Reviews

Cold Blooded by Lisa Jackson

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mbpartlow's review against another edition

4.0

First book read this year!

A good thriller. As soon as you think you know who the killer is, you have to discard that notion, because you know it's neither the first nor the most obvious suspect. Nor is it usually who the police would like to think it is.

The setting in New Orleans is well-described, with the humidity and the smells of the bayou. The main characters are engaging.

There's one scene with a secondary character, a female college student, where she looks in the mirror and assesses herself. It reads like a man wrote it.

The one thing that struck me as supremely sad was that all of these characters are loners. They have no friends, no networks, beyond the police officer partnership or business partners. Everyone felt so lonely and alone. The co-ed I mentioned has no friends, just a roommate she doesn't like, a boyfriend back home she wants to dump, and a cute TA she wants to date. She apparently belongs to a sorority but has made no friends or connections there, nor does she have any obligations for activities with her chapter. Which, okay, the book isn't about her, but the thing that made me rate this book as a 4 instead of a 5 is that each character is in their own convenient little bubble and only interacts with the other characters in their bubbles.

Life is messy. Letting some of that mess in would have given this book the edge to make it compelling beyond the mechanics of a good thriller.

seasonswait's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

scrapanda's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

4.25

meganraep's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

desert_rose's review against another edition

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5.0

This is the second book in the New Orleans series.

A serial killer is on the loose again in New Orleans and Detective Rick Bentz is on the case. Women are found brutally tortured and murdered in very weird ways. With a hint of religious rituals in the mix.
Olivia Benchet seems to see glimpses of the murder while it's being committed but can't see the murderer. She goes to the cops to try to help but is not very welcome.

When the killer seems to be getting close to home, Detective Bentz needs to get any help he can even if it has to be from Olivia the psychic.

Father James in St. Luke's is becoming a very close friend to Olivia but he is hiding a very dangerous secret.

Although it took me over 2 weeks to read this book, it was a page turner. The fact of slow reading was because i just started a new job and don't have that much time to spare for reading well plus playing some Facebook games :)

I loved the suspense and the surprises in every corner, while some where kinda expected I still enjoyed every page of the book!!
The murder scenes were very creative and grotesque, I guess that's one of the amazing things about this book. If you enjoy serial killer books this is a must read book for you :)
I'm planning on getting the next book in this series, "The Night Before" as soon as I can.. Or I might add it to my wishlist *evil grin*

Some quotes I enjoyed from the book :

"Then he took the time to check the rearview mirror. Blue eyes stared back at him. Hungry eyes. "Bedroom eyes," he'd been told by more than one woman who was foolish enough to think he could be seduced.

"Ear to the ground, eye on the sky, nose to the grindstone." Head up the ass, Bentz thought. Sometimes Montoya's practiced cool bugged the hell out of him.

"Hush, Chia!" she ordered. "Another of my grandmother's orphans. Chia doesn't like to go unnoticed. Has to have her say."
"Typical female."
"What?" Olivia's eyes narrowed.
"It was a joke," he explained.
"A poor one."

She was an enigma. An interesting puzzle. He'd left her house but he hadn't been able to push her out of his mind.

"I don't put much stock in psychic mumbo jumbo. ESP usually means Easy Sucker Punch or Exceptional Shit Pile."

"You know what the say is the problem with having an open mind?"
"That your brains will out? I've heard that one, Rick." Bentz smiled.
"I was going to say people might accuse you of being a pansy ass and not having an opinion."

"So does the lady have an alibi?"
"Just her dog and he's not talkin'."

"I think there are gifts God bestows upon all of us. Some we can see, or touch, or prove, if we will. Others are intangible, but gifts nonetheless. We're lucky if we recognize what we've got."

She remembered the way her mother had always argued, forever on the attack. To Bernadette's way of thinking, a best defense was a strong offense.

She'd experimented enough in high school and given her dad a good bunch of his gray hair while trying ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Most women melted like butter in the hot sun when Reuben Diego Montoya turned on the charm.

Sometimes Kristi just wished they lived somewhere in the middle of the country -somewhere like Kansas or Oklahoma- and her mom was still alive and really into gardening and her dad sold insurance or real estate, like normal people. They would have a nice two story house with a picket fence and a dog and a cat, and she would have an older brother to watch over her and a younger sister to confide in and fight with. There would be a patio with a barbecue and maybe one of those old-fashioned swings on the front porch and... She snapped herself out of the daydream. Get real!

