Member Reviews
Unfortunately not for me. In a world with SO many books being published, I just don't see this as a must in our collection.
The setting of Banff was a huge appeal for me and the descriptions didn’t disappoint! The plot focusses on Julie Adler, an Olympic gold medal winner, who finds her husband dead, their money gone and returns to Banff to seek help and a job from her old friend, manager of the Banff Springs Hotel. When a prestigious guest is murdered, Julie is the prime suspect.
The characters - likeable or otherwise - were well written and plot was good, but I found the storyline with Izzy and Jeff fairly pointless and I guessed who the perp was early on. The ending was more about the technical aspects of different types of skiing than the actual plot, which held no interest for me and it felt like a completely different author had written that part!
Enjoyable, despite those bits that didn’t quite work for me.
3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Susan Walter and Lake Union for an ARC in return for an honest review.
😤 T H R E A T E N I N G T U E S D A Y review 😤 featuring “Running Cold” by Susan Walters!
BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5
Former Canadian Olympic gold medalist Julie Alder retired from training to move to California to start a new life with her husband Jeff. Julie had a luxurious mansion, a new career, new friends and a wealthy husband … until the curtain dropped.
One day Julie finds Jeff dead in their bathroom after what looks like a suicide attempt. When going through Jeff’s things, Julie realizes that all of their money is gone from their accounts. Struck with grief, Julie flees back home to Canada and asks her friend Remy at the Banff Springs Hotel for a job and a place to hide out in for a while.
“Julie had gone from champion to chambermaid to charlatan, all in one week. What an epic fall from grace”.
When a prestigious guest staying in the pent house winds up murdered, Julie was the last person seen going into her room and becomes the prime suspect! Julie must escape the police and solve the crime before the cuffs get slapped on OR the killer finds her first 👀!
I loved this book! The Banff setting was perfectly chilling and brings back a lot of memories for me. While living in Alberta, we went up to Banff and Canmore multiple times a year! There are so many ghost stories associated with the hotel which made it perfect for a winter thriller!
Thank you so much to @susanwalterauthor @lakeunionauthors @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This 5 star stunner releases on October 8, 2024!
There are so many good thrillers coming out this fall and RUNNING COLD by @susanwalterauthor is one you won't want to miss. Told in several POV with short chapters, I flew through this thriller in one afternoon.
Julie is a former Olympian Biathlon Gold Medal winner. Her life is turned upside down when her husband commits suicide and she is left penniless. She decides to return to Banff, Canada, and her old friend Remy who runs Banff Springs Hotel. Remy gives her a job as a housemaid and a room to stay. When Julie is accused of killing the wealthy hotel guest Mrs Rousseau, she needs to evade the police and clear her name before the real killer finds her.
Not everyone is who they seem. Is there a connection between Mrs Rousseau murder and her husband's suicide? Will Julie find the answers before the real killer finds her? There are scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. There are murders, lies, and deception. I could not help but route Julie on and at times the suspense was intense. Make sure to pick this one up in October!
Thank you for the author, publisher, and netgalley for a copy of this book and this is my honest review.
Running Cold grabbed me from the very beginning. It is so immersive it completely transported me to Banff. The setting was so amazing, it made me, a die hard summer lover, want to go to Banff and learn to ski.
I loved the multi POV writing, it was so well done. Susan Walter really allowed to get us into the characters' mind. Julie, the MC, was absolutely amazing. She was a total girl boss and I loved everything about her.
Susan Walter is truly one of my favorite writers. Her books are fast paced and addictive. This one is no exception.
This book started out so good, I could not put it down. The writing and character building kept me engaged! Told in four parts.
Julie came home and found her husband dead in their bathroom, from an apparent suicide. After looking further into her husband's death, secrets spill out and Julie retreats to her past life in Banff, Alberta. She gets a job at a very nice hotel as a housekeeper. One of the hotel guest is found dead and Julie becomes the prime suspect.
"Home. I finally knew what the word meant. Home isn't a place. It's a purpose. Being great is not about breaking records, it's about moving powerfully into your purpose. My purpose, my home, was on the mountain."
Shocking Discovery, Secrets, and Solid Mystery!
3.5 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 10/8/24.
Wow! This book opened up with a bang. You don’t have to wait for the action because it literally comes full on. This story was very engaging and kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely a page turner!
This was a mind-bending kind of experience, reading a cold, icy-cold story during a summer heatwave!
There is a multi-faceted MC (and a former Olympic athlete at that) and… a riveting murder mystery, all happening against the backdrop of Canadian winter. Twisty, atmospheric, filled with secrets, horrible, horrific, fast-paced, and also chillingly gripping read.
This was not my first book by Susan Walter and I’m fairly certain by now that I will be reading whatever she writes next.
Engaging mystery!
Julie's life is turned upside-down and she has to navigate many hurdles to figure out what/why things have gone so so wrong! That is okay though because she is a former Olympian! 🥇
She ends up in a fight for her life and runs someplace far far away in the middle of the night. She can't seem to escape the feeling of "someone watching" her.
Things get dicey, secrets spill, Julie will need to find out the truth before she loses her life.
I enjoyed this one and was invested in the characters and guessing what was happening. It wasn't a "I must read one more chapter" pace (for me), but I always enjoyed picking it up and following the clues. The killer was revealed pretty early (which I guessed) and that took away some of the surprise element.
Still a solid mystery with some characters to LOVE and HATE!!
There’s something about reading a cold-weather story while soaking up the ☀️ that just works for me. I’m not a skier, but @susanwalterauthor ’s writing drew me in right away. The atmospheric setting and characters like Julie kept me hooked.
The setting was also a major draw for me. I’ve got a special place in my heart for Banff, especially the Fairmont Banff Springs—I used to spend a lot of time there in a previous season of my life, so this book really brought back memories. And let’s be real, us Canadians love a good book set in Canada.
On a serious note, Jasper recently went through major fire damage, which adds a layer of poignancy to the story. My heart goes out to all who were impacted.
If you’re building your fall #thrillertbr the crew @thrillerbookloversthepulse and I recommend adding #runningcold . It’s been cool to read a book set in Canada especially one where I can share my insider knowledge of the setting. I liked her style so much I already have two more #SusanWalter books -Good As Dead and Over Her Dead Body - waiting for me on my @amazonkindle !
Thank you @lakeunionauthors and NetGalley for the gifted copy to read and review.
Really liked this book. Liked all the police procedure in this book and following Julie's story. Loved how pretty Canada sounded
"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒛𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈."
Special thanks to @susanwalterauthor @thrillerbookloversthepulse & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.
➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼
𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I just love Susan Walther. This is the second book by her I've read, and I just know I'm going to love it when I crack it open.
Her thrillers are twisty, fast-paced, and deeply intriguing. Running Cold is no different.
Imagine having the picture perfect cushy life with not a care in the world. Then, one day, you come home to find not only your husband de@d , but your life is a complete lie.
So, what would any level-headed adult do?! Runaway, of course!
And that's not even the tip of the iceberg with this book!
You are in for one chilling fast ride with this book! Be sure to pre-order this one ASAP!
𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Oct 8th, 2024
QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever been skiing / snowboarding? Are you any good? Where do you go?
AOTD - I've never tried either, but I'm not very coordinated.
