Cold Lake

David Wolf #5

by Jeff Carson

The truth emerges one piece at a time.

When a fisherman reels in a plastic bag containing a severed human head from the depths of Cold Lake, Colorado, Sheriff David Wolf and his deputies scramble to the scene, and quickly realize there are more surprises to be found below.

Their grim discoveries reopen a cold case Wolf’s father worked twenty-two years ago, and Wolf must try to succeed where his father failed before him. Wolf has the advantage on his dad, however, because he has bodies. Lots of them.

Amid sweeping political changes that have his department and the entire county on edge, Wolf and his deputies come to the disturbing realization there is a dangerous serial killer in their midst—one who will stop at nothing to remain hidden.

Can Wolf and his deputies unveil the truth before someone pays the ultimate price?

This fifth installment of the David Wolf series is chock-full of suspense, mystery, and action that will keep you glued to the pages through the final sentence.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Ebooks

324 pages, ebook

First published November 18, 2014

About the author

Jeff Carson is from the Front Range of Colorado where he lives with his wife and two sons. His David Wolf series of books takes place in the fictional ski town of Rocky Points, Colorado.

Reviews

[Michael Slavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one so far! The best book in the series so far (5th) of the hero Sheriff David Wolf in a ski resort town in Colorado.

It starts by finding a human head in plastic bags in the bottom of a deep lake. Then the body parts and the body count keeps growing. Great start and it does not let you down.

It includes serial killers and you can't figure how who it is, conflicting sheriffs departments, corruption, cops being framed, an election that looks like the Sheriff may lose, and an ending full of action that you will not see coming.

Some old well-known characters in this series may not survive until the end of this book.

It is full of suspense, mystery, and action.

Strongly recommend.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here I go again starting a series smack dab in the middle. This is a book that is mostly stand alone but it takes a couple chapters to get caught up. Set in rural Colorado the sheriff and the sheriff's department is very reminiscent of Longmire.

We have David Wolf - Sheriff. A little rough around the edges, some personal issues, War vet. His staff of younger Deputies, his estranged wife, his 14 year old son and a Cold Case.

22 years ago a young man disappeared on the 4th of July. The next day the father of the girl he was reported to be planning to visit vanished. The day after her mother. Now 7 decapitated heads and their bodies have been found on the bottom of Cold Lake.

Then the cold case gets hot as bodies start piling up anew. That this is happening amid a campaign for sheriff certainly doesn't help. There are a lot of nasty people involved on all sides.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favourite David Wolfe story to date (and I have read them in order). Wolfe is the sheriff in these parts but there are changes afoot with the merger of two sheriff's departments. This causes some difficulties when a fisherman pulls up a bag containing a human head from Cold Lake. Jurisdictional difficulties are rife but that doesn't stop Wolfe from throwing everything at this investigation. The body is linked to a case run by Wolfe's father when he was sheriff 20 odd years ago. More bodies turn up. How could a serial killer have been operating undetected all these years?

At the middle of it all is a vulnerable young woman living in an isolated cabin in the forest. Is she, too, in danger? Police have trouble pinning her down and also cannot locate her nearest neighbour. What is going on? But, as usual, things are not as they seem. A few twists and a shock ending finish it off nicely. You never can tell about some people, isn't that the case? This is an enjoyable series with relatable characters that doesn't stray too much into bizarro territory.

[Saddlesoar · Rating 2 out of 5]

What am I missing here? Based on reviews, I was looking forward to enjoying a good read but instead, I was seriously disappointed. I enjoy similar series books by authors like Craig Johnson and C.J. Box but a lack of decent editing ruins "Cold Lake". Too often, I found myself having to re-read sentences that were awkwardly composed in order to comprehend them. I'm certainly no grammar expert, but run-on and incomplete sentences, poorly selected words, characters referencing statements that had apparently been removed, the use of the plural when singular was needed, are all things that ruined the flow, making this seem like a rough second draft rather than a polished piece. I honestly don't know if the story line had any merit because I gave up on the book before my Kindle indicated 20% complete. Life is too short to read poorly crafted work, even if when it's free.

[John Sugden · Rating 3 out of 5]

It may not be the best idea to drop into a series of novels at book 5, but this was the one which was free on BB/Amazon so that's the one that was on my Kindle.

Initially it was very promising. The author has done a great job of writing a town and location. I liked the political sub-plot even if the villain is straight out of basic TV tropes. I liked the character of Sherriff Wolf, a good and uncomplicated man without being out and out stupid heroic/Navy SEAL dead shot superhuman. The bodies in the lake was nicely presented. The first half of the book or so was a pleasure to read despite a selection of grammatical errors that speak of a need for better proof reading.

Then the wheels came off the wagon. As the plot developed the book began to come apart. Events and characters seem to jump around with no good reason. Half chapters pop up with no rhyme or reason. At least once I'm sure the author gets his characters names confused. Then the actual solution turns out to be generic and unworthy of the setup. When the action finale appears then the author is so busy mapping out every action and incident and which way everyone faces, the angle of the sun, all sorts of things that a short scene drags out badly. The less said about the two epilogues the better.

By the end it became evident that the author is not writing novels but a TV show. This is just a weekly episode and all these half scenes and sub-plots are continuing themes that will run through the length of the series. That was a sad realisation as with a little more discipline this could have been a decent crime novel. As it is it comes across as a weakish filler episode of CSI/Bones/Without A Trace or similar.

[Tulay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

Thank you Mr Carson, I'm so happy for finding your books. Also I should thank Amazon. Two small towns politics, great characters, Sheriff Wolf and his deputies will give their life to save the other. You also won't find f... word or detailed sex. Just fast action story with the shocking ending. Will be reading all of your books.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the David Wolf series. I actually got to read an early version, as I did some proofreading on the book. There were quite a few twists in this one. I thought I knew early on who the guilty party was, but I was so far from the truth! Carson creates likeable main characters, with human frailties, and despicable bad guys. His descriptions make me feel like I'm right there in Rocky Points, or in the mountains, and I'd really like to see some of the glorious sunsets he writes about. There was one plot point that I DID NOT like AT ALL, but it was well-done and a complete shock. I'm anxious to see where it leads. I'm also curious to see what happens now that Rocky Points and the neighboring county are under one sheriff's jurisdiction.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I wonder why a Author writes the plot the way they do. This book and how it turned out made little sense to me. To kill off a main character who by his account was getting her life back together is just screwy. Diefinitely could of been written differently. Then just One of his deputies keeps getting in life threatening situations, he’s been shot and survived more gun shot wounds then possible. Not a fan how this plot went.👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twists enough for a rollercoaster or this author's usual. Like the main character and his team. Like to hate their enemies. Standalone, very lite language, sexual situations, and gore. Prayer is treated respectfully but not a Christian novel.

[David Midgorden · Rating 5 out of 5]

It kept my interest right from the start until the end. It could easily be made into a TV series like "Longmire". Might even be better.

[Idamus]

Hmmm, not sure why, but this one just doesn’t catch my attention, I keep drifting away. Might just stop here.

[Eric Wadsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheriff David Wolf and his deputies are at it again, but this time, the investigation links back to when his father was Sheriff and a Cold Case that was never solved "resurfaces". Missing persons from decade prior appear in the Lake up in the mountains. Investigations continue to lead to more people discovered lingering in the depths of the lake. Gruesome killings, coverups, and not a lot of people left to discuss the events that took place 20 years ago on that summer July night. Sheriff Wolf continues his pursuit with the family that is linked to it all. The missing girl(s) and the family that was torn apart from the inside out. A tale of two enemies that act as one, leads Sheriff and his team right into a battle that leaves Wolf in a hospital in very rough shape. Meanwhile, the Byron county merge with Sluice county leaves a battle over the head Sheriff position. McLean, the other sheriff, puts pressure on Wolf and begins the attack and moves to take over while Wolf is hurt and in bedrest.

