The Book of Cold Cases – Simone St. James
100-Word (or Less) Synopsis: Nearly 50 years ago, Claire Lake, Oregon’s most prominent family found themselves at the center of a serial killer mystery. Now the last remaining relative — and former primary suspect — is ready put the family’s literal and figurative ghosts to rest.
Expectation: A fast-paced paranormal mystery with enough plot twists to give you whiplash.
Reality: At times too slow and too long, the story is entertaining enough but far from Simone St. James’ best work.
Recommended For: Mystery thriller genre fans. Even for the novel’s shortcomings, St. James’ writing still shines.
Why I Read It: While not my favorite genre, I do like the way the author tells a story.
My Take:
“The Book of Cold Cases” is a completely passable mystery thriller.
It maintains a creepy tone, establishes two interesting characters and includes the right amount of paranormal mystique to help sell the premise but not make you feel like it is science fiction.
Still, I was mostly underwhelmed, mainly because for being my third Simone St. James novel, it is the weakest of the bunch. What I appreciated about “The Broken Girls” and “The Sun Down Motel” is that the author kept the reader more off-balance with her plot twists than she does here.
My husband and I listened to the very well-done audiobook and had fun pausing the story to debate what we thought was going to happen. Unfortunately, many of our ideas were more interesting than what transpired.
In the end, we both found “Cold Cases” to be entertaining enough but not a book we would quickly recommend. When all was said and done, we weren’t really wowed by originality.
[spoilers ahead]
A few things we enjoyed:
Shea and Beth are well developed. Shea, the blogger, and Beth, the “Lady Killer” suspect, both had compelling narratives. St. James seamlessly shifted between both POVs and past and present timelines while giving their in-person interactions a “frenemy” vibe.
It’s creepy. In the last three St. James novels, supernatural elements are used to great effect. Here, she dials into the upper Northwest weather and topography to add another layer of chill.
The writing is solid. St. James’ characters always feel real — in the way they talk, interact with one another and in how they process trauma. In many ways she writes above the expectations of this genre, which makes me want to see her try something different with her next novel. The well is starting to feel dry here.
A few things we didn’t like:
Too many mysteries. Beth’s backstory and the “Lady Killer” mystery was enough to sustain the story, but the focus on Shea’s childhood abduction introduced too many loose ends. Several characters used it as a reason for wanting to work with her on the “Lady Killer” blog, yet Shea said — repeatedly — that she purposely didn’t talk about her past with others. So why does everyone know about it? Also, not a mystery, but the subplot with Shea’s sister felt completely unnecessary.
It all seemed too easy. Beth, a notorious local hermit who refused interviews for decades decides to tell her deepest and darkest family secrets to a part-time crime blogger after meeting her for 10 minutes? This would’ve been believable had St. James not made the national fervor around the “Lady Killer” akin to the “The Zodiac Killer.” It seems like Beth could’ve aimed much higher – and got paid handsomely for it.
Much of it felt long and unoriginal. The “born of violence” aura around Lily, Beth’s mysterious half sibling was heavy handed. Shea and Michael’s relationship seemed forced and it all was tied up in a neat bow at the end. At about 70 percent, when the core mystery is revealed, I started to feel it had gone on too long.
Claire Lake as Castle Rock. Even though this was St. James’ first novel set in Claire Lake, Oregon, she presents the town as one with a bloody and mysterious past, akin to Stephen King’s Castle Rock, Maine. I like the idea of St. James revisiting the town in the future, but she needs to make the townspeople more self-aware to sell it effectively.
[spoilers ended]
The audiobook was narrated by Brittany Pressley (Shea), Kirsten Potter (Beth) and Robert Petkoff (court transcripts). Pressley and Potter were given the meatiest roles, and they rose to the occasion — especially Potter.
Beth could’ve felt like a caricature — given how some elements of her story felt banal — but she tapped into the complexity of her family history to inform how she presented the past and present character. Pressley was equally as solid in her wide-eyed, yet guarded enthusiasm, and she helped sell the last several chapters that bordered on both tedium and absurdity. I could’ve listened to an entire book of the icy cat and mouse dynamic between the two during the interview sessions, however.
All-in-all, fans of mystery thrillers should give this one a try, but readers of previous St. James novels should go in with tempered expectations.
Rating (story): 3/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5 stars
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: April 14 – April 17, 2022
Multi-tasking: Good to go. The multiple narrators make it easier to distinguish between characters, so as long as your paying close enough attention to not miss major twists, you’ll be fine.
