Cold Case

Cold Harbor #4

by Susan Sleeman

When the one thing strikes that she never saw coming…

Former FBI cyber security agent Eryn Calloway has successfully cracked countless complex cyber investigations. Her expertise is highly valued working as Blackwell Tactical's cyber expert. But when her computer is locked with ransomware, she suddenly finds herself facing the biggest challenge of all. She's brilliant when it comes to saving others, but this perpetrator proves he can outsmart her and threatens to kill her. The stakes are too high, and she can't take him down alone.

Can she let the one man who can protect her get close enough to do so?

Former Green Beret, Deputy Trey Sawyer wants to serve as her bodyguard while tracking down the criminal. Trey has been in love with Eryn for a year, but she's kept every man at arm's length since she lost her husband several years ago. Eryn has proved she is fully competent to take care of herself, but now her four-year-old daughter is in danger as well. When Trey and Eryn are thrown together in a race for her life, Trey needs to convince her to overcome her past and truly rely on him or she won't make it out alive.

Genres: Romance, Christian Fiction, Suspense, Christian Romance, Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2018

About the author

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over sixty romantic suspense and mystery novels with more than two million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.

In addition to writing, Susan also hosts The Suspense Zone. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, two special sons-in-law, and four amazing grandsons

Reviews

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Don't make a sound. I have no qualms about dropping you right here."

And so begins another of Susan Sleeman's edge of your seat suspense books. Seriously, this author knows her business and writing suspense is something at which she totally excels.

Former FBI cyber security expert, Eryn Calloway, is now working for Blackwell Tactical and is teaching a security seminar at a resort venue when very dangerous malware shows up on her computer. She is warned not to continue the classes or she will find herself dead. Eryn is not one to run from danger. So former Green Beret and deputy Trey Sawyer agrees to be her bodyguard. Trey has secretly been in love with Eryn for quite some time, but she is constantly pushing him away. Widowed, with a small daughter, Eryn is convinced that if she never loves again, she will never experience heartbreak again.

Sleeman ratchets up the suspense chapter by chapter until the breathless ending of her stories. I always look forward to her books because I know I will be held enthralled for the time it takes me to finish one of her good books. I'm never disappointed. I love this series and I believe there will be two more books!! Highly recommended.

*My thanks to the author for a copy of this book. The opinion stated here is entirely my own.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things Susan Sleeman excels at in her suspense novels is team building. The way she showcases the camaraderie and friendship of these unique heroes and heroines while highlighting a particular team member in each book is sheer brilliance. I get giddy over the banter which also serves as some welcome comic relief from the intense moments.

Because the other thing this author does well is the heart-in-throat, nail-biting suspense. The action scenes are choreographed to perfection and the hair-raising danger brings an edgy thrill to each read. And there's a nice balance of police procedural and techniques that I find so intriguing.

And then there's the romance. Oh la la, but this one is fabulous! We have a bit of unrequited love going on here. Deputy Trey Sawyer has taken multiple law enforcement courses with the Blackwell team in order to enhance his skills. Well, that's what he says, but really, he takes every course he can fit into his schedule in order to meet up with Eryn. She's interested/not interested, by the way. Translation: attracted, yes, going to do anything about it, no.

Until she gets a serious cyber threat and Trey appoints himself bodyguard. :-) Working in close proximity adds all kinds of romantical tension and leads to some swoonworthy moments. Happy, contented sigh. I'm still in full swoon mode.

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Whitney Dykhouse and loved every intense second.

Oh -- and I should mention that, while this is the fourth book in the Cold Harbor series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel. Though I predict that once you've read one, you'll want to read them all!

[Suzie Waltner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four books into Susan Sleeman’s Cold Harbor series, readers have gotten a pretty good grasp on the roles of each of the team members. In the previous books, three of the men have gotten to showcase their talents and find love. Now, it’s the lone woman’s turn.
Eryn Calloway has always interested me. She’s intelligent (ex-FBI computer analyst) and speaks what seems to be another language to the guys sometimes but she’s also got a softer side when she spends time with her four-year-old daughter.
Now someone is targeting Eryn, demanding she cancel the classes she’s teaching at a police convention. With only half the team there but also committed to classes, deputy Trey Sawyer steps in to protect Eryn and her family despite her protests.
There are so many things I liked about Trey. He’s not shy about expressing his interest in Eryn and even though he doesn’t always understand what Eryn does, he appreciates and admires her work. But most of all, how can you not love a big, strong, former Green Beret who is willing to watch cartoons and eat chicken nuggets with a little girl?
In her usual high-octane style, Sleeman kept me guessing as to who was behind the crimes with plenty of possible suspects with motive, twists and turns throughout, intense chemistry and action, and an ending that left my heart racing for a few chapters.
There is also a new team member introduced in this book who I am looking forward to learning more about in the upcoming books.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

