Musings and Ramblings

A Cold Dark Place

Cold Justice, #1

Toni Anderson

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Toni Anderson
Narrator: Eric G. Dove
Date of Publication: December 19, 2014
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 9 hours and 53 minutes

Justice isn’t always black or white. Sometimes it’s cold and dark.

Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for The Gateway Project, a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn’t enjoy killing, but he’s damn good at it. He’s good at dodging the law, too—until a beautiful rookie agent has him wondering what it might be like to get caught.

FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there’s a vigilante operating outside the law. She has no choice but to take him down, because murder isn’t justice. Is it?

When Mallory starts asking questions, The Gateway Project management starts to sweat, and orders Alex to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex’s life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target, and Alex must reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves.

I was excited to get a chance to review this book. It looked like it would be something that I could really get into. After all, we are talking a strong female kicking butt and falling for a covert assassin/spy, while going after a serial killer. Shades of Criminal Minds crossed with Alias. Right up my alley.

The book started great with a male narrator who didn't butcher the female voice in a super high falsetto to make my ears bleed. Eric Dove was a new to be narrator, and I wasn't initially certain I would go for a male narrating a Romance based book, but it worked for me. He had good tone and emoting, all while not making me cringe during the female dialogue.

The story starts with a young woman being abducted from the side of the road. It was scary and full of anticipation and tension, as you figured out what was going on. The author does a fantastic job at setting a scene and the mood.

My problem was my ability to connect with our main characters. I tried, I really did. But Mallory just left me cold and Alex wasn't strong enough to keep my attention on his own. The only thing that kept me going was figuring out who the bad guy was. But as soon as I figured it out, I just couldn't gather the interest to go back to the book.  I tried multiple times to get back into it, but without a solid connection between me and Mallory and Alex, I just felt "meh" about seeing the specifics of how the book ends... After all, I am sure they get together, living happily ever after, as soon as the bad guy gets taken down... I just don't care to hear the details.

I was very disappointed in not being able to stay connected to this book and at 60% (5hrs, 53min), am throwing in the towel with a DNF and a rating of 2 stars - 1 for the book and 1 for the narrator.

Thanks to the author for the opportunity to listen and review the book.