Ossa fredde

Kate Hanson #1

by A.J. Cross

Kate Hanson è una psicologa forense con una vita pienissima: madre divorziata di una teenager, professoressa all'università e collaboratrice della polizia. Quando nei dintorni di Birmingham vengono ritrovate le ossa di una ragazza, tutto sembra far pensare a Molly James, un'adolescente scomparsa cinque anni prima il cui caso è rimasto senza soluzione, e l'unità per i crimini irrisolti la chiama in aiuto. Non appena Kate e la sua squadra analizzano i resti e riesaminano tutta la documentazione, appare loro evidente che molti, troppi particolari sono stati trascurati al momento della scomparsa della ragazza. Dopo numerosi incontri e interrogatori e proprio mentre sembra che le indagini siano a un punto morto, vengono scoperti altri resti umani nella radura in cui Molly era stata seppellita: altre due ragazze, entrambe sparite più o meno nello stesso periodo. È quasi certo quindi che si tratti di un assassino seriale, un "repeater", che sceglie le sue prede in base a un criterio prestabilito e che si diverte a rimuovere con precisione chirurgica il tessuto dei loro volti. Per Kate non ci sono dubbi: c'è un pericoloso killer che non si è ancora placato e vaga a piede libero. E che ora più che mai sembra pronto a colpire di nuovo.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, British Literature

544 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 2012

About the author

A.J. Cross is a forensic psychologist and frequent court-appointed expert witness. She obtained her Masters Degree and PhD at the University of Birmingham, the latter relating to children as witnesses within the criminal court system. Her professional experience has included consultancy work for the Probation Service within its sexual offender unit in her home city. She currently lives in the West Midlands with her musician husband.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Cynnamon · Rating 1 out of 5]

English version below

**************

Dieser extrem generische Ermittlerkrimi ist ein wahres Klischeefest.

Wir haben hier die sehr gebildete Protagonistin, die nebenbei für die Polizei arbeitet. In diesem Fall ist es eine Unidozentin für Psychologie, die zusätzlich psychologische Gutachten für Gerichtsverfahren macht und außerdem noch als forensische Psychologin für Cold Cases von der Polizei hinzugezogen wird. Natürlich hat sie einen gräßlichen Exmann und eine unausstehlich pubertierende Tochter, der sie mit einen übermäßgen Beschützerinstinkt beizukommen versucht. Dass eine solche Frau mit diesem Job und dieser Ausbildung davon spricht, dass sie ja arbeiten *muss* um ihr Kind zu ernähren, ist mir schon arg sauer aufgestossen.

Dann haben wir den wahnsinnig gut aussehenden Protagonisten, der den Frauen reihenweise weiche Knie (und vermutlich noch mehr) beschert. In unserem Fall ist das einer von der amerikanischen Polizei ausgeliehener Waffenexperte, den den britischen Polizisten das Schießen beibringen soll. Natürlich knistern die Funken zwischen den beiden Protagonisten nur so.

Dann gibts den erfahrenen, aber engstirnigen, älteren Polizisten, der die Protagonistin unterstützt aber ein Weltbild von vorgestern hat.

Und natürlich darf der jugendliche geniale Hacker nicht fehlen, den die Protagonistin unter ihre Fittiche genommen hat.

Als Antagonisten haben wir einen widerlichen Karrieristen, der den Cold Case, an dem die Truppe arbeiten soll, ursprünglic untersucht hat. Dieser setzt nun natürlich alles dran, die Sache schnellstmöglich unter den Teppich zu kehren, was auf eine Reihe von Versäumnissen seinerseits schließen läßt.

Jetzt werdet ihr sagen: Das hört sich doch gar nicht so übel, an. Sowas kann man doch mal lesen.
Ja, vielleicht schon, wenn es nicht so unglaublich hölzern geschrieben wäre oder wenn für die Autorin die modischen Aspekte in der Bekleidung der Charaktere nicht so vorrangig wäre. Nein, es interessiert mich nicht, ob der Rock der Protagonistin eng oder weit ist und auch die Marke ihres grauen Oberteils ist mir egal. Welchen Schuhhersteller der Protagonist bevorzugt ist mir ebenfalls vollkommen egal.

