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Detective Josie Quinn #7
Cold Heart Creek
As the sun rises, the last glow of the campfire is just visible through the mist and the trees. The young couple are laid out on their backs beside the small blue tent, their hands clasped between them, their eyes open, their hearts cold…
When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of newlyweds Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…
The trail leads Josie to the gates of a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There is a young girl there with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying, but the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…
With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make as she races to find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken – but is she already too late?
An addictive and gripping crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Readers who love Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and Rachel Caine will be sleeping with the lights on after this rollercoaster of a read.
When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of newlyweds Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…
The trail leads Josie to the gates of a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There is a young girl there with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying, but the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…
With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make as she races to find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken – but is she already too late?
An addictive and gripping crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Readers who love Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and Rachel Caine will be sleeping with the lights on after this rollercoaster of a read.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2019
About the author
Lisa Regan
30 books3,186 followersLisa Regan is the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series as well as several other crime fiction titles. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers’ Association, and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, daughter and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.
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November 30, 2019
A Creepy Cult, A Mysterious Kidnapping, A Hermit, and Multiple Murders! Oh my!
Cold Heart Creek focuses on dual mysteries that involve a lost camper, a mysterious pregnant woman, and a creepy cult. This is book #7 in the Detective Josie Quinn series, and it is by far my favorite!
When Josie and her partner (and boyfriend), Noah, are called to investigate a murder at a campsite in Central PA, they find two bodies but three sleeping bags. Who the third camper is and how they escaped is one of the main mysteries. Driving back from the campsite, they come across a pregnant woman who ran from the woods into the middle of the road. Who she is and why she came running out of the woods, plays another major role. As Josie and Noah investigate, they come across The Sanctuary, a creepy cult with some *interesting* practices.
On top of these two cases, Josie is suffering from nightmares about her childhood. She and Noah are also going through some growing pains, but their relationship is solid. I love them!
This was an intriguing installment of the series. Darkness and light are the main themes. Josie’s battle to stay with the light causes her to confront past demons. The narrative is fast-paced and suspenseful. The last 20% or so had my heart pounding and the mysteries kept me guessing. I couldn’t put the pieces together. I pride myself on my armchair detective skills, but I was a miserable failure when it came to this book!
This book can easily be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the entire series. It keeps getting better and better!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Cold Heart Creek focuses on dual mysteries that involve a lost camper, a mysterious pregnant woman, and a creepy cult. This is book #7 in the Detective Josie Quinn series, and it is by far my favorite!
When Josie and her partner (and boyfriend), Noah, are called to investigate a murder at a campsite in Central PA, they find two bodies but three sleeping bags. Who the third camper is and how they escaped is one of the main mysteries. Driving back from the campsite, they come across a pregnant woman who ran from the woods into the middle of the road. Who she is and why she came running out of the woods, plays another major role. As Josie and Noah investigate, they come across The Sanctuary, a creepy cult with some *interesting* practices.
On top of these two cases, Josie is suffering from nightmares about her childhood. She and Noah are also going through some growing pains, but their relationship is solid. I love them!
This was an intriguing installment of the series. Darkness and light are the main themes. Josie’s battle to stay with the light causes her to confront past demons. The narrative is fast-paced and suspenseful. The last 20% or so had my heart pounding and the mysteries kept me guessing. I couldn’t put the pieces together. I pride myself on my armchair detective skills, but I was a miserable failure when it came to this book!
This book can easily be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the entire series. It keeps getting better and better!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2019
*CRACK*
That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark once again with another installment of her Josie Quinn Series. This was another heart-pounding, page-turning, roller coaster ride of a police procedural with heart! Lisa Regan is the new force to be reckoned with when it comes to suspense/thriller/drama/mysteries.
The book begins when a park ranger finds the bodies of a young married couple by a campsite with a third sleeping bag empty. As Josie and her team are called in to investigate, they find a "Sanctuary" type place int the woods which adds to the mystery, mystique, and drama of the book. Even more concerning is the woman Josie and Noah assisted giving birth after they found her running from the woods. She has been missing for some time, where has she been? Plus, what is going on with the hermit? And that folks is just the beginning...
Jeepers, this book might make you think twice about camping in the woods again!
She had me from page one and didn't let go. I had to keep reading to learn what would happen next. If you have not read this series, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend reading it from the very beginning so you can appreciate the character development and appreciate story arcs that continue throughout the series.
Josie continues to be a strong female character with demons. She is haunted by her past and continues to deal with past events (hence, why I feel readers need to embrace this series from book one). She's dedicated, hard-working, spunky and extremely likable. She's a character I root for time and time again. Plus, Noah and Gretchen are fabulous characters who only enhance my enjoyment of the series.
This book has just the right amount of detective work blended with a focus on the characters and their relationships. I LOVE this series and get very excited when a new book in the series comes out. As long as Regan keeps writing, I will keep reading.
Captivating, heart-pounding, page-turning, exciting and Intense! A must-read!
Thank you to Lisa Regan, Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
**This was a Traveling Sisters/Friends Buddy Read!!!
That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark once again with another installment of her Josie Quinn Series. This was another heart-pounding, page-turning, roller coaster ride of a police procedural with heart! Lisa Regan is the new force to be reckoned with when it comes to suspense/thriller/drama/mysteries.
The book begins when a park ranger finds the bodies of a young married couple by a campsite with a third sleeping bag empty. As Josie and her team are called in to investigate, they find a "Sanctuary" type place int the woods which adds to the mystery, mystique, and drama of the book. Even more concerning is the woman Josie and Noah assisted giving birth after they found her running from the woods. She has been missing for some time, where has she been? Plus, what is going on with the hermit? And that folks is just the beginning...
Jeepers, this book might make you think twice about camping in the woods again!
She had me from page one and didn't let go. I had to keep reading to learn what would happen next. If you have not read this series, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend reading it from the very beginning so you can appreciate the character development and appreciate story arcs that continue throughout the series.
Josie continues to be a strong female character with demons. She is haunted by her past and continues to deal with past events (hence, why I feel readers need to embrace this series from book one). She's dedicated, hard-working, spunky and extremely likable. She's a character I root for time and time again. Plus, Noah and Gretchen are fabulous characters who only enhance my enjoyment of the series.
This book has just the right amount of detective work blended with a focus on the characters and their relationships. I LOVE this series and get very excited when a new book in the series comes out. As long as Regan keeps writing, I will keep reading.
Captivating, heart-pounding, page-turning, exciting and Intense! A must-read!
Thank you to Lisa Regan, Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
**This was a Traveling Sisters/Friends Buddy Read!!!
November 22, 2019
COLD HEART CREEK by Lisa Regan is the seventh book in the Detective Josie Quinn series. This book worked well as a standalone novel for me, but the previous books would likely add more background and show character evolution over time.
This story takes place in and around Denton, Pennsylvania. When a park ranger finds two bodies near Cold Heart Creek, Detective Josie Quinn and her boyfriend, Lieutenant Noah Fraley and many others from the Denton police force work the case. When combing the area, a third sleeping bag is found and the team is not only looking for cause of death for the couple, but looking for the third person that was camping with them.
Josie and Noah are compelling characters and someone you can root for. They felt real and three-dimensional and definitely had both flaws and virtues. Their motivations were believable and the secondary characters were well-rounded and contributed to the story rather than detracting from it. There were plenty of plot twists and turns as well as red herrings. While the romantic relationship between Josie and Noah was weaved into the plot, it did not detract from the story line.
Themes weaved into this novel include domestic violence, PTSD, a strange commune, murder, caverns, heat, rain, kidnapping and much more. This was a complicated case and Josie and the team had to cut through the lies in order to find the truth.
Overall, I was hooked immediately in the first chapter and the pages kept turning. The novel kept me engaged throughout. I recommend this book to those that enjoy thrillers, great police procedurals and those that enjoy this series. While not absolutely necessary, I would recommend reading the series in order to gain more insight into the characters. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and Lisa Regan for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
This story takes place in and around Denton, Pennsylvania. When a park ranger finds two bodies near Cold Heart Creek, Detective Josie Quinn and her boyfriend, Lieutenant Noah Fraley and many others from the Denton police force work the case. When combing the area, a third sleeping bag is found and the team is not only looking for cause of death for the couple, but looking for the third person that was camping with them.
Josie and Noah are compelling characters and someone you can root for. They felt real and three-dimensional and definitely had both flaws and virtues. Their motivations were believable and the secondary characters were well-rounded and contributed to the story rather than detracting from it. There were plenty of plot twists and turns as well as red herrings. While the romantic relationship between Josie and Noah was weaved into the plot, it did not detract from the story line.
Themes weaved into this novel include domestic violence, PTSD, a strange commune, murder, caverns, heat, rain, kidnapping and much more. This was a complicated case and Josie and the team had to cut through the lies in order to find the truth.
Overall, I was hooked immediately in the first chapter and the pages kept turning. The novel kept me engaged throughout. I recommend this book to those that enjoy thrillers, great police procedurals and those that enjoy this series. While not absolutely necessary, I would recommend reading the series in order to gain more insight into the characters. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and Lisa Regan for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
December 6, 2019
At Book 7 Lisa Regan's Josie Quinn series is still going strong for me and a couple of my Traveling Sisters who read this series with me. We get excited every time there is a new book out and jump at the chance to read it together because we all love Josie! Josie continues to be a strong, complex and exciting character. We love the dynamics between Josie and the other characters in the series. Especially her relationship with Noah.
Cold Heart Creek is another fast-paced, intense story with twists and turns that kept me guessing. My favourite part of the series is the dynamics between Josie and her past. With each book, we learn a bit more about the demons that haunt Josie as she investigates a new crime.
Josie is called to woods here to investigate the death of two campers as she deals with the darkness that haunts her at night. I love the intensity here with that along with the warmth that guides Josie through the darkness. The crime is engaging with a little something different that kept me on my toes. It all comes together really well in the end. I highly recommend!
I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley.
Cold Heart Creek is another fast-paced, intense story with twists and turns that kept me guessing. My favourite part of the series is the dynamics between Josie and her past. With each book, we learn a bit more about the demons that haunt Josie as she investigates a new crime.
Josie is called to woods here to investigate the death of two campers as she deals with the darkness that haunts her at night. I love the intensity here with that along with the warmth that guides Josie through the darkness. The crime is engaging with a little something different that kept me on my toes. It all comes together really well in the end. I highly recommend!
I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley.
December 16, 2019
EXCERPT: Josie felt an involuntary shiver run the length of her spine and hoped Charlotte didn't sense it. She was beginning to feel completely disarmed and thrown off by this strange woman who smiled as though she knew something Josie did not, who didn't sweat in ninety degree weather, and who seemed to know Josie's thoughts before she had time to articulate them.
'Listen, ' Josie said. 'I'm here as part of an investigation. We have two dead bodies and a missing female who may be ill. I don't have time for this.
Charlotte remained in place, still as a statue. 'You've never made time for it, don't you see that?' She took a step toward Josie and touched her cheek, where the long faded scar ran from Josie's ear to beneath her chin. She wanted to recoil, but her feet were frozen in place. 'Now things are coming to an end of some sort, aren't they? Whatever it is, you'll only have one chance at it, and you're wondering whether you should take it or not.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of newlyweds Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…
The trail leads Josie to the gates of a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There is a young girl there with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying, but the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…
With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make as she races to find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken – but is she already too late?
MY THOUGHTS: This series, of which this is the seventh book, is addictive. And I may have said this before, but this is the best in the series, so far. I read it overnight, finishing just in time to go to work this morning. I was so absorbed in the storyline, it wasn't until I got to the end and caught my breath that I realized I hadn't highlighted any sections for my excerpt!
At the end, the author/publishers ask, 'Did this unputdownable thriller make your heart race and leave you wanting more?' My answer is a resounding 'YES!' This is not a series that continues to be strong, it is one that gets stronger with every book.
We don't see as much of Josie's family in Cold Heart Creek as we have in a the previous books, but there are some very interesting characters; Donovan the hermit and,even more so, Charlotte featured in the excerpt above.
I can't say anything about this book that hasn't already been said except that if you haven't already read it, you are missing out on 'A breathtaking read!'
❤😍❤😍❤
#ColdHeartCreek #NetGalley
My favourite quote: '...the darkness had never hurt her. It was always the monsters in the light.....'
THE AUTHOR: Lisa Regan is a suspense novelist. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Listen, ' Josie said. 'I'm here as part of an investigation. We have two dead bodies and a missing female who may be ill. I don't have time for this.
Charlotte remained in place, still as a statue. 'You've never made time for it, don't you see that?' She took a step toward Josie and touched her cheek, where the long faded scar ran from Josie's ear to beneath her chin. She wanted to recoil, but her feet were frozen in place. 'Now things are coming to an end of some sort, aren't they? Whatever it is, you'll only have one chance at it, and you're wondering whether you should take it or not.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of newlyweds Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…
The trail leads Josie to the gates of a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There is a young girl there with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying, but the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…
With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make as she races to find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken – but is she already too late?
MY THOUGHTS: This series, of which this is the seventh book, is addictive. And I may have said this before, but this is the best in the series, so far. I read it overnight, finishing just in time to go to work this morning. I was so absorbed in the storyline, it wasn't until I got to the end and caught my breath that I realized I hadn't highlighted any sections for my excerpt!
At the end, the author/publishers ask, 'Did this unputdownable thriller make your heart race and leave you wanting more?' My answer is a resounding 'YES!' This is not a series that continues to be strong, it is one that gets stronger with every book.
We don't see as much of Josie's family in Cold Heart Creek as we have in a the previous books, but there are some very interesting characters; Donovan the hermit and,even more so, Charlotte featured in the excerpt above.
I can't say anything about this book that hasn't already been said except that if you haven't already read it, you are missing out on 'A breathtaking read!'
❤😍❤😍❤
#ColdHeartCreek #NetGalley
My favourite quote: '...the darkness had never hurt her. It was always the monsters in the light.....'
THE AUTHOR: Lisa Regan is a suspense novelist. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 2, 2019
What can I say about Detective Josie Quinn that I have not said before? This series is just fantastic, always so much going on in both her personal and professional lives. Always pushing the boundaries to get the results. Josie cares about her victims, wants justice for their families and friends. She has her demons that she struggles to fight, especially in this book. This is a series that I always jump to read when a new one comes out, can't get enough.
This time there is twisty and complicated case. Josie and Noah have just moved in together and getting used to it. They have returned from a well earnt holiday together and are straight back into it when the bodies of a couple are found dead in the woods, On closer inspection there should be a third person. Whilst looking for them they almost knock down a very pregnant woman who then goes onto give birth in Josie's car. The excitement doesn't end there as they discover The Sanctuary - a place that is meant to look after people and be a safe haven but Josie feels that there is something more to it than that. All of this while she is trying to ignore the fact that her mother is dying in prison and wants to see her.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
This time there is twisty and complicated case. Josie and Noah have just moved in together and getting used to it. They have returned from a well earnt holiday together and are straight back into it when the bodies of a couple are found dead in the woods, On closer inspection there should be a third person. Whilst looking for them they almost knock down a very pregnant woman who then goes onto give birth in Josie's car. The excitement doesn't end there as they discover The Sanctuary - a place that is meant to look after people and be a safe haven but Josie feels that there is something more to it than that. All of this while she is trying to ignore the fact that her mother is dying in prison and wants to see her.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
December 2, 2019
Detective Josie Quinn and her partner (in both work and personal life) Detective Noah Fraley landed straight in it after their few days off, with the call regarding the deaths of a young couple near Cold Heart Creek. Their campsite had been ransacked but it was the third sleeping bag they found that had Josie believing there was another person who could now be in danger. Learning about the Sanctuary from another cop sent the team there to investigate. But when each person had been interviewed, they were none the wiser. Josie’s gut feelings were that something was going on out there, but for the moment she had nothing.
With Josie and her team working around the clock to find the missing woman, they were shocked when another body turned up – a person Josie knew. Her anger, fatigue and frustration escalated with time now against them. Josie also had in the back of her mind, the imminent death of her adoptive mother; the person who had abused her in horrific ways. Would Josie, Noah and the team find the killer - and the missing woman – before it was too late? Were the two cases connected? And who was the person in the caves?
Cold Heart Creek is the 7th in the Detective Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan, and another exceptional read. Set in Denton, Pennsylvania, the pace is electric, the twists and red herrings had me wondering where the author was taking me. Gripping and intense, Cold Heart Creek is a psychological thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I can’t wait for #8! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
With Josie and her team working around the clock to find the missing woman, they were shocked when another body turned up – a person Josie knew. Her anger, fatigue and frustration escalated with time now against them. Josie also had in the back of her mind, the imminent death of her adoptive mother; the person who had abused her in horrific ways. Would Josie, Noah and the team find the killer - and the missing woman – before it was too late? Were the two cases connected? And who was the person in the caves?
Cold Heart Creek is the 7th in the Detective Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan, and another exceptional read. Set in Denton, Pennsylvania, the pace is electric, the twists and red herrings had me wondering where the author was taking me. Gripping and intense, Cold Heart Creek is a psychological thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I can’t wait for #8! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2019
Detective Josie Regan wakes up in the middle of the night screaming... sometimes she's on the floor, covered in sweat and tears. Her childhood was horrifying and she still suffers today. Her so-called mother is in prison and is dying. Her other wants her to come see her before her death ... but Josie wants no part of this evil, evil, monster.
She's trying to not let this interfere with her latest case. A married couple is found in the woods near a creek. What starts out as an apparent accidental poisoning changes when a pendant necklace is found jammed down the woman's throat.
Toss in another missing woman from the campsite, add yet another woman, pregnant, who is found by Josie and her colleague, as well as lover, in the middle of nowhere, a kind of sanctuary, maybe a cult full of people living off the grid and you have the makings of a powerful story.
For those who have followed this series, you will find this a welcome addition. Although this is 7th in the series, it reads easily as a stand alone... but it would be much more beneficial to start at the beginning for the backstory of Josie, plus how her relationship with Noah has weathered many storms.
This is a well written crime fiction, with the usual ups and downs and twists and turns, as are all this author's books. All the characters are standout and unforgettable. The story is a real page turner.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
She's trying to not let this interfere with her latest case. A married couple is found in the woods near a creek. What starts out as an apparent accidental poisoning changes when a pendant necklace is found jammed down the woman's throat.
Toss in another missing woman from the campsite, add yet another woman, pregnant, who is found by Josie and her colleague, as well as lover, in the middle of nowhere, a kind of sanctuary, maybe a cult full of people living off the grid and you have the makings of a powerful story.
For those who have followed this series, you will find this a welcome addition. Although this is 7th in the series, it reads easily as a stand alone... but it would be much more beneficial to start at the beginning for the backstory of Josie, plus how her relationship with Noah has weathered many storms.
This is a well written crime fiction, with the usual ups and downs and twists and turns, as are all this author's books. All the characters are standout and unforgettable. The story is a real page turner.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
December 1, 2019
Cold Heart Creek is the seventh instalment in the Detective Josie Quinn series set in Denton, Pennsylvania. It isn't necessary to have read any of the previous books in order to understand and enjoy this so feel free to jump right in. Josie and her crew are called in to investigate when the remains of two campers are discovered in the woods by a creek. Evidence shows there was another person who had been present, a woman, and so an intensive search for her begins immediately as she could be in imminent danger; they know locating and identifying her will be no easy feat. Meanwhile, Josie is experiencing nightmares and flashbacks and is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her abusive mother has summoned her to her prison bedside to see and speak to her one last time as she is suffering from terminal cancer. Naturally, Josie feels very conflicted about this. She is continuing to work through all her mother subjected her to.
From page one, you are pulled into the story and Ms Regan has absolutely no problem in holding your attention the whole way through. It's an intense and action-packed investigation and the twists and turns adeptly fool you into thinking you know where it's all heading before the rug is swiftly nabbed from under you and the story shifts in the opposing direction. This is an absorbing and exciting book and the fact that it is told solely from Josie's perspective means it's easy for everyone to follow and allows the narrative to flow well from page to page. There are three strands the plot: the search for the missing camper, the investigation into the mysterious woman they come across whilst on the campers trail and the last strand explores Josie's personal life. Another captivating and addictive addition to a stellar series. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
From page one, you are pulled into the story and Ms Regan has absolutely no problem in holding your attention the whole way through. It's an intense and action-packed investigation and the twists and turns adeptly fool you into thinking you know where it's all heading before the rug is swiftly nabbed from under you and the story shifts in the opposing direction. This is an absorbing and exciting book and the fact that it is told solely from Josie's perspective means it's easy for everyone to follow and allows the narrative to flow well from page to page. There are three strands the plot: the search for the missing camper, the investigation into the mysterious woman they come across whilst on the campers trail and the last strand explores Josie's personal life. Another captivating and addictive addition to a stellar series. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
December 22, 2020
Wow!!! What a ride this book was!! So many different twists and turns - multiple mysteries and victims - are they related? I didn’t want to put the book down so I could figure it all out! Lisa Regan never disappoints and this book continues to deliver what I have come to love from her writing! Josie, the strong yet flawed female lead who continues to fight her own demons while also battling those out in the world! I am already anxiously awaiting the next book from Regan!
September 29, 2022
I have always liked this series and this author, but I wasn't as enthralled with this addition as previous ones. Josie's continuous nightmares were a bit too much. I understand that if someone had gone through such a horrendous childhood, they certainly could be expected to have nightmares and much more, but every time Josie went to bed you knew what was going to happen. Once again, we were going to read about another horrible nightmare. It was predictable and after a while, boring while lending nothing to the story. I wondered why Josie's superiors wasn't pulling her off duty and sending her for help. I certainly wouldn't want a sleep deprived detective with a gun backing me up. For the first time in a Lis Regan book, I felt like I wasn't relating to the characters or getting caught up in the storyline at all. I was really surprised this happened.
April 12, 2020
Detective Josie Quinn is called to the site of a suspicious death. A couple in their twenties has been found out in the woods, lying the fire, holding hands. Dead. Indications are death by poison but was it murder, suicide, murder/suicide or did they eat something poisonous accidentally?
The couple’s belongings are strewn around the campsite and police find evidence that a third person had been with the couple. Is this person a suspect or in danger? Either way they need to be found. As the police are searching through the woods they come across a chain link fence. The property inside belongs to a commune, or is it a cult? The apparent leader, Charlotte, seems cooperative enough but the other 30-odd residents appear strangely muted.