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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint #runningcold #susanwalther #chillingthriller #thrilleraddict #thrillergirlie #upcomingthriller #bookbuzz
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This book is set in Canada at a ski resort. It is full of suspense, action and betrayal. This is one you won’t be able to put down. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
Susan Walter’s Running Cold is a thrilling read, perfect for fans of Nita Prose's “The Maid” and Nora Roberts' “Identity”, with its suspenseful atmosphere and strong sense of place. The novel's pacing slows at times, but the short chapters keep the momentum going, making it an engaging read. The protagonist, a former Olympic gold medalist, is a compelling and resilient leading lady, rebuilding her life and clearing her name in the face of danger. Walters expertly sprinkles twists and reveals throughout the story, keeping me hooked, though I did find myself wishing for a larger twist at the end. The contrast between the sunny setting of Southern California and the chilly, Hallmark-esque Canadian town was vivid and immersive. From the very first paragraphs, the book draws you in, delivering on the promise of a gripping, cold thriller that I would highly recommend.
A big thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, Susan Walter, and The Pulse for this ARC.
Who can you trust? This fast paced and twisty thriller will have you guessing from page 1. Told by multiple different characters makes this novel full of murder and mystery come full circle. This was my first read by Susan and it won’t be my last.
If you’ve never been to the mountains in Canada, reading this book feels like a close second to actually experiencing it. The story is so beautiful atmospheric that I could almost feel the chill in the air.
The writing was also very heavy on the foreshadowing. Almost every chapter giving a peak into what’s in store. Which lead to the story being a bit predictable especially with the killer being revealed pretty early. Even so, I still found myself invested, wanting to watch how it all played out.
A big part of that is because of Julie. Julie is such a strong, resilient and real character that even though we were given multiple POV I enjoyed hers the most. Plus coming fresh out of watching the Olympics it was fun to have an Olympian main character.
Read if you love:
🥇 Olympics
🎿 Skiing
❄️ Snow
🇨🇦 Canada etting
❓ Murder mystery
📚 Quick reads
Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers The Pulse, #partner, and the author for an advanced e- copy and print copy of Running Cold in exchange for my honest review.
This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Susan Walter and I am most definitely a fan! So far, both books I have read have been complete binge-worthy books that I cannot recommend enough.
This latest one hits the ground running and does not stop! It’s a non-stop race to find answers and reading this book, set in the wintry cold of Banff, Canada during the sweltering heat of the summer, I felt the chill of the snow and below freezing temperatures and loved it!!! Talk about an atmospheric read where the setting really steals the show! And be sure to read the author’s acknowledgement…some really cool information to be found there about the writing of this book!
This book is fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns. And I loved how there were hints that bad things were coming…this foreshadowing really kept me on my toes, wondering just what could possibly happen next!
While the book has a strong plot, I found myself completely drawn to the characters. I became fully invested in what was going on with them, and in particular, rooting for Julie throughout the whole book. I did like how the story was told from multiple POVs, as it did make me question whether Julie was 100% reliable, but I still had a soft spot for her throughout the book.
This was such a great read with quite the satisfying ending. I will now be adding the rest of Susan’s books to my tbr ASAP!
Everything completely changed for Julie Adler after her husband committed suicide. Julie has to leave the life she knew behind and she heads to Banff, the ski town where she once trained for the Olympics. Except now she's there to work as a housekeeper at the resort. When a guest turns up dead and Julie is the last person in the that room, she ends up the prime suspect. Will Julie be able to prove her innocence or will she be the next victim?
Running Cold is a fast-paced thriller that had me chilled to the bone. I loved the fact that it was in an isolated setting. It kept me in so much suspense and I couldn't stop reading until I finished the entire book. I was guessing until the very end. This is the perfect, chilling winter read to curl up to with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate.
I love Susan Walter and her writing. Her books are always well written with clever storylines and characters that are make you feel their every emotion. I was deeply invested in Julie Adler's story and I picked this book up without reading the synopsis and I was HOOKED! I read this in one sitting and it was absolutely amazing. The setting of Banff makes me wanna go there and maybe even try skiing again. I can't wait to read what you have up your sleeve next! All the stars girlfriend!
Running Cold is an addictive domestic thriller full of twists! If you like secrets, secrets, and more secrets, and perhaps a little murder, this is definitely the book for you.