Cold as Ice: A True Story of Murder, Disappearance, and the Multiple Lives of Drew Peterson

by Carlton Smith

Kathleen Savio was married to Drew Peterson for eleven years before filing for divorce in 2003. The next year, she was found dead in her bathtub. Her drowning appeared to be an accident―and for years, no one had reason to question it. But when Peterson's next wife, Stacy―thirty years younger―went missing, the tough-talking and wise-cracking former Illinois cop came under suspicion…. With Stacy Peterson missing―and presumed dead―authorities exhumed Kathleen Savio's body, looking for answers. A new autopsy pointed to homicide, and a 2002 letter was revealed in which Savio wrote that Drew, "knows how to manipulate the system, and his next step is to take my children away. Or kill me instead." He was arrested for Kathleen's murder, and is a prime suspect in Stacy's disappearance, Peterson continues to protest his innocence. New York Times bestselling author Carlton Smith digs deep into the mystery behind the two Peterson wives―and sheds some light on one of the most complex crime cases in modern American history.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 24, 2010

Reviews

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was alright but def not my fave of the true crime genre. The author did a lot of just regurgitating parts of previous Drew Peterson books. And he came to a couple stupid conclusions. Like that Stacy Peterson would not have brought her 7 mo. old to Shedd Aquarium because of all the "germs" and crowds (this was in reference to Drew Peterson's alibi the day Kathleen Savio died). Why wouldn't she? I see babies out at the aquarium and other public places all the time. If you want to read a really good, original, and accurate true crime book, read any of Ann Rule's. She's the best in the genre.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Booooring.

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Long, boring and over complicated...I really just wanted to know what happened around the PSYCHOLOGY of the murderer and all the issues surrounding the marriages and police corruption but instead I'm reading about divorce proceedings and income information. If I wanted to be that bored I would work as a paralegal for a divorce attorney in my free time...I see reviews from other people saying basically the same thing...bored out of my mind!

[Carol Doherty · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a pretty ordinary read. Lots of repeated facts, lots of padding and went to print before the outcome of the case was known. I had to go on the web to find out what was the ultimate outcome of the case.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

How did this "book" go to print? It reads as a collection of notes gathered to write a future book. The author repeatedly quotes segments from other books and makes meandering speculations. Don't bother.

[Shell Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old-school writer (which means it was pretty well-written). I really liked the writing of the book and toward the end, Smith really lets it rip with accuracy how shameless it is when the media comes in like a rabid buzzard and changes and directs the trajectory of these cases. The facts get lost, people are led to believe inaccuracies and misnomers and justice becomes a kangaroo court and the truth gets lost in all the chaos. When you see it in cases with such a (via media) hated antagonist, you know it has gotten bad but good on Carlton Smith for being real and seeing it, protesting it and being turned off by the bias. Read this book. Most of the stuff in it is not the conventional wisdom of the case but by now, we have all been told what to believe and who to hate in this tragic case. Maybe many will wake up and see the media-driven narrative has huge holes in it and what we believed was not what the evidence and clues illustrated. Not even close! When the media tries a case, justice is usually DENIED.

[Rowan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overwrought and overdetailed. A genuinely painful read.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crappiest true crime I’ve ever tried to read.

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the facts on this case (I had never heard if this case until I read this book) there were some things I didn't like. I didn't like that the author kept saying "In other words" several times throughout the book. It made me feel as a reader that he was questioning my inteligence. I also felt some of the facts were repeated more that what was necessary. Such was the case when Peterson's finances were discussed. I found myself skipping pages towards the end because the whole media frenzy portion was very repetetive. How many pages is it necessary to descrive what all the news broadcasts were saying about this case at the time? The author at the end states that the book was not fully finished due to publishing deadlines.... Really!!?? so was the book half assed? This is something I as a reader don't like to hear! It didn't seem that the author conducted his own interviews. It felt like he saw a lot of recorded interviews and wrote a book on what everyone else said. He even quotes other books that were written on this same case.

I truly hope this is not this author's writing style, if so then this might be the first and last book I read of him. I will give him another chance and pick up another one of his true crime books and see if his style changes. I gave this book 3 stars because it was a new case I hadn't heard of, and whether the author interviews people in the case himself, it still gave me a good general insight on this case.

I did look at youtube videos on this case and its hard to say if I believe Peterson is guilty of both of his wive's deaths and dissapearance. Yes it would seem obvious to point fingers at him, but then again the evidence doesn't 100% stand out to show his guilt as has been the case in other cases......This one did leave me kind of puzzled....Like Dr Phil said, either Drew Peterson has the worst luck ever, or he is guilty of the crime... who knows, I guess only Drew, Kathleen and Stacy....