Ich habe jetzt 100 Seiten gelesen und kann immer noch nicht das geringste Interesse für irgendeinen der Charaktere aufbringen.
Da ich mir vorgenommen habe, nicht mehr so viel Zeit auf Bücher zu verwenden, die ich eigentlich gar nicht lesen will, breche ich an dieser Stelle ab und vergebe 1 Stern.

----------------

This ultra-generic detective thriller is a true cliché feast.

We have here the very educated female protagonist who works for the police on the side. In this case it is a university professor for psychology, who also does psychological reports for court cases and is also called in by the police as a forensic psychologist for cold cases. Of course she has a horrible ex-husband and an obnoxious pubescent daughter who she tries to get over with an overly protective instinct. That such a woman with this job and this education talks about the fact that she *must* work to feed her child really annoys me.

Then we have the insanely good-looking male protagonist, who gives the women weak knees in series (and probably more). In our case, this is a weapons expert on loan from the American police who is supposed to teach the British police how to shoot. Of course, sparks fly between the two protagonists.

Then there is the experienced but narrow-minded older police officer who supports the protagonist but has a world view from the day before yesterday.

And of course the ingenious teenage hacker, whom the protagonist has taken under her wing, shouldn't be missing.

As an antagonist, we have an obnoxious careerist who originally investigated the cold case the squad is supposed to be working on. Of course, he is now doing everything to sweep the matter under the carpet as quickly as possible, which suggests a number of omissions on his part.

Now you will say: That doesn't sound so bad. One can read something like that.
Yes, maybe if it weren't so incredibly woodenly written or if the fashionable aspects of the characters' clothing weren't so important to the author. No, I don't care if the protagonist's skirt is tight or baggy, and I don't care what brand her gray top is either. I also don't care which shoe manufacturer the male protagonist prefers.

I’m 100 pages in now and I still can't muster the slightest interest in any of the characters.
Since I've decided not to spend so much time on books that I really don't want to read, I'll quit at this point and award 1 star.

[Furciferous Quaintrelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was a rather pleasant surprise!

I picked this book up on a whim last night, because it was available via Kindle Unlimited, and I was wanting a nice easy read...but not actually expecting anything special. Fast forward to now (9.00am) and I've literally just sat and read the entire thing in one sitting. It just pulled me right in and I couldn't put it down.

Police procedural thrillers are absolutely everywhere these days (those and 'Domestic Thrillers' which are also super popular) and I've read hundreds of them over the past 20 years. Yes they can be a little formulaic, and yes they're often somewhat cliché. But if you're lucky you might find yourself finding the occasionally fun romp, that passes the time and then you think no more about it.

However, every now and then you come across one that manages to entertain you, keep you guessing, and shows a sort of 'self-awareness' of the very genre it inhabits. That's what kept me sat up all night reading 'The Coldest Case '. I liked that the female protagonist wasn't infallible with her judgement. She wasn't able to pull off feats of super-human strength that a lot of books/films/T.V. try to imbue within their female lead. Kate's skill set and physical limitations were totally believable...which when you're reading a thriller about a serial killer, you kind of need. The suspension of disbelief (at the likelihood of said story happening in reality) needs for the characters themselves to be real, vibrant and believable, if you're going be able to just get on board with the premise. This book definitely pulls that off.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between our female protagonist and Bernie the 50+ year old Brummie guy she worked alongside. I appreciated the fact that Kate had come (as a civilian expert in criminology) into a largely male dominated police department, and found herself having to learn to give as good as she got with the "bantz". Her character never disparaged the working class men, or the Birmingham locals, for being different to her more reserved, familiar home in academe. No, she made the effort to fit in without any histrionic feminist demands. (If only it were like this IRL in the current era of politically correct HE harpies!) It's so nice to not find absolutely piece of media or content, infected with work BS that's trying to indoctrinate me.

The vibe I got from these two main characters reminded me of Grace - the behavioural psychologist/profiler - and Boyd (aka - Trevor Eve...be still my beating heart!) the old-school, unreconstructed male detective, in 'Waking The Dead' which was probably the last TV show I ever watched...over four years ago! ("Tempus fugit!") This book puts two characters together with different strengths and approaches to solving cold cases and it just works. I didn't figure out whodunit (although I correctly predicted a couple of scenes/developments) and it was all wound up satisfactorily in the end.

