e-ARC from NetGalley.

This one let me down a bit. The cases were fascinating and I loved learning about what the Cold Case Foundation does, but it needed more editing - word repetition, awkward phrasing, and confusing grammar choices abound - and this read like an advertisement about 25% of the time.

I wish we'd gotten a few more cases that had gone through the court systems and concluded, but I was particularly fascinated by the unraveling of the Confession Killer's lies.

Wow. There was so much about this book that I learned. The formatting of the book was messed up, so it made it hard to reward, but the detail was insane.

I was so lucky to get an eARC for this book.
Overall I think this is a great and important read. It did fall short in some aspects for me.

I don't believe we needed both introductions as some of the information just repeated. The chapter on King Tut just felt completely unnecessary. I know the author's used it to introduce the concept of the 4 c's but it felt like it could have been a page or two added on to the previous chapter instead. I also felt like the earlier chapters didn't get as in depth as I wanted and it wasn't until about a 100 pages in that we really started fully breaking down the cold case foundation's involvement. At times the book felt a little like it was just to get donations- which doesn't truly bother me because this kind of work does need support and donations.

The case work covered in this book was great and I loved getting an inside peek at what the foundation does. The book was very thoughtful in how they handled talking about the cases. They kept in mind the vuctims and their families and tried to minimize their exposure when digging up these events.

The Cold Case Foundation offers an intriguing look into the world of unsolved crimes, but its execution leaves something to be desired. As someone with an interest in true crime, I was eager to explore how the Foundation investigates cold cases, but the book’s pacing and writing style hindered my overall enjoyment.

The early chapters felt slow and repetitive, with certain statistics—like the 40% unsolved murder rate—being mentioned multiple times, which became frustrating. And while I appreciated the information about the Foundation's work, the book often felt more like a series of disjointed case summaries than a cohesive narrative.

It wasn’t until around Chapter 4/5 that the book began to pick up, and I started to appreciate its content more. The sections on the Cold Case Foundation’s history and approach to solving crimes were interesting and informative, offering a glimpse into their work. However, the slow pace and repetitive nature of the writing made it hard to stay fully engaged at times.

This book will likely appeal to true crime fans, but be prepared for a slow-moving read. If you enjoy more detailed, methodical explorations of cold cases, you may find it worthwhile, though I personally struggled to stay fully invested. Overall, it’s an interesting read but not as captivating as I had hoped.

The Cold Case Foundation is a compelling exploration of the relentless pursuit of justice in cold cases. Written with a balance of emotional depth and investigative rigor, the book draws readers into the heart of solving violent crimes while offering an intimate glimpse into the emotional toll these cases take on everyone involved.
Detective Gregory M. Cooper, one of the central figures in the narrative, exemplifies the fine line investigators walk between professionalism and empathy. His efforts to uncover the truth behind a tragic murder highlight the complexities of working with grieving families, as well as the heavy burden carried by those seeking justice. The author masterfully portrays these moments with sensitivity, emphasizing the humanity behind law enforcement work without sensationalizing the pain involved.
What stands out is the book’s focus on innovation in criminal investigations, particularly the use of behavioural analysis to link seemingly unrelated cases. This technique proves pivotal in solving one of the cases discussed, offering readers insight into how meticulous detective work and new approaches can break through where traditional methods fall short. The narrative celebrates these successes while also reflecting on the limits of justice, a theme that lingers throughout the book.
While the book’s emotional intensity is one of its strengths, some readers might find the pacing uneven, particularly during sections that delve deeply into procedural details. However, these moments are counterbalanced by the gripping human stories that keep the reader engaged.
The Cold Case Foundation strikes a fine balance between true crime storytelling and thoughtful reflection on the pursuit of justice. It’s an ideal read for fans of the genre who appreciate a respectful, insightful approach to real-life investigations.

The book is a true story of establishing a foundation, which - with help of voluntary and retired specialist from forensic science - resolves cold ( unsolved) cases of homicides and sexual violence. 'The Cold Case Foundation' could be a great book but....repetitiveness of some paragraphs and imaginative dialogs took away 2 stars from my rating.

This book tells how the Cold Case Foundation solved many cases. It was a very interesting read that held my attention from start to finish. I’d like to thank NetGalley and The Globe Pequot Publishing Group, Inc for this eARC that will be released December 10, 2024!

A book by a former head of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit, Gregory M. Cooper, which details the founding & work of the Cold Case Foundation which he started in 2013. The Foundation takes on cases which have gone unsolved for many years & applies the latest techniques & the combined experience of more than 150 former police officers & FBI agents who donate their time to help solve the cases & give the families some closure.

First of all I have to applaud all those involved in the Cold Case Foundation for their dedication to investigating these historic cases. They genuinely seem to care about the victims & about giving the families answers to what happened to their loved ones. You've got to admire that. The book looks at several cold cases in which the Foundation has played a major part in them finally being solved.