All in all, he wasn't such a bad guy.
For a paranoid, recovering alcoholic homicide dick.

It wasn't just sex he craved. It was all of it. His heart ached. A beautiful woman, a cozy little cabin in the woods, and a mutt of a dog. All the things he'd given up in life. For his calling. For God. Because he believed. He'd always believed and he knew in his heart that he could help others with their faith, that it was his purpose in life, God's plan for him.

He'd been so cold to her earlier. Not just detached, but ruthless and mean.
He'd seen the pleading in her eyes, the silent need to connect with him and he'd cut her loose.

They'd spent hours talking and she wasn't sure she was ready to trust him again, but she did care about him; probably loved him, fool that she was. At that thought she smiled.

lemanley's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

novelesque_life's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 STARS

laurenjodi's review against another edition

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4.0

Cold Blooded
4 Stars

A new serial killer is roaming the streets of New Orleans and detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya receive a lead from the most unlikely of sources, Olivia Benchet, a woman who claims to have seen a murder in her dreams. Despite his skepticism, Bentz is ultimately convinced when a body is found fitting Olivia's description exactly. Is there a connection between Olivia and the killer?

Series note: The author's note at the end of the book indicates links between the New Orleans and Savannah series. For readers who prefer to read in order, the continuation is The Night Before.

An entertaining thriller with some surprising twists and turns.

Jackson's research is top-notch with interesting details on

Spoiler

female saint murdered for their beliefs

. It is clear that not much has changed in society when it comes to women being persecuted for rejecting male advances and attention. Moreover, the manner in which Jackson works the supernatural element into the story is compelling and makes the trope more believable in a fictional world that is not paranormal in nature. Although the plot moves along at a solid pace, there is one section just before the end that is overly drawn out, and the writing here could have been shorter and tighter.

Olivia and Rick's slow-burn romance is better than in the first book. Olivia is a particularly endearing character due to her feistiness and determination to get to the truth despite Bentz's doubts and suspicions. Rick is clearly conflicted in his feelings for Olivia, but his honesty, integrity and selflessness are evident throughout the book as details of his past are revealed. It will be interesting to see where Jackson takes this relationship in the future.

In terms of the secondary characters, I am still on the fence with regard to Bentz's partner, Montaya. He is often immature and makes too many sexist comments. Likewise, Bentz's daughter, Kristi, comes across as a spoilt brat and some of her actions make her unlikable. Both of them have their own books and will hopefully mature before their stories.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I look forward to continuing with the series.

lori_loves_reading's review against another edition

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4.0

I’m quite enjoying Lisa Jackson’s books and will continue to read them. This one kept me guessing right up to the end.

pokecol's review

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

As stands to reason with all books, more thoughts as I went along. My perception of the novel changed a few times over from start to finish. I never really soured on the book, unlike a few other novels of a similar disposition I read recently where there was not an unsettling undercurrent. And even the intensity and prominence of highly graphic and disturbing content felt as though it was given the right amount of buffer and correct level of detail.

The first thing I really want to say is; the book is well written. I don't mean in that long run-on sentences with Tokien-esque descriptions allow us to be swept away in some magical majesty. Rather, it is just very well constructed. Lisa Jackson is a good author in that she knows how long a paragraph needs to be before we move onto the next thing, how much dialogue is necessary in portraying a moment in tandem with phyiscal action, and how much time any scene needs in the length of the story.
There are times this isn't the case, times when conversations between supposedly close characters feel stunted and weird or times when almost b-grade film type lines come out of nowhere. But for what Lisa's goal with the novel was, there is no glaring moments where this formula is totally disrupted or fails in its duty.
That being said, it is successful for what the novel wants to be. The problem is, the novel doesn't know what it wants to be. It starts out with a roaring pace about the details of recent murders and the direction of connection each character has to present events but then crawls to an absolute halt of pacing as the context of narrative widens. The story stops focusing on the murders and brings in myriad other characters and people, scenarios and scenes that, while easy to read through, are so far removed from the set-up plot that it feels there are two narratives trying to vie in conjunction with one-another.
As previously stated, with the context of the well written passages even this mismatched issue of story doesn't feel like too big an issue. But it is evident that with a different proof-read the story could have been at least 150 pages shorter. I do think, with the ramping ending, a lot of the build up of certain relationships helps the crux of the climax hold a lot more weight - so there is a definitive argument to be made for the plot deviations, which is a very good thing. The largest concern as a takeaway is that some of the relationships were just difficult to really believe in, especially Bentz and Olivia. It is not challenging to deny a connection between them but treating it as though they are longtime paramours thanks to a brief weird fling is not very believable. Similar case with James, though the chemistry was a lot more obvious.
Additionally, many occasions in which we were introduced to these cast members for the sake of the story volume felt about the worst. Not bad mind you, but again, a very harsh turn off of the plot direction - especially Bernadette.
All that being said, with the way it was handled it feels more like an act of necessity for what the author was going for and we were given additional time with them in order to bring better focus forth on the totality of events, not just padding.

