Cold Blooded (Zebra Romantic Suspense) (Paperback)

by Lisa Jackson (Author)
Key Phrases: brian thomas, pink martini glass, crime scene team, Lisa Jackson, Father James, Olivia Benchet (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Another serial killer is wreaking havoc in New Orleans, and it's up to detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya, the protagonists from Jackson's previous thriller, Hot Blooded, to reign him in. This time around, the detectives are joined by Olivia Benchet, a reluctant psychic who hails from a highly dysfunctional family. Olivia's visions of a priestly killer who tortures and sacrifices young females provide Bentz and Montoya with their best clues, but Olivia may be the next victim if Bentz doesn't shrug off his cynicism concerning visions and romantic entanglements with the wild-haired psychic. Twice burned by his former wife, who had an affair with his half-brother, Bentz now lives for work and his rebellious, 19-year-old daughter, Kristi. The hunt for the murderer escalates when Olivia realizes her visions are a two-way mirror, and the killer has Kristi and Olivia in his sights. Jackson's sanctimonious serial killer, who refers to himself as The Chosen One, is stock, but the dynamics between her protagonists, particularly between Bentz and Olivia, are a welcome counterpoint to the violent action. Although some readers may be repulsed by the killer's sexually sadistic crimes, which are depicted in graphic detail,others will be intrigued by Jackson's portrayal of the grotesqueries that result when faith and family are perverted.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821769340
• ISBN-13: 978-0821769348
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,893 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #8 in

  Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( J ) > Jackson, Lisa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Sequel to Hot Blooded, June 6, 2002

By	Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is the story of Rick Bentz the detective from the story Hot Blooded. This story is really more suspense then romance, but it is still a great story. There is another serial killer on the loose in New Orleans and he kills the girls by saint feast days. The story keeps you guessing on who the killer is and what relationship he has with Olivia the heroine. She sees visions of the murders and feels helpless to stop them. She goes to the police and that is how she meets Rick. Rick has had issues in the past and does not trust anyone. Especially women. It will take a special someone to turn him around.

More suspense then romance you won't have to skim over love scenes that seem like filler. A great page turner until the end. Don't miss this fast paced story.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars exciting serial killer thriller, June 8, 2002

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In New Orleans, the killer left behind a carved up incinerated corpse with no witnesses to the vicious homicide. No eye witnesses that is because Olivia Bechet observed every slash and burn though she was sleeping several miles away from the crime scene in her cottage. Thinking that she suffered through a particularly nasty nightmare, Olivia ignores her dream until it reoccurs a few weeks later with a different victim. She feels she is somehow connected to this "priestly" serial killer and goes to the authorities only to have Detective Rick Bentz scoff at her claims.

As the Big Easy panics with a rising death count, Olivia continues to press Rick and his younger partner Reuben Montoya into believing her even if the senior detective scornfully laughs at her assertions. However, the culprit sees what she sees through her eyes and believes Olivia knows too much. Now she dreams that she is the next victim. She pleads with the two cops to keep her safe, but Rick remains more than skeptical as he concludes that the woman he loves is a lunatic.

COLD BLOODED is an exciting serial killer thriller that stars a wonderful heroine and Rick, a secondary character from the prequel HOT BLOODED. The story line engages the reader mostly because of the interplay between Rick and Olivia. The killer is standard off the shelf stock while the graphic descriptions of the sexual crimes are not everyone's café du lait though the scenes provide the depth to what the heroine faces. Lisa Jackson provides fans of serial killer plots, police procedurals, and romantic suspense with an entertaining tale.

Harriet Klausner

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence, June 6, 2002

By	C. Penn "WordWeaving" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A psychic, Olivia Benchet dreams about a priest who kills. Then she awakens to a horrid certainty that her dream was something more. Vivid details bear witness to an innocent woman's torture and death at the hands of a man wearing vestments, his face concealed by a black ski mask. Worse, she knows that the killer is aware of her presence and her identity. Recalling the headlines of the previous rash of killings, Olivia seeks out the detective instrumental in solving the bizarre killings.

Rick Bentz is skeptical of Olivia's claims until a burned house reveals its macabre secret. As Rick examines the site, he recalls Olivia's tale of a naked chained victim, a priest with a radio and sword, and the significance of the date. As further facts compel his belief in Olivia's story, Rick finds himself irresistibly drawn to this intriguing woman. Little does he suspect, however, the coming danger to the women in his life. Meanwhile, the Chosen One continues to pursue his mission to "rid the earth of the vile sinners on the day God had selected."

Author Lisa Jackson demonstrates extraordinary flair for creating nail-biting romance in COLD BLOODED. Picking up where HOT BLOODED leaves off and including several favorite characters and the New Orleans setting, COLD BLOODED explores a methodical and cunning serial killer's plan for redeeming lost souls. There are no easy answers for Jackson's characters where anyone is suspect, and vows of silence protect the guilty. Crisp dialogue, a multilayer plot, and a carefully measured pace build suspense in this chilling read that earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.