[Trish R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read from Jeff Carson. I really like Sheriff David Wolf. This one was about a fisherman who brought up a head in a plastic bag then 6 more heads were brought up by divers, as well as bags holding the rest of the victims’ other body parts. A lot of bags. AND I was surprised at what happened to Sarah, Wolf’s ex-wife, who he was dating again.

AND I was totally surprised at who the killer was.

I guess I have to read the next book, since the election happened and Wolf is no longer sheriff. That horrible MacLean has taken Wolf’s place. I’m guessing that’s temporary. Who knows?

Anyway, there’s no sex in this book and the F-bomb was used 1 time.

As to the narration: Sean Patrick Hopkins has a good reading voice and does the men’s voices just fine but the needs to work on the women’s voices.

[wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished this evening of the 31st of august 2019 good read four stars really liked it kindle library loaner first from carson for me. or wait now, purchased...just looked at the digital library and they do not have any from carson. and another story about bodies in a lake...just read one not too long ago forget the name of the story, within the last 10-15 stories i've read but that's where the similarities end the deep dark lake bodies there for a time. seems like the idea of twins would have been known by those investigating, before...but i go with the flow, at the same time, those concerned with hiding the idea worked their magic. i guess it's off to amazon with me, that and or, recommend to the library. real quiet there, not a soul to be seen, patrons or librarians. #129 for the year.

[John Haggerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The BEST in the series thus far. I hope this trend continues!!!

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

Body found in lake
And then lots more bodies found
Someone's killed for years

Wolf never gives up
Too much politicking here
Kind of tough ending

[AC · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Wolf is back, this time dealing with a pack of headless bodies pulled out of a (cold) lake, along with one body that's intact. The hear of the story is a cold case Wolf's father investigated decades ago: a missing man, then a missing wife, and a child left alone to fend for herself.

Wolf and his team investigate, pulling together disparate clues and talking to the only presumed survivor of the family with the missing parents: the young daughter (we do get, of course, the requisite way Carson introduces and describes all of his female characters: her looks and the fact that every guy would have no issue jumping in bed with her). There's a subplot about the looming vote to combine the resources off Wolf's county with another, and the (also of course) smarmy, evil sheriff of the neighboring county and his ever present henchman. There's also more dithering about Wolf getting back with his ex-wife.

----SPOILERS BELOW----
There are a lot of thing plowed into this story, and it's a lot to keep track of, especially when each story bangs into the page, pushing one of the other off. Patterson catches Wolf's ex-wife with another man in a diner; the evil sheriff of the other county gives Patterson a folder with pictures of Rachette supposedly helping a drug mule (after he ogles her body, again of course), there's a missing neighbor who lives on the property abutting the daughter's property, Wolf getting hammered in a bar, starting a fight there, and sleeping with the survivor daughter, a cliff to rappel, and just a bunch of other stuff. Really, it's too much story put into one book. The fact that it uses the evil twin trope is a real annoyance at the end of the book: the daughter isn't actually one person but two, and the killings are by the evil twin.

There's also yet another cliffhanger in this book, when Wolf's ex-wife and her guy (boyfriend?) are found shot to death in the guy's car. It isn't clear if it's designed this way, or that we're supposed to understand that the evil twin sister killed them. Either way, it's an unsatisfactory way to end the book.

If you don't like following three stories around in a book, have no interest in cold case style books (if you do, the Department Q books by Jussi Adler-Olsen are fantastic), or don't like cliffhangers or overused tropes, this is not the book for you. If you don't mind that, it's a good enough read.

[Linda K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started with Book 5 of this series, well because this is how I roll. Just a heads up, I wrote this review to cover Books 5-9 in this Wolf series. Was not expecting much from Cold Lake because this is SO out of my normal reading material. Don't get me wrong I love a good Suspense/Thriller but normally only in the movies. If the story didn't have Alpha males and hot romance then I would just skip over it. I enjoyed reading book #5 in this series so much that I continued through to # 9 in 4 days. Note, these are not short stories(35+chapters)and now I am anxiously awaiting #10 Dark Mountain coming out in March and have made my FIRST pre-order sale ever with Kindle store. There is movement throughout the story line never a dull moment, love the strong characters, each and every one and the author keeps building them with each book. The Plots are remarkable not repetitive and with endings that blew me away. So bottom line Suspense/Thriller with humor. Along with drama and romance but not over board with either but powerful and heart wrenching. I now have a new and favorite Author on my list. 5 stars and 5 thumbs up and while I wait for Book 10 to arrive.....I'll be reading books 1-4, yes backwards but how can I not .

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheriff David Wolf never gives up as his campaign ad says. He is running for Sherrif because Sluice and Byron Counties are consolidating and the Byron County Sheriff is also in the race. So while all the political stuff is going on, divers find several nearly decapitated bodies in Cold Lake near Rocky Points the fictional Sluice County Seat. This was a nail biter from the very beginning, and I read it without taking a breath! I've read several David Wolf mysteries, out of order I might add, and this one filled several gaps in his story. It's a great series although I've found I could read each installment as a stand-alone. I live in Western Colorado, the setting of these books, and can relate to the mountainous region described in these mysteries. I do hope to catch up with the entire series one of these days!

[J.L. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book and author via BookBub and I’ve never been one to always start at the beginning of a series so I was pleasantly intrigued. This detective mystery centers on Sheriff David Wolf, a rough around the edges War vet with an estranged family and a cold (until now) case he’s desperate to solve. It felt a little predictable to me, pretty much your stardard detective mystery with some politics thrown in. On the other hand, the location was written and developed well. You could almost see it and I liked that about it. There were other times where I wanted the author to slow down a little when it came to the adventure, though I will say that it did hold my attention. So, it was a mixed bag for me. Not awful, but just more of the same.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsatisfying ending with too many loose threads.

2.5 stars

Longmire-like police procedural storyline—which starts strong—but as the story develops, too many subplots and side stories are introduced, including some that aren’t resolved. Tertiary characters are included for the sole purpose of adding to the body count. Although I enjoy plot twists in my crime fiction reads, I prefer the author not include subplots that go nowhere. I also dislike hanging threads that might or might not be resolved in the next book.

[Dale Feagins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Dave Wolf Book. In fact I stop reading another book when this one was released. I've read all the books in the series and now I'm hooked. Carson does a good job making you feel like you are right there in Colorado. I thought I had figured out who the guilty party was, but I was way off. Although, I kind of wished one part had spun in a different direction. Looking forward to Book 6.

[Ernesto Oporto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring

The book concerns on making Wolf a macho man as if his name wasn't enough. I stopped reading at 25%, because the narrative was not moving the plot. Bringing back the characters from the past, (another Wolf) did not work for me. Less useless details and faster plot would work better.

[Liz Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Wolf is an interesting man.

Plot twists and good character development make this book a joy to read. I want to learn more about Wolf because he seems to me to be a "flawed hero" and those are the best kind.

[Dev Weeks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read Saddlesoar's review on editing and structure. All that aside there was no drama, suspense or mystery. A Disappointing waste of time. At the end on the same page he quits the election for Sheriff he states he "Never gives up," Odd.

[Allan Ashinoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a badass sheriff, continues to be a brave punching bag that takes a lot of abuse from everyone (physical and emotional). Left this book, after having read the rest, with lower expectations for David Wolf and less interest in the character.

[Siarra · Rating 1 out of 5]

When people make fun of how male authors describe women, they are talking about this book- the main character at one point sexualizes a dead body. Very slow moving, with a twist at the end that is incredibly basic.

[Gloria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite book.... good in desperation when you want a gory story

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Glad I found this author the books read have been very entertaining and enjoyable to read and would suggest you try

[Rosemary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crowded with too many subplots.