So yeah. I really enjoyed it and have already downloaded the next four titles in this series off of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited, because I really want to see where A. J. Ross takes these characters next. Hopefully it's as deliciously dark and brooding as this first instalment was.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[The Bookish Wombat · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a novel written by a forensic psychologist, Dr Kate Hanson (a forensic psychologist) is working with a police Unsolved Crime Unit in Birmingham (UK) on the disappearance of a teenage girl some years before. More than one body is found, and when new crimes follow the old, the perpetrator must be found quickly.

I read a lot of crime fiction and really wanted to like this more than I did. I'm all for female protagonists in any novels, and particularly in crime novels, but I have to say that I found this book tired and formulaic. It almost felt like it had been written to a checklist - female professional not respected by her police bosses, dysfunctional love life, family problems, potential love affair in the offing, local colour etc. It reminded me more than a little of Kathy Reichs' novels with the substitution of forensic psychology for forensic pathology. One character reminded me of someone in the Patricia Cornwell Scarpetta books and there are several nods in the direction of Val McDermid's Tony Hill novels.

It isn't a bad novel, I just found it quite average and not very original. None of the characters particularly jumped out at me and I didn't feel anything much for Kate Hanson. I wouldn't make a point of seeking out any further novels in the series.

All this may just be the result of the large number of crime novels I read. Those who only read the occasional one might have a better time with Gone in Seconds.

All in all worth a go if you're in the mood, but probably not a must read for crime afficionados.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maljka - per RFS
.
La dottoressa Kate Hanson è una criminologa, o meglio, una psicologa forense e un’ insegnante di criminologia, oltre che la più fidata collaboratrice della polizia di Birmingham che si occupa dell’unità delitti irrisolti, i cosiddetti cold case, quei casi dimenticati che nessuno vorrebbe rivangare. Ha, inoltre, una figlia quattordicenne e ribelle di nome Maisie.

Come dicevo poco fa, nessuno vorrebbe avere a che fare con dei cold case, fino a quando, però, delle ossa di bambina, perché a undici anni è così che la definisco, vengono a galla, o per meglio dire, vengono dissotterrate e, quindi, è necessario fare i conti con questo delitto.

Ecco, giunti a questo punto, iniziando così il romanzo, con la descrizione della sparizione e successivo ritrovamento delle ossa di queste ragazzine, avrei voluto non continuare la lettura. Difficilmente riesco a leggere romanzi in cui spariscono bambini o accadono cose poco piacevoli a quest’ultimi, forse perché ho due figli piccoli e so che persone così schifose esistono davvero.

Dopo un’attenta analisi, si arriva a capire che le ossa dissotterrate sono di Molly, una ragazzina scomparsa anni fa e mai ritrovata, ma, riesaminando l’intera documentazione, sembra non sia un caso così semplice perché molti documenti archiviati sembrano nebulosi e troppi particolari sono stati trascurati nel tempo. Senza contare che alcune prove sono state spostate in scatoloni diversi da quelli adibiti al delitto. Qualcosa fa pensare che qualcuno stia cercando di nascondere qualcosa. Ma chi? Tutto fa credere, soprattutto per le prove mancanti o nascoste, che qualcuno della polizia voglia insabbiare i casi. Ma può qualcuno legato alla giustizia voler fare una cosa simile?

Proprio quando le indagini sono a un punto morto vengono alla luce altri resti nella radura in cui è stata rinvenuta Molly. Chi sono queste due nuove ragazze? E cosa c’entrano con Molly; oltretutto, entrambe sono molto simili sia come sembianze che come caratteristiche alla prima vittima: sembra che un killer seriale abbia preso di mira delle ragazzine bionde, alte e di buona famiglia… ma qual è il vero motivo di tutto ciò?

Mi è piaciuta tantissimo la figura della dottoressa, definita da molti un mix tra la Brennan della serie tv Bones, serie che adoro peraltro, e Grissom della serie CSI, non possono che trovarmi d’accordo!

È una donna e una mamma determinata, senza paura, combattiva e che per trovare il vero colpevole e rivangare il passato andrebbe contro tutto e tutti, anche contro la legge stessa se fosse necessario.

Un thriller con un finale mozzafiato: non avrei mai e poi mai immaginato il colpevole!

