A Cold, Cold World

It is hard enough to be a female sheriff, but adding a major snowstorm endangering lives becomes even more difficult. Sheriff Bet Rivers is preparing the necessary resources for the people she protects to survive a blizzard when she is called to the scene of a suspicious death. A young man seems to be the victim of a snowmobile accident, but a closer look reveals a murder. The situation is complicated because the boy's dad and sister are missing, and his brother seems to know nothing about what is happening. Bet and her team begin the investigation to solve this mysterious situation by interviewing people who all seem to be hiding something. It's an exciting read with lots of twists and turns. I cannot wait to see what happens next for Sheriff Rivers.

With a brutal winter storm bearing down on the small valley town of Collier, Washington in the Cascade Mountains, Sheriff Bet Rivers struggles with her own insecurities, and her determination to keep the citizens of Collier safe. A Cold, Cold World by Elena Taylor is the sequel to All We Buried, but readers can jump right into this compelling story.

Bet Rivers has a tradition to live up to. A Rivers has been sheriff since the founding of Collier, and she’s following in the footsteps of those men, including her father. She was a police officer in Los Angeles, and planned to stay, until she came home due to her father’s illness. She was elected sheriff, but has one full-time deputy, a septuagenarian secretary, and her large dog. Will that be enough to help the town during a weather crisis?

Before the storm gets too bad, Rivers receives a call that tourists have found an injured teen on a snowmobile. But, when she responds, the scene seems a little off, and the teen is already dead. She recognizes the dead teen as a local boy, but can’t reach his father. Before she can investigate, she’s called to the scene of a break-in at a summer rental property. The caretaker has found a blood-soaked sleeping bag. Another crime scene, or something else?

As Alma, Rivers’ secretary, reports one “problem” after another, Bet starts to feel desperate with only one deputy. Then, she sends him to the next town due to a family situation. She agrees to take on a military veteran, a man who was a military police office, on a temporary basis, because she’s desperate for help. Situations escalate with a missing local man and his young daughter, a bar fight that ends in arrests, and lies from the tourists who found the teen on his snowmobile.

A Cold, Cold World is a compelling story of the elements fighting a struggling sheriff, a woman who is determined to protect her community, while doubting her abilities. Does she measure up to her ancestors and her mentor? Fans of the Longmire boosk, or Kerri Hakoda’s new book, Cold to the Touch, might want to try this one.

This dynamic mystery kept me enthralled in all aspects from the staging of this tale with a solid plot, an eclectic cast of characters, and a steady beat that made for a vibrant read that left me wanting more. The author’s writing style made it easy to follow along and the tone created an atmosphere where I had to know who was doing what to whom and why. I like how Bet took things in stride with thoughts of her mentors, which guided her and made her determined to solve this puzzling case. When I thought I had a handle on the person responsible, and the directional change enhanced my reading pleasure. The pacing was on par with how well this story was being told. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to Bet’s next adventure.

This was my first book featuring Sheriff Bet Rivers and the second one in the series by Elena Taylor. I very much enjoyed the characters of Bet and her two deputies. They were a likeable, pleasant team, without the significant personality flaws or addictions that are the trend today in many police procedurals.
Bet is concerned with being as successful in law enforcement as her father and grandfather, who preceded her as sheriff, and being well-liked by the townspeople, whom she aims to keep safe. The story is set in a small town in the Washington State mountain region during the most vicious snowstorm in recent memory. The description of successive blizzards is vivid and realistic, and has cut off the town from any outside services and help. Roads are impassable because of heavy snow and fallen trees. Bet is fortunate to have the assistance of two loyal and competent deputies. Bet's duty is to arrange and oversee the safety measures for the town in its unprecedented isolation where power and phone service are failing, and some homes lack heat.

In this normally quiet town, Bet and her team are faced with a series of crimes that may be related. A young man is reported to be injured in a snowmobile accident. She finds him dead. The condition of the body reveals him to have died well before the accident was reported. It looks like a murder, and the family who discovered him may be connected to his death. Next, a vacant home has been broken into. No one is inside, but a blood-soaked sleeping bag is found. What happened there?

