The Coldest Fear

*Book provided by Netgalley. Post contains affiliated links* 

Thanks to some pretty massive home renovations, I have spent the past week trapped in my bedroom. Luckily, I had plenty of good books to keep me company so I'll have some great reviews coming for you soon! 

The Coldest Fear was not at all what I expected. Here is the blurb then we'll chat: 

A killer with nothing left to lose… 

Afraid or not, Detective Bobbie Gentry has a monster to confront. The pain of losing her family and nearly her life to a criminal's vile hunger is still fresh, but now the landscape is different. Now she's not alone. Now she has Nick Shade to trust. Nick treats the terror of his past with vengeance. He's dedicated his life to hunting serial killers, and he'd give his last breath to save Bobbie. When a string of killings bloodies Savannah's elite society and causes cold cases to resurface, Bobbie is captured in a city more haunted than Nick's inescapable nightmares. And as the murderer strikes close, Nick and Bobbie will need to become even closer if they're going to survive.

This is the first book I've read by Debra Webb. From looking at her website, I'm definitely late to the party.

What I didn't realize when I requested this book is that it is the third in a series. It was very well-written and the intricate plot kept me guessing but it starts IMMEDIATELY after the book before it (like the next day). Webb creates an amazing cast of characters with a tangled mass of intimate connections that made the beginning of the book confusing for me. 

I'm sure if I had read the first two in the series I would have known exactly who everyone was and been more entertained by the subtle references. It's clear the author is working hard to not overload a new reader and still give enough information but I felt like I'd turned on a TV show in the middle. Remember when they used to snippets of what happened before each scene? "Previous on Miami Vice..." That's what it was like. Yes, I was an 80's kid and I was OBSESSED with Miami Vice, Wise Guy, Crime Story, all those! 

Once it really gets going, the plot itself is chilling. The story is told through multiple characters who all have something to hide and something to lose. The way everything came together in the end made sense (which I always appreciate) and, of course, left some dangling threads for the next book. 

I would recommend this book the fans of Shades of Death series.  And to my reading friends who like their suspense on the dark side. I will admit to skipping the graphic detailed descriptions of the murders. They were a little too vivid for me but, we all know, that I am a big, fat chicken!