A Cold Dark Promise

Cold Justice #9

by Toni Anderson

From New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson comes a heart-wrenching, emotional story about love, bioweapons, and the importance of keeping promises.

In the midst of wedding preparations, a shadowy figure from Alex Parker's past reappears and threatens the joy he's found with Mallory Rooney.

Four years ago, Jane Sanders’s powerful ex-husband kidnapped their young daughter and Jane hasn't seen her since. Now, she finally has a lead and she knows just the man to help get her daughter back. Trouble is, he's an assassin. And he terrifies her.

Despite his upcoming nuptials, Alex agrees to help, but it doesn't take long for the routine operation to turn complicated—and deadly on a global scale.

Can the former assassin make it home in time to marry the woman he loves, or will his dark past destroy all hope for their future?


A Cold Dark Promise takes place during the week leading up to the wedding of former CIA assassin Alex Parker to FBI Agent Mallory Rooney, who first meet in the novel, A Cold Dark Place. A Cold Dark Promise can be read as a standalone novella, but readers might get more enjoyment if they read A Cold Dark Place first.

This edition features a brand-new cover.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Novella, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2017

About the author

Next Release: COLD HEAT
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Toni Anderson® writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She’s been a finalist in The Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America, and also in the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers.

Her books have been downloaded more than three million times.

Best known for her Cold Justice® books perhaps it’s not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean.

In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center.


For more information about Toni:
Website: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com
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Start reading Toni's award-winning, bestselling Cold Justice® series with A COLD DARK PLACE.

If you want to know when Toni's next book will be out, visit her website https://www.toniandersonauthor.com or sign up for her newsletter https://www.toniandersonauthor.com/ne...

Reviews

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series...I love the couple that is a main focus of this novella. ( it is a couple from book one)
Was this book necessary? No.
You can freely skip it. But if you are a reader of romantic suspense give this series a chance.

[Jess☺️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cold Dark Promise by Toni Anderson is book 9 in the Cold Justice series and it's a shot wedding novella which we have seen hinted a throughout the series in the background and for me it felt like the end of this series and it was a lovely ending (even if there is one book left to go 😆)
There's still one last mission to save a little girl which then turns into stopping an arm's dealer trying to sale anthrax 😬
It's a short story but it's still fast and exciting and YES there's still some romance and a great HEA.
I'm going to miss this series but i definitely recommend this as a whole series to be read 📖

[Dísir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect of ‘A Cold Dark Promise’—the wedding novella of Alex Parker and Mal Rooney—except for the fact that it was a long time in coming, circling back to the original couple that sparked off the whole Cold Justice series. After all, Mal’s unending pregnancy was starting to feel like the official ‘measurement’ for the time it took for all of the series's characters to fall in love and get their HEA.

‘A Cold Dark Promise’ is nonetheless a special one: Alex Parker is the enigmatic, mysterious brooding man who started it all and I’m pleasantly surprised to see him as the more compassionate man who had grown some funnies along the way as the rest of the Cold Justice books went by. Despite him popping up here and there in other books as a supporting character, I simply liked seeing him taking centre stage again after all this time.

Anderson’s dry British humour flexes its mighty muscles here (unless I’m not supposed to laugh, which means I’ve gotten it so wrong), and that definitely made the book more lighthearted and fun read than the rest of her other Cold Justice books. Her characters were pulled out of their usual comfort zones to do things they didn’t normally do (the Parker/Frazer bromance!) in a last-minute op that had the characters flying by the seat of their pants. Now this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience to read about, all the more so with the slight comedic elements thrown in with the suspense and thrills.

The reunion of all the cast members simply shows how far we’ve come in the series and I think I simply fangirled each time my favourite couples poked their noses out and came out to play, even for a sentence or two. For a novella and a sort-of roundup to the series (though Anderson promises it isn’t the end), ‘A Cold Dark Promise’ packs a huge punch—it’s brilliant, hilarious in parts and proof positive that a wedding could still go off without a hitch (barely) because it took a village for that to happen.

