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    A Faint Cold Fear
    A Faint Cold Fear
    A Faint Cold Fear
    Audiobook13 hours

    A Faint Cold Fear

    Written by Karin Slaughter

    Narrated by Kathleen Early

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Gillian Flynn says, "Karin Slaughter is simply one of the best thriller writers working today."

    An apparent student suicide has brought medical examiner Sara Linton to the local college campus, along with her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver. But a horribly mutilated corpse yields up few answers. And a suspicious rash of subsequent "suicides" suggests that a different kind of terror is stalking the youth of Heartsdale, Georgia—a nightmare that is coming to prey on Sara Linton's loved ones.

    A small town is being transformed into a killing ground. And the key to a sadistic murderer's motive and identity may be held in the unsteady hands of a campus security guard—a former police detective driven from the force by the hellish memories that will never leave her. Lena Adams survived the unthinkable and has paid a devastating price. Now the survival of future victims may depend upon her ... when she can barely protect herself.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateFeb 10, 2015
    ISBN9780062381521
    A Faint Cold Fear
    Author

    Karin Slaughter

    Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular storytellers. She is the author of more than twenty instant New York Times bestselling novels, including the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and standalone novels The Good Daughter and Pretty Girls. An international bestseller, Slaughter is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. Pieces of Her is a #1 Netflix original series, Will Trent is a television series starring Ramón Rodríguez on ABC, and further projects are in development for television. Karin Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

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    Reviews for A Faint Cold Fear

    4.5/5

    232 ratings35 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Very well read. The narrator has a good voice for reading
    • 4/5
      A Faint Cold Fear
      3.5 Stars

      A suspicious suicide and a vicious attack on a pregnant woman at the local college place Chief Jeffrey Tolliver and his ex-wife, Sara Linton, in pursuit of a brutal killer who will let nothing stand in the way of his ambitions.

      Slaughter’s writing style is dark and gritty but never fails to captivate. The crimes in this installment are toned down somewhat as compared to the previous books, but there are still some gruesome depictions. The investigation is interesting with several solid twists and turns although I did manage to guess the villain quite easily prior to the big reveal.

      Even though this series is character driven, it cannot be said that any are particularly appealing. Jeffrey and Sara have tremendous potential both as individuals and as a couple, but they never quite manage to pull it off. The biggest problem is their on again/off again relationship, which doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and the time has come for them to either fish or cut bait.

      Lena has always been rough around the edges bordering on unstable, but her behavior in this book is simply incomprehensible. I can only hope that Slaughter does something to either rehabilitate or get rid of her once and for all.

      All in all, one of the weaker books in the series and I hope the next one will be better.
    • 5/5
      Another great read that I couldn't put down.
    • 4/5
      I read this series years ago and recently started to listen to it. My feelings on Lina have not changed, stl strongly dislike her. On to the next book.
    • 4/5
      This was a fast-paced book that was hard to put down. I started with Will Trent series and realized I needed to read these first. Well-developed characters and a great plot makes for a good read. Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 3/5
      Karin Slaughter never disappoints. Again a good, decent thriller, almost Agatha Christie style, with the unexpected turn of events at the end of the novel. I am warming towards the characters more and more.
    • 3/5
      Audiobook. This was not my favorite book in the series. It was sad, and very vulgar and graphic in some parts. Might have been better for me to read it to skim over parts I didn't enjoy rather then have to listen to them. But the story was good and I do like the characters so I will check out the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      College students appear to be committing suicide at an alarming rate, and their deaths are not your ordinary suicides. In amongst the suicides a young woman is brutally attacked not far from the scene of a suicide. How are the two related? Grant County just keeps getting better and better! Lots and lots of unexpected events happen in the lives of our main characters. I'm really intrigued as to where they will go in the next book. The case was unusual with just the right amount of gruesomeness as I've come to expect from Slaughter. A thrilling, fast-paced read with intriguing characters. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
    • 4/5
      Hated Lena and Ethan. Lena should never ever be a police officer ever again!!!
    • 3/5
      A sometimes moving book about the struggles to put a life back together after being a victim of violence. A few too many dead bodies in the course of 3 books to be quite plausible, but still a reasonably good series to read.
    • 3/5
      A Faint Cold Fear is well paced, with solid plotting that moves the story forward as the investigation twists around the characters. It starts with a suprising crime scene that gives an impression that quickly changes with the arrival of Sara who uses the injuries, described in detail, to determine that not all is as it seems. There is a lot of violence in this book - some overt, some hidden but Karin handles it well - it's never gratuitious but contributes to the story. There are enough victims and enough suspects to keep you off balance in determining who dunnit - personally I didn't see the last little reveal coming.I found Lena almost more intriguing than the murders, such a damaged woman and her behaviour so difficult to reconcile even though I know intellectually that it is not an unusual reaction to the tragedy she experienced.Suprisingly I haven't ever read this author before - as a fan of the genre I am not sure how I missed her - but I'll be hunting up some more of her work
    • 4/5
      This... is kind of hard for me to review. A lot of the annoyances came from me not reading the previous books. That's what happens when you buy books as they're on sale :P So, I tried to look past those. There's.. a lot of stomach churning crime described. I'm not sure I appreciate how some aspects of Lena as a survivor of horrific sexual abuse were depicted. But, I'm not a survivor myself, and I feel.. unsettled and uneasy critiquing that, like I'm falling into the 'good survivor' trap. But, the entire books is complicated and messy in its relationships, which I greatly appreciate. There are some questions left at the end (as expected from a series), and some nice twists and dead ends. I think it stood up well as a stand alone story, really, despite the annoyances I mentioned earlier. And there were definitely parts where i could not put it down! Give it a whirl if you aren't adverse to reading about some grotesque crime scenes, because there's a good mystery and thriller in there.
    • 4/5
      Wow, this was much better than the last installment. Slaughter kept the pace moving right along. Too easy to give lots of things away here, suffice it to say you probably know won't who the villain is until the end, with a big surprise (but then again, maybe not???). Slaughter doesn't get bogged down with a lot of unnecessary descriptions. As for Sara, Slaughter uses her humanity along with a gentleness that gets the point across perfectly with regards to the forensics without beating the reader about the head with a over-sized medical dictionary.
    • 4/5
      Sara Linton is a practicing pediatrician and also the town's Medical Examiner, as well as the ex-wife of Jeffrey Tolliver, the Chief of Police. When questions are raised over a death that looked like an obvious suicide and when someone close to Sara is attacked, you know that the mystery is only beginning. A second suicide/murder, leads into an intricate web of deceit. Along with the investigation, Sara's relationship with Jeffrey becomes more defined, even as an old boyfriend of Sara's pops back into the picture.

