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Cold & Deadly

(Cold Justice: Crossfire #1)

Toni Anderson (Goodreads Author)

4.42 · Rating details · 1,004 ratings · 193 reviews

Hostage Negotiators can talk themselves out of anything—except falling in love.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Dominic Sheridan is an accomplished expert in the Crisis Negotiation Unit. Practiced, professional, used to dealing with high-stake situations under tense conditions, Dominic is a master at manipulating people. Everyone, that is, but the headstrong rookie agent bent ...more

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ebook, 400 pages

Published February 12th 2019 by Toni Anderson

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Books with blue covers, 2019

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Dec 28, 2018 Toni Anderson marked it as to-read · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: wrote

"Cold and Deadly kept me on the edge of my seat until the jaw-dropping end! Toni Anderson is a true master of the genre, delivering tight plotting and a sizzling, slow-burn romance that left me breathless and panting for more!”

~NYT bestselling author Annika Martin

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Feb 19, 2019 Bea rated it really liked it

Shelves: beas-book-nook, read-in-2019, kindle, romance, ebook, action-mystery-thriller, reviews

So, I freaking LOVE the Cold Justice books by Ms. Anderson. They hit all of my reader buttons: engrossing stories, plausible mysteries, hot romance, interesting and well fleshed out characters, heroines who can take care of themselves but are vulnerable, heroes who are both compassionate and kick-ass. So I was excited when I heard about this book. I'm delighted to say it met all of my expectations. *happy sigh*

Cold & Deadly was so freaking good I couldn't stop reading - I read before bed, in bed So, I freaking LOVE the Cold Justice books by Ms. Anderson. They hit all of my reader buttons: engrossing stories, plausible mysteries, hot romance, interesting and well fleshed out characters, heroines who can take care of themselves but are vulnerable, heroes who are both compassionate and kick-ass. So I was excited when I heard about this book. I'm delighted to say it met all of my expectations. *happy sigh*

Cold & Deadly was so freaking good I couldn't stop reading - I read before bed, in bed, during 5 spare minutes before work, on my lunch break, and I finally finished it after work, ignoring everything else to read it. In all, I read it in just under 24 hours. I could not put it down. The downside, of course, is the wait until Ms. Anderson releases another book. :(

Now, I have to admit that our heroine, Ava, was highly annoying at first. She was impulsive, blunt, and reckless. But she grew on me over time, impressing me with her courage, her determination and stubbornness, her passion for her work, and her love for and commitment to her family. It helped that she was able to recognize her flaws and try to change her behavior.

Dominic occasionally veered into cliche territory, being a child of rich parents determined to prove himself, but Anderson fleshed him out and made him real. He recognized Ava's strengths as an agent, even when other agents didn't, and tried to help her, without overshadowing her or patronizing her. They made a good team professionally and personally. Dom was also loyal and committed. Unlike Ava he wasn't close to his family and he realizes during the story that much of the responsibility for that lies on him. He steps up and changes his behavior and attitude. A willingness to change and an ability to admit weaknesses were traits that Dominic and Ava shared.

The story itself kept me guessing, swiping my Kindle. There was more than one villain and I figured one out quite easily but the main one, nope. Anderson completely took me by surprise. And yet, when I looked back, the hints and clues were there. Bravo Ms. Anderson!

If you like romantic suspense,a realistic depictions of the FBI, fascinating characters and engrossing stories, you need to read this book, and the original series, Cold Justice. You do NOT need to have read any of the Cold Justice books in order to read this. It's just fine as a stand-alone.

Conclusion: GO BUY AND READ RIGHT NOW. ...more

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Apr 03, 2020 Antonella rated it liked it

Shelves: age-gap, mystery-solving, suspense

this book is a spin-off from the A Cold Dark Place
and I didn't like it as much I did other books in Cold Justice series. I was happy to read about characters from those books. ...more

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Apr 13, 2019 Anita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-supense, kindle-la-city

This Series is a spinoff of the Cold Justice Series and even though it is you should read the Cold Justice Series first. Not only is Cold Justice a fantastic series, but several characters make appearances in this book including a major role for Mallory Rooney and Alex Parker, one of my all time favorite couples. "Cold and Deadly" is fantastic. Twisted plot, hot romance, awesome characters that make you really root for their HEA. The baddie eluded me through the whole book, which is just great.

