The perfect choice for a determined effort to read good books while ignoring Twitter, Facebook, and all those e-mails, The Cold Spot by Tom Piccirilli delivers. First of all, I love mysteries, and it doesn’t matter whether they’re noir or cozy, police procedural or amateur sleuth. It’s only natural I’d put mysteries high on my read-a-thon list.
I already gave you the first sentence of this novel (check yesterday’s blog if you missed it), so let me jump straight into the teaser:
Chase is just a teenager when he witnesses his grandfather kill a member of his string (a gang but with members unworthy of loyalty) for an unforgivable misstep during a fairly routine heist. Chase can’t stomach the killing, so he leaves his job as getaway driver-in-training and heads out on his own. The problem is, Chase has a bit of a heart and doesn’t often search out his cold spot, the internal place he needs to go to commit violence without screwing up. Unlike Jonah, who perpetually lives in his own cold spot, Chase is capable of compassion and love. He does fall in love–with Lila, a deputy sheriff with a tough spirit, a deep passion for her man, and a strong commitment to the law according to Lila. What happens after they marry, and why Chase needs Jonah’s help, is the story I didn’t want to put down until I finished.
The Cold Spot is not quite as dark as I expected (due to my knowledge of some of Piccirilli’s earlier books) and it qualifies as a top-notch mystery. Don’t go there if you prefer Miss Marple cozies or gentle plots with no violence, but if you enjoy tough heroes and brutal low-life villains, I highly recommend The Cold Spot.
And the best news of all, Chase is back in the newest Tom Piccirilli release, The Coldest Mile.
And now I’m on to Sandi Ault’s second Jamaica Wild (and her wolf, Mountain) mystery, Wild Inferno. I won’t be reporting on this read right away, but will still leave you with Sandi’s great first sentence: “In his last conscious moment, the burning man spoke three words.”
Here we go!
I like the mixing of personal story with book reviews and other stuff to keep the blog fresh. I love mysteries, but I’m with Enid here. I like the corpse cold when the story begins.
I like Miss Maple type mystery and usually can’t stomach the CSI blood soaked scenes. I guess I better not go near it.
In Quest of Theta Magic
Nice review! Sigh, another book to add to my ever expanding “must read” virtual bookshelf. I really need to try to follow your example and put everything else away and have a read-a-thon weekend. That sounds like such a slice of heaven!
Nancy, from Just a Thought…
Nice set-up with the three main characters. I can see all kinds of interesting entanglements developing as the story progresses.
Jina
The Berlin Sex Diary of Lady Eve Marlowe
I want to know how you, ignore “Twitter, Facebook, and all those e-mails…” Yes, I now have another author to add to my list of must reads, thank you, but the ignoring all that “stuff” is what caught my eye. Grin, must be something wrong with me, huh?
Patricia rolls her eyes and says, “Ya think?”
Best Regards, Galen
http://www.galenkindley.com
Thanks for the review! I’ll have to check it out. I like unusual protagonists.
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Sounds intriguing. ‘Can’t put down’ books cause havoc to my schedule (such as it is)!
Jane Kennedy Sutton
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/
Your review of “The Cold Spot” actually makes me want to read it. Good job!
Karen Walker
http://www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com
Ew! That’s horrible — the burning! That brings such horrid images to my mind (mostly from real-life experience as a reporter) that I wouldn’t even be able to read the rest of the book.
But since you’re reading it, you can tell us all about it! I love this series about books you’re reading.