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Sean Kruger #4
The Cold Trail
Rescuing A Kidnapped College Student Revives An Old CaseWith the help of his friend, JR Diminski, retired FBI profiler Sean Kruger rescues a female graduate student after she is kidnapped from the university campus where he teaches. He finds the abduction too familiar. From 1999 through 2002 six female college students vanished, without a trace, from four different college campuses across the country. As the lead FBI investigator on those now cold cases, his failure to find the women and the person responsible still haunts him.
˃˃˃ Is The Kidnapper Finally Within His Grasp?When JR discovers a clue to the identity of the kidnapper, Kruger comes out of retirement to re-examine the abductions. His ensuing investigation will lead him down a dark one of dark money and even darker passions.
Will Sean succeed or will the past repeat itself?
˃˃˃ Tightly plotted with the trademark twists and turns of a J.C. Fields’ novel, The Cold Trail will keep you turning pages late into the night.Scroll Up And Grab Your Copy Today!
˃˃˃ Is The Kidnapper Finally Within His Grasp?When JR discovers a clue to the identity of the kidnapper, Kruger comes out of retirement to re-examine the abductions. His ensuing investigation will lead him down a dark one of dark money and even darker passions.
Will Sean succeed or will the past repeat itself?
˃˃˃ Tightly plotted with the trademark twists and turns of a J.C. Fields’ novel, The Cold Trail will keep you turning pages late into the night.Scroll Up And Grab Your Copy Today!
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2018
552 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Fields
26 books80 followersJ.C. Fields is a multi-award-winning and Amazon best-selling author. His Sean Kruger Series and The Michael Wolfe Saga have been awarded numerous gold, silver and bronze medals in the Reader's Favorite International Book Awards contest. In March of 2020, his book, A Lone Wolf became a #1 Best Selling Audiobook. The second book in the series, The Last Insurgent, gained Amazon's #1 New Release status in January 2021.
As one of the featured authors on the highly successful YouTube podcast, Fear From the Heartland, hosted by Paul J. McSorley, he offers a variety of original short stories penned specifically for its listeners.
He lives with his wife, Connie, in Southwest Missouri.
As one of the featured authors on the highly successful YouTube podcast, Fear From the Heartland, hosted by Paul J. McSorley, he offers a variety of original short stories penned specifically for its listeners.
He lives with his wife, Connie, in Southwest Missouri.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 4, 2022
The Cold Trail – what a great title for this, the fourth in the exciting Sean Kruger series. He’s a retired FBI profiler now teaching at a university. When a female student is kidnapped, Sean is able to rescue her with the help of his old FBI friend. JR Diminski. But this good news brings a different dark cloud when Sean sees a connection with other kidnappings gone cold. During a three year period years ago, six female college students disappeared from four different campuses across the country. Those cases are now cold, the girls gone without a trace, and Sean becomes convinced that it’s the same killer.
This thriller grabs you and doesn’t let go. What starts as a hunt for a serial killer spreads into taking on powerful politicians, international spies and sex trafficking. Twists and turns come with breakneck speed. You barely have time to breathe when this police procedural expands wildly into Russian crooks and bankers attempting to destabilize the U.S. government. It’s a very ambitious story with many pieces - intricate, clever, and frighteningly credible. A fabulous read. Five stars!
This thriller grabs you and doesn’t let go. What starts as a hunt for a serial killer spreads into taking on powerful politicians, international spies and sex trafficking. Twists and turns come with breakneck speed. You barely have time to breathe when this police procedural expands wildly into Russian crooks and bankers attempting to destabilize the U.S. government. It’s a very ambitious story with many pieces - intricate, clever, and frighteningly credible. A fabulous read. Five stars!
April 23, 2021
Shades of Tom Clancy!
I'm not sure J.C. Fields will appreciate the comparison, but in this, the fourth installment of his Sean Kruger, FB I profiler series, one could swear that last chapter came straight out of Clancy. I'm not citing that as a flaw, by the way, but rather as a compliment. It serves as a fitting denouement (a word I've been waiting to use for many years, and which brings to mind the teacher from whom I learned it) on a tautly told tale.
In the third volume, Kruger had "hung up his spurs," so to speak, at the conclusion of a case where he was injured . There's more to that decision than a quick review should reveal, so buy the book for the full story - and a darned good read. This one starts with Kruger as college professor and likely heir to the Psych Department chair, which isn't a very exciting future. A visit from the second in command of the FBI, and a chance to go back at a case he couldn't resolve, brings him back into the game.
What begins as a hunt for a serial killer eventually expands to more. A deeper story. intrigue in the US Senate. international sex trafficking. international politics. A hint of espionage. The twists and turns are a constant delight. There are two minor quibbles that need some attention (if you read reviews, Mr. Fields): first, he has a propensity towards the way he keeps pointing to characters and noting how strands of gray hair indicate aging. Second, his introduction of characters from earlier volumes are quick and cheap - I haven't taken the time that JR, Kruger-s friend and computer cracked might have to find the details and do a wider by side comparison - but his description of at least one minor character sounded more for more identical to a description in an earlier volume. Perhaps I only saw it because I've re-read all the preceding home in the past seventy two hours, but if there's a point where updates get done, it deserves some attention. Finally, there was at least one glitch that struck me as something an editor missed: a paragraph that begins and abruptly, immediately repeated with the full text that makes sense.
But those, as I said, are minor quibbles. They shouldn't deter you from the book, and are only here in the event the author is paying attention. Having read and reviewed book 5 before far-reaching and reviewing 1-4, it's on to book 6. And I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally find binge reading far more fulfilling than binge watching - perhaps because I have more control of the pace, as well as more involvement in the story as my brain works to follow the characters. But that's me.
I'm not sure J.C. Fields will appreciate the comparison, but in this, the fourth installment of his Sean Kruger, FB I profiler series, one could swear that last chapter came straight out of Clancy. I'm not citing that as a flaw, by the way, but rather as a compliment. It serves as a fitting denouement (a word I've been waiting to use for many years, and which brings to mind the teacher from whom I learned it) on a tautly told tale.
In the third volume, Kruger had "hung up his spurs," so to speak, at the conclusion of a case where he was injured . There's more to that decision than a quick review should reveal, so buy the book for the full story - and a darned good read. This one starts with Kruger as college professor and likely heir to the Psych Department chair, which isn't a very exciting future. A visit from the second in command of the FBI, and a chance to go back at a case he couldn't resolve, brings him back into the game.
What begins as a hunt for a serial killer eventually expands to more. A deeper story. intrigue in the US Senate. international sex trafficking. international politics. A hint of espionage. The twists and turns are a constant delight. There are two minor quibbles that need some attention (if you read reviews, Mr. Fields): first, he has a propensity towards the way he keeps pointing to characters and noting how strands of gray hair indicate aging. Second, his introduction of characters from earlier volumes are quick and cheap - I haven't taken the time that JR, Kruger-s friend and computer cracked might have to find the details and do a wider by side comparison - but his description of at least one minor character sounded more for more identical to a description in an earlier volume. Perhaps I only saw it because I've re-read all the preceding home in the past seventy two hours, but if there's a point where updates get done, it deserves some attention. Finally, there was at least one glitch that struck me as something an editor missed: a paragraph that begins and abruptly, immediately repeated with the full text that makes sense.
But those, as I said, are minor quibbles. They shouldn't deter you from the book, and are only here in the event the author is paying attention. Having read and reviewed book 5 before far-reaching and reviewing 1-4, it's on to book 6. And I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally find binge reading far more fulfilling than binge watching - perhaps because I have more control of the pace, as well as more involvement in the story as my brain works to follow the characters. But that's me.
August 26, 2018
Retired FBI profiler Sean Kruger, is now teaching at a college when a college girl goes missing. He enlists the help of his friend, JR Diminski to help find her. Together they are successful, but they also uncover a clue to six missing college girls from 1999 through 2002. Kruger thought something was familiar about the abductions. After all he was the lead investigator in those six cold cases, and they still haunted him to this day. Kruger comes out of retirement to find the kidnapper. This leads them down dangerous, seedy trails of dark money and darker passions. Will they be successful and dare I hope, find those girls? You will have to read the book to find the answer. I would like to thank Reading Deals for a copy of this book so I may review it.
May 31, 2020
I’ve grown to enjoy the Sean Kruger series immensely, but this would just typically do it for me. I feel like after the perfection of book three, this one took a different turn which wasn’t inherently bad but just not what I was expecting. However I do still enjoy the series and continued on reading.
December 27, 2018
Good plot, nicely paced.
However, the lazy editing/proofreading of this novel was very distracting. There were at least 20 instances of incorrect words and misspellings. As much as I enjoyed the characters and plot, the lazy proofreading is inexcusable.
However, the lazy editing/proofreading of this novel was very distracting. There were at least 20 instances of incorrect words and misspellings. As much as I enjoyed the characters and plot, the lazy proofreading is inexcusable.
January 28, 2019
Enjoyed the book but found the spelling and grammatical errors off-putting.
January 30, 2022
The Cold Trail, by Amazon bestselling author J. C. Fields, is the fourth book in the Sean Kruger mystery-thriller series. The book starts with a flashback. Three young women, college students and friends, all pretty, smart and well-liked, vanish. Sean Kruger, a profiler for the FBI, is given the case. He is soon called by a man claiming to be the kidnapper, who informs Sean that he will never see the three girls again, that he is smarter than Sean and that Sean will fail to recover the girls or identify him. All attempts to trace the call fail, as there is no apparent record of the call. Sean does indeed fail to either recover the women or identify the kidnapper. He soon retires.
Which brings us to the present, years later. Sean is now retired from the FBI and is a college professor. Another young woman vanishes, and Sean is enticed to return to the FBI, to find the killer.
What follows is a taut, action-packed adventure, with a truly evil villain who feels (with much justification) that he is above the law. The case, ultimately, reaches into the upper branches of the U. S. government and Sean must navigate the conflicting imperatives of those who want the murderer found and those putting road-blocks in his path, afraid that their secrets will be revealed.
This is an excellent addition to a highly regarded series, full of twists and turns, and it kept me engrossed until the end. Highly recommended.
Which brings us to the present, years later. Sean is now retired from the FBI and is a college professor. Another young woman vanishes, and Sean is enticed to return to the FBI, to find the killer.
What follows is a taut, action-packed adventure, with a truly evil villain who feels (with much justification) that he is above the law. The case, ultimately, reaches into the upper branches of the U. S. government and Sean must navigate the conflicting imperatives of those who want the murderer found and those putting road-blocks in his path, afraid that their secrets will be revealed.
This is an excellent addition to a highly regarded series, full of twists and turns, and it kept me engrossed until the end. Highly recommended.
August 14, 2018
Former FBI agent, Sean Kruger, is now a university professor...and hating it. When a grad student from campus is abducted, Sean can't shake the similarities between this case and cold cases from 1999-2002. Sean has never gotten over the fact that he did not solve those cases and he decides to revisit them...with all of the technological advances over the years, he should finally be able to bring closure to the victims' families. Sean enlists the help of his hacker friend, JR Diminsky, to figure out the mystery...what they uncover isn't pretty. Politics, power, money, human trafficking...can Sean overcome all of this to bring a killer to justice? This is another action packed story in the Sean Kruger series that will leave you gasping and saying 'well heck, I never saw that coming'! Narration is on point and pulls you into the story. Hope this is not the end of the series!
I voluntarily accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2018
This is the first in the series I've listened to, so I know I'm somewhat missing out on the "full story," but with that said... I LOVED IT!
The past comes back to haunt retired FBI Profiler Sean Kruger. A student at the university where he teaches has been kidnapped and, although they manage to rescue her, it seems all too familiar, and he's brought back to an unsolved cold case that haunted him from his past. Now... he must face it again. And this time, he must win.
Money is the root of all evil, as they say, and some will stop at nothing.
Very well written and narrated, wonderful!! :) Definitely recommended! Want to listen to more in the series :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
The past comes back to haunt retired FBI Profiler Sean Kruger. A student at the university where he teaches has been kidnapped and, although they manage to rescue her, it seems all too familiar, and he's brought back to an unsolved cold case that haunted him from his past. Now... he must face it again. And this time, he must win.
Money is the root of all evil, as they say, and some will stop at nothing.
Very well written and narrated, wonderful!! :) Definitely recommended! Want to listen to more in the series :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
October 1, 2018
This is the first in the series I've listened to, so I know I'm somewhat missing out on the "full story," but with that said... I LOVED IT!
The past comes back to haunt retired FBI Profiler Sean Kruger. A student at the university where he teaches has been kidnapped and, although they manage to rescue her, it seems all too familiar, and he's brought back to an unsolved cold case that haunted him from his past. Now... he must face it again. And this time, he must win.
Money is the root of all evil, as they say, and some will stop at nothing.
Very well written and narrated, wonderful!! :) Definitely recommended! Want to listen to more in the series :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
The past comes back to haunt retired FBI Profiler Sean Kruger. A student at the university where he teaches has been kidnapped and, although they manage to rescue her, it seems all too familiar, and he's brought back to an unsolved cold case that haunted him from his past. Now... he must face it again. And this time, he must win.
Money is the root of all evil, as they say, and some will stop at nothing.
Very well written and narrated, wonderful!! :) Definitely recommended! Want to listen to more in the series :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 1, 2019
Started out as a decent story then became ridiculous.
Beginning with the first chapter that told about Agent Kruger',s back story that included his parents taking care of his son whose mother had left, throughout the next tedious few hundred pages, this child and grandparents were never mentioned again. Editing was sorely needed i.e. misspelled words, incorrect names used and descriptions of what people were wearing was totally unnecessary. As far as the story, the author crammed every facet of sick men, their deeds, money and politics and toward the end, which i discovered after skipping many chapters, he even threw in the Russians.
It was a hodge podge story that amounted to a waste of my time.
i
Beginning with the first chapter that told about Agent Kruger',s back story that included his parents taking care of his son whose mother had left, throughout the next tedious few hundred pages, this child and grandparents were never mentioned again. Editing was sorely needed i.e. misspelled words, incorrect names used and descriptions of what people were wearing was totally unnecessary. As far as the story, the author crammed every facet of sick men, their deeds, money and politics and toward the end, which i discovered after skipping many chapters, he even threw in the Russians.
It was a hodge podge story that amounted to a waste of my time.
i
June 30, 2023
I like this book although there's one thing I don't get At one point Sean Kruger's team is supposed to keep close to the suspect because they believe he's on a hunt. However while being in a club one agent is approached by a bodyguard, the others come to help him, so they lose the suspect who leaves with a woman, in result of which the woman dies ....and nothing. They all behave as if the death of the woman was no big deal (like if they missed a bus - so what? in five minutes next one arrives). Am I the only one who thinks there's something wrong here?
And of course if the book was professionally edited it was a very sloppy job.
And of course if the book was professionally edited it was a very sloppy job.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2018
Although this story is somewhat formulaic, the suspense is fairly realistic. As in the previous books in this series, the computer technology is quite inaccurate. But I like the characters, despite the fact their reappearance is quite obviously contrived.
Paul J McSorley performs well and has found just the right voices for these characters. It's great that he's reading this entire series so far.
NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Paul J McSorley performs well and has found just the right voices for these characters. It's great that he's reading this entire series so far.
NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
April 27, 2019
A great storyline that is pertinent to this day and age. Great cast of characters that have been further developed and like old friends now. A lot of action to keep you on your toes and your worries off your woes!
Paul McSorley has, once again, done an exceptional job with his narration. You again see the characters through his vocals and you can hear the derision or humor in side comments made by characters. His grasp of foreign words and names are great. Another book well done!
Paul McSorley has, once again, done an exceptional job with his narration. You again see the characters through his vocals and you can hear the derision or humor in side comments made by characters. His grasp of foreign words and names are great. Another book well done!
September 14, 2021
I wrote a review on the boxed set of the Sean Kruger books 1-3, by JC Fields, praising the books as highly as possible, and I can only repeat everything I said. Sean Kruger and his friends and colleagues are like friends now, and the crimes they discover and solve are so believable - I could write the same glowing review of each book. Even if this genre isn't your usual thing, I recommend giving them a try.
November 3, 2021
Even though I do not like to read stories about serial killers, I still give this book 5-stars, because I like Sean Kruger and his co-horts - and, I don't feel it's fair to take off points for a story just because I don't like elements of that genre. That being said, this is the 4th Kruger book I've read and, as I said, I like him, his wife, JR, and the other characters he comes into contact with in the FBI world. This was a good, convoluted plot with some interesting surprises and twists.
April 21, 2022
I'll never know
I've never left a rating like this but , I'm wondering how does a person proceed to read a book when they can't through the first chapter without being completely confused to the point of no return. Poor pitiful editing and complete confusion.I will not waste my time trying to decipher who said what or who they should be speaking to. One half star....only because it was free.
I've never left a rating like this but , I'm wondering how does a person proceed to read a book when they can't through the first chapter without being completely confused to the point of no return. Poor pitiful editing and complete confusion.I will not waste my time trying to decipher who said what or who they should be speaking to. One half star....only because it was free.
July 22, 2024
VERY GOOD!
Sean Krueger is a great character. I really enjoyed this book. I’ve enjoyed the other ones too. It’s a good story he’s smart. He’s tenacious and they did all of this with hardly any bad language.. the storyline was real good. I was able to keep reading it. I didn’t want to put it down. It was very exciting. I really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read another story by JC Fields..
Sean Krueger is a great character. I really enjoyed this book. I’ve enjoyed the other ones too. It’s a good story he’s smart. He’s tenacious and they did all of this with hardly any bad language.. the storyline was real good. I was able to keep reading it. I didn’t want to put it down. It was very exciting. I really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read another story by JC Fields..
October 17, 2018
Absolutely loved this book! The characters are well developed and relatable, the plot is fantastic and the scenes read so smoothly that I could picture them in my head as I was reading. The detail in this book is just wonderful and not overdone to the point of getting bored with it, but enough to be able to understand what is going on even if you aren't familiar with law enforcement procedure. I cannot wait to go back and read the first 3 books in this series!
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.
July 21, 2019
A mystery from beginning to end!!
A well-written thriller by J. C. Fields. Just when you think that there could not possibly be any more mystery and suspense added,Fields adds another layer of mystery. Who was guilty and who was innocent? Anyone who likes a good mystery should read this book.
A well-written thriller by J. C. Fields. Just when you think that there could not possibly be any more mystery and suspense added,Fields adds another layer of mystery. Who was guilty and who was innocent? Anyone who likes a good mystery should read this book.
September 14, 2019
Interesting story with good characters and plot twists.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It is well written and there authors stole is well developed. My only criticism is that there are two many incidental characters, especially in the FBI. This may be the way the FBI operates, but it made it somewhat confusing.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It is well written and there authors stole is well developed. My only criticism is that there are two many incidental characters, especially in the FBI. This may be the way the FBI operates, but it made it somewhat confusing.
October 6, 2019
A must-read series!
I’ve just finished this book and am compelled to write a review, which is not something I often do. I loved all four of the Sean Kruger books. If you like characters that make you smile, interweaving stories, and good mysteries, this series is for you. I recommend starting with the first book, but the author writes so you wouldn’t need to.
I’ve just finished this book and am compelled to write a review, which is not something I often do. I loved all four of the Sean Kruger books. If you like characters that make you smile, interweaving stories, and good mysteries, this series is for you. I recommend starting with the first book, but the author writes so you wouldn’t need to.
February 22, 2020
This case is more personal for former FBI profiler Kruger. He is teaching at the university a student from the university is kidnapped, then noting the others that had been . It is dark, the places he has to go are even darker. He pursues, and this gives us a good story plot of what the outcome is.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
July 31, 2022
I knocked a star off because of numerous typos, misspellings, and other grammatical errors that I found distracting and annoying. (I'm reading the series in Kindle.)
I enjoy the series and recommend it for anyone that enjoys stories of political intrigue, murder mysteries, and stories with unexpected twists and turns.
I enjoy the series and recommend it for anyone that enjoys stories of political intrigue, murder mysteries, and stories with unexpected twists and turns.
November 4, 2022
Another fast paced novel where Sean is drawn back into a cold case of missing girls from 10 years before with no trace. He follows one thread after another to bring closure to the families. While he is back in the FBI to close some cold cases he still hates being away from his new family. Great reading about life and conflict between family life and work
July 17, 2023
human traffickers are real
This story deals with innocent people being abducted and sold into trafficking and the families left behind without answers.
It’s also about politics and the corruption that we see and the corruption we don’t see within America and by foreign investors.
Although this book is fiction it could be so real today.
This story deals with innocent people being abducted and sold into trafficking and the families left behind without answers.
It’s also about politics and the corruption that we see and the corruption we don’t see within America and by foreign investors.
Although this book is fiction it could be so real today.
February 19, 2019
The Cold Trail
This was very good. I give it 5 stars. I had hard time remembering all the characters names ,as the book went on. Good plot and interesting. I like Detective and FBI stories, so this was a good book for me.
This was very good. I give it 5 stars. I had hard time remembering all the characters names ,as the book went on. Good plot and interesting. I like Detective and FBI stories, so this was a good book for me.
February 21, 2019
The Cold Trail
Very interesting and entertaining story about the missing persons case and the FBI agent who could not let it go. Seems very accurate about methods and procedures that would be used in a real like case. Kept my attention from beginning to the end.
Very interesting and entertaining story about the missing persons case and the FBI agent who could not let it go. Seems very accurate about methods and procedures that would be used in a real like case. Kept my attention from beginning to the end.
October 10, 2019
Great story!
What a wonderfully woven tale! I liked the character development and the way the story progressed from one event to another. There is definitely a cliffhanger at the end, though.
What a wonderfully woven tale! I liked the character development and the way the story progressed from one event to another. There is definitely a cliffhanger at the end, though.
April 24, 2020
Tense and exciting, a must read!
Loved this.beautifully.written book. The characters quickly become people that you would love to sit with a scotch and trade stories!
This book is a.masterpiece.of 'spy stories.'
Loved this.beautifully.written book. The characters quickly become people that you would love to sit with a scotch and trade stories!
This book is a.masterpiece.of 'spy stories.'
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews