Nowhere Safe

A Harley Cole Mystery #1

by Kate Bold

FBI BAU special agent Harley Cole, as brilliant as she is at hunting serial killers, has bent the rules one too many times and, put on leave, decides to return to her small-town Southwestern roots and visit her dying father. But when a new killer strikes nearby, leaving a trail of women in abandoned desert mines, it hits close to home for Harley, eerily reminiscent of her sister’s unsolved case—and forces her to consider the local FBI field office’s desperate plea for help.

Nowhere Safe (A Harley Cole FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1) is the debut novel in a new series by #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Kate Bold.

Harley, reeling from her being put on leave, from her long-term relationship falling apart, and from her father’s dying, is hardly ready to return to her hometown, to its long-buried secrets, and her tortured past. She spent her life escaping this small town—but, as she settles back in, she wonders: might she have been wrong all this time?

Yet as more bodies surface and as every clue leads to a dead end, Harley, clashing with her new partner, realizes she’s in a race against time.

Will she save the next victim in time? Or will the endless desert, and her dark past, swallow her for good?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the HARLEY COLE series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll, and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Crime, Fiction

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2022

About the author

Bestselling author Kate Bold is author of the ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CAMILLE GRACE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the HARLEY COLE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising ten books (and counting); of the KAYLIE BROOKS SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the EVE HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting). Kate loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.kateboldauthor.com to join the mailing list, receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

BOOKS BY KATE BOLD

EVE HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

IN HIS BLOOD (Book #1)

IN HIS SIGHTS (Book #2)

IN HIS REACH (Book #3)

IN HIS MIND (Book #4)

IN HIS WAY (Book #5)

(and counting)

KAYLIE BROOKS SUSPENSE THRILLER

LAST BREATH (Book #1)

LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

LAST WISH (Book #3)

LAST SHOT (Book #4)

LAST MISTAKE (Book #5)

(and counting)

HARLEY COLE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOWHERE SAFE (Book #1)

NOWHERE LEFT (Book #2)

NOWHERE TO RUN (Book #3)

NOWHERE LIKE THIS (Book #4)

NOWHERE GIRL (Book #5)

NOWHERE TO HIDE (Book #6)

NOWHERE CERTAIN (Book #7)

NOWHERE PURE (Book #8)

NOWHERE SOUND (Book #9)

NOWHERE SANE (Book #10)

(and counting)

CAMILLE GRACE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOT ME (Book #1)

NOT NOW (Book #2)

NOT WELL (Book #3)

NOT HER (Book #4)

NOT NORMAL (Book #5)

NOT AGAIN (Book #6)

NOT SAFE (Book #7)

NOT TODAY (Book #8)

(and counting)

ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER

THE KILLING GAME (Book #1)

THE KILLING TIDE (Book #2)

THE KILLING HOUR (Book #3)

THE KILLING POINT (Book #4)

THE KILLING FOG (Book #5)

THE KILLING PLACE (Book #6)

(and counting)

ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

LET ME GO (Book #1)

LET ME OUT (Book #2)

LET ME LIVE (Book #3)

LET ME BREATHE (Book #4)

LET ME FORGET (Book #5)

LET ME ESCAPE (Book #6)

(and counting)

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
Genre ~ police procedural
Series ~ Harley Cole #1
Setting ~ New Mexico
Publication date ~ September 1, 2022
Est Page Count ~ 231 (p+ 30 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 6 hours 3 minutes
Narrator ~ Reagan Tankersley
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ former military, FBI, serial killer, small town

Harley has been put on leave from the FBI, so she heads to her hometown to see her dying father who she has a strained relationship with. While she's there she might as well help catch a serial killer.

Nothing really new to this genre, but I did enjoy it. It was fast paced and I liked Harley as a character. There was a good amount of action that kept me engaged. I might give the next book a whirl.

Narration notes:
Not sure why we have a male narrator when Harley is a woman. He did a good job, though.

*Thanks to Hoopla for my bonus borrow*

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Patricia Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery story and I enjoyed reading it, not great but good. I had seen this series recommended on one of the websites I read and decided to try it. It's the first book in the series and I will probably read more. The characters were very good and likeable. The story is about a woman FBI agent who is suspended, she decides to go home to visit her father who is very ill and while there she gets asked by local FBI to help her solve the murder of two girls and she does and this is asked to come back. So, like a said good story, quick read.

[The Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this started out pretty similar to another book I just read, it was actually really good. Another FBI agent haunted by her past. Under investigation for not following the rules, but winds up a consultant for the local office while she is in town visiting family. And catches a serial killer.
I'd say give it a read if you like thriller mystery types.

[Hanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook

Super mediocre, I’m going to read the whole series though because they’re quick listens! Likeable characters, but not outstanding writing by any means. Kind of shocked by the amount of good reviews 😅

[Brett Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book made me think of Kroger organic generic foods: everything is in place, everything refers to a larger media or culture event, and every moment is good but not so exceptional that you will miss it if it dies in a fire or your teenage kids eat the last of it. This book gets an A+ for professionalism, meaning that even with a few mandatory slow parts, there is no fat on it; every detail serves a purpose, there is no pointless woolgathering, and the characters act as you expect them to act. No on gets suddenly stupid in order to advance the plot, no one has full nervous breakdowns where they are paralyzed for certain moments, and the characters at the end are consistent with the ones at the beginning, just a bit cheerier and more accepting of their world. If you wanted to design a book for upper-half-of-middle-class White women, this is it; it is masterfully done, even down to the point where there are no real surprises. It cites every very popular police procedural or mystery writer in recent history, and even the scenes are sketched out in structure knowing that your brain will fill in places from movies, news reports, and other books. The characters are cryptograms, meaning that they serve a role and therefore have to be like a country blues song, true to character yet full of endless variation. Like a Lifetime Movie Channel (LMN) film, it is a cozy... sort of... in that it also has a sadness to it and characters who are clearly adrift in life, making us feel better for our own struggles and aspirations. It alludes to major media events and gives them an even more sinister twist, telling us the story of our own unhealed public shared traumas through the eyes of a serial killer. If you watch Forensic Files, Criminal Minds, and Quincy on repeat, this is the type of book you will enjoy. I am mostly impressed by how well this author has studied the audience and field in order to produce such a disciplined, perfect product.

[Kayla Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

One for the shelf. I wasn’t disappointed and the story line and writing style kept me intrigued. Bravo.

[Jjean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written - interesting mystery all the way to the end - characters easy to follow - many twist & turns with family issues - missing girls - a unsolved cold case.

[Santosh Chandran · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a good introduction to the main protagonist but there are gaps in her life that the reader is made to speculate about. In addition, with regard to FBI procedures, there is a lot lacking. Especially for someone from the BAU, she lacks any great insights about the people she meets.
While it is a fast read, there are many lapses that anyone who regularly reads these kinds of books, like from Carolyn Arnold, etc who will understand the gaps I’m talking about….

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 231 pages, I flew through this book in 1 day. A pretty good thriller! I got it free on Amazon Stuff Your Kindle Day.

[☮Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

For book club 1/28/23
2.5 stars
Thoughts later.

[Sonja (っ◔◡◔)っ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so very good!! The cases were so interesting and unsettling, especially the pov’s as the girls died. Harley is a very complex and interesting character and I can’t wait to read more of her! The ending?! Setup for book 2! The twist was great! I’m glad she made up with her dad.. I hope he’s still around in book 2!!

[Ashlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. It took a while for me to get invested even though I did like Harley quite a bit. I thought I knew who the killer was but I was wrong which was nice. Overall, I’m glad I picked this up and I’ll probably continue the series.

[Lupe E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho, interesante y te adentras en la historia y no quieres parar de leer hasta finalizarlo!

[Joop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wtf happened to Kelly? How dare they leave that on a cliffhanger

[Lenora Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kate Bold’s Nowhere Safe. It’s the first in a series. It was an easy read, but kept me interested and wondering what was going on g to happen next. I’ve already downloaded the second in the series now.

[Tamara H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read

Not predictable, which is always a plus on investigative stories. Will probably read the next one to learn more about her past/sister's story.

[GEOrocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, enjoyable mystery/fbi read. Solid characters, interesting case of missing girls found in old mine tunnels.

[Karen Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was an enjoyable book. I liked it enough to read more in this series.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up!
A good listen!

Really liked the protagonist’s character!

Got all teary eyed, at the end. 🫶🏼

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One to Watch
When we first meet FBI BAU agent Harley Cole, she's having a very bad, horrible, no-good day. Been there, done that- got the scars to prove it. We can all relate in some fashion to her run of misfortune. But quitters don't make it to her level within the FBI, so Harley may be down, but she's not out of the game.

I found Harley's character to be fresh and genuine. She's not perfect and can be blinded (as almost all of us can) by past perceived wrongs. She's not really great with the family/friends/social stuff, but she's great at her job. She's also tenacious, intelligent, and driven by the demons of her past.

Harley is not the only inspired character in this story. All of the main cast are nicely fleshed out, realistic, and interesting in their own right. Surrounding these personalities is a tightly woven tale of intrigue told with great pacing. My only (minor) complaint was with the narration, which really didn't add to the story at all. I found the narrator's pacing and syntax just a bit off. However, nudging up the playback speed just a bit made it tolerable enough to enjoy this entertaining read.

So basically, I'll be back for more of Harley Cole. I think this character is worth watching.

[Kimiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harley Cole is under investigation and put on leave, her husband (whom she never sees since the job comes first) is divorcing her and then her brother calls to say their Father is dying of cancer.

What other stressors can come into her life right now? Well, how about a new case? This case hits a little too close to home (in her heart) and at her childhood home (New Mexico) so she takes the case, working as a consultant for the New Mexico FBI office. This new case completely takes over her life (it's what she does best, after all) and also provides her some breathing room from facing a Father with whom she's had a contentious relationship since her sister went missing years ago.

Although there were some inconsistencies (no badge nor gun, but they miraculously show up just when she needs them most), and a new completely unwilling "partner" on this new case who scoffs at her abilities to catch serial killers, Harley plunges herself forward head first into finding out what is happening to these young, murdered girls, found in abandoned mines where she used to play as a kid.

Great start to a new series.

[Avid · Rating 2 out of 5]

This audiobook was below average on the action, murder, and suspense for me. It was slow to engage and not setting me on the edge of my seat so to say or rather, keeping me up at night eager to read on to finish the book wasn't the case with this book.

Our main character is an FBI agent that has run away from childhood trauma in her family only to have it currently affect her performance at work and begin to suffer the consequences. That begins to have a snowball effect on her marriage followed by leading her back to her old stomping grounds for a dying family member which brings up not only memories but a new case in which she's been asked to assist in bringing her full circle.

There was potential in this book but it never took off. It was monotone-mellow- flatline-,... simply dull.

I see others enjoyed it. Judge for yourself. I wouldn't recommend it myself. I know Kate Bold can write well as I have read other books and enjoyed those. This was not one of them.

[Christine Andersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had higher hopes for this one based on the ratings. But it was just ok. It’s a standard FBI catch the killer plot but the outcome was obvious and so was the killer. There were no surprising twists. What really annoyed me is the poor character writing. The main character is supposed to be from the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI but has to constantly be reminded why a suspect doesn’t fit the profile by another officer. That’s supposed to be her specialty. It just really took me out of the story every time it happened.

[⚓️Jennifer Sacchetti ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book/author. Quick easy read and suspenseful. First book in a series so on to the second book!!

FBI BAU agent Harley Cole loves her job! After solving her recent case (using some unconventional manners) she is asked to take a “leave”. She flies home from Quantico to MA she fine, said her husband is packed and divorce papers are on the table. The only way to save their marriage is for her to leave her job, but that is something she could never do.

Then she receives a phone call from her brother stating that their father is gravely ill and she should come before it’s too late, but her relationship with her father has always been troublesome since her sister disappeared 17 years ago, and he was heard saying that he wished it was Harley that was missing

She goes home, and while there she is asked by the local FBI to assist with a case and her and FBI agent Callaway saw a prostitution ring where they were bringing young girls into abandoned mines and leaving them there to die

She makes peace with her father and is about to leave when she is asked by New Mexico FBI to come to work for them right before she gets on the airplane. She receives a message from the local police stating that they wanted to talk to her about her sisters disappearance, which has always haunted her, and she could never let go of . Will she come back to New Mexico with this job offer and to talk about her sister’s disappearance?

Time to read the second book in the series, called No Where Left

[Viva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead.

I wanted to dnf this many times but I soldiered on. I finally couldn't read it any more at about 55% and dnf'd it. The writing was just bad. The dialog and the way people behaved just were not realistic. I thought the writing was raw and just disconnected. I couldn't believe that this author has so many books. But since this was the first in the series, maybe her writing got better.

Firstly at the beginning, I didn't want to get bogged down in her divorce story. I came here to read an FBI book, not a book about her married life. But I got past that part and it didn't seem to be an ongoing thing that was going to be repeated regularly. A few chapters on, same thing, I didn't want to get bogged down on her relationship with her father. But I got past that too.

Then finally to the meat of the story. But the way the people acted weren't realistic. It was as if an alien who looked at how humans behaved through TV wrote the text. Real people don't act or talk like that.

Finally there was a lack of excitement or progress. I was halfway through and they had just started their investigation. It was just the characters going through the motion slowly. The final straw was how Cole and Callaway was just allowed to walk around the compound interviewing people, that amongst a plethora of other things.

I got this book at $0 through the kindle store. I guess they want to hook readers with the first book but most of my $0 buys have been bad.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's definitely an okay. I did enjoy it, but I think I'll leave book 1 on a bittersweet note and not pick up the next. Not to say I will never continue this series. Just that it's good where it's at.

As for my issue with it:
The Mc isn't my favorite. She definitely needs a psych evaluation, far too paranoid for what she does. Dont get me wrong, thinking in every direction is good but she would set her mind on it and push for that, she jumps to conclusions far to quickly. Speaking of She is oddly pushy, her way or the highway and her partner didn't do much to subdue that.

On topic of her partner, his outburst I understood but from his position I would think he of all people would know not to do that as it could in danger the victim.

TLDR: At the beginning of the book I was like "they want to fire you for breaking a rule or two, but you get the bad person off the streets. Dang! Your bosses suck!" Then a bit more down the line I ended up thinking that it had a bit more to it than just breaking a rule.

Also her partner did something that could have seriously in endangered someone, other than that he was great

[Stephanie Dial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found the plot: a woman, Harley Cole, an FBI agent, is successful at her job of pursuing and catching serial killers but has run afoul of a misogynistic superior who has suddenly put her under investigation as well as on a leave of "indeterminate time."

This is our introduction to Harley, a woman who loves her job and feels adrift away from it. Drawn to law enforcement from a personal tragedy Harley decides to head home back to the deserts of New Mexico to try to reconnect with her dying father and to take a much needed break.

The plot continued in this vein keping my interest throughout its entirety, it didn't becme plodding and dull at all unlike others I've read lately. It's definitely a fast-paced read with characters I found easy to root for, the only nick I had with it was I felt the ending was rushed. I would have preferred the villains characters to be further fleshed out as it was the ending was just a little too pat for my taste. Still overall, this a good book well worth a readers time.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

FBI agent at crossroads in her life!

Nowhere Safe showcases Harley, FBI agent, in a very well written crime mystery. Harley has marital problems, family relationships that have gone sour, and has recently been put on leave while under investigation for successfully bringing a serial killer to justice.

Harley returns to New Mexico to reunite with her dad and brother. While there, a serial crime requires her expertise and assistance for the local FBI office.

While this mystery is about a cruel murder, it also is a very difficult love story. Which is more important, marriage or career? She returned to her home to see her dying estranged father. Her brother Greg welcomes her home, but the strain between father and daughter continues even as he lays dying.

Three young women have been found tied and bound left to die in mines. The local FBI is aware of her fame and so enlists her assistance in finding the killer.

This novel has a lot of heart which makes it a very satisfying read. I recommend it!

[Mary Nemanich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harley Cole is quite the tough cookie…

Harley Cole is an FBI agent who doesn’t always follow all rules to the Nth degree… she is more interested in results than in following rules. Her goal is to get the murderers in prison! She is very focused and determined. When on a case, she breathes the case! She becomes fully engulfed in it.
Harley was suspended from her job at Quantico for NOT following all the rules… so what’s new?
She travels back home to try to make amends with her dying father before he passes… but her heart is not really in it.
She gets recruited and hired as a “consultant” on a case in her hometown… sans badge, cuffs and gun!
She is assigned to partner with FBI Agent Callaway… a “local boy.” Neither of them is enamored with the other… but they must work together to solve the crimes… and there are multiple.
This was an intriguing story, with never a dull moment! Lots of action, twists and turns.
It was difficult to put down this book… I hope you experience the same!

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gripping read

FBI agent Harley Cole doesn't always follow the rules and this time she night have caught the killer but she has landed herself on forced leave. She thought that things couldn't get worse but her husband has had enough and leaves her. She finds out that her father is dying and she feels guilty that she hasn't made a plan to go home. But her family fell apart when her sister disappeared and they have never been able to find their way back to each other.
She finds herself helping the local FBI office as an consultant but she finds out that things work differently as she isn't able to lead this time. Will she be able to work with the local agent to find the killer before more young woman are killed?
A good read. Love Harley as she is fearless but I worry that she bends the rules too much. I really hope that she does find the answers that she needs to be able to move on from the padt