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Cold Cold Heart
The chase begins as Mike Culley, a former agent who was sold down the river by the CIA, is pulled out of prison and back into service. His mission is to hunt down brilliant, high-level Russian defector, John Malik, who is suspected of a series of brutal murders.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
6 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
James Elliott
101 books6 followersJames Elliott is a Canadian journalist and author with a keen and abiding interest in early North American history. With the Hamilton Spectator he wrote widely on the War of 1812 on subjects ranging from the Bloody Assizes to the Burlington Races. He worked on several episodes of the CBCs Gemini Award winning Canada: A Peoples History both as a consultant and a special-skills extra. He is the author of the critically acclaimed If Ponies Rode Men, which should have been made into a major motion picture. James Elliott lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife, Irene, four miles from the Stoney Creek battlefield."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 10, 2017
Extremely enjoyable thriller, plus it features a very well written, imaginative shower scene .
Very underrated book.
March 18, 2013
As I have said in reviews of other serial killer novels, I am not a fan of them. After several, I begin to wonder if (a) the writer just wants to slather us in gore, or (b) there’s a clause in his or her contract that requires at least one serial killer novel. Since according to a blurb inside the back cover saying this is James Elliott’s first novel, I’ll assume it’s (a).
There is also a ‘sameness’ about serial killer novels. The killer is always so skilled, cruel, and lucky he (almost always a man) can abduct three or more victims (almost always women) without anyone seeing him, torture them in depraved ways, and put their mutilated bodies on grotesque display in some public place, again without anyone seeing him do it. It’s this last part I always have the hardest time believing. To arrange the body displays (as the killer did here) takes time, and time is the killer’s enemy. The longer he dithers around getting the bodies just the way he wants them, the greater the odds someone will spot him. But in serial killer novels, no one ever does.
The only new twist here is the killer is a Russian KGB defector the CIA set up with a new identity in the U.S., aware he was a psychopath but ignoring the danger he represents until it blows up in their faces. They then free the hero, who took the fall for one of their botched operations and went to prison, and send him to find the killer so they can again cover their asses by tracking him down and disposing of him and any proof he ever existed while the FBI and several law enforcement agencies scramble to capture a guy who has tortured and mutilated a half dozen women by the novel’s end.
This book suffers from incidents of TMI. Several times Elliott takes us out of the flow of the story to dump a pile of information on the reader. Do we really need to know the number of women murdered in various cities across the U.S. in the 20 years before this novel was first published? Or how many serial killers were active at the time it was published? Or did Elliott throw that information in just to shock and scare the reader?
And does the reader really need a six and a half page scene of a character musing on the antagonist?
Perhaps I’ve read too many books like Cold Cold Heart and have become jaded or have raised my expectations to a higher level, but this book at best was so-so. It breaks no new ground. Truthfully, Mr. Elliott, I suggest you go back to whatever career your plied before writing this and concentrate on it.
I can't rate it one star because the main plot was as interesting as these stories get and I did care about the hero (I always root for someone shafted by the government, especially by those in it who are more concerned with their own careers than anything else), but I can't rate it 2 stars because as I said above, it broke no new ground.
Oh, for the ability to add half stars.
There is also a ‘sameness’ about serial killer novels. The killer is always so skilled, cruel, and lucky he (almost always a man) can abduct three or more victims (almost always women) without anyone seeing him, torture them in depraved ways, and put their mutilated bodies on grotesque display in some public place, again without anyone seeing him do it. It’s this last part I always have the hardest time believing. To arrange the body displays (as the killer did here) takes time, and time is the killer’s enemy. The longer he dithers around getting the bodies just the way he wants them, the greater the odds someone will spot him. But in serial killer novels, no one ever does.
The only new twist here is the killer is a Russian KGB defector the CIA set up with a new identity in the U.S., aware he was a psychopath but ignoring the danger he represents until it blows up in their faces. They then free the hero, who took the fall for one of their botched operations and went to prison, and send him to find the killer so they can again cover their asses by tracking him down and disposing of him and any proof he ever existed while the FBI and several law enforcement agencies scramble to capture a guy who has tortured and mutilated a half dozen women by the novel’s end.
This book suffers from incidents of TMI. Several times Elliott takes us out of the flow of the story to dump a pile of information on the reader. Do we really need to know the number of women murdered in various cities across the U.S. in the 20 years before this novel was first published? Or how many serial killers were active at the time it was published? Or did Elliott throw that information in just to shock and scare the reader?
And does the reader really need a six and a half page scene of a character musing on the antagonist?
Perhaps I’ve read too many books like Cold Cold Heart and have become jaded or have raised my expectations to a higher level, but this book at best was so-so. It breaks no new ground. Truthfully, Mr. Elliott, I suggest you go back to whatever career your plied before writing this and concentrate on it.
