A Faint Cold Fear
Ratings27
Average rating3.7
A suicide on a college campus. A tragic case with a simple resolution. But for medical examiner Sara Linton, it just does not add up. When two more suspicious deaths follow and a young woman is brutally attacked, it soon becomes clear that she is looking for a murderer. The college authorities are reluctant to cooperate and Sara isn't any closer to finding the answers she needs. With the violence triggering memories of a past she would rather forget and the clues pointing ever closer to home, can she uncover the truth in time to save the next victim? _________________________________________ Crime and thriller masters know there's nothing better than a little Slaughter: 'I would follow her anywhere' GILLIAN FLYNN 'One of the boldest thriller writers working today' TESS GERRITSEN 'Her characters, plot, and pacing are unrivalled' MICHAEL CONNELLY 'Passion, intensity, and humanity' LEE CHILD 'A writer of extraordinary talents' KATHY REICHS 'Fiction does not get any better than this' JEFFERY DEAVER 'A great writer at the peak of her powers' PETER JAMES 'Raw, powerful and utterly gripping!' KATHRYN STOCKETT 'With heart and skill Karin Slaughter keeps you hooked from the first page until the very last. . .' CAMILLA LACKBERG 'Amongst the world's greatest and finest crime writers' YRSA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR
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6 primary booksGrant County
Grant County is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 2001 with contributions by Karin Slaughter.
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Really dislike Lena. So much so I can't stand to read about her and her miserable attitude.
This book was an intense thriller in the Sara Linton/Grant County series, focusing mostly on Lena Adams and her struggle to identify the killer while dealing with her own personal issues. I liked the character interactions and the plot moved along well.
It was bound to happen. I did not really enjoy this installment of the Grant County series for a few reasons. The location and some of the disparaging side plots. I'll get into that later, but this book focuses on a murderer who starts picking off students and faculty using questionable methods and setups. Are they all connected? Time will tell.
What makes this one unique is that Sara's sister is also a victim. While Sara is assisting the police in finding the killer, she is also watching her sister cling to life and trying to mend relationships with her ex-husband at the same time. It's panic-inducing, and it's hard not to feel sorrow for the family as the grisly story unfolds.
As I stated before, it is the college location that feels ordinary. We are introduced to stereotypical college kids, questionable faculty, parties, and those bending the law for a good time. It is fairly easy to figure out who to add to a list of possible suspects and who you can tick off and leave to indulge in their vices.
Do not get me wrong; this one is a dark book, but most of the content is much too obvious. There is no pizazz to the mystery, no exciting hook. The story's connective tissue (quite literally) is just dull. It definitely has that third-book or movie curse. i.e., Robocop 3, Superman 3, Terminator 3, Matrix 3, Godfather 3, etc., you get the point. I could have used more emphasis on Jeffery and Sara's relationship and less on Lena's constant downfall and noncommittal attitude to help with the murder investigation. I get why she is unwilling to help; believe me, it's horrible what she goes through, but it gets a bit much towards the end. I guess what I am getting at is that the story is just a bit thin. It has the usual trappings of the previous novels, but this one does not do too much more to lift the story to a new level.
The shocking ending will definitely rub most people the wrong way, and I don't even truly know where I stand with the twist until I check out the next installment.
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