Helpful Score: 10
If Hannibal L. is your favorite bad guy and you're into watching CSI for the forensics then this is a book for you!
Helpful Score: 7
Another strong entry in the Grant County series featuring Linton and Tolliver. Not quite up to the first two books, but still an engaging, fast-pased forensics/procedural.
Shannon Y. (dolphinlover) reviewed A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County, Bk 3) on + 209 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
Awesome awesome book loved it every bit of it was so interesting and page turning stayed up very late reading this book as with all of her other books lol very good read
Helpful Score: 4
A really good book. The last page was a shocker!!!!
Helpful Score: 3
Once again,I was not disappointed. I have really grown to love Karin Slaughter. All of her books that I have read draw me in from page one. If you are like me, I can't get anything done . This book is definately no exception, I am looking forward to reading #4 in this series. If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, you will love this book and this series. I highly recommend it to all.
Helpful Score: 3
#3. I really like this series of books. It's one of those books you can't put down until you finish it. Not for the squimish.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a well-written and engrossing mystery/suspense thriller. To be honest, it's a little too graphic and intense for my taste, but fans of suspense thrillers will likely really enjoy it.
Helpful Score: 1
Third book in the Dr. Sara Linton series. A solid, uncompromising plot with unrelenting suspense. Medical examiner Sara Linton and her ex-husband are called to the college campus for an apparent suicide. The corpse is horribly mutilated and gives few answers. Other suicides may or may not be related. Lena, an ex-detective for police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, now works for the campus security office. She is still traumatized by her brush with death and Jeff worries about her mental state and apparent involvement in the on-campus deaths. Lena has survived the unthinkable and has paid a devestating price. Now the survival of future victims may depend on her...she can barely take care of herself.
Good book. Four stars.
Good book. Four stars.
Helpful Score: 1
I just finished Kisscut, my 2nd Karin Slaughter. I love a good series, & this Grant County series is a good one. Karin Slaughter is a great author for the slightly morbid (yes, like me!). Shock-value plays a big part of her books. A friend mentioned to me that she enjoyed this second book more than the first, Blindsighted, because it wasn't as graphic, but that really isn't true! I can hardly wait to discuss this with her! Not much bothers me, & I wasn't disturbed by either book, but I did find myself saying, "Eww!" a few times during this one!
I really enjoy the relationships in this series, particularly that of Sara & Jeffrey. I won't give anything away, but for those who have only read books 1 &/or 2, I want to add that I am anxious to get to book 3 because I'm a bit worried about Lena & how her behavior & thoughts are concerning... I can almost hear ominous old-time soap-opera music in the background along with, "Tune in next book when we find Lena..."
I really enjoy the relationships in this series, particularly that of Sara & Jeffrey. I won't give anything away, but for those who have only read books 1 &/or 2, I want to add that I am anxious to get to book 3 because I'm a bit worried about Lena & how her behavior & thoughts are concerning... I can almost hear ominous old-time soap-opera music in the background along with, "Tune in next book when we find Lena..."
Helpful Score: 1
Another "couldn't put it down to the end" by Karin Slaughter. Very good!
Helpful Score: 1
An apparent suicide has brought Medical Examiner Sara Linton and Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver to the local college campus. Subsequent "suicides" suggest that a different kind of terror is stalking the small town.
This is the third book in Slaughter's terrific forensic series. Terrific story. Very hard to put down. Don't jump ahead in this book or you'll miss some clues. It has a surprise ending!!! My rating: 5 Stars
This is the third book in Slaughter's terrific forensic series. Terrific story. Very hard to put down. Don't jump ahead in this book or you'll miss some clues. It has a surprise ending!!! My rating: 5 Stars
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent!!
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book! After reading this, Karin Slaughter has become one of my new favorite writers. Somewhat graphic and intense, but a definite page-turner.
Helpful Score: 1
A good mystery. Medical examiner type book!!!
Helpful Score: 1
This book was pretty good. Not the most memorable of the series, but still a good mystery.