      Lena Adams is now working security for the local college, no longer an investigator for the Police Dept. Lena's dysfunctional life places her squarely in the center of a major murder investigation.....and only a few people will see the whole picture.

      Karin Slaughter's writing is very detailed and in detailing, it's graphic. You will leave a page with a definite picture of the crime scene. You won't have to use your imagination. Fans of Patricia Cornwell should enjoy it.
    • 3/5
      not literature by any stretch of the imagination, slaughter manages to put a grisled twist on the mystery genre and hold her own. perfect for plane rides, beach trips, or any bit of escapism.
    • 3/5
      This book is one of the series of Karin Slaughter books featuring police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, M.E. Sara Linton and the rest of the series cast of characters. This is one series that you should probably only read in order, and fairly close together, since they depend on the others. To me, that's a detriment.
    • 4/5
      In this 3rd book of the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter, the story opens with a call to the police for an apparent suicide. A college student has jumped from a bridge at the edge of the college grounds into the dry riverbed below. Jeffrey Tolliver, Chief of Police, has called the ME, Sara Linton (his ex-wife and current lover) to the site to confirm the death.Sara had been out running errands with her sister when she gets the call. Tessa insists on accompanying her and Sara agrees. While at the site of the suicide, Tessa decides to answer the “call of nature” and disappears into the woods where she is attacked and almost killed. This attack calls into question whether the death in the riverbed was really a suicide.Also called to the scene at the bridge is Lena Adams, now a college security officer. After the events in the first 2 books, Lena has decided to leave the force and her life has been falling apart. She’s working for a man she loathes, drinking too much, becoming self-destructive and belligerent to Jeffrey when he tries to help her.As other college students are found dead in apparent suicides, Jeffrey, Sara and Lena rush to determine a connection between the deaths and – more importantly – if the deaths are really suicides or if there is a killer loose on the campus.This was a good read but very painful as we watch Lena spiral out of control and consistently make bad decisions. We feel for Jeffrey as he tries to help her and doesn’t understand why they are continually at odds. In addition, we see the strain put on Sara and Jeffrey’s relationship as he is effectively shut out by her family as they sit vigil at Tessa’s bedside.Yet another good book in the Grant County series, ensuring that I will continue. The story is well-written and has good tension as well as being extremely frustrating. The narration by Kathleen Early was top-notch.Rating: 4
    • 5/5
      Karin Slaughter is the absolute best crime/mystery writer I have come across in this day and age. Her novels will simply astound you with their heart-racing moments and intrigue. Every time I pick one of her novels up I cannot stop reading until I'm done and I still find myself begging for more. She's a writer with no fear! She wields her instruments like a knife ready to dig in deep and take you by surprise at every turn!
    • 4/5
      This is the third book in Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series. The main characters are Sara Linton, pediatrician and part time medical examiner and her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, who cheated on her five years ago, resulting in their divorce. They are currently dating and trying to work out their issues. Sara is having lunch with her sister, Tessa, when she is called to what appears to be a student suicide. Tessa decides to go with her and while Sara and Jeffrey are examining the dead college student, Tess, who is pregnant, is stabbed. Soon another student is found dead. Although she also appears to have killed herself, further investigation reveals that hers was a staged murder, casting doubt on the first suicide as well.

