I have always loved Kylie Brant.
In this series the main character is built up as the story goes along to become a strong woman who doesn’t hesitate to jump right in the middle of the chaos.
She is likable and strong which makes this a series one you won’t want to put down.

This book was faced-paced, gritty, and rough. It has an escaped serial killer, a newly-released convicted who committed a murder as a child, and a US Marshal who is trying to find a link between them.

I did not want this book to end! It was so good. I haven't read a thriller like this in a long time!

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

This is another killer read by a very talented author. The book was entertaining from the very beginning and kept me gripped until the very end. Recommended.

"Cold Dark Places" is a surprisingly well done mystery. I've never read anything from Kylie Brant before so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed her writing.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love dark mystery thrillers, especially ones starring complex female main characters. I was engaged with this story from start to finish. I'm looking forward to more books coming out in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this arc.

WOW! I really enjoyed this read. This is the first book by Kylie Brant that I've read and am excited to explore her past and future books. The book has 2 main story lines that are deftly woven into one, and moves at a great pace between them. The creepy atmosphere of the story was just right for me (nothing too over the top, but definitely creepy).

The characters were well developed and credible from law enforcement to victims (and their families) through the criminals... and the dog, Hero. Only little quibble I had was believing that the County Sheriff was in charge of this multi Federal Agency Task Force. I got over that and enjoyed the ride.

4.5 stars

When she was 9 years old, Eryn Pullman stabbed and killed her mother. She is now 21 and although still mentally fragile, Eryn has been released into her uncle's care.

Samuel Aldeen has escaped from a facility for the criminally insane. Known as a serial child killer, law enforcement feels that he has help in keeping him hidden.

Deputy US Marshall Cady Maddix teams with the local Sheriff, along with the assortment of alphabet soup law enforcement groups in hunting down the serial killer.

An unexpected lead gets them to Eryn ... but what is their connection?

A look into Eryn's childhood and the events of today are seamlessly woven into a well written crime fiction. There are twists and turns leading to an explosive finale. The characters are finely drawn and I really look forward to the next book in this series.

Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Wow this one had me turning pages as fast as I could. Dark, twisted, twisty and effed up!
Thank you #NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow did this book drag on. It took me six weeks to read which is unheard of. It's too much when you have two women both with traumatic childhood events that led to the death of a parent. Throw in a child killer out on the loose, a zillion flashbacks woven between present events and it's a hot mess. Cady Maddix is not that interesting of a character that I would continue reading about her solving crimes.

character driven page turner. you care what happens to these characters as the action and takes you in different directions than what you might have planned or hoped.

I was so excited when I saw a kylie brant book on here! This book was full of suspense and very well written.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy Cold dark places for a review. This is a first of a new series by Kylie Brant Cady Maddix is a US Deputy Marshal who has had a harsh life so far and has been emotionally scarred but a new case stirs up old memories. I thought this book would be right up my alley, and in some cases it was, but like a lot of books lately this book moved back and forth in time and switched narrators; I had to back track a few times when I lost track. It took me longer to read than I would have liked because I had shorter reading times, but I still enjoyed the book overall.

Excellent read 📖

This author has such an amazing talent, she weaves a dark twisted story that at the end leaves you breathless and spent. I have been reading her a long time, and yet every time I finish a book of hers I’m like WOWZA.

I can’t wait to read more about Cady, what a strong and damaged character that despite her nightmare of an upbringing, she goes into law enforcement.

For me this book was all about Eryn, what a young woman. So very damaged and traumatized and yet her bravery and attitude were amazing. I hope to hear about this character again in future books, she sticks with you.

I also hope that Ryder makes more appearances...I can totally see them team up!

If you like dark suspense...look no further. This is another winner by a fantastic author.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and the author, Kylie Brant, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Cold, Dark Places in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was well thought out and written. Definitely the beginning of a promising new series. It was a compelling, rollercoaster ride of a storyline with remarkable central characters. Will definitely be coming back for more. 3.5 stars.
Well worth a read, especially if you are looking for a new author.

I liked this start to a new series, and am looking forward to more books featuring Cady Maddix. I enjoyed getting to know Cady and thought this US Marshall with a tough past was a great main character. I was intrigued by the mystery part of the storyline, and thought that some of the characters in the book were appropriately disturbing. I found this book completely gripping.

When Samuel Aldeen, a criminally insane child killer with cannibalistic tendencies, escapes from a secure mental health facility, it is up to U.S. Marshal Cady Maddix to bring him back in before he gets his hands on another innocent child. During this time, a young woman, Eryn Pullman is released from Rolling Acres Resort where she was institutionalized for the past eleven years for murdering her mother. Soon, a connection is made between Samuel and Eryn, leading Cady to wonder why Samuel has Eryn in his sights. Racing against time, it is up to Cady to figure out the link they both share before Samuel makes Eryn his next victim.

This may sound kind of crazy, but I LOVE when an author can totally creep me out and Kylie Brant totally wins that award. Cold Dark Places is shocking and disturbing all in the same breath. Not only did Brant create a child killer, she upped the game by throwing in a cannibalistic twist. Whoa! Brant is after my own heart right now! If you think thats not enough, Brant also sheds light on mental illness that at times is quite chilling.

“You afraid of the dark, girlie? “

After reading Cold Dark Places, I just might be a little more afraid of the dark than I ever was! Also, I would hate to be on Kylie Brant’s bad side, eep!

Kyle Brant has created three dimensional characters each with their own distinctive voice. This is one aspect that I really enjoyed about the story. I felt like I could connect with each character and they never did anything off the wall or “out of character.” Although, I do find we just scratched the surface with Cady which will make each part of the series get better and better as we get to know more of cady and her horrible childhood. Also, she has so many similarities with Eryn and at times it is quite eerie seeing how their path to adulthood veered off in different directions. Cady is such a likeable character. She is a hard nose Marshal who is great at her job, but not so great in forming close relationships especially with men. She is doing the best she can for her mother with Alzheimer’s even though Cady hates where her mother is living. Plus, Cady is not very close with the rest of her family. Like Cady, Eryn also has a childhood trauma and has to come to terms with murdering her mother when she was just a child. Now that she is an adult, she is trying to get on with her life while taking care of her mental health which is crucial to her release from the institution. On the other side of the spectrum, Samuel is just pure evil and quite frightening. He definitely shows his dark side enough to make me shiver.

The mystery moves along at a steady pace right from the beginning. I could not help but be totally engrossed in the story and not wanting to put the book down for any reason - even sleep. Who needs sleep anyway! I The story is told from multiple point of views as well as different timelines from past to present. I really felt it pulled me into the story deeper and a lot of scenes were quite emotional and heartbreaking. The story is very detailed and Brant did not hold back and I can see just how well researched certain parts of the story were. There is not one bad thing I can even say about this book. I loved every single minute of the storyline.

If you are a huge fan of dark and creepy mysteries that will suck you right in and never let go, then you definitely should not miss out reading Cold Dark Places by Kylie Brant. Brant is a talented writer and I can not wait for the next installment of Cady Maddix. A Brilliant five star read and another favorite added to my keeper shelf.

Do you like wild rides? Twists and turns thinking this is it only to be brought back to catch your breath? That was "Cold Dark Places" to me. So though I gave it a 5, to me it was a 4.5 because I was lost in the beginning, the first character you meet is Eryn. Eryn then and Eryn now. It took me a bit to get invested. Once I did, I was in all the way, and Eryn became someone I really want to see more of, little glimpses here and there in future books hopefully. Cady the US Marshall is kick ass with her own vulnerabilities from her youth and as this is book 1 I am soooo looking forward to really getting to know her and watching her grow. This is a thriller, mystery touching on realities of people day to day, dealing with mental health issues, aging parents with issues, our own insecurities and looking for a little love along the way. Peoples lives are interwoven and just when you think you got it (which rarely happens in this book) another thread is pulled. Thank you Thomas Mercer and Net Galley for letting me receive this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.

Kylie Brant has such an amazing talent! She weaves a dark twisted story that will end up leaving readers feeling breathless and spent. I have been reading her stories for quite awhile, and yet every time I finish a book of hers I’m newly amazed.

I can’t wait to read more about Cady, and hope more books feature her in the future. She's a strong and damaged character who despite her nightmare of an upbringing, goes into law enforcement.

For me this book was all about Eryn. So very damaged and traumatized, and yet her bravery and attitude were amazing. I hope to hear about this character again in future books, as she really resonated with me.

I also hope that Ryder makes more appearances...I can totally see them team up!

If you like dark suspense...look no further. This is a solid winner by a fantastic author.

Cold Dark Places is my first book to read by Kylie Brant. It is the first book in a new series and filled with suspense and plenty of twist. I like the mix of mystery and romance. I will definitely be reading more books by Kylie Brant.