On the way back from canvassing the commune for info about the campers Josie and Noah, also of the Denton police department, nearly run into a woman who has staggered onto the road. She is heavily pregnant and bleeding. The woman, Maya, ends up giving birth in the back of Josie’s car. In the hospital she tells a bizarre tale of being abducted by a wild man who lives in an underground cavern. Josie gets herself in serious trouble, again, and who knew what was lurking under Charlotte’s calm exterior?
There were more threads than that but in typical Lisa Regan fashion she pulled it all together for an ending that...well, it wasn’t my favourite, I thought it a fraction fanciful. Still and all an excellent story. The ending did make sense in the context of the story.
The couple’s belongings are strewn around the campsite and police find evidence that a third person had been with the couple. Is this person a suspect or in danger? Either way they need to be found. As the police are searching through the woods they come across a chain link fence. The property inside belongs to a commune, or is it a cult? The apparent leader, Charlotte, seems cooperative enough but the other 30-odd residents appear strangely muted.
On the way back from canvassing the commune for info about the campers Josie and Noah, also of the Denton police department, nearly run into a woman who has staggered onto the road. She is heavily pregnant and bleeding. The woman, Maya, ends up giving birth in the back of Josie’s car. In the hospital she tells a bizarre tale of being abducted by a wild man who lives in an underground cavern. Josie gets herself in serious trouble, again, and who knew what was lurking under Charlotte’s calm exterior?
There were more threads than that but in typical Lisa Regan fashion she pulled it all together for an ending that...well, it wasn’t my favourite, I thought it a fraction fanciful. Still and all an excellent story. The ending did make sense in the context of the story.
January 19, 2021
The Josie Quinn series has become one of my favorites. This is the seventh book in the series and they just keep getting better. Lisa Regan lives in Philadelphia and I live in the suburbs. I was thrilled when she mentioned a couple of towns that I am familiar with in this story. In fact one of those towns I lived in at one time. Bias aside I love the characters and the stories keep you turning the pages.
The story opens with Josie and her boyfriend / partner Noah Fraley responding to a call. Two bodies have been discovered at a campsite in the woods. At first it appears that they may have died accidently. They ate something poisonous. A tragic accident. But as Josie is searching the campsite she notices things that don't fit. There are clothes but no camping equipment. Pots, pans, water bottles, first aid kit. Basic equipment you would expect to see at a campsite. Then she notices a third sleeping bag. Two bodies. Three sleeping bags. Where is the other person? Went to get help? Another victim they haven't found? A suspect? Josie and her team begin a search and come to a chain link fence with "Private Property - No Trespassing" signs. In the middle of the woods?
The property belongs a group called "The Sanctuary". A mysterious cult. Josie and her team interview the leader and members. They are cooperative and answer their questions but it is obvious that they appear to be hiding something. Or coached in what to say? But, they have no proof that the cult is involved in the deaths of the two campers or knows anything about a third camper.
As Josie and Noah are driving back to the station in a heavy rainstorm a woman staggers into the road in front of Josie's SUV. The woman is very pregnant and before an ambulance can arrive Josie has to deliver the baby. At the hospital they learn that the woman disappeared two years ago … while camping with her boyfriend in the woods nearby. Based on the statements obtained from the woman it appears that she was kidnapped by a mysterious hermit who lives in caverns in the woods. Is he the father of the baby? Could he have killed the two campers and kidnapped the missing third camper?
While all of this is happening Josie is trying to deal with the fact that the woman who raised her is dying. A woman who kidnapped Josie when she was an infant and abused her. Josie helped put her in prison and now she is dying. Every night when Josie falls asleep she has nightmares and wakes up screaming. Unable to fall back to sleep she is suffering from sleep deprivation. She is feeling the stress in both her work and personal life. There is no work / life balance.
This was a thriller that kept me turning the pages waiting to see what happens next. Trying, along with Josie, to figure out what was going on. Was the cult involved in the deaths? Or is it the hermit? What is happening in the woods near Denton, PA? Lisa Regan will keep you guessing until the very end.
The story opens with Josie and her boyfriend / partner Noah Fraley responding to a call. Two bodies have been discovered at a campsite in the woods. At first it appears that they may have died accidently. They ate something poisonous. A tragic accident. But as Josie is searching the campsite she notices things that don't fit. There are clothes but no camping equipment. Pots, pans, water bottles, first aid kit. Basic equipment you would expect to see at a campsite. Then she notices a third sleeping bag. Two bodies. Three sleeping bags. Where is the other person? Went to get help? Another victim they haven't found? A suspect? Josie and her team begin a search and come to a chain link fence with "Private Property - No Trespassing" signs. In the middle of the woods?
The property belongs a group called "The Sanctuary". A mysterious cult. Josie and her team interview the leader and members. They are cooperative and answer their questions but it is obvious that they appear to be hiding something. Or coached in what to say? But, they have no proof that the cult is involved in the deaths of the two campers or knows anything about a third camper.
As Josie and Noah are driving back to the station in a heavy rainstorm a woman staggers into the road in front of Josie's SUV. The woman is very pregnant and before an ambulance can arrive Josie has to deliver the baby. At the hospital they learn that the woman disappeared two years ago … while camping with her boyfriend in the woods nearby. Based on the statements obtained from the woman it appears that she was kidnapped by a mysterious hermit who lives in caverns in the woods. Is he the father of the baby? Could he have killed the two campers and kidnapped the missing third camper?
While all of this is happening Josie is trying to deal with the fact that the woman who raised her is dying. A woman who kidnapped Josie when she was an infant and abused her. Josie helped put her in prison and now she is dying. Every night when Josie falls asleep she has nightmares and wakes up screaming. Unable to fall back to sleep she is suffering from sleep deprivation. She is feeling the stress in both her work and personal life. There is no work / life balance.
This was a thriller that kept me turning the pages waiting to see what happens next. Trying, along with Josie, to figure out what was going on. Was the cult involved in the deaths? Or is it the hermit? What is happening in the woods near Denton, PA? Lisa Regan will keep you guessing until the very end.
November 3, 2019
If I ever made a list of my 10 favorite book "heroines," Josie Quinn would be in there somewhere. Yes, she's got emotional baggage as a result of an extremely abusive childhood, but unlike way too many other lead characters with similar backgrounds, she doesn't whimper and whine about it and gets on with her life in fine fettle (excepting perhaps those awful nightmares). That life, for the record, includes her duties as a detective in largely rural parts of Pennsylvania and Noah, a partner both professionally and personally (for the record, I like him a lot as well).
As this episode begins, Josie and Noah are called out when two bodies are found at a remote campground about half a mile from Cold Heart Creek. At first blush, it appears that they were poisoned - even, perhaps, in a suicide pact. But further investigation changes the outlook in two ways: They are murder victims, and there was a third camper at the site who is inexplicably missing.
The search for clues makes a significant stop at a fenced-in section of private property called The Sanctuary, a haven for societal misfits who, according to commune leader and property owner Charlotte, need to find themselves. Although all the residents are willing to answer questions, Josie and Noah are pretty sure they're not being totally honest. Then, on the drive home, Josie nearly collides with a very pregnant woman staggering out of the woods - who proceeds to give birth in Josie's car. When she's finally identified and hospitalized, the woman claims to have been kidnapped two years ago and held captive in some of the remote caves that dot the region. The plot thickens even more when a young girl Josie met at the commune turns up dead.
Admittedly, there are bits and pieces that stretch credulity a bit, but overall this is a book I really didn't want to put down and could have finished in a day had the facts of my personal life not intervened. And while I have read and enjoyed other books in the series, this one stands quite well on its own. I do thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
As this episode begins, Josie and Noah are called out when two bodies are found at a remote campground about half a mile from Cold Heart Creek. At first blush, it appears that they were poisoned - even, perhaps, in a suicide pact. But further investigation changes the outlook in two ways: They are murder victims, and there was a third camper at the site who is inexplicably missing.
The search for clues makes a significant stop at a fenced-in section of private property called The Sanctuary, a haven for societal misfits who, according to commune leader and property owner Charlotte, need to find themselves. Although all the residents are willing to answer questions, Josie and Noah are pretty sure they're not being totally honest. Then, on the drive home, Josie nearly collides with a very pregnant woman staggering out of the woods - who proceeds to give birth in Josie's car. When she's finally identified and hospitalized, the woman claims to have been kidnapped two years ago and held captive in some of the remote caves that dot the region. The plot thickens even more when a young girl Josie met at the commune turns up dead.
Admittedly, there are bits and pieces that stretch credulity a bit, but overall this is a book I really didn't want to put down and could have finished in a day had the facts of my personal life not intervened. And while I have read and enjoyed other books in the series, this one stands quite well on its own. I do thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
September 29, 2019
Lisa Regan is a rising star in this genre and her depiction of a flawed but morally upstanding female detective has set her apart in the industry often overshadowed by male authors. No one tells a tale like Lisa Regan does. Cold Heart Creek is everything you expect from a Josie Quinn novel and SO much more. This is truly a walk through the dark side of humanity done in a way that never snuffs out the light completely. The verse, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it" played through my mind while I read, but I inherently knew the darkness would not overcome HER.
Josie was dealing with a lot when the book opens. She's suffering from terrifying nightmares when confronted with the imminent death of the woman who she believed was her mother, but was actually a monster in the darkness. Not ready to deal with the past, Josie and Noah throw themselves into their new case; the deaths of two campers and the third one missing. What starts out as a straightforward murder investigation quickly spirals into a tale of twisted and depraved minds and lifestyles. The tales Lisa weaves are complicated and the tendrils are many, but there's one thing you can be assured of; she will unravel each thread slowly, precisely, and with the utmost suspense until you cannot think about anything else except finishing it and getting all the answers.
I'm not one to rehash the whole plot, but I will say, this is about more than a dead couple and their missing friend. This is about the demons we ALL fight and the different paths we choose to take in order to win the battle. Some choose wisely, like Josie Quinn, who in the end, shined brightly in the darkness because she is the light. Cold Heart Creek is a perfectly paced and plotted police procedural that you do not want to miss!
Josie was dealing with a lot when the book opens. She's suffering from terrifying nightmares when confronted with the imminent death of the woman who she believed was her mother, but was actually a monster in the darkness. Not ready to deal with the past, Josie and Noah throw themselves into their new case; the deaths of two campers and the third one missing. What starts out as a straightforward murder investigation quickly spirals into a tale of twisted and depraved minds and lifestyles. The tales Lisa weaves are complicated and the tendrils are many, but there's one thing you can be assured of; she will unravel each thread slowly, precisely, and with the utmost suspense until you cannot think about anything else except finishing it and getting all the answers.
I'm not one to rehash the whole plot, but I will say, this is about more than a dead couple and their missing friend. This is about the demons we ALL fight and the different paths we choose to take in order to win the battle. Some choose wisely, like Josie Quinn, who in the end, shined brightly in the darkness because she is the light. Cold Heart Creek is a perfectly paced and plotted police procedural that you do not want to miss!
July 9, 2022
*Josie and Decisions*
**4.5 Stars**
This instalment sees a Park Ranger making a grim discovery and Josie is first at the scene. Eerily the couple appear to be sleeping but they are far from alive.
In the background she keeps receiving calls re her incarcerated so called mother who is gravely ill. Josie keeps diverting the calls to voicemail. As usual Josie tells no one.
She is trying to pick through the case and upon searching she realises there was another person travelling with the victims.
They happen upon a huge house that the Ranger seems reluctant to talk about. The owner is sickly sweet and has a soothing manner but all is not what it seems. She dresses the place up as somewhere to provide refuge for people in need but there is more to it.
They interview everyone there and they are uneasy as one of the women there wants to leave but is afraid.
While driving back Josie narrowly misses a heavily pregnant young woman who is in distress and Josie and Noah have their hands full as the baby is on its way.
Things go from bad to worse as Josie finds herself in danger, will they get to the truth? Will Josie ever be able to face her abusive mother?…
A lot happens in this one but still a great read
**4.5 Stars**
This instalment sees a Park Ranger making a grim discovery and Josie is first at the scene. Eerily the couple appear to be sleeping but they are far from alive.
In the background she keeps receiving calls re her incarcerated so called mother who is gravely ill. Josie keeps diverting the calls to voicemail. As usual Josie tells no one.
She is trying to pick through the case and upon searching she realises there was another person travelling with the victims.
They happen upon a huge house that the Ranger seems reluctant to talk about. The owner is sickly sweet and has a soothing manner but all is not what it seems. She dresses the place up as somewhere to provide refuge for people in need but there is more to it.
They interview everyone there and they are uneasy as one of the women there wants to leave but is afraid.
While driving back Josie narrowly misses a heavily pregnant young woman who is in distress and Josie and Noah have their hands full as the baby is on its way.
Things go from bad to worse as Josie finds herself in danger, will they get to the truth? Will Josie ever be able to face her abusive mother?…
A lot happens in this one but still a great read
November 21, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Cold Heart Creek, the seventh novel to feature Detective Josie Quinn of the Denton, Pennsylvania Police Dept.
When the bodies of two campers are found in the woods Josie and the team are called in to investigate. Not only do the deaths look suspicious but there is evidence of a third person who is now missing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Heart Creek which is an action packed investigation with plenty of twists and turns. Does it bear any relationship to reality? No, but it’s an exciting read and held my attention throughout. It is told entirely from Josie’s point of view so there are no distractions and the reader is easily able to slip in to her thoughts and actions and identify with her. It makes for a good read. The plot has two major strands, the hunt for the missing person and a subplot about a mystery woman. I found both absorbing and interesting up until the explanations at the end. I’ll admit to being tired when I read them but while they tie everything together they didn’t seem particularly likely to me and I was left shaking my head - so much adrenaline ending in lameness.
Josie is battling with herself over her abusive “mother” who is dying of cancer and wants to see her. The whole novel is peppered with her nightmares of past mistreatment. In places it seems gratuitous but serves as an illustration of why she is such a dedicated detective.
Cold Heart Creek is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
When the bodies of two campers are found in the woods Josie and the team are called in to investigate. Not only do the deaths look suspicious but there is evidence of a third person who is now missing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Heart Creek which is an action packed investigation with plenty of twists and turns. Does it bear any relationship to reality? No, but it’s an exciting read and held my attention throughout. It is told entirely from Josie’s point of view so there are no distractions and the reader is easily able to slip in to her thoughts and actions and identify with her. It makes for a good read. The plot has two major strands, the hunt for the missing person and a subplot about a mystery woman. I found both absorbing and interesting up until the explanations at the end. I’ll admit to being tired when I read them but while they tie everything together they didn’t seem particularly likely to me and I was left shaking my head - so much adrenaline ending in lameness.
Josie is battling with herself over her abusive “mother” who is dying of cancer and wants to see her. The whole novel is peppered with her nightmares of past mistreatment. In places it seems gratuitous but serves as an illustration of why she is such a dedicated detective.
Cold Heart Creek is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
March 21, 2020
I received a free e-copy of Cold Heart Creek (Detective Josie Quinn #7) by Lisa Regan from NetGalley for my honest review.
The most exciting, amazing, heart-pounding series I have read in years. I just can't get enough of this amazing series. It just keeps getting better and better. Love the characters, the mystery, and the writing is amazing! Please keep this series going.
The most exciting, amazing, heart-pounding series I have read in years. I just can't get enough of this amazing series. It just keeps getting better and better. Love the characters, the mystery, and the writing is amazing! Please keep this series going.
November 30, 2019
Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan is the seventh in the Detective Josie Quinn series.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Once Acting Chief of Police, Josie Quinn is now doing what she is best suited for. She’s back to being a detective and happy. She is learning to love her new-found family, but it is keeping her busy. So is dating Detective Noah Fraley.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
The bodies of Valerie and Tyler Yates are found in the woods near their tent. They have been strangled. It looks like another woman was camping with the couple, but she is missing.
While searching for the missing camper, Josie and Noah investigate an old farmhouse owned by Charlotte Fadden, who runs a sanctuary for those that want to live off the grid. Sounds a bit like a cult. Although she doesn't find their missing woman, Josie does find a young woman who looks like she is being abused. The woman refuses their help.
Then, a pregnant woman runs out from the woods, and it turns out she has been missing for two years. She says she was abducted, and kept in a cave by a big hairy man. Sounds a little strange.
Josie wonders if all these things are connected, or if she should be treating them all separately.
Meanwhile, Josie is also trying to ignore her horrendous past. The woman who kidnapped her and abused her as a child is dying in prison, and wants to see her.
My Opinions:
I like Josie. The author has created a strong woman, and even when battling a panic attack, can take care of herself. With each book, her character grows. Although I am not a romance reader, I really like the relationship between Josie and Noah. It seems real.
The plot was really good, and as always, there was a lot of action. Even though there was a lot going on, everything moved smoothly. The topics of abductions, and cults, and abuse, as well as mental health issues all tied together very well, and led to some interesting events. The book hooks you and carries you along on a rather tense ride.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
December 4, 2019
This is the 7th book in a series and I've read all of them, in order, and suggest that you not tackle this as a standalone as there is a lot of backstory in Detective Josie Quinn's personal and professional life.
In this installment, Josie and her live-in boyfriend, Noah Fraley (also a Detective), are called to a campsite where they find two bodies. Husband and wife, Tyler and Valerie Yates, appear to have been poisoned. As they search the campsite, it's obvious that most of their belongings have been taken except for one oddity -- a third sleeping bag. Who was the person who was with them and where are they now? Their investigation takes them to a nearby commune, known as The Sanctuary, and their interviews with the inhabitants lead them nowhere though Josie is suspicious that these people know something that they aren't sharing. Then, on their way back to the station after an exhausting, wet August day, they find a pregnant woman stumbling out of the woods. After Josie delivers the baby (!) and they get the woman and infant to the hospital only to find out that the woman has been missing for 2 years. Is there a connection between their dead campers and this woman? And how is The Sanctuary involved? NO SPOILERS.
This was an easy one-sitting read and I really was all-in for the first 2/3 of the book. Then, something happens that sort of put me off the rest of the story and I never got back the level of interest I had in the case. Josie finally has some sort of closure in her personal life with Lila, however, and I hope that also ends her nightmares (which should require her to be in therapy). I hope that Josie and Noah's relationship can survive. There wasn't much in this installment about the other members of their team: Detectives Gretchen Palmer and Finn Mettner and the main focus was on them running around piecing together this complicated case. To sum up my feelings -- well, this was not one of my favorites in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
In this installment, Josie and her live-in boyfriend, Noah Fraley (also a Detective), are called to a campsite where they find two bodies. Husband and wife, Tyler and Valerie Yates, appear to have been poisoned. As they search the campsite, it's obvious that most of their belongings have been taken except for one oddity -- a third sleeping bag. Who was the person who was with them and where are they now? Their investigation takes them to a nearby commune, known as The Sanctuary, and their interviews with the inhabitants lead them nowhere though Josie is suspicious that these people know something that they aren't sharing. Then, on their way back to the station after an exhausting, wet August day, they find a pregnant woman stumbling out of the woods. After Josie delivers the baby (!) and they get the woman and infant to the hospital only to find out that the woman has been missing for 2 years. Is there a connection between their dead campers and this woman? And how is The Sanctuary involved? NO SPOILERS.
This was an easy one-sitting read and I really was all-in for the first 2/3 of the book. Then, something happens that sort of put me off the rest of the story and I never got back the level of interest I had in the case. Josie finally has some sort of closure in her personal life with Lila, however, and I hope that also ends her nightmares (which should require her to be in therapy). I hope that Josie and Noah's relationship can survive. There wasn't much in this installment about the other members of their team: Detectives Gretchen Palmer and Finn Mettner and the main focus was on them running around piecing together this complicated case. To sum up my feelings -- well, this was not one of my favorites in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
November 18, 2019
Detective Josie Quinn has her hands full when she is called in to investigate the discovery of two bodies found at a campsite by a creek. Evidence shows that there was a third person there, a woman, so a desperate search is under way. Meanwhile, Josie is grappling with the fact that her dying mother wants to see her once last time.
Josie came from a dark and disturbed past. The woman she called her mother is actually a woman who kidnapped her, only to brutally abuse her for years. Josie has come a long way since then. She had since been reunited with and drawn close to her birth family. She has moved in with Noah, another detective, and they are thriving. However, with recent request to visit her mother in prison, Josie has been having horrid nightmares.
Meanwhile, the search for the missing girl, as well as to identify the cause of death of the two victims, leads Josie and team deep into the forest. They discover a farmhouse where several people reside. One such girl is someone Josie is desperate to help, but penetrating this group of people is not easy. Josie wonders if this group of people and the missing girl could possibly be connected.
There are several threads in this thrilling story. Cold Heart Creek is the 7th book in the compelling Detective Josie Quinn series. I have read most of the books in this series and have loved to see Josie shine above her tragic past and being able to remain focused and professional despite her personal drama. This is a well-written, captivating story that I read in one sitting. Let's hope we see Josie again real soon.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Josie came from a dark and disturbed past. The woman she called her mother is actually a woman who kidnapped her, only to brutally abuse her for years. Josie has come a long way since then. She had since been reunited with and drawn close to her birth family. She has moved in with Noah, another detective, and they are thriving. However, with recent request to visit her mother in prison, Josie has been having horrid nightmares.
Meanwhile, the search for the missing girl, as well as to identify the cause of death of the two victims, leads Josie and team deep into the forest. They discover a farmhouse where several people reside. One such girl is someone Josie is desperate to help, but penetrating this group of people is not easy. Josie wonders if this group of people and the missing girl could possibly be connected.
There are several threads in this thrilling story. Cold Heart Creek is the 7th book in the compelling Detective Josie Quinn series. I have read most of the books in this series and have loved to see Josie shine above her tragic past and being able to remain focused and professional despite her personal drama. This is a well-written, captivating story that I read in one sitting. Let's hope we see Josie again real soon.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 1, 2019
4.5 thriller stars
It’s hard to believe that this is #7 in this series. I love that Lisa Regan writes these quickly because I don’t lose track of characters or back stories. I adore the character of Josie Quinn. She’s a flawed detective with plenty of baggage, but I root for her and get swept up in all the danger that she finds herself in with these tales. You could read this as a stand-alone, but I think it would be much better to start with #1, “Vanishing Girls” and read them all.