I can't rate it one star because the main plot was as interesting as these stories get and I did care about the hero (I always root for someone shafted by the government, especially by those in it who are more concerned with their own careers than anything else), but I can't rate it 2 stars because as I said above, it broke no new ground.
Oh, for the ability to add half stars.
December 31, 2023
De mis mejores lecturas de este año y haberlo comprado fue puro instinto, porque la edición que conseguí en una feria, era tapa dura, sin portada, sin sinopsis, simplemente confiar en porque el libro te llama.
La verdad que no me arrepiento en lo absoluto de haberme arriesgado, es un excelente libro de comienzo a fin, en ningún momento se vuelve tediosa la lectura, ni deja de haber acción, simplemente estás conectado desde la primera página porque si, la primera página ya arranca con el descubrimiento de un brutal asesinato.
Me gustó mucho que los capítulos estén narrados en distintos tiempos o desde la perspectiva de los diferentes personajes: el asesino, el FBI, la CIA, entre otros, me pareció una forma de estar centrada en los hechos.
Las muertes del libro también fueron increíbles y originales, al punto que te generaba escalofríos cada vez que encontraban un cadáver.
También destacar la estrategia del asesino, al haber leído varios thriller a lo largo se puede ver el típico cliché, pero en este caso no, para mí, fue de los más originales.
Super recomendado! 👏🏻
La verdad que no me arrepiento en lo absoluto de haberme arriesgado, es un excelente libro de comienzo a fin, en ningún momento se vuelve tediosa la lectura, ni deja de haber acción, simplemente estás conectado desde la primera página porque si, la primera página ya arranca con el descubrimiento de un brutal asesinato.
Me gustó mucho que los capítulos estén narrados en distintos tiempos o desde la perspectiva de los diferentes personajes: el asesino, el FBI, la CIA, entre otros, me pareció una forma de estar centrada en los hechos.
Las muertes del libro también fueron increíbles y originales, al punto que te generaba escalofríos cada vez que encontraban un cadáver.
También destacar la estrategia del asesino, al haber leído varios thriller a lo largo se puede ver el típico cliché, pero en este caso no, para mí, fue de los más originales.
Super recomendado! 👏🏻
February 16, 2020
A quick-paced novel. I love this type of novels where twists are at every corner making it really a page-turning book, but the number of coincident occurrences plays on the nerves of the reader as if the writer is laughing at your face. Still, it is fun to read, though I would not recommend it to any who is into this genre. There are a lot of other novels that overly surpass its plot.
March 24, 2018
A Russian defector is given asylum in the US, but he starts murdering women. The CIA has to stop him.
This is a first and apparently only book by this author. I thought it was very well done. It is very fast paced with plenty of twists. I couldn’t put it down.
This is a first and apparently only book by this author. I thought it was very well done. It is very fast paced with plenty of twists. I couldn’t put it down.
April 24, 2008
An ex-CIA agent and a newspaper reporter join forces to stop a sly serial killer (who is a former KGB colonel).
Many twists and turns. Fast-paced. Gruesome in parts but compelling.
Many twists and turns. Fast-paced. Gruesome in parts but compelling.
September 7, 2010
I quit this book with 100 pages left to read. The coincidences to make the plot work were just too ridiculous.
July 31, 2011
If I could give this book more stars I would.
February 23, 2015
Riveting story and very easy to read.
January 6, 2024
Who reads this kind of book? I could only get through the first few chapters of this before quitting. First, they all preach the "no coincidences" story, and this was nothing but coincidences. Second, page after page of cutting up women. Third, the macho super woman rolls up in her Porsche and the tough guy pees his pants and starts letting her do all the problem solving because he just isn't able to tell her to get lost and make her understand he means it. I assume they eventually consummated their love/hate relationship, but according to other reviews, she let him catch the killer. Third book in a row with the same plot.
February 25, 2018
Stereotypical everything. Stereotypical lone wolf who has no sense of the chain of command. Stereotypical killer. Coincidences mysteriously arise to fix all plot issues. On top of all of that, inaccurate police procedure. All this means not only did this particular novel template stop working long ago, but that it really, really does not stand up to the test of time. Very disappointing.
December 10, 2021
A rather shitty Thomas Harris knock off with hints of Clive Cussler. The characters are pretty flat, the situation fantastical, and the prose were clunky and didn't land right. It's not the worst idea for a B movie, but this serial killer v. CIA v. FBI fell flat on all points. Not even a satisfying beach book.
October 5, 2017
A very fast-paced book with lots of energy. This story includes two of my favorite recreational reading items: serial killers and the CIA/covert ops. Would love to see the main characters in this story come back for a sequel.
