Cold as Ice (Lucy Kincaid, #17) in 2-3-4 Challenge

Aug 17, 2022 Jonetta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller, group-read, audiobook, nc-br-digital-library, 2022-audiobook-challenge, 3500-2022, 2022-beat-the-backlist-challenge, 2022-library-love-challenge

the setup…
Sean Rogan returns home to find two police cars stationed in front of his house and immediately thinks something’s happened to his wife, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid. He soon discovers they’re detectives from Houston waiting to arrest him for murder. Next, Lucy’s partner Nate Dunning exits the courthouse after testifying for one of his cases to find police and drug sniffing dogs surrounding his car. They search it and find 16 kilos of cocaine. Then DEA Agent Brad Donnelly vanishes, abducted the setup…
Sean Rogan returns home to find two police cars stationed in front of his house and immediately thinks something’s happened to his wife, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid. He soon discovers they’re detectives from Houston waiting to arrest him for murder. Next, Lucy’s partner Nate Dunning exits the courthouse after testifying for one of his cases to find police and drug sniffing dogs surrounding his car. They search it and find 16 kilos of cocaine. Then DEA Agent Brad Donnelly vanishes, abducted from his car near his office. Are these coincidences or evidence of a really foul conspiracy? Unfortunately, law enforcement doesn’t see the connections so Lucy’s friends and family have to rally and rise to the occasion. Oh, and right before Sean’s arrest, his brother Kane disappears following a successful rescue of three young women from human traffickers. Yeah, one big ball of coincidences that all seem to happen after the release of Elise Hunt from juvenile detention, the most diabolical sociopath Lucy’s taken down.

the heart of the story…
I’ve dreaded this story since first reading the description because Elise Hunt is scary dangerous. Everyone underestimated her because of her youth and chameleon personality that shows up all innocence, sweetness and light. She never fooled Lucy who fought hard to have her tried as an adult but lost out to those professionals duped by Elise. I had every reason to dread this story because Sean’s arrest went from really bad to beyond awful in a nanosecond. Elise and her family were cunning and ruthless but this smelled of an even larger conspiracy. I had to race through the story, raising the speed level of the audiobook, because I needed to know everything and that all would eventually be okay. But the attitude of Lucy and Nate’s FBI family was such an epic fail in their lack of support, which added another layer of anxiety as they demanded everyone stand down.

the narration…
My admiration for the narrator of this series has been steadfast and she was put to the test in this story. Her performance was amazing with the range of emotions needed for those in trouble, those suffering as they worked to exonerate or rescue those trapped in this mess and the sociopaths behind it all. Even at a higher speed the listening experience was exceptional.

the bottom line…
Be prepared to go into this story needing to finish it in one sitting. The tension starts early and never, ever lets up. But the real heroes of the story are Lucy’s family and friends in law enforcement who went to extraordinary lengths to figure out what was going on and resolve everything while staying within the legal lines. Her sister-in-law Kate Donovan, an agent and tech genius, was a standout who did what the Houston Police Department failed to do in properly investigating the murder that started it all. The stunning revelations near the end knocked me back but were perfect for this story. This was a gnarly, anxiety filled mystery that just might be the best in the series. Thanks to the narrator for making it an outstanding reading/listening experience despite my being wrecked through most of it.

Posted on Blue Mood Café ...more

50 likes · Like · see review

Aug 13, 2022 Robin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: suspense, 2022

When eighteen-year-old Elise Hunt was released after three years in juvenile detention, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid knew it was only a matter of time before the psychopath would pop up again. It only took three weeks. Elise has a plan for revenge against Lucy and anyone who had a hand in bringing down Elise's family. First Lucy's husband, Sean Rogan, is questioned about a murder of a known prostitute and eventually arrested. Lucy knows her husband is innocent, but she is not allowed to be involved in ...more

21 likes · Like · see review

Aug 20, 2022 Anita rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, kindle-libby-city, mystery-thriller-suspense

I knew she would be back, and she is. There is so much going on in this book that Elise just didn't get the page time she deserved. I wanted to see all out psychological warfare and all we got were a few skirmishes. But the whole of the book was one traumatic experience followed by another for poor Lucy. I would have wanted to crawl in bed and pull the cover up until it all went away. But that is not our Lucy, although I did get the impression that she was rather shell shocked at times. She was ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

Aug 24, 2022 Melissa rated it really liked it

When Sean Rogan is arrested for a murder he didn't commit, his wife, FBI agent Lucy Kincaid, buckles down to find out the truth. As more friends and co-workers find themselves in trouble, Kane Roagn goes missing in Mexico, Nate Dunning has been arrested for possession of cocaine, and Brad Donnelly has been kidnapped outside DEA headquarters, Lucy believes there is more to it. Lucy soon learns that Elise Hansen Hunt has been released from juvenile detention and she just knows she is behind it all ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 09, 2022 Charlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: follow-this-series, mystery, crime, rated-not-reviewed, law-enforcement, series-by-author, public-library, suspense, legal-justice-trial, forensic

I don't know quite how to rate this book: at 400+ pages, it was crammed with characters, many family members and familiar enemies from previous stories. It felt "crowded" to me and had very little new material about the Kinkaid-Rogan alliance.

I read this for a group discussion and I will be very curious to see other members' comments and perspectives for this one. It almost felt as if Brennan was wrapping up the series and tying all the loose ends. Yet, it feels unfinished to me with respect to ...more

1 like · Like · see review