Given the fascinating nature of their work, this book should have been more interesting to read than it was. It seemed a little repetitive in places (I'm sure I read that the level of unsolved murders runs at about 40% three or four times in subsequent chapters). The sections about each case also seemed quite brief & strangely the longest one was about an imagining of the events leading up to the murder of Pharoah Tutankhamun. Now that it a cold case of a few thousand years! Overall, although it was mainly interesting & informative about the Foundation's work, the writing style just wasn't to my taste.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Globe Pequot Publishing Group/Prometheus Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Fascinating case analyses, organization worth supporting;
This book introduces the Cold Case Foundation, which promotes the solution of old cases with the help of many volunteer experts. The presentation of the organization is very detailed with some repetitions, which could have been a little tighter. But you immediately feel that the author puts his heart and soul into the matter. Some cases are presented and the work of the case analysts is described in detail. It is fascinating to see how victimology and behavior analysis can be used to analyze crime patterns and identify perpetrators even after many years. The selection of cases was very successful; a wide range is presented. I really liked that by describing the lives of those affected, readers and laypeople can easily understand the experts' thought processes and investigative steps into the behavior of victims and perpetrators. I could have imagined a somewhat clearer structure within individual chapters and cases, but that is only a small point of criticism. The Cold Case Foundation's extraordinary work is excellently communicated and it is an organization that deserves all support, be it through active help or donations. I give the book 4.5 stars for these interesting investigative reports from a great organization.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found the book a little slow and repetitive initially, but once I got into it, it was a very well-written and informative read. It is recommended.

Received a free copy from Netgalley for my honest review. This book really interested me from the title on, as I'm a fan of crime books and shows. Cold cases are among the hardest ones to solve and it's great to hear that some have been solved through advances in technology. This book talks about some cold cases and how they go about solving them. These should never be forgotten no matter how long its been. Recommend this book.

Spearheaded by Gregory M. Cooper, former head of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, the Cold Case Foundation has more than 150 volunteers working tirelessly to solve the crimes no one else could. This book shares the most ‘riveting and rewarding cases they have helped solve.

‘The hardest cases to look back on are the ones that haven’t been solved - yet.”

Overall this was a really interesting read. I was surprised to learn that a study has shown since 1995 the national average of solved homicides in the US is only 64% - this means around 5,700 killers get away with murder each year. Whilst I can understand killers getting away with their crimes in a time before DNA and CCTV evidence, I really didn’t expect that figure to be so high nowadays.

It was really interesting to hear about some of the cases they’ve helped solve and how they managed to do so. From King Tut to NFL players, they’ve repeatedly helped victims and victims’ families by helping to solve their cases.

Though difficult to read at times, this is a good read for fans of true crime and anyone wanting an insight into the cold case processes in the US.

ARC copy provided by The Globe Pequot Publishing Group Inc. & Prometheus Books & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book. In the beginning I found it to be quite slow going and a little repetitive.
As a fan of true crime I wanted to learn more about cold cases and the way the cold cases foundation was founded.
It was an interesting read from around chapter 4 and I started to enjoy it more.
Fans of true crime would enjoy this book however you need to enjoy a slow moving book,
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Thank you NetGalley for a pre-release of The Cold Case Foundation. I didn’t know an organization like this existed. It was really interesting to read the stories that unraveled riddles long gone unanswered. This is a great way to raise awareness for the organization.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. While I greatly respect Gregory M. Cooper and his foundation's impactful work in criminal investigation, I found the writing overly repetitive, with specific points repeated multiple times, sometimes even on the same page. While I went in expecting fresh insights and a closer look into the foundation’s groundbreaking cases, the book didn’t quite capture my interest or offer enough new information to keep me engaged until the end.

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I do want to mention I have a lot of respect and admiration for what the Cold Case Foundation is doing, and it’s very clear that they care so much about the victims and their families. My issue was with the writing of the book, as it was very repetitive and boring. I didn’t like how the authors invited imagined dialogue to add into the crimes, as it added nothing to the story.

Informative and interesting. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish this book. It was all over the place. But after the first few chapters things started making sense and lining up. I loved the backstory and how the foundation operates.

I was excited to read this book, I like true crime and I am a former Law Enforcement officer.

However, the author was very clunky in the beginning. Lots of repetitive paragraphs, over explaining of things that he had just gone over.
Then the chapter on King Tut! I was like, what the actual heck am I reading.

Then around Chapter 4, the author found his stride and was able to fully articulate the cases and how the foundation gets new cases.

I really enjoyed reading about the collaboration between the different agencies and the foundation taking a number of different cases.

One thing I think that should have been included was what makes a cold case? Can anyone request assistance? and How can ordinary citizens support the foundation.

OVerall, it was a decent book that took some time for the author to find his stride.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The authors go into why they started the Cold Case Foundation and to write this book. News of murders reaches us every day as we read or watch news, and, sadly, only about 40% of them are ever solved. There are numerous reasons for this, but one thing is that cases can cross jurisdictions, and evidence is not shared as it should be. The Cold Case Foundation puts new eyes, experts, and money to take a fresh look at cold cases – whether they are months old or thousands of years old. Examples of cases sprinkle the book, including one-off murders, serial killers, or the historic (possible) murder of King Tut, using up-to-date crime-fighting forensic measures or just plain logic and reason. People usually get some better feeling from having the case of their friend or family member or co-worker solved – but sometimes it’s the opposite if the case is solved, or even another look at the evidence indicates no murder was committed.

It would seem that gaining the confession of a killer would bring healing to communities, but not always. False confessions happen for various reasons. That leaves no one looking for the real killer. As cases age, evidence is destroyed or lost, witnesses die or cannot be found or do not remember. Methods of spotting a false confession are discussed.

As a fan of detective-procedural scripted media, I was better able to understand how this all operates, behind the scenes, in areas which may be “too boring” to cover in a 45 or 90 minute show or movie.

The authors treat cases and all victims with the utmost concern. Even in currently-unsolved cases, they discuss it without compromising the current investigation. They talk about the purpose of their organization, what you can do, and how this helps – no matter how long ago the crime happened.

When I saw that the Foreword was by John E. Douglas I couldn't help to get excited. Because I do enjoy some FBI centric books.

I love what the Cold case foundation does and I admire who ever works on cold case files.

Unfortunately the book itself was quite boring.