*ARC by the author

[Debra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Stars

Wow. I loved this one!
It was very fast paced and the flow was so smooth.
The scene where all the action finally took place had a couple of very small issues and I deducted from a full 5 down to 4.75 for that.
But everything else was Top Notch!

It opens with Alex and Mallory preparing for their upcoming wedding and a beautiful steamy intimate love scene.

Then Jane enters the Story via Alex and asking him to help her get her daughter.
She has this ONE chance to get her back but Alex is hesitant due to Mallory being pregnant and his wedding is in ONE WEEK.

Needless to say he takes it on and it is INTENSE from virtually the get go.
AND
We get romance build up of Reilly! Finally. With Jane!
We don't get scenes with them but the building of a relationship instead.
Everything with that really worked well with the story.

It felt like ALL the characters were from previous books made an entry in this one.
And there were real laugh out loud moments.
And Edge of your Seat moments.

While this is listed as a novella it is nearly 200 pages.
It NEVER felt cut short.
In fact, I think this is my favorite book in the series so far.

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little wedding novella with some mystery thrown in! Perfect for those who have read the Cold Justice series!

[Sofia Lazaridou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex and Mallory from A Cold Dark Place are getting married! I don't know these characters, but I still enjoyed their story as if I had. The romance is there, but there is also suspense and they were combined in the right way. I enjoyed the book, even if I was worried that Alex wouldn't make it to his wedding. The book was good. I wish Jane had gotten together with her man in this book, but I guess that some good things have to happen in the next book. I wonder whose story is going to be.

So far, I am very happy with the series. This is my fourth book, but the author has gotten another fan and I'll keep reading her books. Jane's part of the plot could have been very heavy, but it was balanced and it added to the goodness of A cold dark promise. The characters have been set up nicely and I got the family feeling while I was reading the book. I was a little disappointed to see that Mallory didn't share her point of view as much as some other characters had, but I guess she said her piece at the right time. I am very happy with the way everything played out and I hope the author plans to release the next book soon, hopefully with a subplot about a birth.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Alex and Mallory and was happy to see this second book about their wedding. Some more scary, edge-of-your seat situations here. Terrific!

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, there are novellas and then there are NOVELLAS. This falls into the second category. It has everything you expect in a longer book, but its' just a little shorter and just plain fantastic. The story centers around the Cold Justice Series first couple, Alex Parker and Mallory Rooney. Their wedding is fast approaching, but Alex has some unexpected business to take care of.

Jane Sanders reappears in Alex's life making threats if he won't help her recover her daughter who had been kidnapped four years ago by her wealthy, powerful ex. Jane knows what Alex is capable of and is terrified of what he could do to her, but getting her daughter back is worth it.

But this simple snatch and grab takes a nasty turn when some vile players, who can't be ignored, show up and Alex knows there is more, a whole lot more, at stake than the life of one little girl. More, even, than the love and happiness he has with Mallory and their soon to be child.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cold Dark Promise
3 Stars

Series note: Although classified as book #9, this is a short novella that takes place in the days before Alex and Mallory's (book #1) wedding.

The focus is on Alex's reluctant decision to help Jane Sanders retrieve her young daughter, who was kidnapped by her father in a custody dispute. The operation takes a surprise turn when Alex sees a known arms dealer and realizes there is something much more dangerous afoot.

This novella is definitely more suspense than romance. In fact, a quite pregnant Mallory barely puts in an appearance, and the attraction between Jane and Alex's co-worker, Jack, is underdeveloped and disappointing. It would have been better to either give them their own book or leave it out completely.

The suspense plot is better with some intense moments and good action scenes toward the end. That said, the premise loses something in the execution as the novella format is simply to short to provide the context and detail that would make it a more engaging read.

There are cameo appearances by all of the characters from the previous books, and it is fun to catch up with them and see their interactions. While the book provides a sense of completion and closure to the series, there is actually one more book with never before seen characters - strange...

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by Toni Anderson. I very much enjoyed her writing style, her characters and her story line. I appreciated the fact that she didn't stop writing as soon as her story reached its climax, but rather with the satisfying ending of the personal stories of the various characters. I will definitely be reading more books by this writer.

[Tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed @ Thoughts By Tash
Review copy kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review
As I have previously mentioned in other reviews for this series . I was late to the game but soon fell love with the characters and the concept of this series. Even after being reading this standalone series for more then a year. I haven’t catch up yet with the earlier books and the one release last year . However I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity despite not reading Alex and Mallory first book.

As it was a chance to see all characters together in this novella . Even though it wasn’t exactly to plan like the leads planned it. As it wouldn’t be a Cold Justice novel without some problem of a criminal /suspense nature.

This one relates to Alex’s previous life which I’m not totally familiar with but it isn’t necessary to enjoy this book. It’s a pretty messy past life and as an result it fast paced adventure with plenty of surprises as Alex decides to help out and instead gets in to a carefully crafted plot that will leave you hanging until the last few pages.

It was an excellent way to see Alex off in to married life and settle his past . It was intriguing instalment and I loved that Anderson gave us this book. It allowed us as readers to see things come full circle and readers will enjoyed this novella.

It added to the story something that you didn’t realise it needed and who wouldn’t love this book as plenty of familiar characters get involved and there maybe a hint or two from this author where this series is heading .
For more of my reviews, visit Thoughts by Tash.And drop by the blog's Facebook page

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to smile as I was reading this thinking only Toni would have a FBI/CIA/Interpol terrorist taken down in the middle of the book where 2 of her characters were finally tying the knot. Then I get to the end of the book where she explains that would have been a boring book if she hadn't had a side plot inserted in the middle and I smiled some more – side plot? More like edge of your seat suspense and wondering if the groom was going to make it back alive for his wedding.

Fans of the series should love this one.. Alex Parker and Mallory – the two who started this series – are just days away from saying I DO. Mallory is also pregnant and emotional. Alex is asked by a acquaintance from his past to help her get her daughter back from her rich Saudi ex who stole her 4 years ago. He has recently turned up on a yacht in the French Riviera with the daughter in tow. Alex doesn't want to do the favor but surprisingly it's Mallory who convinces him to. Alex knows something more sinister is up when he spots known arms dealers and terrorist coming and going from the yacht once he gets there..

Things get nuts from there.... Loved this crazy ride with a great wedding at the end...

[RiriRomantiques · Rating 5 out of 5]

« Click. For the first time on a mission Alex’s gun jammed. »
This was Toni Anderson’s first attempt to give me a heart attack.
Everybody’s attending this wedding and a bunch of very pleasant agents and friends help Alex in his important mission before the ceremony.
This novella is the fix the series fans need while waiting for the next Cold Justice Series book.
Toni’s heroes are alpha-type with the perfect amount of romance consciousness I’ve always needed in my books.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novella between books 8 and 9 in Toni Anderson's "Cold Justice" series!!!

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. But it wasn't really what I wanted for an Alex and Mallory story.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex, the groom, takes off a week before the wedding. On what will likely be a dangerous mission. A volunteer mission. I didn't know whether to kiss him or smack him. Seriously, he wanders off on a freelance job a week before the ceremony?! At least it was to help someone, to reunite a parent and child.

Not having the first few books in the series, I didn't fully get the animosity between Alex and Jane but I appreciated, despite the timing, that he helped her even though they didn't like each other and even though he was doing it for free. It wasn't a job, he was getting ready for his honeymoon, he could have said 'No'. But, with Mallory's blessing, he heads overseas to retrieve Jane's eight year-old daughter.

Of course, things don't go as planned and soon backup arrives to help with some serious matters, more than just a rescue job. And, though this is Alex and Mallory's wedding story, there's another romance in bloom and it was just lovely. I'm looking forward to seeing that one play out. There's a lot of baggage to be dealt with but I expect Anderson will handle it tactfully and realistically as she does everything.

The beginning and middle of the story are dark, tense, and exciting with moments of humor and romance. I was actually seriously worried that Alex might not get out this alive. At one point, actually at several points, I was cursing Anderson. She really had me doubting that Alex would live and that he'd make it to his wedding on time. Thank goodness for friends!

The end of the book was sweet, a little sappy, and funny. I laughed out loud at the scene with barney and Rex. I could just see it in my head. The story wrapped up some threads from earlier in the series and brought Alex and Mallory's relationship to a happy point. Anderson neatly managed suspense, romance, and humor in a tense, exciting and sweet package.

Some favorite quotes:

Click. For the first time on a mission Alex’s gun jammed.

"Turn up in rags and I'll marry you. Hell, turn up painted green and I won't blink."

[MBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cold Dark Promise by Toni Anderson is a novella that fans of the Cold Justice series would adore. One reason being that this novella brings to readers the wedding of Alex Parker and FBI Agent Mallory Rooney, the main protagonists from the debut book of the series.

Alex’s character was one of the main reasons why I fell in love with the Cold Justice series initially. Toni Anderson’s way of putting a story together is another, and there was ruthless edge to the story that made me think of Anne Stuart’s books as well, which I obviously adored. Having come a long way since, A Cold Dark Promise takes place with a 27 week pregnant Mallory, getting ready to tie the knot with Alex, in order to celebrate their love, and make things official before the baby were to arrive.

However, a member from Alex’s dark past comes calling, and even though Alex wants to turn away from the plea put forth by a grieving mother, he finds that he is not as ruthless as he thinks himself to be, which is how Alex finds himself in the south of France, where a mission that he had thought would be simple, turns out to be anything but.

I absolutely adored this novella. I am mostly never a fan of short length novels, because though they rarely serve their purpose, and they usually fail to deliver just enough to satisfy readers. But I had no such complains with this little number and I believe that Toni has done a remarkably impressive job out of delivering a well rounded story that readers can sink their teeth into.

I loved Alex and Mallory’s shared moments as described in the story. There is a normalcy to their whole relationship that makes their love that much more real and relatable. There is no dramatic flair to it, but yet it is deep and as meaningful as they come, which is why I adored the bits of their lives that Toni brought to light in this story.

Moments of truth like Mallory grappling with the fact that she doesn’t particularly like it when Alex might be in the line of danger while she herself wants the independence to put herself on the line when it comes to her work as an FBI agent; those are the things that struck me the most in the story.

I also enjoy how Toni brings together the cast from various other stories in the series. I sometimes have a problem with how some authors seem to have too many cooks spoiling the broth so to say, when too many protagonists from other stories seem to become the centre stage of the story. Toni also does an impressive job of portraying male friendships; rather than making them sappy in a way some authors tend to do, or go overboard trying to generate the whole “bro” vibe, I think Toni’s understated way of handling things works beautifully.

The mini secondary romance tucked into the story was just the icing on the cake – Reilly being a wonderful, wonderful hero that I fell in love with, just as hard and just as fast.

Definitely looking forward to more in the series. Toni sometimes describes her imagination as being dark – but I love just how dark it can get, with the possibility of there always been more.

Recommended!

Rating = 4.75/5

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[CCAM&GZM · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to meet again Alex, the main character of A Cold Dark Place. It is obvious that over time and other six books he became even better and he deserved to have a (another) book of his own, even if only a novella. The plus is that this novella gives a fine story. And a bit disappointing for me, because jumping over the other six volumes caused me to lose a lot of interesting protagonists. Yes, even if Alex has the leading role, there are many other nice and interesting characters from the previous stories that have a role to play now and I’m quite curious how they got together. For example, I cannot wait to see how the relationship between Alex and Frazer changed from “rivals” to friends.

Giving the fact that the series is a romantic suspense, Mrs. Anderson played as matchmaker one more time and created another couple. Good and bad (or apparent bad) come together for the romance fans.

With humor, some turns, good rhythm and enough of unexpected, A Cold Dark Promise is not so dark or cold but thoroughly enjoyable. Still, the significance of the title is more than meets the eye at first sight as it is impossible to think that Alex would not keep his promise!

Coming back to my initial question: my first reaction was “great!” and the second one, after the Promise, was: still great!

I had to keep it short in order to cut the losses and start reading the whole series!
PS: A nice way to prepare a wedding! 😏

http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/2017...

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE the fact that a Toni Anderson novella is as long as some full length stories I've come across, so the week leading up to Alex & Mallory's wedding is another exciting ride that kept me on the edge of my seat while giving me so much more of this couple. Now, I know it says you can read it as a standalone, but honestly, I wouldn't because you really need to read their story in A Cold Dark Place (Book 1) to really experience all of their journey to their wedding day. Let me tell you, I wasn't a fan of Jane (his former handler) when we first met her since she came off as very cold while dealing with Alex, who just wanted to get out. Now she needs his help since he is the best, because her ex has her child, and Jane would do whatever it takes to get said child back, including begging Alex, who she's terrified of at the end of the day. Now it's a race against time for Alex to complete it after things go sideways & getting back in time to get married to the love of his life, and my heart was racing like you wouldn't believe since it was INTENSE! Anyway, I LOVE this author, so I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Trish R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really exciting read for it being a novella. All about Alex headed for the French Riviera to try to get Jane’s daughter back from the ex-husband who’d kidnapped her 4 years before, and Alex discovering that the ex-husband was preparing to make a deal with all sorts of bad guys for some anthrax. They had to take care of that and still get back home to marry Mallory in a week’s time, which he did with one minute to spare. There was never a dull moment.

There was no sex in this but there was desire between Reilly and Jane. And the F-bomb was used 17 times.

As to the narration: As always Eric G. Dove was awesome.

[Starfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella quite a lot really. Firstly, it was awesome getting to hang out with the characters again. Secondly, I'd forgotten Ms Anderson's ability to combine strong action scenes with equally strong emotional intensity and character development.

Basically, I said I'd trust her to make a wedding story novella work for, and I'm glad I did.

Now I need to read the next book like I need air.

Luckily, I already have it!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cold Series is one of my very favorites of all time. I reread the early books quite often as well as Anderson's other books. Suspense, darkness and then, unbelievably, love. This new book has been a long time coming as Mallory and Alex try to get married. I laughed. I cried. I fumed. It's all there in a novella form that reads like a full length novel. I felt outright joy at times. This is one of my favorites of the series now. No one will ever take Lincoln's place but that's okay. If you're a Toni Anderson fan get this book. Now. If not, what are you waiting for? Get Cold with some of the hottest agents. Ever!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better novellas I've read in some time. Lots of action, very little repetition, very good story line.

Delving into the world of kidnapping, bioweapons, espionage, the extreme wealthy, and sunny days on the Mediterranean - not to mention a wedding and the preparations that involves!

A good read, highly recommend to all those that follow the Cold Justice Series!

2 thumbs up and 4 stars (that's a good review from me who detests novellas)

[Sandra R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written romance suspense crime novella. A wedding for the first couple in this series, plus guest starring many other H/h from previous books. The actual invedtigation/special op stands alone, but you really should read it in series order so you understand the characters.

[Christine Cotelle-LaChance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Parker is back! Well, he actually never really leaves, he is also lurking in between the pages.
But I really enjoyed this one...
The story of love, but also the set up for a future book... or not.

[areej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t impressed in the first half as I thought there was a huge disconnect between the main plot point and Alex. It felt very random,… up until the person from Alex’s past was revealed.

The second half of the book was so good. It was action packed, pulled on heartstrings, and had humorous elements + cameos from Toni’s previous books made it a 4/5 for me 🥹

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read for fans of the Cold Justice series.

Will Alex make it to his wedding in time?

[katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

yay alex and mallory finally got married!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story on this series i've picked to continue.
Very good. It reminds me of Pamela Clare.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.