Helpful Score: 1
Medical examiner, forensic science, cops, a corpse, small town USA. 422 pages of suspense which begin on Sunday and end on Friday.
Helpful Score: 1
Slaughter is one of the few crime writers who write character-driven stories that captivate you from the first to the last page. The books in the series SHOULD be read in order but each case is usually closed by the end of the novel. I highly recommend her books if your not squeamish. The violence in her books can get pretty rough.
Helpful Score: 1
In this third installment of the Grant County series, county medical examiner Sara Linton and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver (who is also Sara's ex-husband and on again/off again beau) investigate an apparent suicide at the local college campus. However, when Sara's sister is assaulted at the scene then another suicide takes place Sara and Jeffrey suspect that the incidents are related.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey's former partner and now disgruntled campus security officer Lena Adams is using alcohol to try to get over the emotional and physical wounds inflicted upon her while she was held captive by a mad man (story from a previous book.) She attempts to investigate the case on her own, and winds up in a twisted relationship with a potential suspect.
I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two in the series, because the pacing was not as even - the middle sections dragged. Sara Linton is not as integral to the story as in previous books, but Lena's story is the one that will keep you turning the pages in A Faint Cold Fear. The tone of this book is very dark, but the residents of Grant County are appealing enough to visit anyway.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey's former partner and now disgruntled campus security officer Lena Adams is using alcohol to try to get over the emotional and physical wounds inflicted upon her while she was held captive by a mad man (story from a previous book.) She attempts to investigate the case on her own, and winds up in a twisted relationship with a potential suspect.
I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two in the series, because the pacing was not as even - the middle sections dragged. Sara Linton is not as integral to the story as in previous books, but Lena's story is the one that will keep you turning the pages in A Faint Cold Fear. The tone of this book is very dark, but the residents of Grant County are appealing enough to visit anyway.
Helpful Score: 1
The best book so far in this excellent series.
Helpful Score: 1
reminds me of early Patricia Cornwall.
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent read with great suspense and the thrill of danger!
Helpful Score: 1
I love her writing, keeps up the suspense, well plotted. A first rate book.
Helpful Score: 1
I am really enjoying this series. I like the characters and their relationships. I find myself wanting certain things for the characters. Hope these two get together... Hope this one isn't insane... Hope this one feels better... Those types of things as if they were real. I think that what should happen when characters are well-developed. I look forward to what the series brings next for each character.
Helpful Score: 1
How can anyone read this type of stuff?? I read the first few pages and just couldn't digest anymore. First a college kid is found with some of the most disgusting descriptions of the condition of his body imaginable! Then the heroine's pregnant sister at the crime scene with the dead college kid. It was like a bad after school special with an R rating for graphic and disgusting violence.
Something must be wrong with anyone who thinks up such distasteful things. It just leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. I couldn't even make it to chapter two. I'm moving on...and I'll never make the mistake of picking up another book by this author.
Something must be wrong with anyone who thinks up such distasteful things. It just leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. I couldn't even make it to chapter two. I'm moving on...and I'll never make the mistake of picking up another book by this author.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was great. I really, really like Karin Slaughter's books. For those familiar with the authors, I compare her books to Lisa Gardner's or Julie Garwood's. In my opinion, Lisa Gardner tends to concentrate her story on the murderer/villan with the relationship/romance secondary. Julie Garwood on the other hand, seems to have the relationships/romance as the primary plot with the villan's story complete but secondary. I like both, but my preference is Garwood. Often with Gardner, at the end I find myself wondering how they could be in love when they've hardly talked ha-ha. In my opinion, Karin Slaughter seems to have found a perfect balance between the villan/crime story and the relationships' story.
Shannon Y. (dolphinlover) reviewed A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County, Bk 3) on + 209 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Awesome awesome read! Loved it and the characters are really good also.
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent intense mystery. If you love suspense, this is a must read!
Helpful Score: 1
Really really good thriller. This series is great, if you have not tried it, you MUST!
SHARON S. (turtle2squirrell) - , reviewed A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County, Bk 3) on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
3RD in this series. Another great read. Love this author. Fast read, was very hard to put down. Was very surprised at the end. It was a big shock. Can't wait to start on the 4th book.
Helpful Score: 1
Third book in Sara Linton series, which should be read in order. This one concerns former deputy sheriff, Lena Adams, and her response to tragedies in the first two books. Can't say much more without giving too much away. Pretty graphic...think CSI on cable.
Great read! Another mystery with Grant County's finest, Sara Linton and Jeffery Tolliver. The twists and turns keep you interested. I really love this series!
I have read other Karin Slaughter books and I enjoy the fast pace action and interaction of characters.
Patricia C. (NovelTgirl) -
Love the Grant County series!
Ok, so I am reading these all out of order which is not the best idea, but given that, I still really like this series. The characters keep you interested and the plot are great, a good thriller
This is the 3rd book of the Grant County series. You have to read this series if you are a mystery lover. She is a wonderful, engaging author who writes books you just can't put down. From the first page you will be sucked into the life of Sara, Lena, Jeffery and the gang. You will love them and hate them and yell at them as if they were your friends. Each story is never obvious and yet right there all along. What a wonderful and talented writer.
I really di enjoy this story it kept me guessing till the very end. I will say though for all the hurs she say's she spent on Remington's shotgun safety website, she made several glaring errors about firearms in the book. I started reading her book Kiss Cut and couldn't seem to get interested in it, I may retry it after reading this one.
Fantastic read!
Every decade or so writers come along who smash themselves a niche in the bestseller lists (often, some say, regardless of quality). In the 70's, it was Stephen King, the late eighties John Grisham, the early nineties Patricia Cornwell, and the late nineties saw James Patterson burst to huge almost unimaginable mega-bestsellerdom. Karin Slaughter (only with the right marketing, of course) could possibly be the first name of the 20th century to be added to that list, whether she really deserves it or not. A Faint Cold Fear though, certainly, displays a growing maturity to Slaughter's work that is pleasing indeed to behold. Gone is the slightly slapdash plotting of Blindsighted, gone is the stark rawness of Kisscut, and even the quality of the writing itself continues to improve bit-by-bit.
It begins with a suicide. A college student is dead, having leaped from a bridge on campus. At first, nothing seems very out of the ordinary to medical examiner Sara Linton, but then someone suffers a horrific attack, and the whole affair is cast in a new disturbing light. Two more suspicious suicides follow, but nothing seems to point anywhere specific at all. There are vague leads pointing to drugs, possibly jealousy, maybe even racial hatred, but nothing very strong or concrete. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Lena Adams - ex-police detective and now part of the college security team - may hold crucial information. But, bruised and bitter from her expulsion from the force, Lena is still very much damaged by the events which led up to her downfall, and even if she were keen to co-operate with Chief of police Jeffery Tolliver, it is clear that she may not even be capable, in herself, of doing so.
One of this series' most obvious strengths - for me, anyway- is its central trinity, all of whom are fascinating. They're not always 100% believable (to be honest, they seem to have a few too many "issues", very interesting to read about though those issues may make them) but they are still entertaining and more than capable of sustaining this series for a very long time indeed. That there are three central characters means that things can remain fresh and new and interesting for a lot longer than in other series'. Sara stays the level-headed moral arbiter, Jeffery remains the sometimes temperamental dispenser of justice, and Lena the damaged and tortured soul who likes to appear strong and who is just trying to cope (badly) in her own confused way. Indeed, Lena is either a character you will love or hate. She can be rather prickly and stubborn, and, admittedly, has a great many woes, but she is slowly beginning to grow on me. Although maybe that's because Slaughter certainly doesn't treat her very well at all in this book, and hasn't really for the entire series!
The bottom line is that this is a successful, satisfying novel with enough forensic detail to give it that Cornwellesque edge and a good, involving, twisty story. Oh, yes, and it does have a shocking last-paragraph sting in its tail that'll have you gasping. Slaughter appears to have hit her stride.
It begins with a suicide. A college student is dead, having leaped from a bridge on campus. At first, nothing seems very out of the ordinary to medical examiner Sara Linton, but then someone suffers a horrific attack, and the whole affair is cast in a new disturbing light. Two more suspicious suicides follow, but nothing seems to point anywhere specific at all. There are vague leads pointing to drugs, possibly jealousy, maybe even racial hatred, but nothing very strong or concrete. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Lena Adams - ex-police detective and now part of the college security team - may hold crucial information. But, bruised and bitter from her expulsion from the force, Lena is still very much damaged by the events which led up to her downfall, and even if she were keen to co-operate with Chief of police Jeffery Tolliver, it is clear that she may not even be capable, in herself, of doing so.
One of this series' most obvious strengths - for me, anyway- is its central trinity, all of whom are fascinating. They're not always 100% believable (to be honest, they seem to have a few too many "issues", very interesting to read about though those issues may make them) but they are still entertaining and more than capable of sustaining this series for a very long time indeed. That there are three central characters means that things can remain fresh and new and interesting for a lot longer than in other series'. Sara stays the level-headed moral arbiter, Jeffery remains the sometimes temperamental dispenser of justice, and Lena the damaged and tortured soul who likes to appear strong and who is just trying to cope (badly) in her own confused way. Indeed, Lena is either a character you will love or hate. She can be rather prickly and stubborn, and, admittedly, has a great many woes, but she is slowly beginning to grow on me. Although maybe that's because Slaughter certainly doesn't treat her very well at all in this book, and hasn't really for the entire series!
The bottom line is that this is a successful, satisfying novel with enough forensic detail to give it that Cornwellesque edge and a good, involving, twisty story. Oh, yes, and it does have a shocking last-paragraph sting in its tail that'll have you gasping. Slaughter appears to have hit her stride.
great read!
This book was an intense thriller in the Sara Linton/Grant County series, focusing mostly on Lena Adams and her struggle to identify the killer while dealing with her own personal issues. I liked the character interactions and the plot moved along well.
Excellent book in the Dr Linton series. Full of twists and turns and a few gasp out loud surprises. I couldn't put this book down!
Excellent thriller!
Another excellent book by Karin Slaughter!
The medical examiner is a great character in her books. Quite enjoyable and fast reading
fairly good mystery
very good read keeps you thinking till the end.
GOOD READ
Exciting thriller about a medical examiner and some unusual deaths in a small Georgia town. Fast pace. One of the best authors I've read, who just happens to be from same part of the state as me.
This whole series was EXCELLENT!
I LOVE KARIN SLAUGHTER! She is my all-time favorite author! I recommend that you read the Grant County books in order starting with Blindsighted. This is the 3rd in the series.
Keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Great book! I've been reading this series, not in the correct order, but have still been able to follow everthing!
Great read
Loved it! Suspenseful, well written, interesting. Didn't want to put it down. Will definitely read more of this author's books.
great book - great series
Excellent continuation of the "Grant County" series. It definitely stands on its own as a powerful story, but you will get a better, well rounded experience if you read books 1 and 2 first. Great character development; surprise twist ending.
3rd book in this great series!!!
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
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.
Karin Slaughter is a dark, intense writer.
Excellent as always from Karin Slaughter.
Loved this book. All of Karin Slaughter books are good.
Great book!
great ending!!!
Just a good read if you like the genre
Great read i love the whole series
A GREAT READ
All of her books are great!
" A small town is being transformed into a killing ground." "...medical examiner Sara Linton along with her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tollivar have to find the answers.
A good read!!
A good read!!
From the back cover: 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.
In the coldly captivating tradition of Cornwell and Reichs, Slaughter (Blindsighted; Kisscut) returns to Grant County, Ga., to offer a third installment in the adventures of smalltown pediatrician and part-time medical examiner Sara Linton. Called in to investigate the apparent suicide of a male Grant Tech student, Sara brings along her pregnant sister, Tessa, who wanders away from the scene and is brutally attacked. The distraught Sara must work side by side with her ex-husband, Det. Jeffrey Tolliver, whom she loves despite his past infidelity, but it's Lena Adams, formerly a cop and now a campus security guard, whose story the novel follows most closely. Still mourning the murder of her sister and recovering from her own torture and rape by the same man, Lena is looked on with suspicion by her ex-boss, Jeffrey. With reason: she's hiding a few key facts. The dead boy's mother is her therapist and Lena is involved with an abusive young man with a shady past. Campus gossip Richard Carter further confuses investigators; meanwhile, police discover the bodies of two more students, their deaths potentially suicides but more likely murder. Slaughter provides grisly variations on the themes of sibling rivalry, sexual abuse and campus politics in a story not for the faint of heart. Readers who can stomach gruesome details and like fitting together multiple stories of physical and psychological abuse will savor the way Slaughter can evoke sympathy for perverse, even criminal, behavior by tracing its origins, and those who make it through the complexities and the gore will be rewarded with a satisfyingly chilling ending.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
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.
Wow, what a lot of surprises in this book and it just keeps coming and knocking the breath of out you. Wonderful!
Wow, what a lot of surprises in this book and it just keeps coming and knocking the breath of out you. Wonderful!
#3 in the series
Slaughter returns with the third riveting entry in her Grant County series, in which her lead characters seem to suffer as much as the victims of the horrific crimes they investigate. County coroner Sara Linton arrives at a crime scene with her sister in tow. She consults with her ex-husband, Detective Jeffrey Tolliver, and Lena Adams, a former policewoman who jumped ship rather than undergo psychological counseling and is now employed as part of the security force for the local college. Within minutes, they determine that the victim jumped off a bridge and had recently slashed his wrists and undergone genital piercing. But their investigation is interrupted by a devastating discovery--Sara's heavily pregnant sister has been stabbed. Jeffrey, Sara, and Lena join forces to determine whether the events are related, but their work is fraught with interpersonal difficulties, and their small town, once a safe haven, starts to seem like a claustrophobic and terrifying place. Slaughter knows how to ratchet up the psychological tension in a compelling plot with an unexpected twist. And Lena is a fascinating character, in thrall to a dark compulsion to play out her fears in unnerving sex games. Chilling and addictive reading.
Slaughter returns with the third riveting entry in her Grant County series, in which her lead characters seem to suffer as much as the victims of the horrific crimes they investigate. County coroner Sara Linton arrives at a crime scene with her sister in tow. She consults with her ex-husband, Detective Jeffrey Tolliver, and Lena Adams, a former policewoman who jumped ship rather than undergo psychological counseling and is now employed as part of the security force for the local college. Within minutes, they determine that the victim jumped off a bridge and had recently slashed his wrists and undergone genital piercing. But their investigation is interrupted by a devastating discovery--Sara's heavily pregnant sister has been stabbed. Jeffrey, Sara, and Lena join forces to determine whether the events are related, but their work is fraught with interpersonal difficulties, and their small town, once a safe haven, starts to seem like a claustrophobic and terrifying place. Slaughter knows how to ratchet up the psychological tension in a compelling plot with an unexpected twist. And Lena is a fascinating character, in thrall to a dark compulsion to play out her fears in unnerving sex games. Chilling and addictive reading.
Sara Linton has gone to the local college because of an apparent student suicide. But a suspicious rash of subsequent suicides suggests that a different kind of terror is talkng the youth of Heartsdale, GA., a nightmare that is coming to prey on Sara's loved ones.
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 the future victims may depend upon her...when she can barely protect herself.
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 the future victims may depend upon her...when she can barely protect herself.
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 a few answers. And a suspicious rash of sub-sequent "suicides" suggests that a different kind of terror is stakling the youth of Heartsdale, Georgia-a nightmare that is coming to prey on Sara Linton's loved ones.
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 terro is stalking the youth of Heartsdale, Georgia--a nightmare that is coming to prey on Sara Linton's loved ones.
