The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Does the time of year influence the books that you read? I've always been a mood reader, motivated to read whichever title strikes my fancy at any given moment. That said, my reading preferences also shift with the seasons. Summertime is filled with fast-paced thrillers, while I gravitate toward literary fiction and non-fiction in the fall. I try to fill October with spooky-themed reads, and I can't resist a holiday-themed book in December. I guess it is safe to say that I'm a mix between both mood and seasonal. This week I was in the mood for something with a twinge of horror in it. Simone St. James's The Book of Cold Cases seemed like the perfect candidate. Her previous two books The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel both managed to thrill and frighten me, so I had high hopes for her latest effort. 

In 1977 the quiet town of Claire Lake, Oregon was rocked by a horrific killing spree. The Lady Killer Murders, as the two homicides became known, were unique in that the witnesses of the crimes stated that they were committed by a mysterious woman. In both cases, a long-haired individual dressed in a trenchcoat stepped forward and shot the victims at point-blank range. The list of potential suspects in the small town was short. Beth Greer, the twenty-three-year-old heiress to a family fortune, fit the bill as the most likely perpetrator of the crimes. She went to a lengthy trial that saw her acquitted of all charges. The court of public opinion, however, never forgave her for her alleged misdeeds. 

Flash forward to 2017. Shea Collins toils away at her day job as a receptionist at a clinic. She never thought this would be the life she lived, but it pays the bills. It is after hours when Shea truly has the time to follow her passion. She runs the true crime website, The Book of Cold Cases. Her zealous obsession with true crime stems from her own childhood trauma, a past that saw her escape from the hands of an abductor. These days, she works tirelessly to shed a light on those cases that time has long forgotten. Chance puts her in the presence of Beth Greer, the only suspect in one of the most notorious cold cases in the area. Beth has notoriously stayed quiet about that time but surprisingly agrees to Shea's request for an interview. As Shea begins to dive into Beth's past, she can't help but feel a sense of unease. Could Beth truly be the murderer that got away, or is something more sinister at play?

As with her previous books, Simone St. James imbues every page of The Book of Cold Cases with a sense of dread and unease. The book alternates between past and present, slowly revealing the truth behind the murders being investigated. St. James's ability to place the reader into the world she conjures remains unparalleled. The gothic atmosphere in this book is palpable. I was instantly drawn to the idea of a true-crime investigator digging into a cold case and found that the book worked best when focusing on the investigation. Supernatural and haunted elements have become a kind of signature for St. James, though I found them to be more unnecessary to this story than I have when reading her other books. The characters and their story were tense enough to hold my attention, and the overtly supernatural occurrences were more of a distraction than anything else. That being said, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy reading this one. I'm a sucker for a mystery, and The Book of Cold Cases more than satisfied my hunger for a head-scratcher. I only wish the ghost story was as intriguing. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads

(2023, 17)

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20 Responses to “The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James”

  1. This was my first intro to her writing, and it was nothing like expected and scared me silly because I was listening to the audio at very definitely the WRONG time. You were right, the atmosphere in this read is palpable!

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    1. Thanks for sharing your perspective. I was enamored with The Broken Girls which was my first encounter with her. With each novel after that, I've grown a bit tired of the formula she uses, especially in regards to the creepy elements. I'd be interested to see your thoughts on her other books to see if you have a similar reaction.

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    2. Oh interesting — I didn’t realise her writing was formulaic in regards to the creepy elements in her books. — Verushka @ Pop. Edit. Lit

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    3. To me, it is beginning to become a hinderance to the book's quality.

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  2. havent read her
    Ack not a mood reader either, at least that I know

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    1. Interesting. How do you plan what to read next?

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  3. I know many people who are seasonal readers but I've always been a 100% mood reader. I never know what I'll read from one book to the next. :) This one sounds so atmospheric and that feeling of dread and impending doom is so delicious. I love when an author can invoke those feelings!

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    1. I tend to flip flop between both haha. I love atmospheric dread too!

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  4. You sum this one up well! I enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere, too, and while I don't always love when a narrative alternates between the past and present in a book, I thought St. James did it very well in this one. It's not my favorite of her books, but I did like it a lot. (I prefer her more ghostly books myself.)

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    1. I think you've capture exactly what my issues with this one were. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a mystery or a ghost story, and both sides suffered because of it. I agree that she does the spooky stuff best!

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  5. I enjoyed this and have read all but one of her backlist books. It is sitting on my kindle for when the mood strikes.

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    1. I've enjoyed her too, but this one was pretty mixed. Loved the mystery, didn't like the ghosts. Which one do you still have to read?

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  6. I read and enjoyed this one too! Very atmospheric and creepy, but now that you mention it I do think this would've been better without the ghost component.

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    1. Don't get me wrong, I love spooky ghosts haha, I just felt they didn't really add anything to this one.

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  7. Glad you liked this one! This was not my favorite of her work and I am not sure why. Something just didn't click for me this time.

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    1. I loved the mystery element, but didn't think the supernatural parts belonged in the story. All in all, that makes this one my least favorite of her books that I've read.

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  8. I love reading spooky books around Halloween time, but honestly, I like them all the time. St. James' are just my speed. I like her a lot, although my hands-down favorite of hers is THE SUN DOWN MOTEL. Glad you enjoyed this one!

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    1. I definitely liked Sun Down more than this one. Like you, I'll take spooky books any time of the year!

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