I personaggi sono molto ben caratterizzati, così come l’ambientazione creata, suggestiva e che mette ansia nel lettore. La scrittura è fluida, ricca di dialoghi, cosa che personalmente apprezzo e con descrizioni ben bilanciate a livello di quantità.

Forse avrei tagliato alcune parti perché, a volte, mi è sembrato prolisso ma, in generale, è stato un romanzo godibile.

Leggerò certamente anche il secondo capitolo della serie perché ho amato questa protagonista.

[AmbWitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the worst book that I read in 2015 (yep, my review is late). It was incredibly boring, and there were so many times that I became frustrated with Kate Hanson, the main character. My brother’s girlfriend leant it to me but didn’t tell me that she had only got a couple of chapters in before giving up on it until after I had ploughed through it. I did have to tell her that it did get a little more interesting later on, but not enough for me to rate it higher than 2 stars.

Kate Hanson is a forensic psychologist (as is the author) who is called in to help in the investigation of a murdered teenager who went missing years prior. She works alongside a small police task force and does an awful lot of policing herself. Though of course, if she only had the input into the case that forensic psychologists do in the real world, then there would not have been as much of a story, so I will let that slide. There were many twists in the book and only right near the end did we find out who the killer was. One of the book’s only redeeming qualities was that I didn’t figure out who the murderer was until just before it was revealed (I think everyone would have figured it out at that point).

The plot of the book was interesting but unfortunately the writing was not and I found it quite a dull book. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews of this book in regards to how gripping it was so I guess Cross’s writing only worked for some. I unfortunately was not one of them. None of the characters really stood out to me and I didn’t feel any connection to any of them, not really caring what their fates were. For me, connecting to a character is very important and here, it just did not happen.

Now for the things that made me want to throw the book at the wall. Right near the beginning Kate it teaching a class and puts up photos of ‘victims’ and photos of ‘predators.’ All the victims were female and all the predators were male. Yes, in the particular sort of crime she was looking at, the majority of the time it was males that were the predators and females were the victims but not 100% of the time and this was what it seemed to be suggesting to me. I don’t know whether it was intended to come across that way but it did rather annoy me. There was not one point throughout the book that it suggested that it was ever the other way around.

What irked me even more was the main character. She was supposed to be a forensic psychologist who had a lot of experience with violent crime, yet she would miss things that were blatantly obvious and when things started happening around her own house she never questioned them. It came across to me that she didn’t have the experience she was supposed to have.

So yeh, I was not all that impressed with this book. I don’t intend to read the others in the series and do not recommend it to anyone. I think that the only reason I hung on until the end was due to the plot which was not bad, it was just let down by the writing and the characters.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of crime thrillers and police procedural novels, but this one attracted my attention because it was a bit different. The main character of this story is Dr Kate Hanson, a forensic psychologist. Having been a fan of Kathy Reichs for many years, I am familiar with the sort of work that a forensic psychologist does, so I was very keen to start this new series. I was not in the least bit disappointed and have pledged to read the whole series. This is a well written novel from the very start, with several threads to the story to keep the reader involved and interested. The actual solving of the cold cases was very methodical but extremely tricky and I loved the way that Kate Hanson worked her way through all the scenarios and possibilities trying to figure out who the murderer could be. There were quite a few times when, like her, I thought I had worked it out and there was a great deal of frustration over the way her superiors would not listen to her speculation and possible solutions. However, the twists in this plot were absolutely huge and even at the very end I had an enormous surprise when the killer was revealed. The pace of this book was kept going all the way through and it was extremely difficult to put it down – even when I did finally turn out the light late at night, I drifted off to sleep trying to solve the case myself. I certainly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read different and more challenging stories and I am very pleased that I have discovered this excellent author. Thank you to Joffe Books, whose mailing list I follow, for recommending this one to me.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the skeleton of a young woman is found near a West Midlands motorway, evidence suggests that it is that of teenager Molly James, who went missing five years ago. Forensic psychologist Dr Kate Hanson and the Unsolved Crime Unit are called in to re-investigate Molly's case. The deeper they dig the dirtier the clues get, and when a second set of remains is unearthed Kate suspects they're looking for a Repeater: a killer who will adapt, grow and not stop until they are caught. Will Dr Hanson manage to unravel the tangle of clues that the killer has left behind before he has a chance to take another innocent victim?

I didn't find this engaging ... I kept drifting off and really had to concentrate to trawl through this, which isn't what I look for in a thriller. Disappointed as the plot was excellent, just poorly presented in my opinion.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was a decent enough read plot and pacing wise, but I couldn't really warm to any of the characters, and I couldn't really get sucked into reading it properly. Also there were a few moments where I felt I was being patronised by the author which meant despite how much I wanted to like the book, and in fact it should be right up my alley, I certainly won't be rereading or reading the inevitable next in the series.

[Rachael Ashak-Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping! Great ending!

Absolutely enjoyed this start to the Dr. Kate Hanson Mysteries series & getting to know all the main players.
In this tightly written story, the tension continues to crank up with every page & chapter read. The conclusion — a winner!!
The character development is all you always hope for. Rich, detailed, & chock full of history. The world building is spot-on.
The mystery of who “the villain” is holds firm until the author is good & ready with the big reveal toward the end.
Overall, The Coldest Case is a well executed, intriguing, emotional at times, gripping, psychological thriller.
I can’t wait to begin reading the second book in the series!

[Caroline Ingvaldsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a forensic psychology series set in Birmingham: featuring a strong female lead supported by an engaging support team and grounded in domestic detail and burgeoning romance.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy read - couldn't put it down.

[Melinda Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in a series about forensic psychologist Kate Hanson, Gone in Seconds is an introductory novel to the main character and her quirks.

Kate is working at a University and moonlighting at police headquarters helping with unsolved crimes. They are called in to help when old bodies of young women start turning up and appear to be connected. As they fish through the old information stored at the office, Kate begins to think that maybe it's an inside job and they are closer than they ever thought they could be to the culprit.

Kate's a bit of a frustrating character in regards to her development, there's a lot of cyclical thinking and musing that just prolongs the inevitable. There's a few character relationships that are leaning heavily on an assumption that the reader will just go with the flow, but it feels like I've picked up a book that's 2-3 books in rather than being the first in the series.

It's a bit slow going, but the end is good and there's enough to go on to be interested in other books in the series.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cliched formula cold case “Mystery”
- Kate- Brilliant gorgeous female psychologist professor taking on assisting with some cod cases. ~ Of course with a child a deadbeat ex and a fear of being burned again.
-Joe - Drop dead gorgeous US cop on loan from the US to teach them how to shoot
- Ignorant narrow minded older cop ~ of corse hitting on Kate
- Hacker out of jail, being used for his skills by the UCU

Very very cliche Ive read it before. Right down to the

SPOILER ALERT

CROCKED COP.

[Jane Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this one - I got a pack of five books in this series through my Kindle Unlimited. The main character Kate, is a forensic pathologist and she helps out in cold cases in Birmingham. It starts slowly and is a bit pedantic, but picks up towards the end. Will try another one sometime and see how that goes.

[Lut Lahousse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Op de cover van dit boek staat thriller, maar ik miste toch spanning. Ik vond het begin saai en langdradig geschreven, pas tegen het einde komt er wat actie in het verhaal. Het plot was ook niet echt origineel.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf)]

DNF @ 80 pages. Found my attention wandering - which is never a good sign. Also would the police really put the detective who investigated the original case as the supervisor of the cold case investigation? That seems highly implausible to me.

[Giulia Filia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ho abbandonato la lettura alle prime 100 pagine...
È scritto troppo male

[Melitta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primo libro della seria dedicato alla dottoressa Kate Hanson, psicologa forense che collabora insieme alla polizia di Birmingham per risolvere i casi irrisolti.

Thriller buono, l’inizio un po’ troppo “lento” per i miei gusti, ma la trama si riprende dopo i primi capitoli e la storia si fa decisamente più scorrevole e interessante. Le indagini dal punto di vista della dottoressa Hanson permettendo al lettore di comprendere e analizzare quanto spesso, per colpa della superficialità di ciò che si vede in tv, sia facile cadere nei luoghi comuni riguardo a problematiche psicologiche e traumatiche. Tutto questo viene bilanciato grazie alle indagini di polizia, qualche apparizione del medico legale e una sana dose di vita privata della dott. Hanson che si intreccia inevitabilmente con la sua indagine.

