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Carlotta Carlyle #7
Cold Case
Twenty-four years ago, teen prodigy Thea Janis vanished from her upper crust Boston prep school. At first called a runaway, she's later named among the victims of a serial killer, a man doing life in Walpole Prison.
Then a new manuscript appears in her family's mailbox. The words cry out from the printed pages, Thea's voice unmistakable even a quarter century since the girl's mysterious disappearance. A new client bearing a dead man's name turns up in the office of P.I. Carlotta Carlyle, looking for her help in finding whoever is sending the book--even if it turns out to be Thea herself.
The investigation leads Carlotta to a prominent Boston family with deep connections and even deeper pockets, and which badly wants the tragic past to stay buried. But after a hit man tries to write his own ending to the saga, the cold case suddenly goes white hot--and Carlotta may be the one who ends up getting burned.
Then a new manuscript appears in her family's mailbox. The words cry out from the printed pages, Thea's voice unmistakable even a quarter century since the girl's mysterious disappearance. A new client bearing a dead man's name turns up in the office of P.I. Carlotta Carlyle, looking for her help in finding whoever is sending the book--even if it turns out to be Thea herself.
The investigation leads Carlotta to a prominent Boston family with deep connections and even deeper pockets, and which badly wants the tragic past to stay buried. But after a hit man tries to write his own ending to the saga, the cold case suddenly goes white hot--and Carlotta may be the one who ends up getting burned.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
101 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Linda Barnes
78 books224 followersLinda Barnes is an American mystery writer, born and raised in Detroit, and graduated from Boston University"s School of Theater. She is best known for her series featuring Carlotta Carlyle, a 6'1" redheaded detective from Boston. Carlotta Carlyle is often compared to the hard-boiled female detectives created by Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky. Her new novel, "The Perfect Ghost," which will be published in April, 2013, is her first stand-alone mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 14, 2023
I like Carlotta Carlyle, the main character in this book and a dozen others by Linda Barnes. She's whip smart, self deprecating, funny and doggedly determined. This book though, Cold Case, just didn't grab me and it was probably 1/3 too long to boot. Sadly just 3 stars.
November 3, 2010
Sometimes books get on our TBR piles in the strangest ways. A few years ago I did a library display on Cold Cases. If you’ve read anything I’ve reviewed you’d probably know I love to read about these unsolved missing person cases. Anyway, I bought the book Cold Case by Linda Barnes for that display. It was not the greatest copy so I circulated it and then threw it on my book shelves meaning to read it in the near future. . A few weeks ago I decided my book shelves could use some weeding and I came across the book. I couldn’t bear to part with it so back it went only now to stare me in the face as there was room for it to be seen. I vowed to read it soon. I’ll bet that promise would have gone unheeded if not for Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers by Nancy Pearl. In this collection with selections for us traveling dreamers, Nancy recommends Cold Case for books taking place in Boston. To quote she gives this teaser "For personal reasons (which you'll totally understand when you read the novel), my favorite Linda Barnes's Carlotta Carlyle series remains Cold Case".
No more excuses. I read the book. First, let me say I’m not much of a series fan and this one falls number 7 of the 14 in the series. Well, at least I wouldn’t be starting at the end. Cold Case stands alone well enough. It might have been better to have a bit more background about the main PI, Carlotta Carlyle, but I managed . Carlotta's a former cop, red haired and tough, but not as wise-cracking as some female PI’s in other series. I appreciated this as sometimes those too smart, kick a__ women don't ring true to me. The streets of Boston are well represented in the tale. Some of the fun of Cold Case was that it was published just long enough ago not to be filled with Internet searching and cell phones and the big dig. The story kept my interest and the cold case had some twists I didn’t see coming so all in all, a solid 3 out of 5 from me. Will I read another? Possibly.
And as to Nancy Linn Pearl’s involvement with the story, this mystery was not revealed until the very end. If I was one of those people who read an ending first, it would have saved me shaking my head throughout trying to figure the role Pearl would play.
Sorry, I’m not going to tell. You’ll have to read it like I did and no peeking!
No more excuses. I read the book. First, let me say I’m not much of a series fan and this one falls number 7 of the 14 in the series. Well, at least I wouldn’t be starting at the end. Cold Case stands alone well enough. It might have been better to have a bit more background about the main PI, Carlotta Carlyle, but I managed . Carlotta's a former cop, red haired and tough, but not as wise-cracking as some female PI’s in other series. I appreciated this as sometimes those too smart, kick a__ women don't ring true to me. The streets of Boston are well represented in the tale. Some of the fun of Cold Case was that it was published just long enough ago not to be filled with Internet searching and cell phones and the big dig. The story kept my interest and the cold case had some twists I didn’t see coming so all in all, a solid 3 out of 5 from me. Will I read another? Possibly.
And as to Nancy Linn Pearl’s involvement with the story, this mystery was not revealed until the very end. If I was one of those people who read an ending first, it would have saved me shaking my head throughout trying to figure the role Pearl would play.
Sorry, I’m not going to tell. You’ll have to read it like I did and no peeking!
May 7, 2021
What (and I can’t stress this enough) the fuck?
Who wrote this dumpster fire? I mean can I get those 26 years of my life back? Dumbest storyline ever. I’m ashamed of you Carlotta. You done me wrong.
Who wrote this dumpster fire? I mean can I get those 26 years of my life back? Dumbest storyline ever. I’m ashamed of you Carlotta. You done me wrong.
May 25, 2016
#7 in the Carlotta Carlyle series.
Carlotta Carlyle series - Thea Janis a 14-year-old literary sensation has been missing and presumed dead for 24 years. Adam Mayhew shows up on PI Carlyle's doorstep with the first chapter of a manuscript that he says could only have been penned by Thea. When her clothes were later found on a beach, she was presumed a suicide. But Mayhew, a relative of the author, insists that the manuscript - which makes reference to the fall of the Berlin Wall - proves she is alive and writing. Carlyle's task is to find the writer. At first, the Carlyle is skeptical that the manuscript is by Janis. But the more she reads, the more captivated she becomes - by the writing and the writer. And when Mayhew tries to get the manuscript back again, she's sure something big is afoot. Janis, it turns out, was a pseudonym for Dorothy Cameron, who came from a high-profile family. In fact, her brother, Garnet Cameron, is currently running for governor of Massachusetts.
Carlotta Carlyle series - Thea Janis a 14-year-old literary sensation has been missing and presumed dead for 24 years. Adam Mayhew shows up on PI Carlyle's doorstep with the first chapter of a manuscript that he says could only have been penned by Thea. When her clothes were later found on a beach, she was presumed a suicide. But Mayhew, a relative of the author, insists that the manuscript - which makes reference to the fall of the Berlin Wall - proves she is alive and writing. Carlyle's task is to find the writer. At first, the Carlyle is skeptical that the manuscript is by Janis. But the more she reads, the more captivated she becomes - by the writing and the writer. And when Mayhew tries to get the manuscript back again, she's sure something big is afoot. Janis, it turns out, was a pseudonym for Dorothy Cameron, who came from a high-profile family. In fact, her brother, Garnet Cameron, is currently running for governor of Massachusetts.
October 22, 2008
COLD CASE - G
Barnes, Linda - 7th in Carlotta Carlyle series
Private investigator and Boston taxi driver Carlotta is searching for the truth about the disappearance of a young author, Thea Janis, who vanished more than 20 years ago. Then a new manuscript arrives, which could only have been written by Thea. But a madman has been convicted of her murder.
It was good, but I like her earlier books better.
Barnes, Linda - 7th in Carlotta Carlyle series
Private investigator and Boston taxi driver Carlotta is searching for the truth about the disappearance of a young author, Thea Janis, who vanished more than 20 years ago. Then a new manuscript arrives, which could only have been written by Thea. But a madman has been convicted of her murder.
It was good, but I like her earlier books better.
March 31, 2019
I enjoyed this story. When I picked this book up I did not realize it was part of a series. It was easy to follow even though it is #7 in this series.
Carlotta is a private detective. She used to be a police officer. This book finds her working with a high society family to prove that some notebooks are actual fakes of their dead daughter's work. I enjoyed the way the story line flowed and will look for more books by this author and in this series.
Carlotta is a private detective. She used to be a police officer. This book finds her working with a high society family to prove that some notebooks are actual fakes of their dead daughter's work. I enjoyed the way the story line flowed and will look for more books by this author and in this series.
November 27, 2010
For enjoyability I'd give this book 4 stars, but the overall story just didn't hold together.
Read
March 6, 2021Twenty-four years ago, teen prodigy Thea Janis vanished from her upper crust Boston prep school. At first called a runaway, she's later named among the victims of a serial killer, a man doing life in Walpole Prison.
Then a new manuscript appears in her family's mailbox. The words cry out from the printed pages, Thea's voice unmistakable even a quarter century since the girl's mysterious disappearance. A new client bearing a dead man's name turns up in the office of P.I. Carlotta Carlyle, looking for her help in finding whoever is sending the book--even if it turns out to be Thea herself.
The investigation leads Carlotta to a prominent Boston family with deep connections and even deeper pockets, and which badly wants the tragic past to stay buried. But after a hit man tries to write his own ending to the saga, the cold case suddenly goes white hot--and Carlotta may be the one who ends up getting burned.
Thea is alive; abused by father and brother.
Then a new manuscript appears in her family's mailbox. The words cry out from the printed pages, Thea's voice unmistakable even a quarter century since the girl's mysterious disappearance. A new client bearing a dead man's name turns up in the office of P.I. Carlotta Carlyle, looking for her help in finding whoever is sending the book--even if it turns out to be Thea herself.
The investigation leads Carlotta to a prominent Boston family with deep connections and even deeper pockets, and which badly wants the tragic past to stay buried. But after a hit man tries to write his own ending to the saga, the cold case suddenly goes white hot--and Carlotta may be the one who ends up getting burned.
Thea is alive; abused by father and brother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2022
This is a three-star/four-star book. Four for the ability to pull the reader into the story, three for its sheer implausibility, four for making you want the dubious plotline to be true, three for the incredibly obnoxious family at the center of the story, etc., etc. I recently realized that I had missed this Linda Barnes mystery when I was reading chronologically through her books. Frankly, it has been long enough that all of the details of the continuing Carlyle story were a little fuzzy until well after I got started.
Former officer and current private investigator Carlotta Carlyle became entangled in the search for a vanished teen prodigy whose published book exposed Boston's upper crust, which included her wealthy political family. She supposedly was murdered shortly after the book's publication some twenty-four years prior, but chapters of a new book, which could only have been written by her, propelled a convoluted investigation that entwined with the past.
Former officer and current private investigator Carlotta Carlyle became entangled in the search for a vanished teen prodigy whose published book exposed Boston's upper crust, which included her wealthy political family. She supposedly was murdered shortly after the book's publication some twenty-four years prior, but chapters of a new book, which could only have been written by her, propelled a convoluted investigation that entwined with the past.
April 11, 2024
Carlotta Carlyle is called upon to investigate an old disappearance. A prodigy writer disappeared 24 years ago, but now a new manuscript has appeared and it looks like it could be her writing. Carlotta needs to discover where the manuscript came from and if the author could possibly be alive.
I liked this mystery a bit more. I like these books but I don't love them. In some ways they're straight up ridiculous. I don't ever want to hear about Carlotta's "little sister" ever again. It's so annoying.
The writing is also not tiptop.I can't remember if it was in this book or the last one but the author used the phrase, "his skin was the color of wrinkled walnuts...." What does that even mean? What in the world is a "wrinkled walnut"?
I'll probably keep reading, because I don't hate them and they're never on hold at the library. Always a bonus. ;)
I liked this mystery a bit more. I like these books but I don't love them. In some ways they're straight up ridiculous. I don't ever want to hear about Carlotta's "little sister" ever again. It's so annoying.
The writing is also not tiptop.I can't remember if it was in this book or the last one but the author used the phrase, "his skin was the color of wrinkled walnuts...." What does that even mean? What in the world is a "wrinkled walnut"?
I'll probably keep reading, because I don't hate them and they're never on hold at the library. Always a bonus. ;)
March 29, 2021
Boston P.I. Carlotta Carlyle is tasked by lawyer Andrew Manley to discover the whereabouts of Thea Janis, the voice of generation fourteen year old who was believed to have died in 1971. Manley claims that he had chapters of a recent manuscript that mentioned the fall of the Berlin War. Things are not quite as simple as they appear as Thea was part of the wealthy Cameron family and her brother Garnet was running for office. Barnes brilliance is the ability to mix humour with dark uncomfortable topics that leave the reader that Carlotta can come through for the underdog. Favourite characters like Mooney, Gloria and Roz are given plenty to while 'little sister' Paolina long terms welfare seems to be set up for future novels.
July 11, 2020
It's funny how you sometimes forget about an author and a series that you liked only to rediscover them and remember how much you enjoyed them. Such is the case here. It's been five years since I last read an entry in this series and I have no idea why. This was a good little mystery, a complex whodunit with a simple but satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am looking forward to reading the next.
Read
August 13, 2019Carlotta Carlyle is a PI, former cop and occasional taxi driver. She is brought a manuscript and asked to discern its origin. It appears to have been written by someone buried 24 years ago. Of course, appearances are not always accurate. This tale wanders through the past and present in intriguing ways, getting us to a disturbing conclusion (or two).
July 21, 2017
Page turner strong female
This is the first time I read one of these mysteries and I will be purchasing another one. I love Boston. I love the tough female detective and all of the funky friends around her. I also love the cranky characters supporting her too, like her ex boss.
This is the first time I read one of these mysteries and I will be purchasing another one. I love Boston. I love the tough female detective and all of the funky friends around her. I also love the cranky characters supporting her too, like her ex boss.
October 21, 2018
I like her books a lot. But this one I couldn't seem to read thru, I kept putting it down, and read something else then I'd go back to it. It took me more than a week to finally finish it. I'm going to read it again, then I'll give you all a better idea of how I liked it.
March 25, 2021
A GEM
This book had a great storyline that flowed beautifly until the end. The characters were very well portrayed for their respective roles. The story was an old but sad one that was well incorporated into the storyline.
This book had a great storyline that flowed beautifly until the end. The characters were very well portrayed for their respective roles. The story was an old but sad one that was well incorporated into the storyline.
June 23, 2017
Enjoyable mystery with a very rushed ending.
February 16, 2018
Wonderfully twisty!! Are the dead really gone???
December 31, 2019
I hope this was a rare clunker in this series. The plot was decent, but the execution was disjointed.
March 27, 2020
Not my favorite book in this series. Way too long to get the conclusion. And the conclusion to me was.....messy.
August 7, 2020
Carlotta Carlyle is a new series to me (and I'm sorry I started at *7.) This was suspenseful, with an interesting story line. I will no doubt go back and get 1 - ? and do the complete series.
January 17, 2021
This is a well-crafted, well-written book but I had trouble staying engaged somehow.
January 27, 2021
Not for me. This story is dark and dreary and slow moving. Very repetitive in parts. It's just not for me. I love some of Linda Barnes books. This is not one.
July 26, 2021
I’m a fan. What can I say?
February 17, 2024
Many twists and turns.
March 27, 2011
#8 Carlotta Carlyle mystery set in Boston and environs. Carlotta is approached by an older man who gives her the first chapter of a manuscript to read--he believes that Thea Janis is alive. She had written a brilliant, seductive novel that read well beyond her fifteen years--and then disappeared. She wrote using a particular paper and ink in a certain style and this manuscript certainly reads a lot like Nightmare's Dawn.
But a little digging makes Carlotta wonder what her client is playing at--when it's revealed that Thea--whose real name was Dorothy Cameron, one of the politically rich and powerful Cameron family--was actually dead, the killer having confessed and her body being buried. Suddenly, the client--who also is not who he claims to be--wants the manuscript back and to un-hire Carlotta, but by then the old, cold case has got her intrigued and she's not likely to give up so quickly. Leaving most of the laws and ethics of a good private investigator behind, she plunges ahead anyway--otherwise, there would probably be no story here. LOL
Meanwhile, the drug lord natural father of Carlotta's "little sister" Paolina has disappeared and she engages her dispatcher pal Gloria to harass his lawyer until she knows where he is--and she's being followed by someone she suspects is either one of Carlos' thugs or else a DEA agent. Or is it someone connected with the Cameron family who don't want her digging too deeply into Thea's death?
Every time I read one of these books, I'm amazed how the series flew under my radar for so many years, and that the author isn't more well-known. Great main character, interesting secondary characters, very atmospheric with plenty of action and realistic dialogue. Another winner!
But a little digging makes Carlotta wonder what her client is playing at--when it's revealed that Thea--whose real name was Dorothy Cameron, one of the politically rich and powerful Cameron family--was actually dead, the killer having confessed and her body being buried. Suddenly, the client--who also is not who he claims to be--wants the manuscript back and to un-hire Carlotta, but by then the old, cold case has got her intrigued and she's not likely to give up so quickly. Leaving most of the laws and ethics of a good private investigator behind, she plunges ahead anyway--otherwise, there would probably be no story here. LOL
Meanwhile, the drug lord natural father of Carlotta's "little sister" Paolina has disappeared and she engages her dispatcher pal Gloria to harass his lawyer until she knows where he is--and she's being followed by someone she suspects is either one of Carlos' thugs or else a DEA agent. Or is it someone connected with the Cameron family who don't want her digging too deeply into Thea's death?
Every time I read one of these books, I'm amazed how the series flew under my radar for so many years, and that the author isn't more well-known. Great main character, interesting secondary characters, very atmospheric with plenty of action and realistic dialogue. Another winner!
July 13, 2013
A decent story but I never really warmed to the protagonist in the story. It is set in Boston, which I did like. Since this is part of a series, there was an annoying plot line at the beginning and end that was unnecessary to the story but I guess was there to explain what happened in earlier books? (Hint: do not take in a foster child if you have no intention of making them part of your series! Unless of course you just send her to camp for the entire book!) A lot happens to this very dysfunctional family and at the end most are still a damaged mess. The core of the "what happened" story was good and presented a satisfactory explanation.
July 4, 2015
Finished 04/13/2014. Carlotta is hired to find Thea the author of a manuscript. But the believed author has been in the grave for 24 years. She is also trying to establish whether Paolina's Colum-bian father is alive or not & then is fear-ful he will take P. T is in fact a pen name of a daughter of a prominent MA political family and the whole family is involved in trying to get the governor-ship for the son. They have already committed a daughter to a living death in a psychiatric sanitarium because both the daughter were sexually abused by their father & their brother. T's son has tried to cash in on the family, but the murder of the mother's lover oversets everything.
May 12, 2010
A complicated mystery, involving a wealthy family and political ambitions -- PI Carlotta Carlyle is hired to find a person dead for 24 years, or to find her latest manuscript, her first published when she was a teenaged, prodigy writer. The twists and turns, and the murders, kept me intrigued and interested -- the ending was sad!
October 20, 2008
There comes a time in every mystery series life when that old case pops up and must be solved, usually because it has a bearing on a current case or someone just really needs to know what happened. That doesn't mean the story will be bad, just that it will happen. Here it is!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews