Investigator Brenna Jensen thought her peaceful life in Riverton, North Dakota, unshakable—until a serial killer turned her quiet town into a horror story. Relentless and fearless, she refuses to back down, even as the killer taunts her with every move. When FBI agent Nick Tarver arrives to help find the serial killer, his commanding presence only complicates matters. Brenna is determined to keep her distance, but Nick’s intense dedication—and undeniable allure—prove impossible to ignore.
As the snow begins to thaw, the river rises and so too does the body count. The stakes grow chillingly personal when Brenna realizes the killer’s hit list includes her name. With time running out, she must rely on Nick’s expertise—and the growing connection between them—to outwit a killer in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Previously published as Dakota Meltdown, this edition has been completely revised, expanded, and enhanced with even more heart-pounding romance and gripping twists. If you loved it before, you’ll love it even more now—if you’re new to the story, get ready for an unforgettable ride!
Award-winning author Elle James grew up as an air force military brat. She received her work ethic from her rock-solid father, her creative streak from her artistic mother and inspiration from her writing partner and sister, Delilah Devlin. As a former member of the army reserves and a current member of the air force reserves, she's traveled across the United States and to Germany, managed a full-time job, and raised three wonderful children. She and her husband have even tried their hands at ranching exotic birds (ostriches, emus and rheas) in the Texas hill country. Ask her, and she'll tell you what it's like to go toe-to-toe with an angry three-hundred-and-fifty-pound bird and live to tell about it!
Her adventures in the army and air force reserves, and the wild antics of her life on a small ranch in Texas give her fodder for mystery, suspense and humor in her writing. Elle writes gothic, paranormal mystery for the Harlequin Intrigue line and paranormal romantic comedy for Dorchester Publishing. A former manager of computer programming and project management professionals, Elle is happy she now has the opportunity to pursue her writing full time.
This crime investigative story leaves you hooked and wanting more right from the beginning. A FBI, Criminal Investigation and local Police Team is working together to solve this case. Past happenings and current feelings collide, wrapping this story in an puzzle solving book. This enticing new series has you begging for more. Thankfully Elle gives us a snippet of the next book after the amazing epilogue.
The story itself was enjoyable - although I felt the two cops fell for each other too soon, more insta than usual - but I felt it was rushed, I already had my suspicious about the killer from the beginning... I was hoping for more development.
"It's gonna get a lot worse before it gets better"
An awesome introduction to the Killer series, Brenna arrives back in her home town ready to fight for the missing women. She is determined to investigate, to search and to bring the killer to justice.....but it is difficult when it's people you know and you are surrounded by people you grew up with. Nick doesn't want Brenna on the case, she's too close to it, she's too focused and blinkered, unaware of the danger she is in and she's far too distracting.....he cannot concentrate. They are both defensive and wary of relationships, which makes their first few days explosive. But it is also packed with sexual tension, sparking chemistry and mountains of denial, which only adds to the heartbreaking case they are working. I did guess who the perp was, the first time Brenna comes face to face with him after getting back into town...I knew. He leaves a very twisted trail for them, fooling many, as he has for years. He thinks he is smarter than them....but he gets too cocky! It does however keep you guessing about just how far he will get before they catch him, how many of his victims will he claim before he is stopped and will he claim his ultimate prize ...Brenna? I look forward to the rest of the series.
Although I did figure out the killer early on, the actual solving of the crimes was a bit of a roller coaster with some red herrings, twists and turns and hair raising excitement. Considering the baggage the two main characters were carrying, the romance was intense. A good, gripping read, well worth the read. Receives my recommendation.
Ykw, this story is good for someone who’s a very very newbie to reading. 2021 myself would’ve loved this even though I would’ve hated the plot twist. I mean I’ve never been that dumb to not guess who the actual killer is, but yeah it’s good for someone who’s new to reading.
isn’t Agent Jensen the best agent they have or whatever?? And yet she chose to ignore the signs?? Like it was sooooo obvious who the killer was. I’ve heard it a million times that no matter who, everyone is a suspect, until proven innocent, no matter if it’s a family member, a friend or an unknown person. So why did Jensen bring her personal life and stuff into the case and chose to ignore vital information while investigating 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️ Like so what if you go and read info about your sister and her husband ?? It’s not a big deal. She could’ve caught the killer earlier and maybe some lives would’ve been saved. Even when the clues hit her in the head, she ignored them. which is why I don’t like her.
Nick was just there. A guy with a bad ex. Another ‘good’ fbi agent. No personality, nothing interesting about him. They’re all idiots. It was so funny when they were guarding the front door only while they waited for the that Diner girl to come out, they were “protecting” her but these idiots forgot to put someone at the back door 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️😂
Nick & Brenna had zero chemistry, their lust wasn’t even insta - it was sudden. It didn’t even exist before but then bam they were fucking. They ‘fell’ for each other in like 3 business days.
Wow Elle James you have absolutely outdone yourself with this phenomenal read!!! I wasn’t sure what to expect after living in Elle James’ Brotherhood Protector worlds for so long, but I knew being Elle James it would be a brilliant read. What I wasn’t expecting was to be blown away and pulled in simultaneously before I got to the end of the first page!!!
This story was full of mystery and action, I tried my hardest to try to figure out who the evil was but alas I could not. Elle wrote it with just enough hints to keep you enthralled but without giving the game away.
The chemistry between Brenna and Nick was off the charts, their connection instant and so addictive to watch their path play out.
Nick and Brenna are both living with the consequences of what happened in their pasts, building a wall around themselves because of the pain and deceit impacted on them. What was beautiful to see was that on a subconscious level they each recognised their soulmate, knew that their lives were going to change forever if they were just brave enough to grab hold of what they each didn’t know they craved.
I loved how informative this story was without losing its momentum. The detail added so much more to the story that was already pretty perfect.
The depth and emotion swirl around you, hold you tight and takes you on a wild and beautiful rollercoaster ride that you won’t forget anytime soon.
Definitely can’t recommend highly enough. So many stars it’s impossible to count!!!
Following her father’s footsteps as a law enforcement officer, Brenna Jensen is a Special Agent for the North Dakota Bureau of Investigations. She has come back to her home to investigate a possible serial killer in her hometown. Women have gone missing and as bodies show up, so does the danger for other women. Sent to take over the investigation is FBI Special Agent Nick Tarver. Though they clash from the moment they meet, there is also an underlying attraction between them. One that Brenna doesn’t want to pursue. Especially on a personal level since she feels she’s too broken for any man. As the investigation continues and the danger intensifies, can they figure out who the killer is before he kills again? This was an edge of your seat book from beginning to end. The plot was engaging and the main characters well developed and likable. I have read and loved this author’s Brotherhood Protectors and just knew I was in for a treat with this new series. Boy, was I right. Looking forward to the next story in the series. I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Superbly written a good crime novel that put you right in the thick of it
Forget about being the fly on the wall You're right there with them! You get to see all the angles! You're in on the thought processes. The emotions are written fantastically you feel everything they feel and then some. You get insight to people as they are introduced, and I guess my insight was pretty good because the first time I met Alice's husband I didn't like him! And I just had this gut feeling that he was more involved than what they were trying to say. But he was not a mousey man! He just struck me as someone I wouldn't want to cross in a dark alley much less than broad daylight.
You got to see how Brenna and Nick developed into a classic love story, and then at the end, wow! You're sitting on the edge of your seat! The action is almost too intense! And you can't continue reading without stopping and letting your heart rate flow back down!
It was pretty much touch and go and not knowing whether or not Nick was going to make it there in time! And the twist at the very end? Oh it's a heart stopper! You'll have to read it to find out.
