Cold Case (Alan Gregory)

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.

Having read all of Stephen White's novels in chronological order (which you also should do if you feel like exploring his complete work), I was highly impressed with this eighth instalment of the loose series.Even though some of the plot is at times... well, quite predictable (anybody here who did not have an idea what would happen to the sympathetic Dorothy pretty quickly?), "Cold Case" nevertheless offers another exciting read from this gifted author. There are of course a lot of similarities to Jonathan Kellerman's L.A.-based Alex Delaware series, but Stephen White's very credible Colorado characters lend all of his thrillers deeper roots somehow.Like I said in an earlier review, opening up a new Stephen White novel is like visiting good friends. It's great to see the main characters being carefully developed with each new novel - and with Stephen White you can bet that the story is always interesting, profoundly researched and well written.

Exciting, interesting, and suspenseful describe the plot of this new novel. White's readers will not be disappointed in the eighth in this series. A conniving politician, an estranged husband, and a woman with a secret contribute to a complicated plot involving the murder of two teenage girls. The case has gone unsolved for years, until a group of experts that solve old or "cold" cases as a hobby decide to take on the case. Alan and Lauren are asked to be consultants for this group of criminologists and get more involved than they expect.

Stephen White, where have you been all my life? I don't know how I've missed him, since I'm a more than avid reader, but I was very pleased with "Cold Case." I read it in record time because I just couldn't stop turning the pages. I really like Alan Gregory's character. He reminds me a bit of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware, and I liked Lauren Crowder much better than Delaware's live-in, Robin. Even the dog, Emily, was a good character. The book certainly captured my interest and the ending lived up to the rest. I'll be looking for all the other Alan Gregory books.

Over ten years have passed since two Steamboat Springs High School juniors, Tami Franklin and Mariko Hamamoto, vanished just before Thanksgiving in Colorado. Their corpses were found a year later. The case was never solved.Now, the Locard network of criminologists wants to re-look at the COLD CASE. They ask psychological profiler Dr. Alan Gregory and his spouse Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crowder to help them. The Locard group knows they need local talent to counterbalance the impact of a popular, high visibility celebrity, Congressman Dr. Raymond Welle, who is directly involved in the case. He provided psychological services to Mariko. Additionally, the sister of Lauren's first husband was once married to Raymond before she was brutally murdered by one of his patients. Alan begins to develop a profile on the two victims, their family members, and anyone else tied to the original case. The mounting evidence points towards Raymond as the prime suspect in three murders, but doesn't prove it beyond a shadow of doubt.Alan and Lauren are entertaining lead protagonists because they are atypical of the perfect hunk/hunkette who solve crimes. Instead, Alan seems more like a college professor and the pregnant Lauren suffers from multiple sclerosis. Though the descriptions of the Rockies are breathtaking, it actually slows down a brilliant murder mystery. The Locard connection is especially enticing and hopefully, Stephen White will provide tales from their files in future novels. In his eighth appearance, Alan Gregory retains his freshness in a wonderful novel that will elate series and sub-genre fans.Harriet Klausner