Cold Truth

Truth #1

by Mariah Stewart

From New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart comes a novel of sexy romantic suspense for fans of Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, and Karen Robards.TRUTH HAS DEADLY CONSEQUENCES Twenty-six years ago, even before a series of brutal murders rocked the idyllic town of Bowers Inlet, Cassie Burke lost her parents, her sister, and nearly her own life to a transient befriended by her father. Back then, Cassie was a scared kid–now she’s a homicide cop. Back then, the suspect was caught and convicted–he died in prison. But now the killing has started again. And all signs indicate that the Bayside Strangler has come back for more. With too many victims and too few suspects, Cassie has her hands full investigating the case, while working through the old trauma it has brought to the surface. Luckily, FBI agent Rick Cisco is dispatched to lend support. Together, Cassie and Rick must uncover the link between the dark past and the dangerous present to bring this small town’s long nightmare to an end. If they fail, an elusive fiend will slip back into the shadows . . . to watch and wait–and kill another day. In matters of crime, there are many versions of the This edition includes an excerpt from Mariah Stewart's Hard Truth.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2005

About the author

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-one novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!)

After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?

Reviews

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serial killer police procedural. OK, but nothing special or different. One instance of heroine stupidity. No romance.

GENRE CONFUSION:
The author’s bio talks about awards for romantic suspense and contemporary romance. So that’s what I thought I was getting when I bought the book Cold Truth. Unfortunately Cold Truth has NO ROMANCE. Now as I look at the author’s website, I don’t find any clear distinction about which of her books are romances. So I’m frustrated. Anyway I gave 4 stars to her book Mercy Street, which I labeled “mystery with a little romance.” Because I liked it and wanted to try another, I bought Cold Truth which was a mistake.

STORY BRIEF:
The Bayside Strangler rapes and strangles women with long dark hair near the small town of Bowers Inlet. He moved away and over the next 26 years he killed women wherever he went. Recently he returned to Bowers Inlet and resumed killing women there.

26 years ago, Cass was 6 years old. Her father, mother and sister were killed in their home. Cass was stabbed but survived. Now as a police detective she is investigating the recent murders. The FBI sends agent Rick to help Cass. The story is a police procedural “mystery” because murders occur, and we are watching officials slowly uncover clues and evidence to catch the killer. It’s also a “thriller” because we are in the killer’s head as he thinks about what he’s done and what he’s going to do next. But we don’t learn his identity until the end.

REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH A PARTIAL SPOILER) (I don’t give away the bad guy’s name):
I was disappointed that it was not the genre I expected. If you’re looking for “romantic suspense” forget it. I’m trying to be fair and judge it as a “mystery thriller” which I believe is “ok.” There were no major problems other than one instance of stupidity on the heroine’s part. She went off by herself when she knew she was a target and got caught by the bad guy. He told her he had a hostage but Cass never even asked him for proof of life before she did what he asked. That bothered me.

The plot, methods, motives, and events were well thought out (other than the stupidity). But it felt like “another one of those serial killer stories.” There was nothing special or different. I wasn’t emotionally engaged.

DATA:
Story length: 373 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Bowers Inlet and other towns in New Jersey. Copyright: 2005. Genre: mystery thriller.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got to page 134 and TSTL characters caused rage-quit. If you don't mind stupidity in your female law enforcement characters, you may like this book. I don't enjoy it when 1) law enforcement is showcased as stupid/incompetent, 2) when females are written as dumb, especially when they are supposed to be smart or are in law enforcement and 3) being in the crazy killer's head.

Not my type of book and not reading anymore by this author. I tried two and both irked. Another reviewer said the cop female MC went off by herself and got caught by the bad guy. The last book I read by this author, same thing happened and Our Hero had to save the FBI chick from the bad guy and her own stupidity. I assume this book has the hero saving the chick as well. Not my idea of a good book. I don't do damsels in distress.

Women need help at times, men do too. But it shouldn't be the men saving the women all the time. Not if the women are supposed to be tough. Don't claim they are tough and then have them need saving.