Da grande appassionata di Kathy Reichs non posso non notare molte somiglianze tra le due protagoniste delle serie di libri: la dottoressa Hanson e la dottoressa Brennan.
Entrambe sono professioniste di successo, stimate nel loro lavoro e che collaborano con una realtà violenta e dominata dal genere maschile che le spinge il più delle volte, per testardaggine, a mettersi nei guai. Le donne hanno entrambe una figlia adolescente problematica e ribelle, un divorzio alle spalle, un ex marito avvocato che ogni tanto torna a farsi vivo nella loro vita e a portare scompiglio, entrambe vivono con un gatto. Ultimo dettaglio, ma non meno importante, entrambe hanno un evidente e travagliato interesse per il detective di turno con gli occhi azzurri e dal fascino irresistibile (che nasconde un passato travagliato e tormentato).

Voto finale: 4 stelline piene!

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

In het boek In het niets verdwenen is de hoofdrol voor forensisch psycholoog Kate Hanson. Zij is verbonden aan de Universiteit van Birmingham en ook het cold case team van de politie in Birmingham bij in hun zoektocht naar de waarheid. De politie wordt geconfronteerd met de vondst van het lichaam van Molly. Zij is jaren geleden in het niets verdwenen in een winkelcentrum, zonder enig spoor. Bij het lichaam worden vele sporen gevonden en het team probeert nu eindelijk de waarheid boven water te krijgen.

Op de cover een quote "als je van Criminal Minds, Bones en Rizzoli & Isles houdt". Dit is een marketing lokkertje, welke niet geheel klopt met de inhoud van het boek. Tijdens het lezen van het boek, is deze associatie nooit bij me
opgenomen en ik ben een fan van deze series. Dit wil echter niet zeggen dat het geen goed boek is. Het is gelijk duidelijk dat A.J. Cross uit de eigen ervaring als forensisch psycholoog schrijft. Veel kennis van zaken en in het begin ook een soort van de verdediging tegen "CSI land". Tot eenderde van het boek waren het veel lange verhandelingen van gesprekken en gedachten, daarna kwam er meer actie en vaart in het boek en de gebeurtenissen in het verhaal.

Echter de spanning heb ik een beetje gemist in het boek, het is interessant om te lezen hoe Kate in de hoofden van de misdadigers kruipt en ze probeert te lezen en ontmaskeren. Tijdens dit proces wordt ze tegengewerkt door de "ouderwetse" rechercheurs, die dit maar raar vinden. Dit geeft wel wat actie aan het boek.

Ik geef het boek 3 sterren.

[Mieke Schepens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terwijl je leest lijkt het alsof je naar een film kijkt. Een heel spannende film!
De keuze voor de titel wordt tijdens het lezen als snel duidelijk.
Het verhaal is heel onderhoudend en de manier van denken van Kate is goed te volgen omdat het goed gefundamenteerde meningen zijn. Tijdens het lezen leer je meer over deze forensisch psycholoog Kate, haar gezin en haar werkomgeving.
Het is een boek van formaat, 432 pagina's, maar onderverdeeld in prettige hoofdstukken, niet te lang en daardoor goed te lezen.

Het beroep van de auteur, een forensisch psycholoog is een waarmerk voor geloofwaardigheid.
Daardoor leest het verhaal ook zo fijn vermoed ik. De manier van denken van de hoofdpersoon wordt als vanzelfsprekend neergezet. Het voelt daarom heel natuurlijk, niet gekunsteld.
Wat ik jammer vond is dat er hier en daar wel heel lang en uitgebreid ingegaan werd op bepaalde beschrijvingen van personen en de manier van werken waardoor het wat minder spannend werd op die passages.
Een pluspunt is dat er niet veel vragen zijn die niet beantwoord worden, dat vind ikzelf altijd prettig. Ik wil wel graag meer over haar verleden weten en over wat er precies met haar gebeurd is.

En dan is er nóg een ding waar ik wat meer over wil weten. Dat is: wat gebeurt er verder tussen Joe en Kate? Wordt dat nog iets tussen die twee of 'we zijn gewoon vrienden'?
Ontzettend knap, zo'n debuut!
Ik hoop op een vervolg van de belevenissen van Dr. Kate Hanson.

[BloodyWolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oggi parliamo di un libro che oserei dire “particolare”, ovvero “Ossa fredde” di A.J. Cross
Perché ho voluto usare questa parola? Semplice, stiamo parlando di un thriller che non da indiziati, che ti mette su carta dei possibili sospettati, ma che ti porta a eliminarli sulla base delle parole della protagonista. Oserei dire che l’autore è stato bravo a giostrarsi tra la psicologia e le varie tecniche della polizia, ha messo il giusto equilibrio.
Il finale è sorprendente, ma non vi dirò altro per non fare spoiler.
Ha alcune pecche tra cui la narrazione lenta, anche se ammetto che così facendo l’autore mi ha portato a ragionare quasi quanto Kate, a cercare un movente e il motivo che spingeva l’assassino a comportarsi così, mi ha portato a dubitare di tutti i personaggi ed è straordinario a mio avviso.
Penso che sia un libro ben scritto e coinvolgente, qualcosa di lento che va assaporato per non perdersi nessun passaggio fondamentale.
Lo consiglierei? Sì. Sono arrivata all’epilogo e già sapevo che è stato scritto un seguito quindi non vedo l’ora di trovarlo e poterlo leggere.
Ammetto di averci messo tanto per finire di leggerlo perché ho dovuto svariati impegni, ma piano piano io porterò recensioni a chi interessano =)

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a crime novel is perhaps not the type of novel I would generally choose, but once I started reading I was totally gripped. The author of the book is a forensic psychologist, like the main character in the book. I think her expert knowledge of this field of work has really added so much to the detail and authenticity of the story.
The lead character in the book, Dr Kate Hanson works for the Unsolved Crime Unit , and when some remains of a young girl are found she is called in to help with the investigation. Soon some more remains are found and she realises that they are looking for a serial killer. The investigation goes through many twists and turns, often coming to dead ends, as she tries to piece together the few clues that they have.
This is a fast paced read with a brilliant climax, I would recommend it and I will look out for more books by this author.

[Sylvia Walsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Marked as read finding it pretty boring

[Kelly Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, just finished reading this, brilliant. From the moment I started reading this I found myself not wanting to put it down and have read the whole book in just a few days. The story from start to finish was gripping and the fact that the author, like her lead character,.is a forensic psychologist which brings a thrilling authenticity to the story. This is the first book in a new forensic crime series featuring Dr Kate Hanson and am looking forward to more books in this series. Highly recommend this book

[Jackie Hogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I have read by this Author, intricate plot line with lots of red herrings, well rounded characters although I think she takes being an over anxious mother to the nth degree.
On the whole I found this a really great read and I enjoyed all the little intricacies of the life of a forensic psychologist.
As it's about an un solved crime unit I am surprised that the police officers appear to be sidelined in many areas by the psychologist.
Recommended and I have purchased it's predecessor to read

[Elva Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Coldest Case (Dr Kate Hanson Mysteries Book 1)

this psychological book was amazing to work through. So many twists and turns over 20 years. I thought it was very well written the description was so well thought out that I could see myself walking along the pavement then turning through the trees. I can thoroughly recommend you read the first book of the series, if you enjoy it like I did you will read them all.

[James Beal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but long

I didn't realize this series predates her other series. So I was surprised to see familiar names from the other series I had just finished. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters she created and the story itself. My only criticism is the length of the book. It was on the long side. That's it, my only criticism. Other then length this is a 5 star book.

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated the characters, hated the writing, hated the multiple layers of unpleasantness is the private lives of the characters. Actual villain was a surprise, but there were good clues leading up to it. Apart from anything else, I got frustrated by the rather random attacks of loving detail, such as the main character's clothing and breakfast.

[Eirlys · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling read

The first in a series about Dr. Kate Hanson, who assists the Unsolved Crimes Unit, U.C.U. This unit is presented with the remains of a young woman; this begins the search for answers. Characters were complicated, and they sprang from the pages with an authenticity which made me feel involved in the story. I cannot wait to read more about them.

[mary ann mcmullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievably Twisted killer

This was a great read! The slow build up to showcase the characters, white hats and a black hat or maybe it's not so clearly defined?! It all builds like a roller coaster going up the steepest of tracks and then you are hurtling down at breakneck speed to the unexpected revelation! Wow! Enjoy! You will not be able to put it down.