COLD CASE starts out with a great first line "Cancel your classes or your computer isn't the only thing that will be DOA." That is an attention-getter for sure.



COLD CASE is book 4 in Ms. Sleeman's Cold Harbor Series but it easily stands alone. I do have books 1, 2, and 3 but haven't read them yet. I am looking forward to going back and getting some of the previous stories though.



Eryn is super intelligent and quite frankly I was very lost at most of the words that came out of her mouth. Highly technical in cyber lingo, I didn't understand a word of. To Ms. Sleeman's credit, she had Trey not understand them either, so the reader was given translations of the computer-eze but it did slow down the reading and make the story somewhat drag at times as this reader got lost in unfamiliar language.



Trey was a sweetie. He did wear his heart on his sleeve, and didn't bother to even attempt to hide his attraction to the beautiful Eryn. He is a Green Beret, he is a deputy, but he's benched due to a serious hip injury. He's willing to watch cartoons with Eyrn's young daughter and eat chicken nuggets, so what's not to love?



Once I did manage to wade through the mumble-jumble of the first several chapters the suspense and the story did pick up. And I did force myself to keep reading during those several first technical chapters because this is a Susan Sleeman book and she writes top-notch, bone-chilling, heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat, romantic suspense.



I was given a copy of this book free. All opinions are my own.

[Glenda Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review today is on the thriller, Cold Case. This is the fourth book of the Cold Harbor Series. This book was sent to me as a gift and I can't thank Susan enough. I love her work. This book is well written, action packed, and full of intrigue. It is full of twists and turns. Then on top of that is filled with faith. You just have to love her work.

Computer Specialist Eryn Calloway is to teach a couple of high tech classes to the annual Policing in the Modern World Conference. She is a representative of the Blackwell Tactical Team. She is seated in the lobby full of law enforcement officers when she receives a threat on her life if doesn't cancel her classes. Who hacked into her computer and why? She is determined to get to the bottom of this. A deputy comes up to ask her what is wrong. When she doesn't answer him, he turns the laptop around. She tries to explain this is not a big deal. She can handle it but she knows he's going to go ballistic. She doesn't need a man to save her and she isn't interested in a romance.

Deputy Trey Sawyer has worked with the Blackwell team many times and has developed a deep love for the computer tech. She takes his breath away. He has made no attempt to hide his feeling for her. Now as he watchs the blood drain from her face he is determined to keep her safe. Whether she likes it or not. He understood she might not be ready for a relationship after her husband's death but he will protect her and her young daughter.

This is a great journey of struggling to find answers and keep ahead of the forces trying to destroy them. Can Eryn ever open her heart again to love? Can she risk such pain again? Can Trey show her how to love again? Can they both learn to trust God? God has a plan for these two, a plan for a hope and a future. God has a plan for you too, a good plan and not for evil. You might not have someone trying to kill you but you do have an enemy that is trying to steal, kill, and destroy you. Don't underestimate the devil. Give God your heart and watch Him turn your life around. He is a good God! Every good gift comes from the Father.

[Valri Western · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been anxious, as I've read this series, to see what makes the only female on the Blackwell Tactical team tick. I wanted to know Eryn's backstory and see how she got on the team to begin with. It was interesting to find out why she was a single mother and how she got into cyber security. In this book, she is the one being threatened so it's personal. That's a first for this series....they usually are working on a case! This is hard for Eryn because she doesn't like being "coddled" or taken care of by others. She feels she can take care of herself. However, the person threatening her is so elusive and since she's a single mother, she has to think of her daughter too. Enter, Trey Sawyer, a former Green Beret. He's injured so he's off duty but he's been in love with Eryn for a long time and happens to be with her when she receives the threat. He decides he's going to be her bodyguard! Two stubborn people together makes for delightful reading! I really liked Trey and the way he treated Eryn's daughter was so cute! He was really trying to win over Eryn and show her she could trust him for a life partner too! I loved the danger of the situation AND the personal relationship going on. Both things made it a great book to read! I would definitely recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author but was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions of this review are completely my own.