1 star. Not for me. May be for someone else.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was actually pretty good. I wasnt expecting to get much out of it considering I picked it up for a challenge, but it had me pretty hooked. I really liked Cassie and Rick. I also had no idea who the killer was which kept me waiting to know more. The fact that they were able to figure it out by hypnotizing Cassie still amazes me. By the way it ended I am assuming that Rick and Cassie got togather, and I totally support that. I will be continuing on with this series.

[Kathie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This police procedural chasing a serial killer is actually blah and unmemorable. Intentionally or not, the author paints cops as bumbling, territorial, and stupid.
This was my first book by this author and based on previous reviews about her other books having similar themes of women in law enforcement doing something stupid and needing saving, I think I'll pass on her work in the future.

[Shae Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this crime mystery! I found it interesting how the murders were all linked to the main characters mothers death, and a man who was obsessed with her and trying to relive a moment that he never got. I liked how it ended with the idea that there will be another cold case to solve in book 2, based on Reagan’s Dads files. Definitely will continue!

[ElaineY · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; MAY 20, 2021
Narrator: Joyce Bean


I am familiar with the author's name but not her books. As far as I can recall, this is the first of her books I've read/listened.

First, the bad: I do not like Joyce Bean's narration. I find her wooden and her voice a little nasal. She's better than Anna Fields, though, who rattled off sentences without expression and often sounded (to me) as if she couldn't wait to be done with the book.

Now, the good: a solid 5 stars despite one small niggle, which I will get out of the way first - Cassie took off on her own with no back up. This is the standard TSTL moment but I chose to let it pass because the killer warned Cassie he had the victim they were looking for and if they wanted her alive, Cassie had to do as he ordered. He also warned her that he could see her every move and proved this by instructing her where to go step by step - showing he was either close by and able to observe her or he had some kind of surveillance camera on her, perhaps. Whichever, I allowed Cassie the TSTL decision.

As I had not been having a good run with my book choices for months, the fact that this book engaged me from start to end, and left me satisfied, meant a five star rating. At first the number of characters gave me a hard time but I caught up. I also liked that there was an attraction between Cassie and Rick but this was not apparent until towards the end. To those looking for a romantic suspense, this will be a disappointment but for me - who dislike the romance being too obvious - it was what I was looking for. That Rick and Cassie share their first kiss only at the end of the book was just right for me.

The chase for the killer's identity and apprehension before he killed again was suspenseful enough and I liked that Cassie took care of him swiftly and professionally. I did not have to wait for the hero to come charging in to rescue her.

I'd been looking for a police procedural with a slight touch of romance and no gore but haven't been successful. I even tried Karen Rose's older books but even she tended to include awful graphic scenes so I stuck with Cozy Mysteries until I couldn't tolerate them anymore.

I'm going to look up more of Ms Stewart's books.

[Dotti Elrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Cold Truth. It was a quick read and as with the other Mariah Stewart books I've read it was more romance than thriller. But it was a nice story.
Cassandra Burke is a detective in the small Jersey Shore town of Bowers Inlet. One of only two detectives in the small town. When a very prolific serial killer decides to take his show on the road he comes home, home to Bowers Inlet. The small police force is overwhelmed with the string of murdered women that start showing up. It becomes even worse when the only other detective up and quits in the middle of the case. The chief of police has no choice but to bring in some help. He asks the FBI to take a look at this case. That brings Agent Rick Cisco to town.
When the killer's letters to the police are made public, true crime writer Regan Landry, recognizes the form of the letters as being the same as some her father has in his files. Regan's father, Josh Landry was also a writer and was killed by Archer Lowell in an earlier book, Dead Even.
When her calls to the police chief in Bowers Inlet go unanswered. she calls the FBI saying she has information concerning a possible serial killer. When agent Mitchell Peyton shows up to help her go through her fathers files, they soon realize just how busy this killer has been.
Cass, Rick, Mitchell and Regan get together with FBI profiler Anne Marie McCall and decide that this killer started his spree in Bowers Inlet. Some twenty years earlier, around the time another tragic murder happened in town. Annie thinks that this murder was the trigger that started him on his spree. He may have returned to town to finish off what he started.
I love the way this author develops her characters, you fall for them early in the book and feel what they feel. While it's heavy on the romance, there is still some good detective work going on and one really creepy killer. I cant wait to read the next one.

