Simone St. James

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel. In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect--a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion. Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases--a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea's surprise, Beth says yes. They meet regularly at Beth's mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she's not looking, and she could swear she's seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn't right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

The Book of Cold Cases

47% in… for a 350 pages book it feels long and slow 🙃 kill me. But do I want to see the end of the story ? Bloody yes 🥲

Amira BEN

," she said. "In 1977, if you had tits and an ass, you were a piece of meat. And if you got mad about it, everyone thought it was funny.”

Hunty

What if we girlbossified a serial killer?

The Book of Cold Cases was fast paced and I found that I couldn’t put it down but I have a few thoughts: 

- This book tries to tackle how misogyny affects the perception of serial killers but came off like I was supposed to be rooting for female serial killers in a way. It brings up the idea that women aren’t allowed to be cold, we aren’t supposed to be violent, we shouldn’t cuss, we should get married and pop out babies and be quiet and attempts to subvert that but it just fell flat to me.

- I guessed the twist almost immediately and it felt like it was building up to another one but nothing ever happened.

- I would’ve liked a little more resolution on the ghostie front.

Overall still a fun read with a happy ending!

Kenzi Linton

4.5/5 stars

I don’t even know how to describe this book. I liked the mystery of it, the fact that it had me question so many things. I didn’t like the fact that it ended up being a bit paranormal, but that’s just because it’s not a genre I really enjoy. This was a unique book and I truly enjoyed reading it, even when it confused and frustrated me.

I wouldn’t say this was my favorite Simone St James but honestly that is a VERY hard bar to live up to. I enjoyed this one and truly DEVOURED it in a long day of driving. Kept me interested and awake and really did hold my attention. I don’t think this one was as creepy as some of her others so maybe this is a good starter for her other books? 

Kerry Kalinoski

Denaiir

4.5 stars, I don't like paranormal elements in thrillers but this one is done so well that I can overlook that aspect. I was really into it, and Brittany Pressley does an amazing job narrating, as always.

Always hate the cop out of using ghosts in a real-world setting with no explanation of how or why they are present. I felt as if there was absolutely no growth or substance to the characters making it hard to read or care about them. The twist of the half sister doing all of the crimes (if you can call it that) came way too early in the book and had no rationale as to why any of the events occurred. Not sure if it was meant to be a twist that Beth killed her sister, but it felt implied before it was revealed. Definitely not what I was expecting with the title and not in a good way. Not sure if I can give St. James another go after this. 

Paige Paul

marie

історія могла б бути захопливою, якби вона була добре написана. ай гесс на кожні «гострі предмети» випадає декілька посередніх одноразових читань, як ця книга.

Boothby

Pretty fun as a mystery. Shea and Beth's dynamic was fun to read, and there was plenty of investigative work, as promised. The book is more interested in the true crime elements than the haunting, since the ghost encounters were pretty formulaic, but that's fine. There was even a little bit of critique about way murder investigations and trials are turned into spectacles... Well, only a little critique, but fictional true crime is still more ethical than real true crime lol. There were flashback sections that spent too long hammering on the same points. But other than that, I found this paced well enough and satisfying. 

She gets a cat named Winston Purrchill.

Victoria

Now that was just sad. First of all, I figured out what was going on before I even got through 50% of the book. Then, the author alluded so much to this one thing and then we never got an answer in the end. Like why even constantly mention that question when you won’t even give us a proper answer?

It was still enjoyable and it was still fast-paced; it just didn’t live up to mg expectations.

Catherine Duplessis

This story was constructed a bit weird. There were a lot of layers to the mystery, a lot of back and forth between timelines and there was also no big reveal that we often see in thrillers or whodunit stories. We read the case unfolding at the same time as the characters. Like reading a movie. 

It was also my first time reading a thriller with paranormal things in it. I didn’t think I was going to like it, especially because I read every night before bed, but it was okay, it fit in the story well. 

It’s not the best thriller that I read, but I enjoyed it.

Alexa M

"Women don't even get to do that, do we? The really bad things. We get to be the girlfriend. 'Oh, he seemed so nice. He seemed so charming. I never believed he could hurt anyone.' Why don't you ever hear of a woman in a clock tower?"

3.5 i think. 

this was hard to rate because i genuinely really enjoyed this and felt it could have been a solid 4 star read. it was very fast-paced and the mystery went in a direction that i was pleasantly surprised with. also, Beth Greer is a badass. BUTTTTTTTT i just could not get behind the paranormal aspect of this, not even sure why it was necessary? like it was just some random, unexplained  thing  in order to further the plot? just really needless in my opinion and that's why i can't give it any higher rating even though i had a good time reading it.

Shawna Delellis

Pretty predictable but interesting and spooky! I loved the characters

Kristen Claiborn

My online book club contains my favorite book friends. I love those people. I’ve always been a voracious reader, but I rarely have people to share my book joys with, until I met the (mostly) women in this group. We have a wide variety of literary tastes, which means we frequently don’t agree on which books to read every month. Interestingly, the books are not chosen by the collective group, but only one person. Most of the time I’m not as excited about the books she picks. I read most of them, but there are always other potential options I’m looking forward to more than the ones she decides on. March of 2022, however, I was ecstatic. 
	Simone St. James has been writing for a while, but I had not run across any of her work until she published The Sun Down Motel in February of 2020. That book had received a lot of hype, and since it was billed as a ghost story, I decided I needed to give it a go. I absolutely loved it. I’ve been a fan of horror since I was a wee lass, but I rarely come across a gripping ghost story (weird, I know). I’ve read many ghost stories, but I didn’t love most of them. Then I ran across Simone St. James, and this woman can definitely write a gripping ghost story. 
	This book doesn’t necessarily focus on the ghost in the story, the ghost is more like the “elephant in the room.” This book focuses on Shea’s character and her journey towards the truth of this insane murder mystery. Shea starts out generally afraid of everything (to an extent, I can relate), then she is almost murdered by a malicious and vengeful ghost, then, miraculously, she seems to have overcome most of her fears. Obviously, there is far more to this story, but you’re going to have to read it for yourself to find out how Shea gets there. It’s an impressive tale. It fell short of that coveted fifth star only because I wished it had been just a bit more suspenseful…more surprising. The story was revealed slowly throughout the book, so there was no “AH-HA!” moment. I like twisty tales that smack you in the face with thrills; this book is not one of those. It is a genuinely well-done ghost story.

Molly Morgan

** spoiler alert **
           I did not expect this book to go the way it did, and that kept it interesting. I kept waiting for the ghost's mask to be "pulled off", per say.. but turns out it was actually a ghost! For a book that was supposed to be "armchair detective/true crime-eske", I didn't expect it to take an actual paranormal turn. Overall, this book is fuckin' weird, but I did enjoy it! It just wasn't what I was expecting, but maybe that is also a good thing? 

The two MC's, both female, were interesting and dynamic. Beth Greer is fabulous and I want to know more about her! haha

There is also a cheeky little romance plot that is satisfying, I kept waiting for Michael to turn out to be a bad guy, I've been ruined I spose. lol

Interesting.. I did not expect that.

Now I need to pick up Simone St. James previous work.

Courtney

4 star. This is a fun high intensity paranormal horror story. An acquitted serial killer, Beth Greer, decides to tell her story to a true crime blogger in a haunted mansion. Shea, the true crime blogger observes handprints on the windows, cold breezes, opening cabinets, turning on faucets and blood in the sink! 

Things I loved about this story include 
1. the two unreliable narrators: Shea Collins- the true crime blogger who struggles with PTSD from a tragic past that keeps her from living a "normal" life, and Beth Greer, the Lady Killer, a manipulative, cold and calculating woman who lives in the Greer Mansion alone decades after she was brought in for presumable killing two men and decides to finally come clean about the events. 

2. I really enjoyed the dual POVs and how these two woman share damaged childhoods and past trauma. 

3. the way the story hooks you and slowly drops the puzzle pieces you need to figure out the mystery. 


Things I didn't enjoy: 
1. the lack of twists 
2. the slow start and some slow pacing in the middle 

I definitely recommend this novel to lovers of paranormal horror mysteries.

this took a wrong turn for me. it's a fictional true crime book, but with a paranormal element. however I just don't think true crime and paranormal go together. it lost me at that point. the writing felt very meh, the characters felt like caricatures. the overall "crime" and background were fine.

