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The hunt for mass murderer Cara Lindstrom is over. FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke has been working for this moment: the capture of a killer who savagely hunts the worst of humanity. But Roarke remains traumatized by his own near-death at the hands of the serial killer who slaughtered Cara’s family…and haunted by the enigmatic woman who saved his life.

Then the sixteen-year-old prostitute who witnessed Cara’s most recent murder goes missing, and suddenly pimps are turning up dead on the streets of San Francisco, killed with an MO eerily similar to Cara’s handiwork.

Is a new killer on the loose with a mission even more deadly than hers? In the pulse-pounding third Huntress/FBI Thrillers book, Roarke will have to go on the hunt…and every woman he meets, even those closest to him, may prove deadly.

391 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2015

592 people are currently reading
1399 people want to read

About the author

Alexandra Sokoloff

37 books988 followers
I'm the Thriller Award-winning and Bram Stoker and Anthony Award-nominated author of the bestselling and very feminist HUNTRESS MOON thrillers: Huntress Moon, Blood Moon, Cold Moon. Bitter Moon, Hunger Moon, Shadow Moon and the supernatural thrillers The Harrowing, The Price, Book of Shadows, The Unseen, The Space Between. The New York Times Book Review has called me "a daughter of Mary Shelley" and my novels "some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre."

I'm a California native and a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, where I majored in theater and minored in everything that Berkeley has a reputation for. After college I moved to Los Angeles, where I made an interesting living doing novel adaptations and selling original thriller scripts to various Hollywood studios.

Now I (mostly!) live in Scotland with my Scottish crime-writing husband, Craig Robertson. We've just written a new mystery/thriller series together — and we're still married and haven't killed each other! LOST HIGHWAY will be out in 2026.

My HUNTRESS MOON series follows a haunted FBI agent on the hunt for a female serial killer, which means I can smash hated genre cliches and kill a lot of men who need to be killed.

In my paranormal and supernatural thrillers, I like to cross the possibility of the supernatural with very real life explanations for any strangeness going on, and base the action squarely in fact. THE UNSEEN is based on real paranormal research conducted at the Duke University parapsychology lab, and BOOK OF SHADOWS teams a Boston homicide detective and a practicing Salem witch in a race to solve what may be a Satanic killing. THE SPACE BETWEEN is an edgy supernatural YA about a troubled high school girl who is having dreams of a terrible massacre at her school, and becomes convinced that she can prevent the shooting if she can unravel the dream.

My non-fiction workbooks SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS and WRITING LOVE, based on my internationally acclaimed workshops and blog, have helped writers of all levels all over the world finish their books and find agents and book deals. https://alexandrasokoloff.substack.com/

When I'm not writing I travel and I dance: jazz, ballet, salsa, Lindy, swing - I do it all, every chance I get.

Join the mailing list (and receive a FREE short story from the SHATTERING GLASS anthology!):
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Read more about the books! http://alexandrasokoloff.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
Profile Image for Shelby *trains flying monkeys*.
1,748 reviews6,571 followers
May 21, 2015
Let's get something out of the way. Alexandra Sokoloff writes a damn fine book. I thought her edge might wear off but she stays strong. This is the third book in her Huntress/FBI storyline and I can't decide which one of them I love the most.
She takes the time to research her writing, there is good flow with her words and her characters come to life. Bravo.
I'm done fangirling now... so about the book.

Cara Lindstorm has been arrested and suddenly the sixteen year old girl that was the prosecutions witness goes missing. While Cara is still in custody a pimp is murdered and his slaying is very similar to Cara's MO. Then more evil men are turning up dead.

Roarke is still haunted by Cara and he is a tortured hero but there is one thing that stands out about his character. His demons don't make me hate him. Sometimes reading a book that has a male lead can lead to cockiness and if they do have a weakness it gets to the point where I just want to smack them. It has not happened with Roarke yet, I still like him.


Then you have Cara, a female serial killer. She didn't make herself that way though. Her past is violently cruel and the way that the whole story-line of her seeing "IT" comes into play. You just believe she can see that evil.
Whether IT was a seperate, independant force or just a word for the evil that humans beings do, Roarke didn't know. He only knew that evil was real.
IT was evil.


I do not want to give much of the story away because I think more people should read these books. They make you rage, think and question what is right and wrong.


There is a trigger warning for some of you: This book involves human trafficking.

The murders all of which they attributed to Santa Muerte:
She is out there.
But she is not the only one.
This is a call to arms.
This is a war on rape culture.

Profile Image for Christine.
620 reviews1,469 followers
April 7, 2018
Wow. I am totally enthralled by this series. It is the perfect genre for me—police/FBI procedural with heavy psychological overlay. Though I have thoroughly enjoyed every book so far, Cold Moon is my favorite.

Each book of the series is set during the last week of the month with the full moon approaching; the stories are set, so far, a month apart. This is not a series to jump into at the middle. It needs to be read in order. In this installment, our antiheroine (female serial killer Cara Lindstrom) is in jail, and our hero (FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, San Francisco branch, Matthew Roarke) is conflicted about that. So conflicted. In fact, he is conflicted by everything about Cara. I get that as I am conflicted over what to think about Cara as well. At the same time I am thinking, “Cara, that was horrific,” and “Cara, you go girl!”

More murders are happening in the underground world of prostitution and human trafficking. Young teens and children are involved. Who is/are the killer(s)? A movement has begun; a radical movement that is championing the murders of any and all traffickers, pimps, and johns. Things are spirally out of control. The pressure is intense on Roarke and his team. We are inside the head and the core of Roarke as he tries to keep his head above water. But he is losing it and we are along for the ride.

Whew. This book is intense. The plot is superb; I was so curious to see how Ms. Sokoloff was going to have this all play out. Not just who killed who and how the battle to contain the “murder epidemic” would end, but if and how Roarke and Lindstrom would survive it all.

An extra added bonus to reading this book is that I learned a lot. I learned more of the nitty gritty of the prostitution/human trafficking problems in California, and also what real FBI agents must go through as they try to tackle problems that seemingly cannot be solved. The presentation of these issues and the psychological angle of the novel reflect extensive research by the author.

The Huntress Moon/FBI Thrillers series has easily become one of my five all time favorite series. I was delighted to find out it has been placed in development for a television series, and there is at least a sixth book coming out. I saw where Ms. Sokoloff is prepared to write even more if the TV people make the request.

This book and series are most highly recommended. Excuse me now as I exit to settle in to start book #4, Bitter Moon.
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,285 followers
February 5, 2021
4 - 4.5 Yes, IT is All Around Us Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
THIS IS THE BEST SERIES, Limited Time Only 99 CENTS!!!

Do you believe there is an essence of evil... That this force lives whether there is a host or not...That this "IT" has a life of its own and will prevail... This is an idea that has been around forever...as long as we have experienced evil acts... and I do not think the idea or question will disappear.

In Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff, we are shown in great detail how horrific acts are happening every day to our most vulnerable... children, young girls, and teenage runaways.
The data will stagger your mind...overwhelm your senses and cause you to physically hurt for these lost souls. It can be too much to take in... but we must as it is not going away but getting worse.

All over the world and in the US, girls have either been promised a better life and lured into a "relationship" with these Romeo Pimps...they tell them they love them, dress them and make them feel loved for maybe the first time...and then they turn them; raping and threatening them. These young girls are drugged, put out on the stroll. The pimps make huge amounts of cash because their "Product" can be used over and over again... sold with a continual positive financial return. The joke is the laws on the books are less than drug trafficking... so sex trafficking is the new hot entrepreneurial deal. Gangs and criminal groups have taken over cities, roads, and towns with hijacking underage girls coming home from school.

I bring all of this to your attention because Cold Moon has placed this epidemic from and center. This information was the basis for most of this story with our same characters from the other books. We have our FBI Special Agent Roarke, his partner Ebbs, and Forensic Team. There is Cara Lindstrom, the "miracle child", from the Reaper murders, and new people who are added to this tale.

It starts with the ramifications from the climax from Blood Moon; what will be Cara's purpose... has it changed or has it just altered to hunt the others infected by IT. There is a strong story that is complex in all the moving parts yet is told so you can follow it easily. You will care about all of the players and want some positive conclusion... you will be that invested in this tale.

This story had me from the get-go... I stayed up long into the night/early dawn consuming this read. There were moments of brilliance and moments where I was drowning in data... but I never wanted to close the book and not care what was going to happen next.

I did figure out quite a bit early on...and was rewarded when all of my ideas were confirmed. The guessing game or realization did not detour from the read... only enhanced my desire to find out more.

There was an overwhelming sadness to this book, though. Although it is fiction, the reality of its premise and facts loom large. We are drowning in wrongs in this world of ours... wrongs against women and children. It does not matter whether it is here in the United States or any other place on this planet. Sex Trafficking is rampant and until the laws are changed to make the punishment fit the crime, it will continue to be the new illegal gravy train.

Alexandra Sokoloff was a screenwriter before an author of these types of books. It is clearly felt in how she takes you on a journey which you will never forget....and she left herself an opening...an always possible revisit to this Moon series....perhaps a calling to the Wolf Moon, hmmmm...

The Huntress series takes place over six months in the present and in multiple timelines in the past. Shadow Moon is a culmination of those characters and storylines and it is strongly recommended that the series be read in order.

Huntress Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #1) by Alexandra Sokoloff Huntress Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Blood Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #2) by Alexandra Sokoloff Blood Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #3) by Alexandra Sokoloff Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #4) by Alexandra Sokoloff Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hunger Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #5) by Alexandra Sokoloff Hunger Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Shadow Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #6) by Alexandra SokoloffShadow Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


~~~ Before Reading ~~~
I will forever look at the Full Moon differently...Thanks to this engrossing series... Starting it at this ridiculous late night hour

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

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Profile Image for S.M. West.
Author 38 books1,242 followers
May 13, 2015
4.5 It STARS

I anxiously waited for this third book in The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series and every agonizing moment was worth it!



This begins with Cara incarcerated after having saved Roarke's life, facing charges for at least one of the murders. And Special Agent Matthew Roarke finds himself even more in turmoil as he struggles with ensuring the charges against Cara stick or hoping the case will fall apart.

 photo Cold Moon_zps4qbnbypm.jpg

This dark journey continues...


as we travel further into the deepest and darkest recesses of humanity. At the heart of this tale are two riveting and chilling aspects: the notion of a female serial killer...

“Cara was different, one of a kind: a ruthless, calculating female vigilante who had operated under the radar for over a decade.”

and the horrific reality of human trafficking. A tale of "Lost children, coerced and sold by men who do not even think of them as human."

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We see a lot more into human trafficking and the bleak and enraging atrocities that take place. There are also many forces at work in this final chapter of Cara Lindstrom as she is incessantly driven to seek out "IT" - the evil within humans - that wreaks havoc, pain and irreparable damage on humanity with the moon as her beacon.


“…the crimson trail Cara left in her wake.”

There are a lot of moving parts in this book that had me fervently moving the pieces around to make them fit. It certainly had me on my toes and I loved every gripping minute of it.



Like Roarke, I truly liked, respected and had many feelings for Cara: the huntress, the woman and the little girl. I understood his internal battle to catch her or let her go.

“He knew why she killed. Because anyone with a human feeling would want to kill the men she killed. Because the killing she did prevented the further agony of innocent victims.”


The ending was bittersweet and I wonder if that may have been what Ms. Sokoloff was going for. Like Roarke, you feel some content because those who deserved it got what was coming to them but also this profound defeat as for every one apprehended, imprisoned or murdered, there were countless more perpetrators. And I also felt this loss. Loss for the victims and loss for Roarke. Like Roarke, I wanted more of Cara Lindstrom and while I hoped or wished for some HEA, Ms. Sokoloff gave a realistic outcome. It took an integral part of her when she was a mere child and was replaced with this hunter or better yet, a survivor.

I strongly recommend this series if you enjoy suspense, mystery and delving into the human psyche. Alexandra Sokoloff is a gifted storyteller that weaves tales that are as much spellbinding as they are chilling.




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Profile Image for Sue.
1,417 reviews5 followers
October 25, 2017
Cold Moon by talented author Alexandra Sokoloff, is Book III in the Thriller Award-nominated Huntress/FBI series. Cold Moon is the sequel to Blood Moon. These books keep getting better and better! I am hooked on this series! So good!

It is highly recommended that you read these books in sequence as the storyline continues on from where book one leaves off.

The novels in this FBI thriller series include:
Huntress Moon (Book 1) Published 2012
Blood Moon (Book2) Published 2013
Cold Moon. (Book3) Published 2015
Bitter Moon (Book4) Published 2016
Hunger Moon. (Book5) Expected Publication 2017

“Twenty- five years ago a psychotic killer known as the Reaper had slaughtered three California families, then disappeared without a trace. Five- year old Cara Lindstrom had survived the massacre of her family with her throat slashed and her mental state shattered into a million pieces. The case had gripped everyone in the state, including nine-year old Matt Roarke, and had started him on a lifelong quest for justice through a law enforcement career.”

A total of twenty-five people are dead-fifteen of them are children!

The hunt for mass murderer Cara Lindstrom is over. FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke has been working for this moment: the capture of a killer, but with Cara’s capture, Roarke remains traumatized by his own near-death at the hands of the serial killer who slaughtered Cara’s family…and haunted by the woman who saved his life.

The entire case against Cara rested on the word of a sixteen-year old girl, Jade Lauren. This key witness is a drug addict, prostitute and pathological liar, who witnessed Cara’s most recent murder. But suddenly, Jade goes missing, and suddenly pimps are turning up dead on the streets of San Francisco.

Is there a new killer on loose …a copycat with a similar mission to eradicate the “IT/EVIL” from the world.

This is proving to be an excellent little series. Many thanks to the TBC reviewer request group for providing me with the ARC.
Profile Image for Jean.
887 reviews19 followers
May 2, 2018
Time for a reckoning.

This rallying cry kept echoing in my head as I turned page after page of Alexandra Sokoloff’s fiercely intense Cold Moon. Published in 2015, this, the third book in The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series, focuses on pervasive problem of young women, teens, even pre-teens, in the sex trafficking trade. Cara Lindstrom, the “Miracle Girl” who survived an attack by a vicious serial killer when she was five, has herself become a murderer and now finds herself in jail in San Francisco. Special Agent Matthew Roarke should be relieved, but he’s not. The only witness is shaky, at best. She’s a 16-year-old prostitute who may have an agenda of her own.

Suddenly, the witness, Jade, is missing. A pimp is murdered, his throat slashed, a la Cara Lindstrom. How can they hold her now? A blogger calling herself Bitch starts a call to arms: Time for a reckoning. In a twist on the usual big city crime, johns and pimps need to fear for their lives. It’s chilling, and fortunately, it’s fiction, but the reality is that young girls do run away from abusive homes every day and are “rescued” or taken by men who abuse them in ways that are just as bad or worse than what they left behind. They lure them the promise of a better life and control them with drugs and fear of punishment. The police? They are overwhelmed. Ms Sokoloff does a fantastic job of portraying these kids and the problems on both sides.

Why is the FBI involved in this? It seems like a local problem, doesn’t it? Well, yes and no. It would be if it weren’t for Lindstrom. She’s killed men in at least three states. Roarke, Epps, Singh, and Jones are part of the Organized Crime Unit, normally, but they’ve been on this case since day one, and once the killing escalates, they are told to stay on it. Roarke, most of all, is totally invested. He is drawn to Cara in ways that he cannot explain. As a nine-year-old boy, he was drawn to law enforcement because of her family’s plight. Now, he is both fascinated and repelled by who she is. Her preternatural power to detect evil, what she calls “It,” is something that simultaneously puzzles and awes him. Yet, he gets it, because they are both battling the same thing. He is supposed to find her, capture her, and arrest her. But he wants her, yearns for her, and he feels very conflicted about that too. He is so extremely conflicted. Tortured. The case is difficult. How many killers are there? They know about Cara and the girl, Jade, but are there others? Who killed whom? The Bitch blog has created a movement, and the team cannot control it. Where will it lead?

There is also the Santa Muerte – Lady Death – phenomena, which has sprung up with the killings. There are makeshift shrines to Lady Death at the murder scenes. It is a curious mystical element that gives the story an eerie feel. This is accompanied by the approach of the full moon, which is a theme in all of the books. The December moon is the “cold moon”.

This story not only absorbed me and engulfed me; it swallowed me whole. It’s hard, if not impossible, not to pull for Cara and the others as they fight against the evil that has stolen their humanity, identity, and worth. As Cara’s attorney Julia Molina says, maybe Roarke’s way isn’t working any more. Roarke, while he may agree, just doesn’t seem to know any other way but to follow his training. All the while, he crosses the line time and time again. Still, he is plagued by sleepless nights, disturbing dreams, and images of teens and young women caught in a web of abuse and degradation and a system that does little to help.

Alexandra Sokoloff’s characters feel so real, their struggles, so desperate. As the wave, Time for a reckoning, grows, I couldn’t help thinking of today’s social phenomena: Me too. Time’s Up. Today’s real-life movements are calls for action, for empowerment, for political involvement, for speaking out. Time for a reckoning is something all together different. It is a chilling what-if. What if women took the law into their own hands? This is a very well written book. Scary. It made me shudder in parts because Cara is so calm and calculating, and she has spawned a following. She is a self-appointed vigilante – judge, jury, and executioner. Is there anything that will make her stop? Is she capable of anything but hunting and killing? I’d like to know more about who she really is. There are more books to read, and I’ll be looking for answers.

Roarke? Can he come any kind of peace with himself? That’s something I’ll be looking for too. I definitely will be reading the fourth book, Bitter Moon.

5 stars
Profile Image for Carole (Carole's Random Life).
1,937 reviews607 followers
December 25, 2018
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

This was a fantastic addition to the series! This is a series that really needs to be read in order since each book builds on the events from the previous installments. I have really been enjoying myself over the past couple of months as I have been working my way through the series and I am happy to report that this book was just as good as I had hoped it would be.

Cara Lindstrom has been captured and is awaiting trial but her story is far from over. Agent Roarke is drawn to Cara and can't seem to stay away from her even though he knows that he should. Despite the fact that the team knows that Cara is responsible for a lot of deaths, they have only one case to move forward with which hinges on the testimony of a teenage sex worker. When their witness goes missing, a string of events begins that brings a lot of things into question.

This was a story that hooked me from the very beginning. I wondered where the story would go since Cara was in custody but I had nothing to worry about because Roake and the other agents had plenty on their agenda. I like the fact that this book really made me question who the criminals really were. Cara has committed crimes but the victims of her crimes are not innocents. All of the characters felt very authentic complete with their own unique set of flaws.

R.C. Bray does a fantastic job with this series. He does a great job with a large cast of varied characters. I think that his voice is really perfect for this type of book and I found that his delivery added to the excitement of the story. I found it very easy to listen to this book for hours at a time.

I would recommend this series to others. It is an exciting series with great characters and an exciting mystery. I think that the profiling aspect of the story is extremely well done. I can't wait to get started on the next installment in this series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

Initial Thoughts
This was a fantastic installment in the series. This is a series that really does need to be read in order since this book picks up just after the events of the previous books. Cara is in jail but Roarke is unable to feel like things are truly resolved. There are a few developments that put everything in question and soon Roarke and his team are trying to figure out what the killer's next step will be. This book will make you question who the bad guy really is. R.C. Bray did a fantastic job with the narration. I cannot wait to move on to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,405 followers
December 13, 2018
Edit 6/10/2018: very interesting and poignant article by this author.
Respect to Alexandra for raising it!

worth reading and thinking about it!




The book was a bit lame till approx 40%, only after they freed Cara the story started to make sense to me.


Sorry, but I need to say it...
Agent Matthew Roarke - what a waste of.... of..... of FBI resources 🙄🙄🙄.
So many young and unnecessary victims, why not to sacrifice this 'highly professional' guy to save more lives?...

Can't stand him!
He is gorgeous, ok, why to repeat it in almost every chapter?! Better make someone slap him for being judgemental!!!
All women, even very young ones, speak with sexual innuendo to him... He is so freaking sensible he throws himself against security glas to 'touch' the heroine, whom he!!! actually put in prison!

But when it comes to manly actions, he fails every single time. He noticed the prison guard sent 'false' signals? Then do smth, dude! But he only managed to 'intimidate' the fucker by saying smth like: you know who I am? (me: Who? Mickey freaking mouse? 🙄) The guard was so 'scared', that he gang raped a woman this night and tried to do the same to Cara the next day.
Don't let me start how he let the abhorrent john, who raped prostitutes, go for a piece of information! He could have at least castrated hurt him!
And? Is it a behaviour of a real man? Or of a not very bright cowardly person? 🙄

The only thing he got working in full - his erection. Yeah, his trademark - the hard-on, and not only for the heroine, but also for his ex? gf. As I said in my previous review, this woman deserved better. Good for her she left his 'gorgeous' ass...

I sincerely hope there would be never any romance between this douchebag and Cara!!!
Cara needs a real man!!!

So, the good part of the book - Cara and all the 'warriors' of Santa Muerde.
Fabulous!

Every single murder was a highlight!
They killed pimps, johns, rapists - the abhorrent trash.
I smiled, when she burned the prison guard-rapist.

Absolutely love the idea of global war on rape culture.
Please let it be an army of those, who clean up human garbage of rapists and paedophiles!

The book is dark, it shows the side of the truth and reality, many of us don't even want to know. Semi-detailed scenes of violence and rape.

How many kids are sold on the streets?
How many 'normal' guys/husbands/fathers buy these children for sex?

Cara may be a fictional character, but she is a hope, the only hope to save a life / to make a difference.

When law fails, there is a justice! As long as the fuckers are punished, I don't care how it's done.

We need Cara(s)!

She is out there. But she’s not the only one.
This is a call to arms.
This is a war on rape culture.
Profile Image for Jonetta.
2,594 reviews1,328 followers
August 6, 2015
Originally posted on The Book Nympho

Matt Roarke finally has Cara Lindstrom behind bars but he's extremely conflicted. Part of him knows it's where she belongs even if they might not have the evidence for all the murders they suspect are attributable to her. Then there's the part of him that is inexplicably drawn and connected to her. When other men turn up dead during her incarceration, Matt's suddenly faced with the prospect of multiple killers using the same modis operandi.

I'm so fascinated with this series and just as conflicted as Roarke. My head tells me that he needs to get over it and my heart is challenging him to stick with her. The young women introduced in this story seem transparent on the surface but begin to appear just as opaque as Cara. I enjoyed following the investigations as the twists and surprises weren't predictable and had no idea where the clues would lead.

I was hoping for a definitive conclusion this time but there's still a lot unresolved, including Roarke and Cara. This was a strange and creepy but sophisticated story that is hard to pigeon hole. It's mysterious with hints of paranormal elements. The realities presented about human trafficking will leave you discomfited, at least it did me. And, you'll find it difficult to clearly separate the heroes from the villains. It's murky at best.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Profile Image for Phrynne.
4,034 reviews2,725 followers
December 21, 2015
This is such a good series and I was very happy to read that there is going to be at least one more. This is essential because this particular book leaves a lot of things open and I really want to know what happens next. I love the main characters but cannot visualise how Roarke and Cara can ever be together. I hope the author has something really clever up her sleeve:) Anyway to talk about this book in particular - it us every bit as exciting as the previous two. Lots of blood and gore, suspects galore, just a tiny bit of romance, some red herrings for us to follow and some surprises about who is doing what. Fantastic altogether! Loved it and I will be seeking out this author's other works for sure.
Profile Image for Angela DeSilva.
153 reviews247 followers
April 11, 2016
That was fantastic! Can't wait for book four. This is a must-read series for crime/thriller/serial killer book fans. A definite five-star read!
Profile Image for Rosa, really.
583 reviews327 followers
July 24, 2015


I think I did a disservice to this series by reading this third book 2 minutes after finishing the second book, Blood Moon. All the things that bothered me just stood out more when I spent 20 hours in their company. (If I'd waited another month before starting Cold Moon, it'd probably be three stars for entertainment value.)

For instance, I'm sick to fucking death of hearing about how gorgeous and perfect all the FBI agents are. Roarke, Epps, Singh. They're all super good looking and talented. I FUCKING GET IT. If you promise to stop talking about it, Sokoloff, I'll just take it as written, okay? Awesome.

Also, the bad guys. They're not just evil rapists, they also have greasy hair, horrible grammar, they're completely unkempt and live in messy houses where the dishes never get done. Oh, the horror. I'm glad this author has never seen my house or I'd be arrested immediately. (Though I feel the need to add that my hair is never greasy and I'm rarely unkempt, so there. I do hate doing the dishes though.)

What else did I want to bitch about?


This gif is just so I can look at Benny. Mmmmm....nice.

Oh, right. This is a little spoilery for the first two books. Anywhore...Roarke's a walking hard-on. He's got it bad for female serial killer (but is she really a serial killer? WHO GIVES A FUCK?! She still kills a fuck of a lot of people who totally deserve it), Cara. When I finished the first book I begged the gods that the author wouldn't turn this into a romance. And I still think this would be a much better series if Roarke felt connected to Cara, understood her, but didn't think about how much he longed to feel her body against his, and run his hand through her silky blonde hair and just the touch of her finger caused a raging hard-on. Fascinating. I mean, does everything have to be a romance? Can't two people feel drawn to each without boinking coming into it? Also, I'm not even sure if Cara is capable of that sort of relationship. She's not just a little crazy, she also has the worldview of a 5 year old. That makes Roarke's sexual fantasies about her just creepy. But whatever. At the point I say, Roarke, buddy, just fuck her. Run off to the wilds with her and mail bombs to bad guys. Travel the roads of America with her killing anyone she says is evil. I don't care.

Please just stop fucking angsting over it. It's BORING.

Okay, bitching aside, there is an interesting story here about violence towards women, child/teen prostitution and the law's inability to do much about it. And the author does know how to put a thriller together. But the slick, TV show-like delivery just didn't work for me.
Profile Image for ♛ Garima ♛.
1,012 reviews183 followers
May 8, 2015
This is my 1st review and I really wanted to it to be good but I guess I started with wrong book.
