Cari Hunter writes decidedly good stories. She combines excellent plot lines, which twist and turn, with crime drama and just the right amount of thriller to keep us on the edge of our seats. Each book feels distinctive, enjoyably new and refreshingly different to standard crime dramas. Cold to the Touch is a sequel to the excellent No Good Reason, and fans of Sanne and Meg will love where she takes them this time. Cold to the Touch is more than strong enough to stand alone, but why miss an excellent series?

Hunter’s characters a well rounded, multi layered, believable and real – women we could bump into and recognise in the pub. We meet many different players in her novels and they are all distinct; from partners and colleagues to the boy having a snowball fight Cari brings them all to life with the small details of a keen observer.

This series is set in the English Peak District, a glorious national park of bleak rolling hills, tortuous desolate roads that cross the tops, occasional stands of trees and deep valley reservoirs that feed the cities around it. As in all her books Hunter uses the location and the weather as an extra dimension, our heroines fight the English winter and the snow covered hills just as much as the criminals and baddies who beset them.

Cari Hunter’s books are always on my must have list, and my re-read pile; they are guaranteed to entertain. The dialogue flows, the action excites, the romance softens and all in all the pieces simply fit. Like all of Hunter’s books she never puts a foot wrong with any of the elements of excellent storytelling and weaves them together into a well crafted whole. Already impatient for book three in the series…