[Cheri Swalwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Cold Harbor series and I loved it as much as the first three. I love that this group of people are family. While the women in the group are a tad mothering, it’s all done in a good way and not to intrude but to help the individuals see what’s in front of them so that happiness doesn’t get away. Don’t we all need a little “mothering” from time to time in order to not miss the blessings staring us in our face when fear continues to blind us?

I loved having a book dedicated to Eryn, the only girl on the tactical team. I would love to be described the way Eryn was created – tough yet tender, fierce yet feminine, strong but learning how to fully surrender to her Father. I loved the humor scattered throughout as well.

As always, the suspense in the book kept me guessing with twists and turns that made sense but I didn’t see coming. The author does a great job keeping all her books fresh with excitement and different twists than the others. Just like with life, no two adventures are the same and I get that same type of fresh action every time I pick up one of these author’s books.

I was given a complimentary copy by the author but was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions given in this review are mine.

[Winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Sleeman is one of my go-to authors for romantic suspense. I can always count on a well-researched book with realistic, engaging characters. In Cold Case, she takes us back to Cold Harbor for book number 4 in the Cold Harbor series about the Blackwell Tactical team. This book can be read alone, but the previous books give some of the background of the other members of the team who play a big part in this book.

Eryn, Blackwell’s cyber expert, and Trey, a former Green Beret, are the main characters in Cold Case, and they are both endearing and easy to relate to. I enjoyed learning more about cyber security, even though a lot of it was way over my tech-challenged head. That’s really the only drawback I had with this book—the terminology and concepts of some of the things Eryn was doing were a little too technical for me to understand. Otherwise, this story was a great blend of suspense, intrigue, romance, with a bit of faith woven in.

I’m always impressed with Sleeman’s research and attention to details. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I would recommend this to those who enjoy well-written romantic suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Deana Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Eryn to have her own story and it is finally here. She is my favorite character in this series. Eryn is very computer savvy and her intelligence is over the top. I don't think there is anything she can't do on a computer. Companies would be standing in line to hire her. To me she is the glue that holds Blackwell Tactical together.

The plot is perfect for Eryn as her computer is locked with ransomware. I never heard of this term, but with the excellent research by the author I know about how hackers do their dirty work. Eryn tries to play off that the threat against her isn't a big deal, but her team isn't taking any chances.

Trey has been assigned to protect her since she is determined to teach her classes at a conference. Trey is a good guy but his feelings for Eryn could get in the way and distract him from his job to keep Eryn safe. The tension between the two is heavy and I'm not sure Eryn will let Trey into her life.

I loved how the author used the character's faith to pray protection over each other. It's a race to the end to save Eryn as the person behind the cyber attacks inches closer. Get ready for an edge of your seat ending.

I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion.

[Yvonne Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Sleeman takes us back to Cold Harbor, the home of Blackwell Tactical Investigations and where widowed cyber security expert, Eryn Calloway lives with her child, Bekha. Eryn is the only female at Blackwell’s and the guys treat her as family and one of their own.
Trey Sawyer, a deputy and former Green Beret, has known Eryn for a while, and has feelings for her. Now injured after helping save one of Blackwell’s significant other, he is at a desk job and questioning his future as a deputy. When Eryn needs a bodyguard for her and her daughter, he jumps at the opportunity not only to keep them safe but to get to know them both better.
While the suspense keeps you guessing and keep you engaged in the storyline, it’s the personal stories that always attract me to Ms Sleeman’s books. In this case, Eryn has kept her heart under lock and key for fear of falling in love and losing that person. She feels she can’t go through that experience again. Trey is patient and reminds her to have faith in God and his work. As danger gets closer , so do Eryn’s feelings for Trey grow.
Another great story in this series.
I voluntarily read this ARC copy. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eryn is, at the moment, the only female member of Blackwell Tactical. Blackwell Tactical is a security firm filled with specialists who still have much to give but can't perform in their original jobs due to injury. Eryn is a former cyber specialist with the FBI and a widow with a four year old daughter. She is to give a couple of presentations at a conference when her computer is locked with ransomware. The "kidnapper" wants her to cancel her classes. She is shaken but refuses. Her other teammates who are also at the conference with her are tied up giving their own presentations so Trey, a deputy from home who is also at the conference, offers to be Eryn's bodyguard. Trey is very interested in Eryn but Eryn has shied away as she isn't sure she wants to open her heart to another man after the death of her husband. As she and Trey battle to solve the mystery of who wishes to harm her, they grow closer and Eryn learns to overcome her fears. Trey also has some things that he must work through as the book comes to a close. The mystery had me guessing to close to the end. Very suspenseful. Can't wait for Book 5.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
"Cancel your classes or your computer isn't the only thing that will be DOA."

