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Cold Hearted
In this prequel novella to New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub’s psychological suspense novel THE PERFECT STRANGER, readers are introduced to the enigmatic Johanna Hart. Abandoned by her teenaged birth mother and raised by callous grandparents, Johanna is determined to escape her bleak Midwest existence at any cost. But that blind ambition comes back to haunt her years later, after she’s reinvented herself as glamorous golden girl Jenna Coeur. Now her secret past has caught up with her, embodied in a calculating young woman who will stop at nothing to destroy her—a woman with a strangely familiar face...
- GenresFiction
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2014
16 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Corsi Staub
82 books1,901 followersNew York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than ninety novels, best known for the single title psychological suspense novels she writes under her own name. Those books and the women’s fiction written under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookscan bestseller lists.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 14, 2014
I love all my wife's books! This is a prequel novella to Wendy's upcoming summer release, THE PERFECT STRANGER.
The Perfect Stranger
The Perfect Stranger
December 30, 2015
COLDHEARTED is a novella .. the prequel to THE PERFECT STRANGER.
This book tells the story of Johanna Hart who overcame a lot of obstacles to become Jenna Couer, Hollywood actress. Her mother abandoned her and the grandparents that raised her were abusive, both physically and mentally. When they die she finds herself in the same spot as her own mother ... she's pregnant. She does not want this baby but she's too far along to abort, so adoption is the answer.
This book also tells the story of the daughter she gave up for adoption... and the lengths she will go to in order to connect with her mother.
There are surprises and twists and turns throughout both of their lives ... like mother, like daughter?
There is no cliff hanger .. this is a complete story. Storyline is somewhat predictable .. but still engaging. The characters are well-drawn. And the ending will have you raising your eyebrows. This is a quick, easy read that keeps you riveted until the very end.
This book tells the story of Johanna Hart who overcame a lot of obstacles to become Jenna Couer, Hollywood actress. Her mother abandoned her and the grandparents that raised her were abusive, both physically and mentally. When they die she finds herself in the same spot as her own mother ... she's pregnant. She does not want this baby but she's too far along to abort, so adoption is the answer.
This book also tells the story of the daughter she gave up for adoption... and the lengths she will go to in order to connect with her mother.
There are surprises and twists and turns throughout both of their lives ... like mother, like daughter?
There is no cliff hanger .. this is a complete story. Storyline is somewhat predictable .. but still engaging. The characters are well-drawn. And the ending will have you raising your eyebrows. This is a quick, easy read that keeps you riveted until the very end.
September 20, 2014
Five Starr Outstanding
This is one of Wendy's best. I didn't want to stop reading, it kept me guessing even though I had it figured out what was going to happen. It was too short didn't want the story to end. I really like Wendy Staunton,she is one of my favorite Author's.
kozettekaysmith
This is one of Wendy's best. I didn't want to stop reading, it kept me guessing even though I had it figured out what was going to happen. It was too short didn't want the story to end. I really like Wendy Staunton,she is one of my favorite Author's.
kozettekaysmith
June 17, 2015
It's the mark of a great writer when they can create such complex characters even in a short novella. Cold-Hearted is the prequel novella to The Perfect Stranger by Wendy Corsi Staub. It's short but it is suspenseful, well-written and has a surprising ending. It will definitely make you want to read the next book. Highly recommended.
July 30, 2014
Liked it but could not figure out how it is a set-up for the full book. I guess I will have to read it to find out.
January 12, 2015
Great book! Can't wait to read "The Perfect Stranger" now! As usual, I didn't want to put this book down. Wendy never disappoints her readers!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews