Helpful Score: 2
Just poor writing--didn't like any of the characters especially the main one, Dana, and you will get tired of all the 'Before Dana' and 'After Dana' it just gets boring. No offense to anyone with either of these disabilities but Hoag just drags it out to the point of boredom.
The truly main story didn't start until around page 100 and by that time it was a struggle to go any farther, I tried but couldn't stay with it-----boredom!
Too many other books on my shelf that are much much better than this one.
The truly main story didn't start until around page 100 and by that time it was a struggle to go any farther, I tried but couldn't stay with it-----boredom!
Too many other books on my shelf that are much much better than this one.
What an extraordinary book! I've been following this author for more than 10 years and her books still amaze me.
Dana is young woman, working on being an investigative journalist when she is abducted by the serial killer she is writing about. This is one really really sick individual. Dana, being the ninth victim, is used as a punching bag, raped, carved up like a turkey dinner, and had knees and hands and head battered by a hammer. She is more dead than alive.
When she is thrown into the back of a van, she somehow manages to get her hands on a screwdriver and drives it into the driver's head.
And then the real story begins. She wakes up in the hospital with no memory. All her injuries will heal in time, but she has suffered a severe brain injury. Her short term memory seems to be intact, although she has to thoroughly search for the words she wants.
(At one point in the story, she asks her mother... have you seen my feet? Mom says yes, dear...they are on the bottom of your legs. Dana says no... not feet ... the things that go on your feet. Mom says ...socks? Yes! that's it!)
After a year of therapy she is taken home by her mother and step-father who is a politician running for office, but Dana isn't the pretty young woman with a sweet nature she was before living through her nightmare.
She has forgotten how to be polite .. she says whatever comes to mind whether its appropriate or not. She works very hard at trying to remember things from her past. She accidentally discovers that her best friend in the world was also abducted when the girls were right out of high school and never seen or heard from again.
How could she forget the person who was closer than a sister to her? She begins to investigate, stirring up a lot of emotions from people close to her.
Dana thinks of herself as "After Dana"..... somehow diminished by the things she has endured. But I see her journey as a sign of strength. She forces herself to do the things that scare her the most in her quest to find what happened to her friend.
And there are many viable suspects. Her step-father who is hiding something. Her friend's boyfriend and his father, who is just plain creepy. Dana's high school boyfriend who is now in law enforcement. The detective, now retired and dying from cancer, who has a room, literally a shrine, dedicated to her friend .. the one case he never solved.
And when she comes too close to figure out what happened to her friend, she finds herself in danger once again.
Excellent reading .... 5 stars!
Dana is young woman, working on being an investigative journalist when she is abducted by the serial killer she is writing about. This is one really really sick individual. Dana, being the ninth victim, is used as a punching bag, raped, carved up like a turkey dinner, and had knees and hands and head battered by a hammer. She is more dead than alive.
When she is thrown into the back of a van, she somehow manages to get her hands on a screwdriver and drives it into the driver's head.
And then the real story begins. She wakes up in the hospital with no memory. All her injuries will heal in time, but she has suffered a severe brain injury. Her short term memory seems to be intact, although she has to thoroughly search for the words she wants.
(At one point in the story, she asks her mother... have you seen my feet? Mom says yes, dear...they are on the bottom of your legs. Dana says no... not feet ... the things that go on your feet. Mom says ...socks? Yes! that's it!)
After a year of therapy she is taken home by her mother and step-father who is a politician running for office, but Dana isn't the pretty young woman with a sweet nature she was before living through her nightmare.
She has forgotten how to be polite .. she says whatever comes to mind whether its appropriate or not. She works very hard at trying to remember things from her past. She accidentally discovers that her best friend in the world was also abducted when the girls were right out of high school and never seen or heard from again.
How could she forget the person who was closer than a sister to her? She begins to investigate, stirring up a lot of emotions from people close to her.
Dana thinks of herself as "After Dana"..... somehow diminished by the things she has endured. But I see her journey as a sign of strength. She forces herself to do the things that scare her the most in her quest to find what happened to her friend.
And there are many viable suspects. Her step-father who is hiding something. Her friend's boyfriend and his father, who is just plain creepy. Dana's high school boyfriend who is now in law enforcement. The detective, now retired and dying from cancer, who has a room, literally a shrine, dedicated to her friend .. the one case he never solved.
And when she comes too close to figure out what happened to her friend, she finds herself in danger once again.
Excellent reading .... 5 stars!
Wasn't one of her better books in my opinion. Dragged on way too long.
This is a stand alone book even though Kovac & Liska have a chapter in the initial investigation. This book really wasn't up to the usual suspense & good thriller that Tami usually writes. A little disappointed but I will still read her books
I read a lot of books; over 2,700 so far, but this book, Cold Cold Heart, amazed me! I've never had a book grip me like this one did. From the first to the last of it, I was totally engrossed and captured by the plot, the characters, and the surprises woven into the story line. I've read Tami Hoag before, 12 times actually, and I like her novels, but this one reached a new high for me. If you request it, prepare to lose sleep, 'cause it'll keep your mind running half the night.
Long story but worth the build up.
Dana Nolan's life is turned upside down when she is kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer. She does survive her ordeal, but not without a traumatic brain injury. After ten months in the hospital, she has returned to her childhood home. Dana doesn't remember her time in the killer's hands. She also doesn't remember large portions of her past. When she remembers that her best friend, Casey Grant, disappeared seven years ago right after their high school graduation, Dana delves into the mystery of what exactly happened to her.
I've read many of Tami Hoag's suspense novels. This one is totally different than the others. Dana's brain injury has changed her from the girl who grew up in a small Indiana town. She sometimes uses the wrong words. She sometimes says the first thing that pops into her mind. She becomes obsessed with Dana's disappearance. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped by a deranged killer just like Dana was? Much of the book is Dana comparing herself, pre-injury versus post-injury. It was an interesting story, but I thought the suspense portion was lacking. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
I've read many of Tami Hoag's suspense novels. This one is totally different than the others. Dana's brain injury has changed her from the girl who grew up in a small Indiana town. She sometimes uses the wrong words. She sometimes says the first thing that pops into her mind. She becomes obsessed with Dana's disappearance. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped by a deranged killer just like Dana was? Much of the book is Dana comparing herself, pre-injury versus post-injury. It was an interesting story, but I thought the suspense portion was lacking. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
This book was a slow read at first and I was disappointed since I usually like all of Tammy hoags books. It picked up in the middle and had some twists and turns and to me ended up to be a good read..
The story was well written. It kept me interested. I guessed part of the end but was really surprised by the full ending. Great read that ended well!
Loved it
