Cold Truth

By: Mariah Stewart

Narrated by: Anna Fields

Twenty-six years ago, just before a series of brutal murders rocked the idyllic town of Bowers Inlet, Cassie Burke lost her family and nearly her own life to a transient befriended by her father. Back then, Cassie was a scared kid; now, she's a homicide cop. Back then, the suspect was caught and convicted; he died in prison. But now the killing has started again. And all signs indicate that the Bayside Strangler has come back for more.

With too many victims and too few suspects, Cassie has her hands full investigating the case, while working through the old trauma it has brought to the surface. Luckily, FBI agent Rick Cisco is dispatched to lend support. Together, Cassie and Rick must uncover the link between the dark past and the dangerous present to bring this small town's long nightmare to an end.

©2005 Marti Robb (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The author's flair for complex characterization makes both of the book's professional-turned-personal relationships at least as intriguing and enjoyable as its subtle suspense." (Publishers Weekly)

Anna Fields the finest narrator

I like this old fashioned serial killer story. Engaging characters with great storyline. I am so sad Anna Fields is no longer with us. She was in a class by herself.

Turned Out to be a Good Book

For me this book started out really slow. I liked how it builds up, but I'm so used to just jumping in that having a book move so slow at the beginning was kind of hard for me; hence, the rating of only 4 stars. Other than that, the book was awesome. I loved everything about it: from the plot and storyline to the characters was great. I like the way she pulled, Regan, the true crimes writer into the storyline and built on her character. It was nice to see her in each part of the book, and have her help with the building of the case. There isn’t much romance in the novel, but there is a building of friendship and relationships. You can actually see the couples in the book growing closer as the danger and intrigue takes over in the novel. Mariah Stewart is one of the authors I like to read a lot of, so she didn’t disappoint me with this one either. I was hoping for a little more of a romance because that’s what I’m used to from her other books, but other than that, I enjoyed the book. Even though there was so much going on and the cases in the book were kind of scary and there were moments of solemnity and sadness, there were moments when you just had to smile or even laugh out right, which added to the novel’s charm and mystery.

The narrator was pretty. At first, I was a little skeptical, but after a while, she grew on me. She’s not very good at the male voices, but I can distinguish characters from each other because of the way she changes the pitch and tone of her voice. For the most part, I think she did a good job, and I wouldn’t mine reading another set of books she’s read.

If you’re looking for a good mystery and want to play whodunit, give this book a chance. The person who did it was on my suspect list, but I didn’t actually know until Mariah Stewart revealed the killer exactly who he was. Happy reading.

A good listen

As I read in other reviews, the story was good but the narrator's voice didn't seem to go with the characters. Not that her voice was unpleasant, it just seemed too old for the main character, or maybe the wrong energy. I did still enjoy the book.

great book...awesome reader. ..must read . then

great book, one of the best narrators, perfect start to a new series. must read.

"Nothing Like Homemade Bread"

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Nope, seemed a bit dull. The outline was good but this needed a bit better editing. There didn't seem to have any great highs or low, just too medium tempo.
I purchased as the late great Anna Fields read this story.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I listened to this story in 12-19-11 but did not write a review. I am listening to some scenes as I write this note, I couldn't remember anything that would stand out without re listening to a few chapters.

Fabulous

I listen to at least 3 mystery books a month. This is one of the best I've heard this year. Great story and even better narrator.

Good story, bad narration

This is one of those books that is ruined by the narrator. I enjoyed the story line but the narrators attempt at male voices was distracting and unsuccessful. I will probably not purchase another book that has her as the narrator.

Good story, use male narrator for male character s

I prefer to hear a man's voice when the character is a man, not just a deeper women's voice.

Bailed out

I suffered through about 5 hours of this book hoping that it would eventually get better, but it didn't. I have to agree with another reviewer about the reader's efforts at male voices.

Somewhat cliche.

I like the idea of strong professional women characters but the story, and especially the dialogue, was a bit cliche.