Bet needs to report the death of the young snowmobiler to his father, but the father has gone missing with his ten-year-old daughter. There is another murder. Bet has learned about a new drug problem in town, and the local ambulance is robbed. This is only the beginning of what the sheriff and her team face in the freezing weather. There is a fugitive with two children as hostages in the trunk of his car. With the increasing snowdrifts, it is difficult to walk to interview witnesses, and visibility is poor while driving on snow-packed roads.

The story was well-written and moved at an even pace. The steps in a crime investigation were detailed and informative. However, an overload of criminal acts detracted from the tension and suspense while keeping the sheriff's team very busy. I would read another book featuring Sheriff Bet Rivers, and I hope both deputies will still be involved. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher of the ARC, which included such an enjoyable law enforcement team in atmospheric surroundings. Publication is set for August 06.

A Cold, Cold World is book two in the Sheriff Bet River series that is written by Elena Taylor. One of the things that I love about being a book reviewer is discovering authors, the I may not have before. I am so glad to have discovered this author. I absolutely have loved this story and hope to read more from this author in the future.

Bet is the new sheriff in a small Washington town. She is worried about living up to her father and grandfather's reigns as Sheriff. However, she finds herself dealing with a horrible snowstorm, one that might be unprecedented in history. The blizzard is so bad that the roads are impassable, with no access to outside services. Thankfully, Bet has her two loyal deputies. However just because the weather is bad, does not mean crime will stop.

A young man is found dead from what appears to be a snowmobile accident - when Bet tries to make notification, the father and sister are missing. What is the connection?
I can tell you that I was along for the ride.

The book is well written, the storyline is engaging. I loved the attention to detail the author included. It made me feel like I was standing there watching the story unfold. I love this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Partners in Crime Tours, for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

This novel is a really well-done mystery. It's not a genre I normally read, but I was the lucky recipient of an ARC. Taylor is a fine writer. Her prose shines with originality, and her characters are fully human. The protagonist Sheriff has an understandable and well-depicted emotional life. Descriptions of the pacific northwest setting are vivid and beautifully crafted. The story is well-paced and engaging. Highly recommended as an excellent, entertaining story.

As the local Sheriff, Bet is faced with having to deal with a homicide and an abundance of other problems in the middle of a blizzard, with the storm cutting the town off from the outside world. Bet is a strong character and is determined to keep the town safe. She faces new challenges, with surprises and plot twists around every corner, without losing her cool. The author’s well-written descriptions of the setting were characterized by strong, vivid winter imagery.

Although this reader would have preferred a more digested version of Bet’s inner thoughts and back story, which at times slowed things down a bit, for the most part the mystery was well-paced. The plot was intriguing and intricate – even more so than one might expect from the book’s description. A good choice for mystery lovers.

FTC Disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review.

An intense mystery with complex characters. Sheriff Bet Rivers is back and better than ever. This one takes place during a crazy storm that seems a character itself. It kept me guessing right up to the reveal I never saw coming. And things are developing in Bet's personal life as well. That ending! I can't wait for more.

An intriguing mystery set in the small town of Collier, Washington during a vicious snowstorm. Sheriff Bet Rivers is a memorable character with steadiness under pressure while trying to prove she's up to the task of taking over for her father. The snowstorm acts as a character with the chaos it causes and the limits it places on the residents of Collier. The plot plays out at a steady pace, dropping breadcrumbs along the way as the mystery behind the death of a teenager unravels. I highly recommend this book for fans of police procedurals and whodunnit mysteries.

This intriguing police mystery is set in the small small town of Collier, Washington, during an insane snowstorm. While it is the second in the series, I didn't feel like I missed out on much from not reading the first one. Sheriff Bet Rivers and her two deputies are the only gig in this small town, and Bet takes her job very seriously. She has to prove time and time again that she is up to the task of taking over for her father, knowing she has VERY big shoes to fill. While the town of Collier is relatively quiet, Bet and her team are faced with a string of crimes that may or may not be related. A young man is reported to be injured in a snowmobile accident, but he ends up being dead. She knows she has to report his death to his dad, but his dad is missing along with his ten-year old daughter. Next, a vacant home is broken into and there is evidence of blood EVERYWHERE. AND! There is now an apparent drug problem when the local ambulance gets robbed. Then, there is a fugitive with two children as hostages in the trunk of his car. The story was so well-written and moved very fast, IMO. The steps in a crime investigation were detailed as well as informative. I always enjoy police procedures in books and this definitely hit the nail on the head with that!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and of course the author for this wonderful ARC! I can't wait to see what Sheriff Bet gets into next.

Sheriff Bet Rivers is busy dealing with a brutal snow storm that threatens to cut off her small town of Collier. when she gets a call that tourists have found a teenaged boy injured in a snowmobile accident on a mountain ridge, Bet arrives at the accident scene & finds a corpse & evidence that his death was no accident. Bet has to move fast to save the integrity of the crime scene & temporarily keep the corpse in storage since she can't get the body to the coroner.

Then Bet is alerted to a break-in at a remote cabin. No one is there but a bloodied sleeping bag left on a table hints at another injured victim. So Bet has to deal with the raging snowstorm’s multiple impacts as well as triaging multiple potential crime scenes and victims.
She is short-handed since her loyal deputy Clayton is with his wife who is in labor with their first child, So Bet temporarily deputizes a former soldier named Kane to provide her with limited support.

This was a thrilling read with plenty of drama, tension and action.

So this started out a little rough for me. I'm not sure if it's because it was describing a winter storm and I'm completely against the fact that winter is just around the corner and I'm not ready.

Regardless this was part two and I hadn't read the first one but honestly, I don't think I needed to! Once the book got going, I really enjoyed it! It was a fun fast paced. I struggled a little trying to keep up with all the names but I loved bet and her vibe. She definitely had some internal issues going on since she was replacing her recently deceased father as the sheriff in a small town.

This wasn't a super in depth mystery/procedural book though. It had more to do with the people and their interactions. I really liked it though and am ordering the first one!

Thanks netgalley!

A

Elena Taylor’s Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery series is one that I will follow. Book 2 builds on the first but could be read as a stand alone.

In a small town the sheriff is more than the person who arrests the drunk or gives the speeding ticket. Bet had big shoes to fill and during inclement weather she and her team have to keep the towns people safe.

Likeable characters who are so real you can easily be part of Collier Washington! Descriptions of locations and weather conditions in this novel are nothing short of atmospheric.

If you like a cozy mystery, with perfectly placed breadcrumbs all to solve the crime this series is for you.

My question for other readers and further books - Team Kane or Team Rob? Ahh Bet!!!!???!!!!

A COLD, COLD WORLD (Sheriff Bet Rivers Book #2) by Elena Taylor is an intricately plotted small town sheriff procedural crime thriller and the second book in the intriguing Sheriff Bet Rivers series. This book can be read as a standalone, but I felt both books are great reads, and I feel you would enjoy the first in the series, All We Buried, too.

Sheriff Bet Rivers is now the duly elected sheriff in place of her deceased father in her small hometown in Collier, a Cascade Mountain valley in Washington state. With a massive snowstorm looming, Bet receives a call that a family of tourists discovered a snowmobile accident with a teen victim. Bet finds the teen is not only dead but shows signs of having been dead for some time. As she investigates, she is called about a break-in at a summer cabin that appears to be a crime scene. Is it related to her dead teen even though the cabin is in a different area of the valley?

With a major storm over the valley and multiple crime scenes, Bet is stretched thin. She is doubting her ability to fill her father’s shoes as this complicated case has surprises with every piece of evidence uncovered.

Bet is a wonderful protagonist who is dogged in her pursuit of justice, but still worries that she is not up to the responsibility of being the sheriff her father was in her hometown. With this complicated case, she proves that she is. I was happy to reconnect with Alma, who runs the sheriff’s office and Bet’s deputy, Clayton. The team is great together and now with the addition of Deputy Kane, I will be looking forward to reading how they all work together in future stories. The crime plot is intricately twisted and kept me on the edge-of-my-seat. The blizzard adds to the threat level throughout, and Ms. Taylor’s descriptions of the wind and snow had me shivering even though it is the middle of summer as I read this.

I highly recommend this crime thriller and look forward to many more books in this series featuring Bet and her team in the future.