Cold Case A Novel: Amazon.ca: Stephen White: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Crime-fighting psychologist Alan Gregory untangles a vexing unsolved case of double murder in the Colorado Rockies in this rousing page-turner by thriller specialist White. Gregory is drawn into his seventh fictional adventure by a private organization of criminal experts called Locard, named after a 19th-century French detective. Locard, which reopens decades-old murder cases at the request of survivors and their families, wants Gregory to help reexamine a puzzling case in which the partially mutilated bodies of two teenage girlsATami Franklin and Mariko HamamotoAwere found during the spring snowmelt outside Boulder. Gregory is asked to assemble psychological profiles of the girls, their parents and others close to the case in hopes of dispelling the official line that the murders were the work of a drifter. As Gregory's side of the investigation progresses, the finger of guilt seems to point directly at Colorado congressman Raymond Welle, a psychologist who was treating both girls at the time of the killings. Welle also has a shadowy connection to another notorious murderAthat of his wife, who was shot to death seven years earlier by one of his patients. Gregory, along with his wife, Lauren CrowderAnow pregnant and increasingly weakened by her multiple sclerosisAquickly find themselves in the awkward position of accusing one of the state's most powerful politicians of not one, but two crimes. The delicate, bookish Gregory and his enfeebled wife make for unlikely crime stoppers, yet White (Manner of Death) drives the story through agile plotting and fine characterizations to a clever, surprise ending. While his description of the Colorado landscape and humdrum details of his protagonist's daily routines do little to enhance the plot, his fans will enjoy the action and the way the series's main characters evolve in this latest entry. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-A long-unsolved murder case is referred to as a cold case, as is true of the murders of teens Mariko and Tami, found mutilated and buried in the snow near Steamboat Springs a decade ago. The investigative group known as Locard, composed of nationally known crime experts, agrees to open this case and calls on psychologist Dr. Alan Gregory and his pregnant, attorney wife for local help. Asked to develop profiles of the teens, Dr. Gregory sees his responsibilities widen as more killings occur and the cast of suspects increases. The methodical, detailed development of the story illustrates the often-ponderous routine of investigation and contributes to increasing tension. There's a rogue's gallery of participants-all brought to life with robust descriptions-from the almost-slimy, talkative, widowed congressman and the young, too-cool, golf-star brother of one of the victims to an irreverent, carping reporter and the agoraphobic head of Locard who leaves his home for this case. The resolution of the murders follows Gregory's terrifying trek through the Blowdown, a part of the forest where a powerful storm upended trees and left them scattered in precarious piles that could fall at the flutter of a bat. Wonderfully clever twists; secrets kept from friends, family, and coworkers; illustrative writing; and the statuesque Colorado Rockies add up to a "gotta-read" thriller.
Pam Spencer, Young Adult Literature Specialist, Virginia Beach, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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First Sentence
The phone call that summoned us to D.C. came on a Friday evening in April. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

42 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

3.1 out of 5 stars (42 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Why does he insult the reader so blatantly?, Jun 13 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cold Case (Mass Market Paperback)

I really don't know why I keep reading Stephen White. He can write a readable novel for the most part but then at the end he just keeps throwing one implausible thing after another at us until our intelligence is insulted. How many times can a person be held at gunpoint but manage to get away? And after Alan whined so pitifully about getting the bad guys some medical help IMMEDIATELY even if it meant all his friends could rot I found myself hoping someone WOULD shoot him! I know he's a big humanitarian and all but he was just ridiculous during those parts. That he would display so much compassion and concern for people who had just done their best to mercilessly end his life stretched my suspended disbelief just too far. Shoot him already.

I liked all the members in Locard so much more than Alan. I read White's books for his secondary characters like Sam Purdy, I can barely tolerate whine-boy, and in this novel he is at his all time worst for stupidity and cluelessness. I can believe that Alan would follow the bad guy right into the big woods like an idiot, but Kimber? No way. How stupid do you think we are Mr. White?

SPOILER: But the real insult came with the resolution. Like another reviewer said: why in the world would the Franklin family pay to open that can of worms after so long? White insulted us with that bit. No way they would have done such a thing. I guess all the fireworks at the end were supposed to make us forget that little detail. This isn't the first time he has chosen an ending or a killer that doesn't fit the facts. The real mystery here is why I keep reading these silly books.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Cold Case Leaves One Cold, Feb 25 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cold Case (Mass Market Paperback)

The protagonists in this book, Cold Case, are not likeable people. They are an assistant DA and a psychologist, who hardly ever have to show up at their respective offices. They are elitist and snobbish to those who are not left liberals. I wouldn't want to consult with Alan Gregory, the psychologist. The plot is better than the characters, the cop-friend, Sam Purdy, is the most realistic character in the book. I have read several of Stephen White's books and like the others better than this one.

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5.0 out of 5 stars a good read, July 4 2003

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"truthandjustice" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cold Case (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a book that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries. It is packed full of thrills, twists, and regular human life, in that the heroes and felons are portrayed as to how real live people lives, how they feel mentally and physically,no one is perfect. It is action packed and enthralling.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Stereo typed characters and extremely shallow.
This author has a vendetta against anyone who is conversative or Republican. It is so obvious that it is disturbing throughout the entire book. Read more

Published on July 3 2003 by Crystal Schaal

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor Man's Kellerman
Sterotypical charachters, average plotting, nowhere near the talent of Jonathan Kellerman. White seems intent on demonizing conservatives rather than concentrating on character... Read more

Published on Jun 23 2003 by R.Stanley Novak