First of all thanks to netalley for sending free copy in exchange of honest review so here it goes -

I didn't like it because too slow for my taste and could not understand why the novel is of 400+ pages and divided into 90+ chapters when it could be way shorter and could have described in 20 chapters.
When I started reading I though it is similar to 'The Hit' by David Baldacci and I really like that novel but its nothing like it.
Though novel has some characters that I like - female strong characters like Cara, Jade and Antara Singh. However I was disappointed when author didn't spend much time in Cara's head. She has unique thinking and I'd have appreciated more things described from her prospective. It also could have made the read more interesting. This is the first novel I've read by the author so I am not sure if author has described the behavior in her past series or was planning to do so in next installment, I am not sure.

Now something about Roakre - he is too softy for an Agent. I mean what kind of special agent has problem seeing a burnt corpse and had nightmares for life! If you are an agent the least thing is considered from you is being tough. I am not saying insensitive but though - not someone who has urges to puke so often.

I also didn't like end - the only reason I keep reading because I was hoping for interesting ending. I know that this is not romantic novel and didn't expect Tutti Frutti ending but something meaningful would have been appreciated. Maybe Roarke and Cara could have been together - retiring from all this awfulness or simply joining arms in mission together but no. I guess it would be predictable and in order to give realistic ending - it ended up in no ending at all or very dull ending.
Overall good character development described but too slow for my liking.
Would I read another novel by same author? No. But I wish her best luck as she seem to have so many fans :)
Profile Image for Janet .
343 reviews124 followers
September 25, 2017
So, this is the third instalment of the Moon trilogy and for me was probably my least favourite.

Here we have a continuation of where the story left off from book two 2. Lindstrom is now incarcerated .... but for how long?!! And Special Agent Roarke who is drawn to her in a way that he shouldn't is caught up in a case involving child prostitution. Characters from previous books have carried through both protagonists and suspects, cleverly interweaving storylines. These books can be read as standalones because everything is explained in each one, but anal me says noooooo ...... read them all!!

Again, we have more of the same with good characterisations and a look into the underbelly of a seedy and upsetting world involving under age girls being kidnapped and thrown into walking the streets. A sad world that is unsettling and made all the worse for knowing that this really goes on out there.

After the pacy thrilling read of the first two books this one left me a little wanting. It didn't live up to the excitement of the first two and took me a lot longer to get into and read which was a little disappointing. Occasionally there was too much detail that took me nowhere and lacked the thrill of the 'just one more chapter' syndrome. I found I could put it down and leave it for a few days which is invariably what happened. That said, it's still a good read and finishes the trilogy well. Whether there will be anymore I'm not sure but I'd happily go there if more were to come. Roarke is a likable character as is our anti heroine, Lindstrom, so more from these two would be welcome.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The whole trilogy I recommend highly. It's a thrilling ride!
Profile Image for "Avonna.
1,462 reviews589 followers
June 1, 2015
The wait was sooooo worth it! Cold Moon is the third book in 'The Huntress/FBI' series. This book, besides continuing the characters' story lines, is about child abduction and prostitution that is a cancer on our society.

FBI Agent Roarke works with his team to solve the murder of pairs of johns and pimps that enslave and abuse children for profit. His continuing obsession for female serial killer, Cara Lindstrom once again has him questioning his ability to do his job and hoping the cases against her fall apart and she is released from jail.

There are many twists and turns in the plot and character relationships. The ending left an opening for the series to continue. Thank goodness and may it be soon!

I was gifted a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley from Alexandra Sokoloff.
Profile Image for Wanda Pedersen.
2,297 reviews366 followers
October 23, 2019
I read this book to fill the Full Moon square of my 2019 Halloween Bingo Card.

It took me a couple of false starts to get going on this novel, but when I finally was able to engage, I remembered why I’ve been working my way through Sokoloff’s Huntress/FBI series. Once I gave in to the reading experience, I was gripped with the need to keep turning pages. I maybe wasn’t as thrilled with this third book as I was with the previous two, but it was still a page turner. I’ve been going through a mini-reading-slump this month, having a difficult time motivating myself to pick up a book. Highly unusual for me. This is the one that got me back on track, ready to fight the good fight again.

Sokoloff was definitely tapping into an issue that we’ve just recently begun to seriously deal with, namely the sexual abuse of women. Her main character, Matthew Roarke, expresses the disgust that most of us feel about the human traffickers, pimps, and johns who all participate in the sex trade and who don’t see themselves as doing anything wrong. Women are just conveniences and playthings to these low-lifes. Sokoloff taps into female anger as she sets up Cara Lindstrom as a vigilante killer of these abusive men and has Matthew and members of his FBI team come to identify with her and her mission.

I’ve come to realize what a sheltered, pampered life I have led and what a lucky woman I am. It therefore seems highly appropriate that I read this shortly after the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday and I am so thankful to live where I do and in the comfort that I do.
Profile Image for Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime.
5,639 reviews329 followers
January 3, 2016
Review: COLD MOON by Alexandra Sokoloff
(Huntress/FBI Thrillers Series Book 3)

COLD MOON is the third in this trilogy, and as such, is the summit. Building on all the processes that commenced in HUNTRESS MOON, and intensified in BLOOD MOON, all becomes "meta" in COLD MOON:
Metaphorical, metaphysical, meta-viral. Remember the "Anonymous" viral wave? Something of the same type occurs here, with much different rationale and consequences, focused on "Santa Muerte."

I would love for this trilogy to continue; but as I have read all three books non-stop in immediate succession, I'm not sure my nerves would survive. Meanwhile, 36 stars to each book in the trilogy and to the series: yes, it's that good.
Profile Image for Nate.
494 reviews31 followers
August 7, 2015
This might have been my favorite of the trilogy. Alexandra Sokoloff's writing continues to get better over time. The writing was tight, descriptive, and almost invisible as the plot unspooled with page-turning explosiveness. I really love these characters and the more rational take on serial murders and crimes against women. Such a viewpoint has long been missing from mystery/thriller/horror fiction, and I must say it's about time.
Profile Image for Sherry Fundin.
2,305 reviews162 followers
February 12, 2018
After reading Blood Moon, Book II, by Alexandra Sokoloff, there was no way I could stop. I kept on reading through Cold Moon and Bitter Moon. Now I see we have Hunger Moon, which would be Book V, and I will jump through hoops to get my hands on it.

The moon talks to Cara. Does it talk to you? What does it say?

We begin with Roarke’s nightmare, waking him. Cara…

She faces her own terror in the night, but vows IT will never take her.

“Fair as the moon and cold as ice.”

Roark’s team functions like a well oiled machine, even when personalities occasionally clash and opinions differ. They always get their ‘man’.

Cold Moon takes an even closer look into the depraved, the abused, the lost and those who care about them. Human trafficking of women and children, enslaved in prostitution, bought and sold, used and abused. Who will stand up for them, defend them, save them?

How can an online presence affect people, politics, legalities, courts…The anonymity of cyber activism.

I do not want to spoil any of the goodies contained in Cold Moon, the third book of Cara and Roarke’s story, so I will just throw out some hints and ask you…what would you do?

Evil…can you see it, smell it, touch it, feel it? Is it alive? Do you do something about it yourself?

Is it self defense, if you know evil is coming your way, and you take it out first?

My emotions are raging in anger and disgust. I know this goes on, day in and day out, and I wonder if those who, in real life, try to stem the flow of evil feel it is too big, there are too many. One by one they WILL fall.

“There is something larger at work…a force beyond the simply human. A female vengeance against outrages.” Santa Muerte

“Sometimes death for one is salvation for another.”

I love the dark and dangerous, unique and original, direction Alexandrar Sokoloff takes in this story. I am afraid to google some of the online forums she talks about. I am afraid of what I will find out. Will evil know I am looking and come for me? She continues to thrill and amaze me, disgust and frighten me, leaving me ALWAYS wanting more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff.

See more at fundinmental
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,277 reviews58 followers
December 8, 2020
Both Roarke and Cara return to San Francisco. Cara is in jail pending her trial for killing the pimp in book 2 and is facing “It” in captivity. Suddenly a similar murder takes place, releasing Cara, who wastes no time killing again. Meanwhile, Roarke is trying to find Jade who he suspects of the recent murder. Before too long there are a string of murders, public outrage, an almost cult-like group emerging, and poor Roarke is caught in the middle of all of it.

I’m really enjoying this series but I worry I like it just because evil men are finally getting what they deserve in the form of Cara’s vigilante murder sprees. I’m not sure what that says about me. Anyhow, I seem to be hooked on the series. I’m hoping that the author will start to explain more about Cara’s supernatural connection to whatever it is in the moon that is driving her instincts. I am also hoping that Roarke will stop being so lost. While his state of indecision says a lot about his character given the circumstances, I think I’m ready for him to commit to a course of action. Perhaps we will see this happen in the next book??
Profile Image for Liz Barnsley.
3,765 reviews1,076 followers
June 4, 2015
Words really can't express how much I'm enjoying this series - seriously addictive, most terrific storytelling and a real dark side that appeals.

So this is the third novel to feature the serial killer who isn't, Cara Lindstrom and her befuddled would be captor Agent Roarke. In this instalment Cara is in jail but of course this is Cara we are talking about so how long she is likely to be there remains to be seen. Roarke meanwhile still fights his inner demons and considers crossing some more lines as he heads into another emotive case.

Cold Moon delves yet deeper into the underbelly of society, dealing as it does with the world of pimps, child prostitution and kidnapping - Alexandra Sokoloff has a real feel for her subject matter, a depth of perception that comes across so well in the thoughts and actions of her characters and the consequences that follow. As I said in my review of book 2, redefining the serial killer genre is no easy task, to do it as well as sending a strong moral message is even harder and yet that is exactly what happens within the narrative of all the huntress/FBI Thrillers.

There is also a beautifully constructed mythology developing here just below the surface of obvious - most especially within Cara's view of the world and her redefining of evil. What it is, what it means. She is the very definition of a strong female lead - yet she is not the heroine. Or is she? Therein lies the real addictive quality of this series - almost every character walks a very fine line.

I honestly think these are superb. Getting better if anything with each new story, I am utterly entranced by this world and the people in it - authentic and downright scary if you think too deeply about it,I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Happy Reading Folks!



Profile Image for Emma.
1,010 reviews1,211 followers
June 27, 2015
Brilliant book in a very good series. Hopefully not the end?? Sokoloff writes something a bit different from the norm and when you come across these three books after reading numerous other crime titles, it really hits you that there is something individual about these stories. The author manages to depict a realistic image of the darker side of society and the effects it has on people while also making the reader questionthe choices of those involved in 'cleaning' it up. What is the moral right and wrong here? It certainly made me think, and I can't say that happens too often with crime thrillers.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Albert.
1,453 reviews37 followers
December 24, 2015
Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff brings to a conclusion the trilogy that includes Huntress Moon and Blood Moon. The trilogy chronicles the hunt and capture of serial killer, Cara Lindstrom. Mass Murderer Cara Lindstrom is captured and imprisoned. But the murders she committed seem to have taken on a life their own now.

The capture of Cara Lindstrom did not end the case for FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke. His unhealthy obsession with Cara has jeopardized his career and personal life. He begins to understand why she kills. Her murder victims have been the worst that a human being can be. Pimps and child traffickers. Rapists and pedophiles. Now she will stand trial. Herself, the sole survivor of a monster who slaughtered her family as she was a child. A monster who almost killed Special Agent Roarke. The Agent, whose life was saved by Cara's intervention.

But the sixteen year old prostitute, the eye witness that places Cara as the serial killer has gone missing and the streets of San Francisco are becoming bathed in the blood of pimps and johns who rape and abuse young girls. In a modus operandi exactly like that used by Cara Lindstrom. Only Cara is in prison. As social media cries out in support of the killings and the release of Cara, the serial killer is becoming a folk hero to the young girls who no longer will be victims on the street.

Roarke knows that Cara is a killer but is there a new killer on the streets. Someone who has taken up the mantle left by Cara's imprisonment? More so, with no eye witness to support his case and the public opinion swaying in Cara's defense...how long before Cara Lindstrom is released and he will have both this new killer and her to contend with.

Roarke must go on the hunt again, to catch a killer and protect victims he detests. But now he senses that every woman he meets, even those he is closest to, can be the killer.

Alexandra Sokoloff has written an intense and rip roaring series of novels that will have you both terrified and contemplating the social ramifications that perhaps, sometimes, a serial killer can be a arm of justice.

Cara Lindstrom is a a complex and damaged character. Her childhood trauma, the violence done to her and the witnessing of her family's slaughter has left her unable to view reality as it is. Everyone who harms a child is a monster to her and she must kill them to save the innocent. As she hunts, she becomes the hunted.

Agent Roarke is haunted. At times in love with the killer he hunts and appalled by her actions as well. Can he continue to chase after Cara or will he join her? In the end, whichever way he chooses, he will never be the same again.

If you have not read the series yet, pick up all three books. Sokoloff has written one of the best trio of psychological crime thrillers I've come across for sometime. Her attention to the subject matter and her dedication to character development are to be marveled at and appreciated. These books will have you questioning what is right and what is wrong and pondering the deep gray waters that are the abyss in between them.

A terrific read!
Profile Image for Monica Mac.
1,682 reviews41 followers
November 4, 2017
I swear, the books in this series are getting more gripping and amazing as they go!

Roarke and Epps are knee deep in corpses - but who is responsible for them; Cara, Jade or someone else entirely? They seem to be chasing their tails quite a bit throughout this book and poor Roarke finds his heart torn into a million pieces by the case(s), and by the women involved, both victims and perpetrators. My heart broke over and over whilst reading about the girls in this book, it speaks to the skill of the author that I could so clearly see the lives of these "disposable" girls unfolding as they did :(

This was an incredible read and I neglected almost everything in my life to read it. Toasted sandwiches became dinner in my house and kitties were meowing for their food as well, whilst I begged for another 10 minutes to continue reading! I wish I had discovered this series earlier, but being able to read one book after another, in order, is a real gift and I really appreciate being able to do so. Thank you Helen :) If it hadn't been for Helen's continuing encouragement for me to read this series, they would have stayed on my TBR pile and I would have regretted it. As it stands, I can't wait to read the next book in the series and each one other after that, this series is THAT good!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book and the opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to THE Book Club.
Profile Image for The Cats’ Mother.
2,345 reviews192 followers
May 30, 2017
Third in this brilliant series about Cara, vigilante killer of evil men, and Roarke, the FBI agent charged with tracking her, who is feeling increasingly conflicted about this. You absolutely have to read thus series in order or not much will make sense.
Thus begins with Cara in prison following the events of book 2, but a new man is killed, and the team suspect Jade, their key witness agains Cara, may be involved. This is fast paced and gripping and I can't wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Pat.
2,310 reviews501 followers
September 1, 2018
I have a huge bunch of books that I've read and not reviewed because, well, sometimes it just happens and then its so hard to catch up. So my new philosophy is to mainly just give a star rating to those in the ancient history category and stay up to date from now on. A laudable goal that I'm sure will falter at some point.

I really enjoyed this whole series. Thanks for so heartily recommending it Christine.
470 reviews4 followers
October 24, 2017
I am loving this series .. it just keeps getting better and better . A female vigilante and a cop drawn together ., what’s not to love . Can’t wait to read instalment 4 . Thanks to tbc reviewers for my copy
Profile Image for Arkgirl.
164 reviews10 followers
October 28, 2017
Another excellent read in this series and not only do we explore more of the minds/thoughts of Cara Lindstrom and Matt Roarke but we also see more depth added to some of the others; I particularly enjoyed the fact that FBI agent Singh had a bigger role and it was good to see other aspects thrown into the mix.
This is a pacy read with interesting and conflicted characters that really builds on the story lines from the first two books and I am delighted there will be more. I don't want to say much about the plot or give spoilers away but I love seeing the action from different points of view with some quite shocking and challenging sequences when we moved into some chat room exchanges!! Some aspects not for the fainthearted but great writing, thanks to The Book Club on Facebook for the opportunity to read this book.
Profile Image for Shelley.
5,598 reviews489 followers
September 19, 2017
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Mystery
*Rating* 4

*My Thoughts*

Cold Moon is the third installment in author Alexandra Sokoloff's The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series. As the story picks up, FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke is suffering from the after effects of his battle against the Reaper and the fact that the woman he was supposed to hunt down and arrest, Cara Lindstrom, saved his life. Cara has become a cult hero now that she has been apprehended and faces a trial for the murder of a john. She is a divine energy, a living myth, a female vigilante against the outrages that women have been trying to fight back against for years.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

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