The Book of Cold Cases

The Book of Cold Cases follows Shea Collins, a receptionist who runs a true crime website in her spare time. In 2017, she encounters Beth Greer, a woman who was acquitted of two murders in 1977 but remains notorious in their small town of Claire Lake, Oregon. Beth agrees to let Shea interview her about the decades-old homicides, leading Shea to visit Beth's mansion on the hill. As Shea digs into the cold cases and spends time with Beth, she begins experiencing unexplained phenomena at the house and uncovers connections between past and present. The investigation forces both women to face their own traumas while piecing together what happened in 1977. Through alternating timelines and perspectives, the narrative examines the ways fear and violence shape lives long after the original events. This supernatural thriller explores society's fascination with true crime and female violence, while questioning how stories of the past continue to haunt the present. The novel examines the complex relationships between trauma, truth, and redemption.

Readers found this ghost story/true crime hybrid compelling but uneven. Many noted it started strong but lost momentum in the second half. Readers liked: - The atmospheric Pacific Northwest setting - Dual timeline structure between 1977 and present day - Integration of modern true crime blogging culture - Strong character development of both protagonists Readers disliked: - Predictable plot twists - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Some found the supernatural elements disconnected from the crime story - Several felt the ending was rushed As one reader noted: "The ghost story overshadowed what could have been a great true crime novel." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (127,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (22,000+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) Many readers compared it unfavorably to St. James' earlier work The Sun Down Motel, saying this book didn't achieve the same tension or cohesive storytelling.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James A woman investigates disappearances at a haunted motel where her aunt vanished in 1982, revealing a cold case filled with ghosts and murder.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James A journalist investigates a boarding school's haunted history while uncovering the truth behind a recent murder connected to a decades-old disappearance.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins A true crime-obsessed woman returns to her family's funeral home to investigate her brother's death, discovering dark secrets about her crime-historian parents.

I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir Three people renovating a house in an abandoned Icelandic village encounter supernatural forces linked to the disappearance of a young boy.

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon A woman finds a diary detailing a century-old mystery about missing persons in her rural Vermont house, leading her to uncover connections to present-day disappearances.

🔍 The book was partly inspired by true crime websites and online cold case communities, reflecting the author's fascination with digital-age amateur sleuths. 🏆 Simone St. James has won multiple awards for her supernatural suspense novels, including the RITA Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. 🗞️ The fictional "Lady Killer" murders in the book share similarities with the real-life .22 Caliber Killer case from Albany, NY in the 1970s. 🏰 The haunted Greyborne House in the novel draws inspiration from Winchester Mystery House in California, known for its bizarre architecture and ghostly legends. 📚 The author wrote seven historical gothic suspense novels before shifting to contemporary settings with "The Broken Girls" (2018) and subsequent books, including "The Book of Cold Cases."