A ...more

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Apr 01, 2019 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it really liked it

Shelves: loc-usa, 1st-in-series, ebooks, 2019-reading-challenge, suspense-mystery-thriller, cops-fbi-dea-cia-etc, bodyguards-protectors, serial-killers

The first book in the Cold Justice: Crossfire series by Toni Anderson. Ava Kanas and many other FBI agents are attending retired FBI agent Van Santos funeral when a sniper takes out one of their own. Ava is sure that Van Santos' death was murder not suicide but no one seems to want to listen. FBI Agent Dominic Sheridan was also at the funeral and, after the sniper attack, thinks that maybe Ava is on to something. They are forced to work together and decide to do a little investigating themselves ...more

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Mar 04, 2019 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-5-stars, workplace-romance, action-and-or-romantic-suspense, fully-reviewed-books, sexy-as-all-get-out

Cold & Deadly by Toni Anderson is an exciting romantic suspense novel and the first in her new series Cold Justice: Crossfire.

When Ava Kanas’s FBI mentor retired agent Van Santos dies, she’s determined to prove that it wasn’t a suicide despite what the evidence appears to show. While attending his funeral a sniper targets a fellow agent, drawing her into another murder case and the notice of FBI Supervisory Special Agent Dominic Sheridan.

Dominic is also struggling with the ‘suicide’ as explanati ...more

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Feb 10, 2019 Dísir rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, smutty, contemporary-romance, mystery-crime, law-enforcement, suspense-thriller, romantic-suspense

The marvellous Toni Anderson scores again. ‘Cold & Deadly’ is the latest incarnation or rather, the first of the spin-off books of her FBI agents series, and with it comes the same fantastic, faultless type of writing that reminds me why I love romantic suspense so much.

SSA Dominic Sheridan and rookie agent Ava Kanas find themselves embroiled what apparently looked like a simple case of a retired agent committing suicide, where soon it becomes clear that someone is targeting the FBI agents them The marvellous Toni Anderson scores again. ‘Cold & Deadly’ is the latest incarnation or rather, the first of the spin-off books of her FBI agents series, and with it comes the same fantastic, faultless type of writing that reminds me why I love romantic suspense so much.

SSA Dominic Sheridan and rookie agent Ava Kanas find themselves embroiled what apparently looked like a simple case of a retired agent committing suicide, where soon it becomes clear that someone is targeting the FBI agents themselves as Dominic soon finds himself in the crosshairs of an investigation that blows up beyond his imagination.

From the onset, it becomes clear that the case is a winding, gritty and absorbing one, so vividly painted—even with the sub-plot/diversion that was equally hair-raising—with the bleak but brutal shadow of violent deaths and the warped minds of serial killers. There’s no doubt at all that Anderson can write and does it superbly (I think I can’t say this enough about the quality of her prose), as her protagonists and secondary characters are so cohesively put together that any prerequisite knowledge of her previous books isn’t needed to get lost in this tale of grand revenge, edgy paranoia, spellbinding action sequences and unintended (or forbidden?) attraction.

Yet my only gripe, strangely, is about the romance, which I found sidelined amidst the rocking suspense. Dominic and Ava, pushed together incidentally, and their growing attraction is predictable though not without the amount of cold water each pours on the future of this so-called relationship. There’re so many reasons why this pairing wouldn’t work—Anderson herself provides these reasons in the protagonists’ individual musings—and I was left ironically convinced that ‘Cold & Deadly’ would still have been a brilliant (or perhaps, even superb?) read if the romance hadn’t been even included at all.

The shining light here however, was probably Ava Kanas herself. My perspective on her went from dour to admiring to uncertain, but what remained consistent was that Anderson had drawn up a pretty complex, passionate and multi-faceted protagonist who felt like a contradictory piece of work on so many levels, yet owned a big heart that made it impossible not to feel for her when push came to shove. Dominic Sheridan in contrast, felt like he was left a little paler in the shade: more remote, more like the poor rich boy who shunned commitment, who made a name for himself independently in law enforcement in spite of his rich family’s connections, suddenly questioning what he can commit to.

If length tends to become and issue of contention for several authors that I do like, ‘Cold & Deadly’, at around 400 pages, made me grateful that Anderson took her time to weave everything together with intricate detail. Surfacing from this a few days later, I’m just happy to say that I had a bloody good time.

*ARC by the author ...more

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Feb 19, 2019 Nerdy Dirty & Flirty rated it really liked it

Cold & Deadly was a slow burn with bursts of action scattered throughout. Every time we are lulled into the comfort of the investigation, Anderson sends us reeling. It took me a little bit to get into the story but as I kept reading, I got pulled in deeper.

I enjoyed the way this story was told. We got to see various characters’ points of view throughout. Adding the UNSUB’s POV was an interesting addition. I have to say that while I had made certain connections, I was surprised when the identity ...more

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Feb 12, 2019 The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha) rated it really liked it

Cold and Deadly is a spin off of Anderson's other series, which I loved! She writes great romantic suspense and yall know I love romantic suspense! Also, I am on a bit of an FBI agent kick apparently!

Dominic and Ava are both FBI agents, so the story has a touch of an office romance. They are forced to work together and endure some serious danger! Anderson writes stunning suspense and mystery and Cold and Deadly was no exception. There really isn't a good place to stop reading because its k ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Danielle Gypsy Soul rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, suspense, 2019-books-i-ve-read, netgalley-or-author-arcs

Cold & Deadly is a spin off of the Cold Justice series so it's a great place to start if you haven't read this author before and if you are a fan of the Cold Justice Series you'll love this spin-off and the cameos!

This book centers around Dominic and Ava who are both FBI agents. Dominic is a hostage negotiator with a lot of experience and success in the FBI and Ava is a new FBI agent who is trying to make a name for herself. When one of Dominic and Ava's mentor's dies the two end up working toge Cold & Deadly is a spin off of the Cold Justice series so it's a great place to start if you haven't read this author before and if you are a fan of the Cold Justice Series you'll love this spin-off and the cameos!

This book centers around Dominic and Ava who are both FBI agents. Dominic is a hostage negotiator with a lot of experience and success in the FBI and Ava is a new FBI agent who is trying to make a name for herself. When one of Dominic and Ava's mentor's dies the two end up working together to figure out the details surrounding his death. Although the two are attracted to each other from the beginning they don't necessarily like each other. I admit it took me awhile to warm up to both Dominic and Ava but as the story progressed I ended up really liking both of them. Dominic and Ava both have some wonderful characteristics but they also have some faults that the author isn't afraid to show the reader as well. They are both well rounded, believable characters that you can't help but root for as you get to know them.

Toni Anderson is one of my favorite suspense authors and she excels in this book at keeping the story progressing quickly with just enough questions so that you can't put this book down. The romance is secondary to the suspense but well balanced and has just a touch of the forbidden since FBI agents working together aren't supposed to be in a relationship. Both Dominic and Ava have interesting backgrounds and I found the characters had a lot of depth that added to the suspense.

Of course Alex and Mallory are two of my favorite characters from the Cold Justice series so I loved catching up with them! I'm excited to meet more of the hostage negotiators and to see where this series will go.

If you are looking for a great romantic suspense book with in-depth, realistic characters, a romance that takes you from that spark of attraction to a deeper relationship and a suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat than I highly recommend this book.

A copy of this book was provided to me by the author with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.

...more

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Apr 22, 2019 Sue rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hot-alphas, mil-sec-fbi, favorites, suspense, abuse-trauma, age-diff

WOW! 5 Hot stars for Cold & Deadly, the first of Toni's new Cold Justice: Crossfire series.
This story has all the elements you come to expect from Toni, it's a suspense/thriller, action packed and has tonnes of hot testosterone loaded FBI agents in it LOL and one in particular, Supervisory Special Agent, Dominic Sheridan, a 35 year old Crisis Negotiator. This guy seriously packs some heat and I'm not just talking about his weaponry! He's cool, calm and collected in every situation, he knows what ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Pavitra (For The Love of Fictional Worlds) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-read, adult-fiction, contemporary-romance, arc, romantic-suspense, contemporary

Also Posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds

Disclaimer: An eARC was provided via Inkslinger PR and the Author as part of the Blog Tour. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.