5 stars I received a free copy of the romantic suspense Chilled: A Killer Series by Elle James and this review was given freely. I would read the sequel. Scarred mentally and physically by a childhood fire and her dementia-suffering mother’s frequent put-downs, the independent Special Agent Brenna Jensen of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations returns to her quiet hometown to stop a psychotic killer with ties to her past and prominent local women. What begins as a territorial play to run the investigation soon leaves Brenna with an unexpected protector, the recently divorced FBI agent Nick Tarver, and unfortunately fighting for her life. Easy to read with a good amount of tension and foreshadowing, there is the same amount of violence I am accustomed to in Elle James novels. I am not a lover of horror and graphic detective books or movies. While this story had that creepy, uneasy, and chilling quality, there were only a few small scenes and remarks depicting the violence.
Chilled is a great beginning ( it's Bk1 of 3) of a new series involving a serial killer and the strong willed investigator and tough FBI agent looking for him/her in the small town of North Dakota. I believe this story was previously published- but it has been expanded and polished to become the awesome twisted tale it is now. This book by Elle James is a little different from her other series -The Brotherhood Protectors. That series seems a bit more lighthearted and fast paced-and involves a "team" of heroes, whereas Chilled is more of a true murder mystery involving two individuals who need to work together to solve whodunnit. Then throw in some romantic feelings, an escalating body count, and a threat to the heroine.... I will say one minor spoiler that bugged me. The heroine had a TSTL moment which put her in danger-totally predictable and obvious to everyone in that situation-You know the one, where someone thinks "aww, shucks, nothing will happen to me in the half hour I go out..". I enjoyed the book otherwise and would definitely recommend.
Special Agent Brenna Jensen of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, made her way to her home town in a terrible snow storm. The wind and road conditions exhausted her, but was still ready to go once she made it. There is a serial killer loose in the town that housed everyone she loved.
FBI Special Agent Nick Tarver was also on the case and they were like fire and water… they didn’t mix well, but produced steam when they did.
Brenna has issues with self confidence after being scarred horribly in a childhood accident and was also the victim of stupid comments from stupid people.
As Brenna and Nick work closely together they determine that Brenna is probably on the serial killer’s to do list. Nick is determined to keep her safe, insisting on adjoining rooms. They’re professionals, no sweat…
This is a mostly believable story with just the right amount of spice. The trail of the serial killer never goes cold and neither do the lead agents on the case. Five star romantic suspense.
Really enjoyed this story full of suspense and mystery. Brenna is called in to work with the FBI in her hometown on a case that involves her. She has gotten a letter from the killer, and she knows the woman who was kidnapped. Nick is in charge of the team, and he doesn't want Brenna involved in the investigation, but she won't be left behind. Nick will stick with her to keep her safe if she won't leave town. As more women disappear, and the first woman's body is found, Nick knows he has to step up their efforts. As they are looking for the killer, Brenna and Nick draw closer. He lives in Virginia, and she is in North Dakota, so she knows there can be no relationship. She is also damaged goods, according to her mom, so why would someone like Nick be interested in her? Can they find the killer before anyone else disappears or Brenna is taken by the killer?
"Chilled" by Elle James is an exhilarating romantic thriller that captures the reader's attention from the very first page. Set against a chilling backdrop, this novel is a perfect blend of romance and suspense, making it an absolute page-turner. The chemistry between the protagonists is electric and well-developed, drawing the reader into their captivating story.
Elle James masterfully crafts a suspenseful plot filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Her ability to weave romance seamlessly into a thrilling narrative is commendable, creating a rich and immersive reading experience.
The characters are well-rounded and relatable, with depth and complexity that enhance the story's emotional impact. The author's descriptive writing style paints vivid pictures of the setting, pulling readers further into the gripping world she has created.
Overall, "Chilled" is a must-read for fans of romantic thrillers. Elle James delivers a thrilling, passionate, and unforgettable story that will leave you eagerly anticipating her next work. Highly recommended! Five stars!