Well if that didn't get her attention, nothing could. Blackwell Tactical cyber security expert Eryn Calloway is stunned by the message that fills her computer screen. Deputy Trey Sawyer has a different take; besides being somewhat openly "smitten" with the lovely agent, Trey readily volunteers to step up as her impromptu bodyguard while she begins working to unmask the hacker, and proceeding to teach her computer classes at the annual Policing in the Modern World Conference. Neither kind of attention will be readily received by the very independent and emotionally guarded Eryn Calloway, but Trey is determined to keep her safe.

Quite an interesting story. The plot proceeds along, carefully and cautiously taking numerous twists, turns and dead ends. Don't be fooled there's a real ending . . . . that is quite the ending. And of course, there is just enough room to slide in that happily-ever-after that is just begging to be written.

" . . . she offered a prayer of thanks to God . . . . . for making her see that forever with the right guy was always worth the risk of loss. Always."

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read Eryn's story--the only female on the Blackwell Technical Team. This was another thrilling and unpredictable story from Susan Sleeman! Eryn is a super intelligent girl who is also tough enough to handle her own with the guys on her team. But when she gets targeted by a cyber attack (her area of expertise), a killer threatens her life, and all kinds of strange things happen around her, she has to admit she can't handle everything alone. Trey is ready and willing to protect her, since he's been in love with Eryn for a year now. But Eryn is fiercely independent, and it's hard for her to accept his help. The story twists and turns, and they desperately try to figure out who is behind all the threats and events before it's too late...running into dead ends and being hit with increasingly confusing situations. It was a real roller coaster ride! I loved every moment of it!

[Rachel DeVaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! This story line and characters were really good! I have read book 3 and now book 4 of the Cold Harbor series and really like the dynamics of the Blackwell Tactical team. They can be read as stand alone books or read in order to get more character development.

This fast pace, riveting, Christian suspense book will keep you on the edge of your seat from chapter 1 until the very end. I can't wait to read book 5 coming out in August.

I like that the characters work well together as a team to serve and protect their family and the people around them. I highly recommend this series and books by this author!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Sleeman picks up steam and rolls forward with another powerful story in the Cold Harbor series. Former FBI agent and widowed single mother, Erin, finds herself the target of an elaborate ransomware, that doesn't want money but her life! Trey, who you meet in book one, has been wanting Erin to notice him for several months; but now an injury makes him uncertain of his career, ability to take care of Erin and her family, and his future. Trey and the Blackwell Tactical teams does there best to protect Erin and her daughter, but the enemy has been planning revenge for a long time and has no intention of stopping until Erin is dead! Yes, I stayed up late to find out what happens at the end! Good story, great characters. Can I adopt Bekah? What a sweetie!

[Mary Hake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can the tech genius stop the hacker who’s intent on killing her? Former FBI cyber security agent Eryn Calloway may have met her match, but she’s not sure who is targeting her. This exciting story draws her team at Blackwell Tactical into action, as well as Deputy Trey Sawyer, who insists on serving as her bodyguard. A widowed single mom, she doesn’t plan to get involved reading the series as the books release and enjoy seeing former characters continue in their roles. I also like that the books are set in my home state of Oregon. Susan Sleeman always does a good job at suspense and keeping readers guessing. I received a copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Ellen White]

The suspense has build with each book in this series, as she has drawn us in, meeting the members of this special group of people. We seen them courages fighting as a team, and their weakness, which drew them into this team, for a job. In each we see the love, in this it is with Eryn, a husband who dies, and she doesn’t want to go thru that again. A hacker, that is haunting her, brings Trey to be by herself at all times. The barriers she has around her are crumbling, he loves her daughter, enjoys her unusual mother, she is fighting for how long. In the mean time there is a hacker, even with her expertise he is just ahead of her. Great story, readers will love this fourth in the series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Things are interesting because Eryn and Trey know they are attracted to each other from previous books. Trey wants more but Eryn has hang ups. Not about Trey but about getting involved with any guy again.