In this one, we have a mysterious case of two campers found dead, what really happened to them? Does it have anything to do with the mysterious commune in the woods? Why is the neighboring town police force so reluctant to help with this case? Can the two police forces work together before there is another murder victim?
This one also has a return of Josie’s abusive mother and nightmares plague her. Steady boyfriend Noah has such a great calming influence on Josie, and I am so glad they’ve found each other.
This one is filled with twists and danger and the end was not what I predicted at all. It’s always an adventure to watch the Denton police solve the latest case. This one was paced well, and I found it to be a quick an engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Regan, and Bookoutre for an early copy of this one to read.
It’s hard to believe that this is #7 in this series. I love that Lisa Regan writes these quickly because I don’t lose track of characters or back stories. I adore the character of Josie Quinn. She’s a flawed detective with plenty of baggage, but I root for her and get swept up in all the danger that she finds herself in with these tales. You could read this as a stand-alone, but I think it would be much better to start with #1, “Vanishing Girls” and read them all.
In this one, we have a mysterious case of two campers found dead, what really happened to them? Does it have anything to do with the mysterious commune in the woods? Why is the neighboring town police force so reluctant to help with this case? Can the two police forces work together before there is another murder victim?
This one also has a return of Josie’s abusive mother and nightmares plague her. Steady boyfriend Noah has such a great calming influence on Josie, and I am so glad they’ve found each other.
This one is filled with twists and danger and the end was not what I predicted at all. It’s always an adventure to watch the Denton police solve the latest case. This one was paced well, and I found it to be a quick an engaging read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Regan, and Bookoutre for an early copy of this one to read.
December 17, 2019
The seventh book in the series (already? that has gone so fast!), and just as good as the others.
Josie Quinn is a police officer, and a good one, despite a very rough start in life. She has Noah by her side, and it hasn't always been easy for the two of them but things seem to be working out quite well at the moment. Her mother seems to be reaching out to her but considering what she did to Josie when she was young, this is something Josie needs to consider very carefully indeed.
This is one fast-paced and gripping book! There are dead bodies, missing women, a cult and a man who lives in the woods. Somehow or another, this author makes all these complicated threads come together and the end result is a fabulous read.
4.5 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.
Josie Quinn is a police officer, and a good one, despite a very rough start in life. She has Noah by her side, and it hasn't always been easy for the two of them but things seem to be working out quite well at the moment. Her mother seems to be reaching out to her but considering what she did to Josie when she was young, this is something Josie needs to consider very carefully indeed.
This is one fast-paced and gripping book! There are dead bodies, missing women, a cult and a man who lives in the woods. Somehow or another, this author makes all these complicated threads come together and the end result is a fabulous read.
4.5 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.
February 15, 2020
When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene.
Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…
Trawling the couple’s photo albums for clues, Josie can’t imagine why anyone might want to harm these smiling, carefree young lovers. Until a face in one of the pictures stops her in her tracks and leads her to a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There they meet a young girl with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying. But the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…
With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make. But first she must find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken. Is she already too late?
While this may be the series’ 7th installment, newcomers won’t have any problem jumping right in. As protagonists go, Josie isn’t particularly deep or complicated, and the investigator’s personal life with her live-in boyfriend is fairly disposable. Author Lisa Regan really shines as a deft constructor of taut whodunnits, and this book is bound to satisfy most crime thriller fans.
Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
Combing the area, Josie’s team discover a third sleeping bag indicating there could have been an extra guest around the fire that night. A lucky escape? A missing victim? Or a suspect on the run? Finding this person is the key to the entire investigation…
Trawling the couple’s photo albums for clues, Josie can’t imagine why anyone might want to harm these smiling, carefree young lovers. Until a face in one of the pictures stops her in her tracks and leads her to a farmhouse hidden deep within the forest – a special place where people go to escape, and to hide. There they meet a young girl with frightened eyes and bandaged wrists who knows more than she is saying. But the next day she’s found dead, choked with a matching necklace…
With her mother’s life hanging by a thread, Josie has an impossible decision to make. But first she must find the meaning of the pendant and catch this twisted killer before another innocent life is taken. Is she already too late?
While this may be the series’ 7th installment, newcomers won’t have any problem jumping right in. As protagonists go, Josie isn’t particularly deep or complicated, and the investigator’s personal life with her live-in boyfriend is fairly disposable. Author Lisa Regan really shines as a deft constructor of taut whodunnits, and this book is bound to satisfy most crime thriller fans.
August 1, 2024
A park ranger has found the bodies of a man and woman at a camp site. Detective Josie Quinn investigates, finding evidence of a third person at the site. Did the third camper kill the others or has that person been kidnapped? While driving away from the murder site during a storm, Josie and Noah see a pregnant woman staggering onto the road. Offering her help, they discover that this woman was reported missing from a camp site nearly two years ago. Where has she been all this time?
The 7th book in the Josie Quinn series pulls you in from the first chapter. There were several suspects, more dead bodies, a cult, and a mysterious hermit that lived in the woods. Josie had her work cut out for her with this one. My rating: 4 Stars.
The 7th book in the Josie Quinn series pulls you in from the first chapter. There were several suspects, more dead bodies, a cult, and a mysterious hermit that lived in the woods. Josie had her work cut out for her with this one. My rating: 4 Stars.
September 30, 2019
Of all the emotions I’ve felt while reading the Detective Josie Quinn books, this is the first time I’ve ugly cried while reading one. You could say it’s because I’ve grown attached to these characters, or because, on some level, I can relate to them, but it’s not that. It’s the incredible writing and storytelling by Lisa Regan. I truly experienced every emotion while reading this story.
There’s some seriously dark stuff in this book and some dark people. With such a wide cast of characters, I never knew what to believe or who to trust. That’s the beauty of the writing. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the world would shift and I’d be questioning everything again. Lisa Regan weaved a tale that had me second-guessing everything. Just when I thought I could trust someone, new revelations would come to light. And just when I thought all was lost, and Josie would never unravel the web of lies, things shifted again and I was left shocked by the outcome.
I’m not even sure what else to say about this story without giving something away. It’s light and it’s dark. It’s exhausting and it’s invigorating. It’s love and it’s hate. It’s an example of how horrible humans can be to each other, and an example of how kind they can be—or of how resilient they can be.
Masterfully plotted and written, this series, and this book will cause you to lose sleep. I’m yawning as I type this because I stayed up too late and then woke too early because I knew I was soooo close to finishing and I had to know! I had to finish!
Another incredible 5-star read from Lisa Regan, and undoubtedly destined to be a best-seller!
There’s some seriously dark stuff in this book and some dark people. With such a wide cast of characters, I never knew what to believe or who to trust. That’s the beauty of the writing. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the world would shift and I’d be questioning everything again. Lisa Regan weaved a tale that had me second-guessing everything. Just when I thought I could trust someone, new revelations would come to light. And just when I thought all was lost, and Josie would never unravel the web of lies, things shifted again and I was left shocked by the outcome.
I’m not even sure what else to say about this story without giving something away. It’s light and it’s dark. It’s exhausting and it’s invigorating. It’s love and it’s hate. It’s an example of how horrible humans can be to each other, and an example of how kind they can be—or of how resilient they can be.
Masterfully plotted and written, this series, and this book will cause you to lose sleep. I’m yawning as I type this because I stayed up too late and then woke too early because I knew I was soooo close to finishing and I had to know! I had to finish!
Another incredible 5-star read from Lisa Regan, and undoubtedly destined to be a best-seller!
December 3, 2019
Regular readers of my blog will know that I’m a huge fan of this author’s books which, in my opinion, keep getting better and better. I’m so impressed with how she keeps coming up with fantastic, different story lines.
This book gives the reader more of an insight into Josie and her past which I thought was very interesting. It was nice to see her vulnerable side and that she can let other people look after her sometimes which made her seem more real. The secondary characters from previous books are featured more in this book and I enjoyed finding out more about them.
This was an incredibly gripping, intense read which I just couldn’t put down. I found myself trying to sneak off and read a few more pages which is always a sign of a great read. There are lots of twists that kept me on my toes and some very intense, heart thumping moments which ensured I was glued to the page. The author is very skilled at describing the scenes and characters so that the reader can really envision them in my mind, though in some of the dark moments I wished I couldn’t. The ending was superb and a brilliant way to end the book. I liked how intense it was and how it managed to change my opinion of some of the characters.
Huge thanks to Noelle from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is a must read series for any thriller lover!
This book gives the reader more of an insight into Josie and her past which I thought was very interesting. It was nice to see her vulnerable side and that she can let other people look after her sometimes which made her seem more real. The secondary characters from previous books are featured more in this book and I enjoyed finding out more about them.
This was an incredibly gripping, intense read which I just couldn’t put down. I found myself trying to sneak off and read a few more pages which is always a sign of a great read. There are lots of twists that kept me on my toes and some very intense, heart thumping moments which ensured I was glued to the page. The author is very skilled at describing the scenes and characters so that the reader can really envision them in my mind, though in some of the dark moments I wished I couldn’t. The ending was superb and a brilliant way to end the book. I liked how intense it was and how it managed to change my opinion of some of the characters.
Huge thanks to Noelle from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is a must read series for any thriller lover!
November 8, 2019
This is a number 1 author on my List. Love this series. Regan tells great crime drama that entwine together to make for a fantastic read. Josie Quinn Series should be read from the beginning to really get the dynamics of the characters. Having read all of this series except for the first one; when I picked it up recently I just kept nodding my head as to "OK that makes sense now" Troubled Past, Romance, and Josie's goal to safe lives make this novel impossible to put down. "A copy of this book was provided by Bookouture via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." If Regan writes it I plan to Read it!!!
January 4, 2024
4,5 ⭐️
Vražedná temnota je v poradí už siedma časť vynikajúcej série v hlavnej úlohe s Josii Quinnovou. Musím povedať, že pre mňa si táto séria aj napriek mnohým pokračovaniam stále drží latku vysoko, čo sa týka čtivosti a pútavosti príbehu. Aj keď tu bolo zopár momentov, kde dej trošičku stagnoval, inak bol napínavý a ja som opäť bola zvedavá, či sa podarí Josie spolu s jej tímom všetko včas vyriešiť.
V pustých lesoch na kraji Dentonu objavia dvoch mŕtvych turistov. Na prvý pohľad zomreli otravou, bola to však len nešťastná náhoda alebo plánovaná vražda? Keď Josie zistí, že dvojica mala aj tretiu spolo��níčku, tak sa v nepriaznivom počasí začne boj o čas. Vyšetrovanie policajný tím zavedie do utiahnutej komúny plnej divných ľudí aj do odľahlých jaskýň. Josie navyše bojuje s nočnými morami, ktoré jej nedávajú spávať aj sama so sebou, keďže ju prenasledujú zlé zážitky z minulosti.
Celý zamotaný prípad opäť splnil moje očakávania. Fascinuje ma, koľko zla sa nájde v takom malom meste a vždy rozmýšľam, či tam o pár rokov bude ešte niekto nažive 😄. Možno by ma potešilo trochu viac zmienok zo súkromného života Josie, tentokrát sa toho až tak veľa neobjavilo. Verím, že v ďalšej časti nám to autorka trochu vynahradí a tiež dúfam, že sa jej aj skoro dočkáme.
Vražedná temnota je v poradí už siedma časť vynikajúcej série v hlavnej úlohe s Josii Quinnovou. Musím povedať, že pre mňa si táto séria aj napriek mnohým pokračovaniam stále drží latku vysoko, čo sa týka čtivosti a pútavosti príbehu. Aj keď tu bolo zopár momentov, kde dej trošičku stagnoval, inak bol napínavý a ja som opäť bola zvedavá, či sa podarí Josie spolu s jej tímom všetko včas vyriešiť.
V pustých lesoch na kraji Dentonu objavia dvoch mŕtvych turistov. Na prvý pohľad zomreli otravou, bola to však len nešťastná náhoda alebo plánovaná vražda? Keď Josie zistí, že dvojica mala aj tretiu spolo��níčku, tak sa v nepriaznivom počasí začne boj o čas. Vyšetrovanie policajný tím zavedie do utiahnutej komúny plnej divných ľudí aj do odľahlých jaskýň. Josie navyše bojuje s nočnými morami, ktoré jej nedávajú spávať aj sama so sebou, keďže ju prenasledujú zlé zážitky z minulosti.
Celý zamotaný prípad opäť splnil moje očakávania. Fascinuje ma, koľko zla sa nájde v takom malom meste a vždy rozmýšľam, či tam o pár rokov bude ešte niekto nažive 😄. Možno by ma potešilo trochu viac zmienok zo súkromného života Josie, tentokrát sa toho až tak veľa neobjavilo. Verím, že v ďalšej časti nám to autorka trochu vynahradí a tiež dúfam, že sa jej aj skoro dočkáme.
January 6, 2020
This was simply fabulous!! Exactly what I needed when life got tough for me.
2 bodies in the woods, Josie and Noah were called to investigate. A third missing camper made it a wider search. A missing woman was suddenly found on the road just to have Josie deliver the child at the back of her hatchback. Josie had a potpourri of an investigation but it smelled real bad. Something was afoul there.
My first book by author Lisa Reagen, though 7th book in the series. The first word that came to me while reading was - the writing was so friendly. Reading a new author and that too a mid-series book, I should have felt alienated. But this author went over and beyond in the story. The past and the present were so well assimilated that understanding the characters was seamless.
I couldn't help but keep looking at Josie. A lead Detective in the police procedural with her own demons, in a relationship with her lieutenant, I was in awe of her. I couldn't stop reading the book to get to the end. There was something hypnotic and loving about the whole vibe of it as if the book was inviting me to read in its pages and forget my tensions. Make no mistake, it was a murder / missing persons investigation and quite hard hitting at the core of it.
The last section was so spellbounding and throat-ripping that I had to walk while reading to get rid of the excess adrenaline. My thriller-y heart was so happy reading this book. I simply loved. My afternoon read today, a perfect escape from life.
2 bodies in the woods, Josie and Noah were called to investigate. A third missing camper made it a wider search. A missing woman was suddenly found on the road just to have Josie deliver the child at the back of her hatchback. Josie had a potpourri of an investigation but it smelled real bad. Something was afoul there.
My first book by author Lisa Reagen, though 7th book in the series. The first word that came to me while reading was - the writing was so friendly. Reading a new author and that too a mid-series book, I should have felt alienated. But this author went over and beyond in the story. The past and the present were so well assimilated that understanding the characters was seamless.
I couldn't help but keep looking at Josie. A lead Detective in the police procedural with her own demons, in a relationship with her lieutenant, I was in awe of her. I couldn't stop reading the book to get to the end. There was something hypnotic and loving about the whole vibe of it as if the book was inviting me to read in its pages and forget my tensions. Make no mistake, it was a murder / missing persons investigation and quite hard hitting at the core of it.
The last section was so spellbounding and throat-ripping that I had to walk while reading to get rid of the excess adrenaline. My thriller-y heart was so happy reading this book. I simply loved. My afternoon read today, a perfect escape from life.
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