When Brenna returns home after a killer contacts her directly, she joins forces with Nick and his FBI team. Nick does not want her on the team, but she is determined to follow through and when the killer contacts her again at the station, Nick decides to stick to her like glue as she may be the next victim. Bodies start piling up, more women disappear, a major flood threatens the town and Nick & Brenna find more clues but will it be enough before he strikes again. A good read with suspense, surprise, twists and turns and good characters. I didn’t feel the attraction between Nick & Brenna at first, lots of push and pull between them but Nick didn’t give up, which I liked. The story flowed with a surprise on who it was that ties it all together. *I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*
Getting through this book was painful. The amount of times I rolled my eyes and physically cringed was too much.
They fall in “love” within like, 3 days? As grown adults? Huh? Also, these are established federal agents for the FBI and the NDBI, so we assume they are in maybe their earlier 30s, right? Well you wouldn’t guess it with how they communicate. The FMC is so wishy washy and cried about how “ugly” she is any time she has any type of romantic encounter with the MMC. It felt like I was reading a transcript of middle schoolers on a date.
Also, the “mystery” of finding our serial killer was so obvious. Like from the very beginning we know it’s the brother in law. The fact that this special agent who is supposed to be the best of the best couldn’t figure anything out was ridiculous.
I’m sorry but this was bad lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This story is crazy good! It’s the beginning of a new series and one you won’t want to miss. I can’t wait for the second book.
Special agent Brenna Jensen returns home to North Dakota to join a task force to track a serial killer. Only one thing could stand in her way… FBI agent Nick Tarver. He’s the team leader and he’s arrogant and so incredibly sexy and a distraction she doesn’t need. She soon realizes he’s pretty hard to resist. They team up to form a special task force to track a serial killer who’s targeting women in town and has his sights set on Brenna. It’s a hair raising suspenseful, mystery filled with danger, love and a mystery to solve. "Thank you for writing this story.”
This book keeps you on edge right to the end. Brenna Jensen is a special agent for North Dakota's criminal investigation bureau, and she has been assigned a missing woman case in her hometown of Riverton. Not only does she have history there, but she has received a note from the killer. When the case crosses states with another woman missing, the FBI gets called in. Nick Carver and his team need to work with the local police department and Brenna in a race with time to stop the killer. With the emotions and anxiety getting high, Nick and Brenna may find themselves feeling more for each other than they expected. The balance between suspense and romance is well done in this story. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
It has been a long time since I read a thriller, but this one was so good. I am used to Elle's Brotherhood books, and this one, even though it was different, was quite enjoyable.
Investigator Brenna Jensen loved following in her father's footsteps and took her job seriously. Meeting Nick Tarver was not what she expected. He being with the FBI wanted her off the case, but she is a woman who stands up for herself and those she is supposed to protect. A serial killer is responsible for women disappearing, and she means to do everything she can to find out what happened to them, with or without his help. With Brenna and Nick you know they will have chemistry.
Another Elle James book I read in one sitting. I felt that the fast moving pace allowed for the suspense and intrigue to build to a higher level.
Nick and Brenna's close proximity intensified their chemistry and connection. Despite predicting the the killer's identity early in the book, I was still engaged wondering how Nick, Paul, Brenna, and Melissa's investigation was going to reach the same conclusion, or if I would be completely wrong.
I was waiting for a certain resolution that never happened leaving me wondering about future books. I thought Paul and Melissa's characters brought a lightheartedness to a heavy subject and wondered if they would end up in a future book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Brenna is determined to find out who is threatening the people in her home as rather than the deaths decreasing due to the additional scrutiny they continue to increase. She wants to see it through and isn’t about to be deterred by Nick even if it means that she could be next.
The FBI has sent Nick to assume control of the investigation from Brenna as he has no connection to the town or the people in it. What he hadn’t expect was the feelings he would develop for Brenna and how the investigation would evolve from professional into personal.
Intrigue and action combine as Brenna and Nick fight to uncover the truth before the person responsible strikes again while also handling the unexpected feelings between them.
Brenna and Nick. A good romantic suspense with a serial killer angle. Their attraction is immediate and the respect they feel for each as they work is tangible. The police and FBI teams are great and have an entertaining dynamic. The murders and serial killer are interesting, but predictable. I felt that the killer was an obvious choice and that the hints were not hints as much arrows saying here I am. The mom and sister were sweet but sad. The sister at the end was a delight and I hope we see more of her and the kids. Overall a good read and start to a series!
Oh my goodness this story was excellent. Even though I had worked out who the killer was I really enjoyed the cops finding clues and solving this mystery.
Investigator Brenna Jensen had a serial killer in her town, successful women were disappearing and the bodies began piling up. FBI agent Nick Tarver and his team arrive to help solve this crime. Brenna and Nick had chemistry and past baggage. Would they find their connection?
This was a great suspenseful story, right down to the wire it was heartstopping. Would this team all come out alive?
Brenna is called back to her hometown to work a case of missing women and one already found dead. She is having to work with Nick who's in charge of the team. They kind of clash on things a lot him wanting to protect her and her wanting to go after the killer. Now that the killer is sending her notes she is in the crosshairs of the killer. Can Nick keep her safe while they try to solve the case? This story is fast paced with suspense, danger, mystery and great characters who I hope we see in future books. Can't wait for the next one.
Great start to a new series. Published before but improved and lengthened. I enjoyed the romantic suspense ride. Was thrown by the "motherly" love and knew who the perp was the minute I met the perp on the page. Chilled is a Twisty Romantic Suspense Thriller with a fabulous HEA and a say what prologue to book 2. Come join us on the ride you won't have any regrets. Thank you for the arc! I freely volunteer my honest thoughts and opinions. #Chilled #KillerSeriesBook #ElleJames #TwistedPage #Bookfunnel
This is the start of a new series, and I loved it. Nick and Brenna are very likeable. Brenna’s name is on a serial killer’s hit list. When she gets scared, she turns around until she gains control of her emotions, because a criminal investigator is not supposed to be scared. Nick is an FBI agent whose job is to solve the case and to protect Brenna. His team, Paul and Melissa, tease Nick a lot. I received an ARC for an honest review, and I loved it. There’s lots of suspense, mystery, emotions, humor and romance in it. A great book! I recommend it.
Special Agent Brenna Jensen works for North Dakota Bureau of Crminial Investigations. Special Agent Nick Traver works for FBI.
Brenna and Nick met on a case of missing women. There is a definite chemistry and attraction between them. While working the case Brenna becomes a target, can Nick and his team keep her safe? Can Nick , Brenna, and the team solve the case? You will have to read the book.
This book has edge of your seat suspense, danger, intrigue and some twists and turns.
A nice twist in the end. I loved the story. I can't wait for the next book. Brenna is an investigator and receives a message from a killer. She comes home to Riverton, North Dakota to find the serial killer. FBI Agent Nick and his team arrive to investigate the murders and he doesn't want her involved in the case. He does relent and they hunt the killer together.The serial killer has Brenna in his sites and wants her dead to show her how smart he is. Can they find the killer before he get to her? I read an arc of this book and this is my review.
This is way different than the Brotherhood books. Reads almost like 2 different authors. It is a so so read.
My first impression of Nick was not good. He got better as the book went on. But, I still think he was just too bossy.
My main gripe is that the book did not end. Everyone thought it did, but I had my doubts when the body of the killer was not found. If you read the first chapter of the next book, then it appears that the killer is still around. I don't care for books that continue to the next.
Chilled is a new series and for those of us that have been reading Elle for a long time a different genre. Chilled has Brenna Jensen a special agent in North Dakota heading to her hometown when women start disappearing and she receives a note hinting at a serial killer on the loose. Nick Tarver is the FBI agent assigned to run the case and from the start the two butt heads! As more bodies and cryptic notes appear things heat up with case as they work to find the killer and things between them really change!