August 24, 2020
This is an older book (1994) that I randomly pulled from the shelf at the library. It was good if you like crime stories. It did have some graphic gory details, so if you can't handle that, it might not be for you.
July 17, 2025
main storyline was very well executed in my opinion, everything fell together like a perfect puzzle. the sex scene didn't feel necessary, it felt a little forced. but house and culleys chemistry was natural otherwise. it was a good read, predictable but enjoyable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2018
Fast paced and thrilling to the end.
June 21, 2019
Basic
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2023
A definite page turner with lots of excitement and stressful moments. All the loose ends tied up neatly in the end which makes for a good story.
Read
September 30, 2025marvelous
December 29, 2025
Puntuación: 6 / 10 – 3 estrellas de 5
Un asesino en serie siempre tendrá una fijación. Ahí es donde hay que buscar.
Es una nueva entrega de “Asesinos a Escena”, colección en la que se han seleccionado algunos de los relatos de ficción sobre asesinos en serie que se han escrito a lo largo de los años.
En esta ocasión nos encontramos ante la complejidad de las investigaciones en Estados Unidos ante la presencia de la policía local, la federal y la estatal. El FBI lleva un caso, junto con los locales, en el que desaparecen varias chicas de un campus universitario y acaba apareciendo un cuerpo mutilado. Mientras tanto, la CIA cree saber quién es el autor de estas acciones y decide buscar al mejor: un ex agente que ha pasado un tiempo en prisión por protegerles. A todo ello se unirá una periodista peculiar.
La historia a nivel general ha estado muy bien, ha sido muy interesante y ha estado bien organizada. Algunos detalles parecen puestos a propósito en según qué momentos para continuar la línea argumental y perjudican un poco a la tónica universal.
Lectura entretenida.
Un asesino en serie siempre tendrá una fijación. Ahí es donde hay que buscar.
Es una nueva entrega de “Asesinos a Escena”, colección en la que se han seleccionado algunos de los relatos de ficción sobre asesinos en serie que se han escrito a lo largo de los años.
En esta ocasión nos encontramos ante la complejidad de las investigaciones en Estados Unidos ante la presencia de la policía local, la federal y la estatal. El FBI lleva un caso, junto con los locales, en el que desaparecen varias chicas de un campus universitario y acaba apareciendo un cuerpo mutilado. Mientras tanto, la CIA cree saber quién es el autor de estas acciones y decide buscar al mejor: un ex agente que ha pasado un tiempo en prisión por protegerles. A todo ello se unirá una periodista peculiar.
La historia a nivel general ha estado muy bien, ha sido muy interesante y ha estado bien organizada. Algunos detalles parecen puestos a propósito en según qué momentos para continuar la línea argumental y perjudican un poco a la tónica universal.
Lectura entretenida.
November 8, 2016
Typical strong aloof male character with a grudge who typically plays by his own rules working on his own but of course stumbles across and is helped by an attractive (of course) woman. She is on the case for her own reasons (he is still obviously the one to crack it in the end) and OH I NEARLY FORGOT she also likes to drive fast cars (every small-dicked man's fantasy) and of course she's a great fuck (despite the fact that he wasn't interested in her at first due to mourning the death of his wife - but not for very long). Too much like James Bond and Jack Reacher but in a bad way and with a lot of woman-hating going on. Don't bother.
June 26, 2019
Easy to read and the plot is smooth.
August 21, 2014
Muy bueno me ha gustado mucho, he vuelto a tener suerte al leer un libro poco conocido de un autor poco conocido en España. Aunque lo empecé con cierta incertidumbre, ya que no encontraba por ningún sitio ninguna referencia ni ninguna reseña en español. La historia y la trama son muy entretenidas, es un libro rápido y fácil de leer, con mucha acción y suspense, aunque a lo mejor se pueden echar en falta algún que otro giro inesperado porque llega a parecer un poco predecible, pero por lo demás está muy bien. El final es bueno, te quedas satisfecho, ya que todo queda bien atado.
August 12, 2011
Mystery story with a psycho serial killer on the loose being pursued by the police, FBI and CIA. Involved plot lines with the lead characters. A good amount of action and twists and turns, but the story moves quickly and kept my interest.
January 4, 2015
I tried my best to keep reading but I could only make it halfway. It doesn't stand out in any way at all. Predictable and derivative. Like a James Patterson book, if you've read one, you've read them all
February 26, 2015
somewhat predictable, but lots of action. Entertaining.
May 22, 2015
My one star rating is really not fair. But two stars say it's "okay". The book is well written, but I despise this kind of -- well, I'd call it literary pornography. It was horribly descriptive.
August 19, 2015
Pretty naive, however entertaining.
February 7, 2016
spies, cons, defectors, serial killers, but all a bit predictable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews