when I bought the book Cold Truth. Unfortunately Cold Truth has NO ROMANCE. Now as I look at the author's website, I don't find any clear distinction about which of her books are romances. So I'm frustrated. Anyway I gave 4 stars to her book Mercy Street, which I labeled "mystery with a little romance." Because I liked it and wanted to try another, I bought Cold Truth which was a mistake.

STORY BRIEF:

The Bayside Strangler rapes and strangles women with long dark hair near the small town of Bowers Inlet. He moved away and over the next 26 years he killed women wherever he went. Recently he returned to Bowers Inlet and resumed killing women there.

26 years ago, Cass was 6 years old. Her father, mother and sister were killed in their home. Cass was stabbed but survived. Now as a police detective she is investigating the recent murders. The FBI sends agent Rick to help Cass. The story is a police procedural "mystery" because murders occur, and we are watching officials slowly uncover clues and evidence to catch the killer. It's also a "thriller" because we are in the killer's head as he thinks about what he's done and what he's going to do next. But we don't learn his identity until the end.

REVIEWER'S OPINION (WITH A PARTIAL SPOILER) (I don't give away the bad guy's name):

I was disappointed that it was not the genre I expected. If you're looking for "romantic suspense" forget it. I'm trying to be fair and judge it as a "mystery thriller" which I believe is "ok." There were no major problems other than one instance of stupidity on the heroine's part. She went off by herself when she knew she was a target and got caught by the bad guy. He told her he had a hostage but Cass never even asked him for proof of life before she did what he asked. That bothered me.

The plot, methods, motives, and events were well thought out (other than the stupidity). But it felt like "another one of those serial killer stories." There was nothing special or different. I wasn't emotionally engaged.

DATA:

Story length: 373 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Bowers Inlet and other towns in New Jersey. Copyright: 2005. Genre: mystery thriller.

"Sizzling" romance? HA! Not so much. This was pretty decent as a suspense book, but definitely isn't romance. Even as a suspense, it felt like so much happened with the killer so quickly, then all of a sudden nothing happened with the killer and the police team figured everything out almost instantly, which just seemed so unrealistic. Also, there just didn't seem to be any passion or feeling behind anything; I wasn't really drawn in to the story and didn't really feel a connection with the characters. An interesting and quick read, but lacking passion and feeling; a good one-time read, but only worth borrowing from the library or a friend, not to buy. For some of my favorites in romantic suspense try Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts, Storm Force (Silhouette Bombshell) by Meredith Fletcher or The Maze (FBI Series) by Catherine Coulter.

Easy enjoyable summer read. Well thought out plot and vivid likable characters. Liked it well emough to purchase Hard Truth.