Trey’s persistence was sweet. He’s not oppressive or possessive but he won’t give up. His interactions with Bekah are heart-melting. I love little kids in books. Trey is one of my favorite characters in this series!

All the techy talk was over my head but it was fun to see Eryn in her element. The various threads kept me guessing and one almost seems out of place, like what was the point, unless it’s just to keep the team guessing.

We get a cameo of Piper Nash, who shows up in a later series, and Samantha has joined the team. It’s also cool to see where our characters from previous books are in their various stages of relationships.

[Pianosue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying reading this series. Each book is about a member of Blackwell Tactical Team. This book covers Former FBI cyber security agent Eryn Calloway. Her computer has become infected with ransomware with a warning. Will she figure out how this happened and why? Deputy Trey Sawyer volunteers to provide her with protection while she tries to figure out who is threatening her. Will Trey be able to protect her and her daughter Bekah? Will Eryn be able to figure out who is trying to get to her and why before it is too late?

[Stella Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number 4 book in the Cold Harbor Series. This one features Eryn Calloway the Cyber Security Agent. Someone is out to get her and Deputy Trey Sawyer vows to protect her no matter what. I thought the book was a little slow on suspense until almost the end but ended up being a good book after all. The romance developing between the two main characters seems to be going nowhere due to Eryn’s fear of loss because of the death of her first husband. I did like the book and I recommend this whole series.

[Carol Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked seeing how Eryn had to put aside her lack of trust and put her trust in Trey to help her solve one of her biggest cases yet. It was interesting to see how she realized that she could not do everything on her own, especially take care of herself and her daughter and finally let Trey help. It was a very suspenseful book as you try to figure out what will happen next and how it will all turn out.
I received a copy of the book from the author the review is my own.

[Saraya K Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

All I can say is that Mrs.Sleeman stories have everything that you can and could want in a book. I don’t know why the TV network hadn’t turned one of her books into a movie. I love the depth of characters that she has in all of her books. If you are looking for a series to read this is the one.

[Jan L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patience

Though I'm not a tech person I still enjoyed the story of Eryn and Trey. An exciting case split into several directions and Trey's whole being was focused on protecting Eryn from...who? Eryn would have to work her computer magic to put Trey and the Blackwell team on point. Romance and suspense couldn't be better!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters and suspense!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting, loyal, and warm. The story is full of suspense. I love it! I found the information about computers interesting without being overwhelming. The romance was lovely. This is a very entertaining book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story. I am really enjoying the series. A bit disappointed though that many questions weren’t answered this time. As always, it’s impossible to guess the murderer as we aren’t given enough information until the end, so it keeps the reader guessing and finding out clues and evidence at the same pace as the professionals. Really fun to read.

[Bertha Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read

So many obstacles to overcome. Reluctance to love again and someone trying to do you harm keep Eryn occupied during this exciting story. Love all regular characters.

[Brenda C. McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!!!!

These books get better and better. I can hardly put them down. I sit up later at night than I should because I have a hard time finishing a book. These are really page-turning books and I love it when the good guys win!!!!!

[Billie Rayborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

Eryn has always been my favorite character because I'm a techie also. When she receives a threat at a conference and then a woman dies, Blackwell calls in Trey to protect her. The twists and turns in the plot make this an amazing book!

[sharon reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dialog in Sudan's book often run similar to a good TV crime show. I like that she includes information and details related to a character's skill set. She seems to do pretty good research on topics and includes the details, in the case of the book, cyber security..

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic Inspirational Thriller

This was one the best romantic inspirational thrillers filled with plenty of suspense,twists,turns, mixed with romance and inspiration.
I loved the storyline and all the characters.
I highly recommend this book.