Charlee Boone

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Simone St. James delivers again. Twenty-something blogger Shea is trying to overcome a broken marriage and a traumatic past when she gets the chance to interview Beth, the famous woman acquitted of the Lady Killer murders. 

But once in Beth’s mansion, spooky things happen, and Shea may be in for the fight of her life. 

No one combines the elements atmosphere, thriller, horror, supernatural, and damaged characters like St. James. I loved this.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Allison

3.5
Could have done without the supernatural elements.

Avery Baumel

Oh this was relatively awful but also exactly what I needed. Vermont read #2

Ryan Angel

Decent book, some exciting parts, but way too predictable to be amazing. Similar writing formula to Evelyn Hugo.. still enjoyed it. Just not obsessed.

clara weaks

** spoiler alert **
           Simone St James is an amazing author. I loved Sun Down Motel, and this one was great too. She mixes true crime feel with spooky ghosts in such a believable way and I’m always terrified reading her books. Part of me does wish there could’ve been a big twist or something I didn’t see coming, but I did enjoy it nevertheless!!

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel. In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion. Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes. They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

kendall p

Release date - 3/15/2022. 
This arc was provided to me by Berkley Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the team at Berkley for this book! 
 
Shea Collins is a receptionist by day, and true crime blogger by night. She lives in a small town called Claire Lake, which is home to two major cases. Shea was involved in one, and obsessed with the other. 
We take a deep dive into the infamous case of the Lady Killer. Shea is determined to get to the bottom of it when she sees Beth Greer, the only suspect ever for the case, come into the doctors office. The two set up a time for Beth to be interviewed and things began to go unravel from there. 
I think this book was excellent. I had very high exceptions because of The Sun Down Motel and this book lived up to every one of them. 
We are taken across a dual timeline, flipping between 1977 and 2017. We watch the case as it happens, and we also watch as Shea tries to figure the case out. If you're a true crime lover, this book needs to be on your TBR. The character development is amazing. Not a single character fell flat for me, I found myself loving each one in their own way. Simone St. James has a great way of putting into words the dangers, and fears of being a women in such a hard hitting way. 
We see Shea over comes many fears, and obstacles as she works through her own PTSD from her past. She opens herself up, and becomes such a bad ass. 
Lily was SO creepy. I mean, I had chills reading certain parts and caught myself looking around the room when I heard something creak. 
We do get a tad bit of romance in this book, it isn't a lot but I think Simone put the perfect amount in the story. 
Beth Greer is that character that just makes your heart hurt. You just want to wrap her in a hug, and give her the love she never had. I so wish she could have found peace, she deserved it. 
Simone's writing is very hard hitting. She writes in a way that truly makes you think, and dig for the answers to the riddles. She makes you become fully engulfed in the story as she's writing. She has some very beautiful, hard hitting quotes as well. 
This is a top recommendation for me, and one of my favorite reads of the year!

jenn kause

** spoiler alert **
           Don’t be fooled by my dates since this book was a sucker each time I did sit down to read it.
I still love her original novels (that with some spice) but out of her most recent ones, this one has been the best!

The set up for this one was very intriguing and I think I saw some reviews that stated the ghosts weren’t “as involved” or its “not a ghost story”???? It very much was in the mystery of it all and I think Lily and Beth (along with our main girl Shea) are all such intricate characters. I think Lily is the first character from the author that really felt cold; most of her characters have that similar trauma or issues but Lily was just pure cold and pure evil, and I loved it.

I've only read one other book by St. James, but I enjoy her style. I like the mix of mystery and supernatural elements. I was a little worried about the flow of this book since it's told in alternating timelines, but it worked very well. I loved getting the whole picture of what happened in the past, and seeing how Shea reacted to it in the present. I liked trying to ferret out clues and figure out what happened alongside her. I also found her friendship and interactions with Beth interesting because they felt similar at times. They both lived through very traumatic experiences, and it bonded them in some way. As for the mystery aspect, there were certain things I was able to guess surrounding Lily, but there were even more twists that threw me for a loop. Overall, it was a slow build-up, but the payoff was worth it.

The Book of Cold Cases

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