      This book also focuses on one of the most fascinating female characters in suspense, Lena Adams. Her life has been falling apart since incidents that occurred in Blindsighted. We also have a bully of a campus security guard, and a white supremacist who is trying to clean up his act.

      This is definitely not a series for the faint of heart though. The subject is dark and many of the characters are unlikable. I've been rereading the series in audio and really enjoy them. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, Indelible.
    • 4/5
      Have finished A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter, 4 stars. An enjoyable read but I would have liked more of the story to have focused on Sara and to have mixed up between the characters a bit more rather than the big sections focused on the viewpoint of the three main characters. It was one book where I did work out who did most of it but there was still a shock waiting for me at the end!
    • 4/5
      Another in Karin Slaughter's riveting series based in Grant County, Georgia. The killing is close to home - initially at the local college. Medical Examiner Sara Linton and her significant other Sheriff Jeffrey Tolliver investigate, but at the same time Sara's sister Tess is lost in the surrounding forest. As usual, the bloodshed escalates and the tension in the story rachets up as Slaughter keeps the reader engaged.
    • 4/5
      I cannot stop reading this series. Every book is fast paced, page turning goodness. Fantastic character development, complicated, multidimensional- even the side characters are strong. Trigger warning for violence. Kept me interested and engaged from start to finish. The narrator is very good.
    • 5/5
      Love this author. Great series. I can't believe there are only 3 books left in this series.
    • 3/5
      be prepared for the worse gosh these books are just think of the worst things possible and thats what your in for. couldnt stop reading it well written series.
    • 4/5
      The investigation of an apparent suicide of a university student becomes so much more, including on a personal level, putting the nerves of both characters and readers on edge. Then another apparent suicide, but wait, this one doesn’t add up.The story is once again told from the points of view of three characters, Dr Sara Linton who is both a pediatrician as well as the county coroner, chief of police Jeffrey Tolliver who also happens to be Sara’s ex-husband. And Lena Adams, a former detective now working security at the university after Jeff, her boss had given her an ultimatum to get counseling or get fired.The mystery itself is buried really deep and the real reason behind everything isn’t made clear until the perp tells another to impress them. We’re provided a number of twists and red herrings – or are we? We do get some gritty detail on victims, but this one wasn’t as graphic as others have been. However, it can be argued that a stabbing victim will hit the reader harder.Domestic violence is brought up and it’s difficult to watch victims lie about it and the abusers getting away with it. Jeff and Sara are trying to work on their relationship, but right now the nerves are getting in the way. Watching Lena self-destructive is difficult. Hopefully she’s hit rock bottom in this book. She’s never been a particularly likeable character, but you’ll just want to shake her—or more--this time.I found the story engaging as well as disturbing. Keeping the reader guessing on the who and why is handled well.
    • 5/5
      Karin Slaughter is the absolute best crime/mystery writer I have come across in this day and age. Her novels will simply astound you with their heart-racing moments and intrigue. Every time I pick one of her novels up I cannot stop reading until I'm done and I still find myself begging for more. She's a writer with no fear! She wields her instruments like a knife ready to dig in deep and take you by surprise at every turn!
    • 2/5
      Too much small talk and not enough suspense and movement to plot. I didn't read all of it. The first book I have tried by this author. I will try again with another. When characters talk about things like their ice cream melting or have personal relationship fights I lose interest since the plot is not advanced.
    • 5/5
      I could not put down a Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. I am now caught up on all Slaughter's books and anxiously awaiting her next book.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed her first novel, Blindsighted, much more. Although this is very readable suspense it did not keep me on the edge of my seat like the first in this series. I have not read the second in the series, Kisscut, but I am hoping that it is more like Blindsighted.
    • 4/5
      Very well written and engaging, as usual, though Lena drives me a little nuts. Most of my problem is I've read subsequent books and I know how well things go for her and Ethan. Other than that, Karin Slaughter's usual intelligence and wit are touching and refreshing, and her commitment to speaking out against racism and violence against women are in full force.