[Jay Jessmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have absolutely loved every Mariah Stewart trilogy/series that I have read. I am now getting around to her "Truth" series, and this first installment is setting up another winner. There is something about her writing that is so addictive.
Great story, great characters and a quick moving plot make this a first rate page-turner. We get new additions to her ever expanding cast of characters along with a nice smattering of some old friends, including one of my favorites, Annie McCall. I really liked the separate branches of investigation from two different sets of players. I liked both pairings (Cassie & Rick/Regan & Mitch), and hope to see more of them in the next books. Although this is pretty much Cassie's story, I think Regan has the makings of a terrific heroine.
Stewart has a knack for bleeding the ending of one chapter into the next that force you to keep reading. It seems like the chapters always end with something that makes the reader want to keep going. One of my favorite characteristics of her writing style is that when the story is carried along by narration vs. dialogue, it never seems to bog things down. The narrative is typically crucial to the storyline and carries a tone of suspense in itself. The dialogue itself never drags on and is a great cross between banter, plot advancement and character development.
Although this is classified as thriller/romance, the romance is at a minimum which helps with the pacing. A very wise decision on her part as I think more focus on the romance part would have decreased the overall feel of this one. It was enjoyable to me to feel the building chemistry rather than read about it.
I am very much looking forward to the remainder of this series. If you have not yet delved into the works of Mariah Stewart, i would recommend her highgly!!

[Brenda Audiobooks Only · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by Anna Fields - Narration 5*s

Reviewed for AAR's Speaking of Audiobooks - http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=7437

I wanted to listen to this Mariah Stewart book primarily for narrator Anna Fields. I expected to enjoy her narration but I was also hoping there might be a thread of romance in this suspense story. I was right about Anna Fields but I was wrong about a possible romance angle.

Though I see the word thriller associated with Cold Truth, it falls into a slot just above cozy mystery – maybe serious cozy mystery?

At the age of six, Cassie Burke came home to find her parents and sister murdered. A vagrant was tried and convicted of the murders, but shortly thereafter a serial killer, dubbed The Bayside Strangler, began killing women in the general area. Then the murders stopped as abruptly as they had started.

Now 26 years later, Cassie is a police officer and a copy cat of the Bayside Strangler is murdering women in the vicinity – or could it be that the original killer is back? FBI agent Rick Cisco joins in the hunt while Cassie’s past tragedy haunts her in the wake of these new murders. The killer is eventually identified through some interesting means before he’s taken down. Cassie and Rick do become attached and walk into the sunset together at the end, but that’s it for the romance.

For me, Anna Fields was the saving grace. Her ability to define characters and deliver a story made Cold Truth an easy listen while I sat back, admired her talent, and wished for a dollop of romance to go with my mystery.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bayside Strangler appears to have made his way to the town of Bowers Inlet. Detective Cass Burke responds to a scene where the dead body is a dark haired woman who has been raped and strangled. Taunting notes are being sent to the police chief who was an officer 26 years ago when similar notes were written after a family's murder. More women's bodies are found as the town wants answers about a possible serial killer. And Cass learns that her mother's murder was an eerily similar crime scene from 26 years ago.

The story is told from several points of view, including the killer's. Even when the killer was narrowed down to 4 possible suspects, Mariah Stewart didn't give enough information to figure it out until she was ready to tell. Not much romance in this book and it was a quick and easy read.

[Kathy Blanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie Burke was stabbed after she finds her family all killed when she was a child. She survived and her aunt and uncle raised her. She was left a cabin in Bowers Inlet in New Jersey by her grandmother. She was to share the cabin with her cousin Lucy, who visited every summer. The killer has returned to finish the one who got away, Cassie. The serial killer was a teenager when he fell in love with Cassie's mother, Jenny. He has been killing all over the country for 25 years. They all look like Jenny with dark hair. As bodies begin to be found, Bowers police department ask for help from the FBI. As Cass and Rick Cisco work together, Lucy gets attacked because she looks just like Jenny. They begin to figure out who the serial killer is. Can Rick save Cassie or can she save herself?

[Harlow Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was close to being a DNF due to my sheer boredom with it. It started to pick up some in the last 100 pages, but not enough for me to give this more than 2 stars. It's the first book I've read by this author and I see there are several more in this particular series, but I don't think I'm interested enough to read any more of them at this time. I'm disappointed because I love books with these types of plots and I'm surprised by how dull it ended up being. I can't say I really connected or bonded with any of the characters either.

[Laura K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very slow at the beginning but I stuck with it and did get interested. My favorite quote, "" Everyone has a choice. You get into situations, places you don't want to be, you have a choice. You can deal with it,make it your own, or you can fight against it relentlessly. Smart is knowing when to stop fighting. Strong is knowing when to move past it and take what you have and turn it into something you can live with. "

[Anna McFadden · Rating 4 out of 5]

26 years ago inBowers Inlet, after Cassie Burke almost lost her life from the attack that she lost her parents, and her sister, they had found ta transient that was befriended by her father in the shed cover in blood. He arrested and convicted—he died in prison. there was a few other killings and the newspeople tag the perp as the Bayside Strangler. Now Cassie is a homicide cop and
the killing has started again.
With too many victims and too few suspects, Cassie has her hands full investigating the case, while working through the old trauma it has brought to the surface. Luckily, FBI agent Rick Cisco is dispatched to lend support

[Cindi Mansell]

This was my first Mariah Stewart book but won't be my last. I really enjoyed the surprising twists along with the budding romances. A little was lost in some of the obvious things that a good detective would have noticed but I enjoyed it and didn't guess who the culprit was until the very end which always marks a good book for me.

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller. I really enjoyed this 1st in a series of 4 murder mysteries. The build up is smartly done and the reader is prompted to work with the writer in putting the clues together. A nice bit of romance is included and personal tragedy is neatly wound up giving a satisfactory conclusion. Much enjoyed. 5 stars.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are about to get complicated for Cass Burke. A young woman has been murdered and it looks like the work of the Bayside Strangler - a murderer from the past with a haunting MO. The situation escalates and Cass is going to have to face her own past in order to determine who is behind the murders.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow my review disappeared. I am not writing it over, just telling you to read this book if you like this time of book. Serial Killer and police procedural. I enjoyed this book. It is what I enjoy reading to relax. I noticed some people did not like it. I wonder if maybe they are reading the wrong type of book for them or possibly the wrong author. To each their own.

[River Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery side of this was pretty good, compelling and well paced, and I liked the characters, but the pasted on romance left me feeling like none of the MCs had ever met anyone of the opposite sex before, or they'd already be paired off, because clearly in this universe, M+F must = M/F.

[Ashley Moody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book by mistake thinking it was another book. A completely predictable murder mystery that was probably turned into a Lifetime movie. Not a total waste of time—I finished it, but highly disappointed. Not even one little twist.

[Anita Quelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

26 years ago Cassie lost her family to the Bayside Strangler. They found the killer and he eventually died in prison. Cassie is now a detective and it seems a new Bayside Stranger has surfaced. First read by this Author. Good story. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Christie Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Truth

Cassandra and Rick are a good team working to find a serial killer that just happened to Star in Cassie's moms murder. Really good book.
I love the tie in of Mitch and Regan as well. Hopefully there's more of them to come.

[Laurie Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are a little older being from the early 2000s. The suspense is great though! This is the second book in the series. I have read and I have the other two that I want to finish. Great thrillers!

[Patricia Ettenborough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mariah Stewart’s books are never a disappointment!

Another great read onto the next one. Always excited to start a new one of her books. I was never a reader until I found her books.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one should get 3.5 stars.
A very intriguing, long term story that goes back 26 years!
It was a very well put together story that kept me reading and reading fast.

[Tracy Stackhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course it's a four!

No Mariah Stewart I have read is less and some are even greater. If you haven't become a fan, start now

[Judy Parker Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

never read anything by this author I liked this book Now I am starting another by her

[Victorian Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great psychological thriller!! It kept me on my toes!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hardly able to finish it. Dialogue unbelievable.

[Randy · Rating 1 out of 5]

160 pages in, still can't get into it. Unable to connect with the characters or the plot. I'll give another book in the Truth series a try, but this one just didn't do it for me.