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Cold Feet

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Just when you think you know someone…The Seattle police suspect Madison Lieberman’s father was the serial killer they call the “Sandpoint Strangler.” Madison refuses to believe it. Her father is now dead, and all she wants is the chance to create a new life for herself and her six-year-old child.Then she discovers something in the crawl space beneath her parents’ house. Something that makes her question her father’s innocence. Or the innocence of someone else who’s equally close to her…When another woman turns up dead, crime writer Caleb Trovato wonders whether they’re dealing with a copycat killer. Or is the real Sandpoint Strangler still alive? Caleb’s sure Madison knows more than she’s telling, and he’s determined to find out what. But he doesn’t expect to fall in love—or to lead Madison and her child into danger….Originally published in 2004

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2004

490 people are currently reading
981 people want to read

About the author

Brenda Novak

238 books6,963 followers
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business.

Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer.

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she continues to publish two or three novels a year, in a variety of genres.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. Now that they are empty-nesters, she spends her free time babysitting her two grandchildren.

When she’s not with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising money for diabetes research. To date, she's raised almost $2.6 million. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day!

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5 stars
523 (42%)
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450 (36%)
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215 (17%)
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37 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
Profile Image for  A. .
1,166 reviews5,127 followers
February 3, 2019
2.5 Mediocre Stars

The GR rating system is so unfair.

If I follow the GR rating guidelines, this book will get only two stars from me because 'it was ok'. Or just one star because I didn't like it. The problem is, most of the books on my 'read' shelf would get only one or two stars if I followed that rule. Because, let's be honest, most of them were either only okay for me or I didn't like them.

Granted, I didn't like this book but I did finish it. It held my interest till the very end and kept me questioning ever character. I really wanted to know who the killer was. Sadly, when I did find out their identitity, I laughed my ass off. I mean, really?

On top of that, the book lacks depth, the characters are superficial and bland, the story is implausible at times, the romantic aspect is boring, the ending is a bit stupid. The whole book is somehow...anemic.

I can't rate it two stars, though. I used the two-star rating for some really bad books in the past which I did not hate and therefore couldn't 'award' with only one star as GR suggests.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,688 reviews376 followers
June 16, 2018
Ex-cop and now true crime writer, Caleb Trovato, returns to Seattle after his ex-wife persuades him to come and find her missing sister. Once there, clues seem to point to the Sandpoint Strangler but he died years before when he took his own life. Or so the police believed. His daughter, Madison Lieberman, always believed in her father's innocence but when she finds a box in the crawlspace of her parents home she begins to question her beliefs.

Madison is a divorcee with a young daughter and needs to rent out the carriage house on her property to bring in some extra income. Caleb rents the house from her sure that she knows more than she has revealed. But he didn't expect to be attracted to her.

I have read Brenda Novak before and I like her romantic suspense books. Cold Feet was a good one too. I did not see that coming! I never suspected the killer was who it was. Anyway, good book!
Profile Image for Jane Stewart.
2,462 reviews964 followers
January 2, 2016
Ok, but nothing special or different. Kind of dragged in the middle.

Caleb is a former cop, now a best selling author of true crime books. His ex wife asks him to come to Seattle to investigate the disappearance of her step sister. Some clues link this to serial killer Ellis who killed himself a few years ago. Caleb goes to Madison the daughter of Ellis and sees a For Rent sign at the cottage next to her home. Caleb rents it and becomes her friend - hoping to gather clues. Caleb and Madison are attracted to each other. Caleb knows she will be angry when she learns his true identity and reason for being there.

I like happy romantic endings, but this was not realistic enough. All of a sudden he proposes. They hadn’t been together enough for that.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 384 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 1. Setting: current day Seattle Washington area. Copyright: 2004. Genre: romantic suspense.
Profile Image for Agnes .
978 reviews88 followers
February 23, 2018
Another great book by Brenda Novak. I am never disappointed and just love all her books. This one had me stumped because I could not figure out who the serial killer was. Madison's father was accused but before they could charge him, he killed himself. His family lived with this hanging over their heads. But his daughter never believed he did it.

In comes Caleb, a former cop who turned writer of crime, to put doubt all around when there seems to be a copycat killer around. Or was her father innocent all along and the serial killer still lives. A lot of mystery, romance and questions surround this great story.
Profile Image for Krissy.
313 reviews2 followers
June 11, 2016
And yet another book that starts with a bang and ends with a fizzle.
Dear Author,
This ending was ridiculous in that it went against every premise YOU set forth in the dazzle of the first 80% of your book. There are other readers like myself who do not need "tied with a bow" endings that force complications into pretty boxed endings. I wish you would've ended the book with the messy, complicated, yet true to the characters ending that organically would've followed the book path.
Respectfully,
Reader
Profile Image for Janet.
3,326 reviews24 followers
February 28, 2022
Fantastic book! Glad I finally got the chance to read this.
581 reviews5 followers
Read
July 28, 2018
The Seattle police suspect Madison Lieberman’s father was the serial killer they call the “Sandpoint Strangler.” Madison refuses to believe it. Her father is now dead, and all she wants is the chance to create a new life for herself and her six-year-old child.

Then she discovers something in the crawl space beneath her parents’ house. Something that makes her question her father’s innocence. Or the innocence of someone else who’s equally close to her…

When another woman turns up dead, crime writer Caleb Trovato wonders whether they’re dealing with a copycat killer. Or is the real Sandpoint Strangler still alive? Caleb’s sure Madison knows more than she’s telling, and he’s determined to find out what. But he doesn’t expect to fall in love—or to lead Madison and her child into danger.

This is the second book I have read by Brenda Novak. I am now hooked! Can't wait to read more of her books!
Profile Image for Joyce Ziebell.
757 reviews5 followers
October 20, 2018
OMG. This is one of the best suspenseful serial-killer/thriller novels I've read. More twists and turns than bedclothes on a restless night, and a nyriad of potential suspects that kept me guessing. And then WOW... was really surprised at the end. First I'read of Brenda Novak's books. Definitely worthy of 5-stars review.
Profile Image for Amber Lee.
2 reviews
April 9, 2020
This was my first murder mystery. I'm a dork so I took notes of clues and suspects and my thoughts throughout the whole book. I really thought I figured out who the killer was until the end! I was shocked! The romance aspect added a lot. Over all, I really enjoyed this book!
Profile Image for Sylvia.
1,578 reviews75 followers
April 27, 2018
I Loved this book!! Great story!! starting to like this author's books!! this is my 10th book by her!!
Profile Image for Kris.
411 reviews42 followers
May 29, 2022
I thought this one had promise at the beginning, but it ended up being pretty awful. A lot of deception, very little depth, and no effort put into the mystery/investigation.
Profile Image for Tricia Douglas.
1,426 reviews73 followers
November 26, 2023
One of Novak’s earlier novels. I enjoyed it but her newer ones have better developed storylines. Still a great author
Profile Image for Teri Griffis.
1,128 reviews6 followers
January 27, 2018
I wish I could give this book 10 stars! Brenda Novak continues to amaze me with how wonderfully written her books are. Caleb and Madison are made for each other but is the way they met going to interfere with their future? Madison is Ellis Purcell's daughter, he was thought to be the Sandpoint Strangler before he committed suicide so how will she feel when she finds out who Caleb really is?
Profile Image for Jane.
428 reviews3 followers
January 5, 2017
The blurb is what caught me into reading it. As the Daughter of the suspect serial killer, what she's going to do and what she went through. Especially when a victim is found dead with similar mo after her Father killed himself years ago.

While I flipped through the pages, the first few pages already have my blood boiling. We have this true crime writer Caleb talking over the phone with his ex wife. She's been crying and begging him to come to her to help looking for her missing Sister. Oh, that doesn't end there. They can discuss his book's content in the meantime.

The plot is great cos the real perp's identity totally threw me off. I wasn't expecting that.

But the connection between Caleb and Maddison??
Nothing. I can't feel the sizzling tension or the attraction between the two.

It gets better and grab your attention when it's coming to an end. But the epilogue and the last chapter? Will definitely have you
Profile Image for jenjn79.
723 reviews266 followers
March 26, 2008
Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about Cold Feet. It was a decent book. The suspense aspect was pretty good. The whole plot was well-planned with lots of twists and turns. Novak presents readers with lots of choices as to who the bad guy is. But along that same line, I didn't like how she revealed the killer. She does a great build-up to it, and then slips this scene in there that just blatantly tells you who it is. The revelation would have been much better suited if she'd waited until the climax of the book.

Aside from that, there just seemed to be something lacking in the book overall. I'm not sure what it was, but the book didn't pull me in as other books have. It was interesting, but not overly so. The romance was so-so. Could have been better. I just expected a bit more from the book. The other Novak book I read was very emotional and sucked you in; this book lacked that pull.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mojca.
2,132 reviews168 followers
May 17, 2011
It moved rather slowly and the characters had a little too many secrets for comfort (but that’s what made it rather realistic, I think). In general I don’t particularly care for novels where the hero or heroine aim to deceive their counterpart, so that’s probably why this didn’t get the rating it probably deserved. Also, the whole romance aspect was rather shady and bland—I didn’t feel the “love”, if you catch my drift.

Still, it was a solid little suspense number with a particularly nice (and unexpected) twist in the end. Sure didn’t see that one coming.
I’m looking forward to more books by Ms. Novak, hoping for more “romantic” suspense.
Profile Image for Caro.
1,776 reviews42 followers
September 15, 2015
A good read. I liked the characters and enjoyed the plot. This was pretty good and it most definitely has a twist ending. Totally didn't see it coming. This was a slower read for me but I still enjoyed it. Great characters, suspense, some puzzling, emotions, and a good ending. Good for an anytime read!
Profile Image for Gail.
1,544 reviews
February 15, 2021
A remarkable mystery story that has you wondering what will happen next.A very hard book to put down.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
54 reviews
February 18, 2020
If you pick up a Brenda Novak book, expect to be pulled in to the story from the first page.....Cold Feet is no different. This is a stand alone story, and a very good one. Caleb Trovato, a former detective with the Seattle Police Department turned (very successful) crime writer receives a call from his distraught ex-wife. While he is not eager to have any involvement with Holly, the woman he divorced twice, his interest is instantly piqued when Holly makes reference to the Sandpoint Strangler, and the fact that the main suspect's, a man dead for years, truck was seen a block from where her sister, Susan was last seen alive. Caleb returns to Seattle from San Francisco, where he now resides, to begin to look for his former sister-in-law. Madison Lieberman's father was the man believed to be the Sandpoint Strangler, although Madison and her mother only believed in his innocence. Her faith in her father is shaken to the core, when she discovers a box of trophies hidden in the basement of her childhood home. Caleb befriends Madison; while she doesn't know that he is the true crime writer who hopes to write the story of the Sandpoint Strangler, Caleb does know who Madison is. As time goes by, Caleb realizes he was wrong about his original assessment of Madison. He didn't expect to fall in love with her, and he did not expect to put her and her daughter in mortal danger, while trying to solve the mystery.
If you have not yet read Cold Feet, get yourself a copy. Novak spins an intriguing tale that keeps the reader guessing right up until the end. Just when you are certain you have it all figured out, you realize that you don't.
Profile Image for Skye.
1,851 reviews3 followers
December 9, 2019
I have never read a Brenda Novak story, nor have I heard of them. This was just the only book I could find with the word “feet” in the title… and I needed that for a reading challenge. It turns out that it was a brilliant choice. I absolutely adored this book. And I was completely blown away by who the villain in this tale was. Actually, the mix of romance and suspense in this novel was not at all expected, and seriously enjoyable.

Normally I tend to guess who or what is going to be the killer fairly early on. Or at least, I get pretty damn close with my guess. I DID NOT see the identity of the bad guy coming at all! I started to have an inkling of the fact that: a) my initial hunch was wrong. And b) who the actual bad person was. I’m not normally this damn surprised, and every time I thought, hmmmm… maybe… there was something that quickly disproved my theory. It was brilliant!

I like that this romance featured a divorcee and her young daughter. That it was all about perceptions, loyalty and trying to find your way in the world. Rather than a twenty-something woman who had never experienced love, was a virgin, ya da, ya da, yay da… she had already had some really difficult experiences. And so had he. The older I get, the more I appreciate older characters in romances… after all, their experiences seem to start being a little more in line with mine.

The only reason I didn’t goble this book up in just a day was that it was an eBook. There is something about eBooks that tend to take me a little more time to read… yet, the physical copy of this (which I now want to find a second hand version of) would have been completely inhaled in a matter of hours… late at night… when I was supposed to be sleeping.
Profile Image for Stephanie Hopkins.
51 reviews3 followers
October 12, 2024
Reviewed in February 27, 2018 at Layered Pages
When I read stories, I like to feel like part of the gang of the characters- if you will and this story was character driven and I couldn’t wait to call it an evening to pick up the story and read what would happen next with my favorite characters, Madison Liberman and Caleb Trovato. I have to admit, I wasn’t really feeling the attraction between them until the end but I did enjoy their interactions with each other.

As for the plot itself, I quite enjoyed it and was surprised who the killer turned out to be. I didn’t see it coming. Its great when the author has you suspecting so many people and the back and forth of who it could be. I love that. I also like that fact that while this story was about a serial killer-it wasn’t overly dark and gruesome so it made it easier to read but yet it was believable. If that makes sense…

I enjoy Brenda Novak’s stories and I like that her stories are character driven and you feel emotionally invested. Novak’s stories also make for great summer reads or anytime for that matter.

I rated this book three stars.

Stephanie M. Hopkins
Profile Image for RH.
122 reviews
March 6, 2022
A killer rapes and murders 11 women in the duration of 12 years. Ellis Purcell is the main culprit. The case is closed when he commits suicide. When Madison, his daughter, discovers something in the crawl space of his house, Caleb Trovato moves in on her land to find out all about Ellis and his deeds. As a crime author he is focused on unveiling the truth and discovering what has happened in those years. When another girl disappears, his sister in law, doubt rises as to whether Ellis was really the killer or if a copycat is at work. While digging for information, Caleb falls in love with Madison, but has to admit who he really is, when his ex-wife Holly, turns out to be the rapist and killer.

Interesting book with characters who have enough background to fall back on. There is a story going that is not distracted by too many unnecessary details, but one that remains exciting until the end where the true killer is finally found, but of course, only after an attempt to hard Caleb's loved ones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sara.
329 reviews3 followers
May 10, 2018
Amazing

I absolutely loved this book. Mysteries and thrillers are some of my favorites and this book handles it all very well. Often times I start a book like this and immediately know how it will end and who the killer is. In this book there are so many good possibilities for the killer that I could never just settle on just one. Once I did something came about that made me second guess myself so it was still somewhat of a surprise in the end. I love when a book can surprise me. And love it even more when even if you figure out some of it you’ll never figure out all the answers until the author is ready to tell you. Brenda is a master at writing books that leave you on the edge of your seat until the last page
Profile Image for Lisa.
81 reviews20 followers
October 17, 2017
Cold Feet is engrossing stand alone romantic suspense.
In the book's preface (a letter to her readers) Brenda Novak wonders about the friends and family of those who have committed heinous crimes. How do you not know? How do you live with it after knowing? Brenda ends these questions to her readers with the statement "Here's hoping you know your loved ones as well as you think you do..."
It's the perfect statement to begin this book. It keeps you thinking, and wondering not only who the serial killer is, but how well the characters know each other. This book kept me guessing till the end!
1,137 reviews3 followers
May 20, 2017
Madison Lieberman's father was an accused serial killer. Her and her mother never believed he could have done such a thing. Caleb Trovato is an ex cop turned crime writer. This case is one that was never solved and when his ex sister in-law comes up missing he agrees to help his ex wife try to find the killer. All the clues point to The Sandpoint Strangler but he has been dead for several years so could it be a copy cat or were they looking at the wrong person all along. Heart wrenching and intense from beginning until the last page.
Profile Image for Marty Tool.
616 reviews7 followers
May 12, 2018
Enjoyable mystery, lots of suspects. Maddie is a good main character, her daughter turns out to be a real pip. Her exhusband is a piece of work, and I would have liked some comeuppance for him. Caleb was a little too accommodating for his ex-wife and other people, although we needed to know he was a nice guy and that was established. Good mystery to figure out, I did about half way through, but still a good story. The romance was good with unwanted attraction to each other, but it all worked out for the best. Kept me reading.
1,135 reviews16 followers
May 2, 2018
COLD FEET

Madison's father committed suicide while under suspicion of being the Sandpoint Strangler, she and her mother always stood by his innocence. Another murder has happened, reopening old wounds. Caleb is in town investigating that murder, he misrepresents himself to Maddie to gain information. He falls for Maddie causing all kinds of complications. This is a page turner, with a very surprising ending.
36 reviews6 followers
May 13, 2018
Wonderful, as usual.

I loved this book! Once I started it, I read straight through the night and into the morning. I would love to see another book about Maddy & Caleb & Brianna ( and all the family of course!). Maybe see Danny out in his place while Caleb and Maddy help work another unsolved murder with Gibbons.
The characters were so well developed that I feel like I know them, like they are really Alice and living a beautiful life on Whidbey Island.
Profile Image for Mindy.
900 reviews5 followers
May 28, 2018
I loved this book. It gripped me from the beginning and I just had to know what happened next and who was the evil force in this book. My friends that had read it previously told me they didn't figure out who the bad person was so I went it looking for the bad person to be the least obvious to me and it tuned out to be one of my two suspects.
I loved the characters in this book and I loved how they interacted with each other it gave a real family vibe.
Profile Image for Iris Hehe.
701 reviews9 followers
June 10, 2018
Enjoyed this book

Great read by Ms. Novak. How does a man marry a woman twice without seeing that she is a homicidal maniac? This book keeps you in suspense the whole way through. You don't know who the killer is until the very end. You're told It's a man, but his daughter doesn't agree. And once Caleb sees Madison he's willing to take another look to see what the truth is.
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