Actual Rating 4.5 Stars

This is honestly my first book by Toni Anderson – I had actually heard of Cold Justice Series (which romantic suspense reader worth their salt wouldn’t?) – yet somehow I never got around to reading her Cold Justice Series; EVEN though the first bo ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 RachelW (BamaGal) rated it it was ok

Shelves: freebie

So disappointing, especially considering ‘Cold Justice’ is one of my favorite RS series ever. This is a pale, pale imitation, heavy on the soap opera drama and cheesy sex. The plot was just okay, and the only thing that kept me going was the tie-in to ‘Cold Justice’ characters. So disappointing.

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May 19, 2020 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Review posted on Got Fiction? book blog

This book was very well-done. This author writes intense Romantic Suspense. I was instantly hooked! If you want a good Romantic Suspense, this book kicks off a new series, but it’s a spin-off of an existing series. However I had no trouble following along, so it works even if you haven’t read the Cold Justice series.

Ava is a rookie agent, and the book opens at her mentor’s funeral. They were told it was a suicide, but Ava knows it wasn’t. She’s certain it w ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Caz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, audiobook, romance-other

I've given this a B for both content and narration at AAR.

Cold & Deadly is the first book in the spin off from Toni Anderson’s long-running Cold Justice series, Cold Justice: Crossfire , and it features characters who work as negotiators for the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, which conducts and manages on-scene negotiations during crisis events worldwide involving US citizens. This is the first of Ms. Anderson’s books I’ve listened to – I’ve read others and have had some on my Audible wi ...more

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Jun 08, 2020 Robin Loves Reading rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-april-june, 2020-books, 2020-challenge, robin-loves-reading-2020-challenge, pages, reading-challenge, mystery-thriller, romantic-suspense, hoopla, audiobook

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Dominic Sheridan and rookie agent Ava Kanas are thrown together when agents begin dying and Dominic’s life is at stake. Ava has been assigned as his bodyguard after she almost lost her job. If she can keep him alive she just might hold continue to fulfill her dream as an FBI agent. .

Dominic is an expert negotiator in the Crisis Negotiation Unit, but falls short when it comes to stopping a maniacal killer. Ava has a lot to prove since she lost her father due a bruta ...more

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Feb 14, 2019 Cheryl Whitty rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best, contemporary, mystery, romance, sexy, interesting, arc, emotional, suspense, thriller

Reviewed on Behalf http://bookaddict.live,
I love Toni Anderson books, they have everything I love reading about. In this book we hit the jackpot, great characters, plenty of murders and above all a couple falling love.
This starts at a funeral of a well loved FBI agent who had either committed suicide or shot himself by accident. So under the circumstances the mourners are close friends and family. Suddenly shots are fired at the FBI agents attending. This starts an investigation that leads all o ...more

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Apr 07, 2019 Trish R. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This had a good murder mystery but there were pages and pages of 3 long sex scenes and one short one, which is a little too much for any murder mystery. It’s what I’d expect in an erotic book, because they are all about sex with very little story-line. That’s why it was 284 pages (or 427 pages according to amazon. Not sure just how many pages it had) but too many pages taken up with sex, IMO. Some authors are not familiar with the phrase “less is more.” I like sex in my books, but this was just ...more

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May 10, 2019 RiriRomantiques rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, pap

It is a great transition from the cold justice series and this new one.
Congrats Toni Anderson for a successful score (in my opinion)

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Jul 04, 2019 Shawna rated it liked it

Shelves: hh-disfigured-injured-scarred-ill, cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, all-work-no-play-on-the-job-romance, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, format-audiobook, animals-matter, crime-mystery-suspense-thriller-fic, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, horror-mystery-suspense-thrillers, mystery-intrigue-espionage-subplot

3 stars - Romantic Suspense

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Mar 09, 2019 Sandy S rated it really liked it

4 stars

About the book: Release Date February 12, 2019

Hostage Negotiators can talk themselves out of anything—except falling in love.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Dominic Sheridan is an accomplished expert in the Crisis Negotiation Unit. Practiced, professional, used to dealing with high-stake situations under tense conditions, Dominic is a master at manipulating people. Everyone, that is, but the headstrong rookie agent bent on destroying her fledgling career.

As a child, Ava Kanas put her life ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Paris (kerbytejas) rated it liked it · review of another edition

I've been reading Toni Anderson books since 2014, so the author’s style and book content is not new to me. I read Cold & Deadly (Cold Justice: Crossfire #1) by Toni Anderson , as a NetGalley “read now” selection, almost a year after its original publication date. Sadly I found the book to be rather bland, single dimensional, and with characters I couldn’t identify with or root for. The overall story in my opinion lacked excitement, tension, surprise, or any real suspense. The romantic component ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Darcy rated it liked it

Shelves: romantic-suspense, law-enforcement, e-book, 2019

There were parts of this one that I really liked, Ava chief among them. I loved how strong she was, how she knew something was wrong, that her friend didn't kill himself and she wanted to fight for him. Of course others thought she was a loose cannon, Dominic included, which was a part I hated. For much of the book it seemed to me that Dominic looked down and discounted Ava and her skills, even after he learned her past, even after their relationship turned intimate. Time and time again Dominic ...more

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Feb 12, 2019 Alphas Do It Better Book Blog rated it really liked it

4 stars

Cold & Deadly is my favorite of Toni Anderson’s recent works!

Dominic Sheridan and Ava Kanas were a dynamic pairing and a force to be reckoned with for any would-be serial killers. The story was richly layered and as usual, the author did her homework about negotiators and agents alike. The added storyline of Ava’s mysterious background kept the storyline moving when the actual police work might’ve caused the story to slow a tad. Loved seeing some old favorites from previous books! Fantas ...more

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Apr 12, 2020 Tbabe001 rated it did not like it

This was such a ridiculous book; the 38 weeks Preggo agent that was still active in the field , same woman that jumped in Radom car after her water broke ....despite the fact that her husband and mother were in the same venue... eye roll ...they were not even the main characters...H/h were so bland that author clearly had to plug in characters from her first RS hit to main them relevant....waste of my time.

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Jun 14, 2019 Carolyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: anderson-toni

Outstanding! Terrific mystery, flawed but well developed characters and a killer I never saw coming. I just love these books. And, it was wonderful to see two of my favorite characters, Alex and Mallory, once again. Yep. Hard to put these books down. Guess I have a wait ahead of me for the next one. Darn! ;)

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Mar 22, 2020 Speed rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great read! Filled with action and suspense make for a thrilling ride. Ava is on the hunt for who she believes killed her mentor and Dominic soon becomes a target in some murderer's mind. The two work together to figure out the conspiracy and stop the killer. Enjoyed it! 3.5 stars

*****I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book provided by Netgalley******

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Apr 25, 2019 Ann rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-new-to-me, romance-suspense, 2019, contemporary-romance, in-my-library

WOW! Action packed, page turning suspense, creepy villains and a heated romance. This was a winner.

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May 09, 2020 Carol marked it as tbr-already-own · review of another edition

Shelves: r-romantic-suspense, kindle-free-books, romance-collection

included with "Dangerous to Love" romance collection.

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Feb 14, 2019 Laura rated it did not like it

DNF at 9%

I wasn't able to connect with the writing style of this book.

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About Toni Anderson

Toni Anderson

1,375 followers

Coming June 8, 2020. All books standalone.

My latest book, Cold Wicked Lies, comes out in June 2020. It's about an FBI negotiator and a hard-headed HRT operator.

✔️ Remote location
✔️ Murder mystery
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers
✔️ Forced proximity

Toni Anderson writes award-winning, bestselling, FBI Romantic Thrillers. Start reading the Cold Justice Series for FREE by picking up an ebook copy of A COLD D ...more