Another thing to note; which sort of middles between criticism and observation, is the book is not really a mystery. It ditches it part way through. While some investigation is going on and we do have some plot threads to follow ultimately we as a reader do not get into the seat of any clues we can witness the expansion of other than the 'long lost brother' detail.
This was of no detriment to the feeling and quality of the book in a presentational sense but it does eliminate a lot of the growing interest in scenarios we would have room to examine and extrapolate. It feels like a lot of the effort for this was replaced with the hinge of Olivia's visions and then it was just called a day. I don't think this is in anyway a good supplanting tool for criminal investigation given that, as a narrative device, Olivia's visions ended up mostly just being foreshadowing.

Now, here I want to speak of the issues. There are some things that bothered me. Well, a handful actually. It is always frustrating catching the smaller things because it feels like a chore to mentally go back and catch up all of them.
There are plot holes, or really just direction holes. The biggest one that set off my mind to start being critical as I read was around page 180ish when Olivia has her 'second vision' of some girl getting taken again and it is never mentioned at all. Olivia has mentioned every vision she has but this one just happened and then bore zero fruit and I don't know why, or if I just missed where the link was.
Additionally, the way Olivia's visions are set up is extremely bizarre. I'm not oppose the supernatural element being present for the sake of the story (left unexplained) that's fine. But it should be clear that behind the curtain some rules exist for it. Maybe this is part of the first book in the series (this being the second) but it felt inconsistent. The whole way it was established is that she dreamt of the murder initially - and it is said repeatedly that she has had similar such dreams in the past. But then from this point forth nearly every vision is played out through a mirror instead. Then even in just a crowd of people or with no instigating force.
To jump back a moment - speaking on the second novel in the series factor - I don't think there is any issue with reading this book alone. There are clearly some elements at play for a bigger story beyond the sole book but as itself there was no difficulty in following along.

The visions issue leaves me with addition problems as well. What is with The Chosen One being able to sort of see her? What does being related and having all this bloodline stuff have to do with connecting with family if its only murder? Why not have visions of other people like her mother, father or so on? Why only when a killing is happening?
Why does Warren Sutter have such a vengeance directive from just being adopted?
Some questions are elements to be answered in a following book I'm sure, some are just messy and strange.

Also, there are many occasions that feel like red herrings. Not in the sense of information we might've used to piece the case together - though I will very much praise the Brian Thomas red herring I actually fell for that one (even as I questioned it) - rather red herrings in the plot construction.
The biggest and weirdest one is Olivia getting a security system installed, we have all these occasions which build an element of suspense around her living alone in such a remote place. Bad feelings like she is being watched. Then a security system and myriad specific lines that feel like they are setting up for a kind of home invasion event: the fact there are certain rules to setting off the alarm when wanting to let Hairy S outside, the fact she apparently didn't follow the instructions perfectly when listening to how to use it, the fact it was irritating her at points and wanted to turn it off, the fact that while Sarah was over she had to explain how to use it and it messed up one time with her drunk return already, the few occasions at which (while the alarm was turned off) Olivia left the doors open to have the dog go in and out of its own accord.
It's not just a couple, this is an absolute buttload of set-up content for something to happen and nothing does. Even as the cops are (inconsistently) watching her home, come up with curiosity at the supposed break-in when Sarah returns late one night - nothing happens still.

There are also some other minor issues, I don't really want to dig into everything but as kind of an honourable mentions list. Montoya half being a character half not, then getting some 'off-screen' character development or something that changed his disposition but ultimately meant nothing at all. Tawilda being maybe one of the only competent and close connections to Olivia in a 'down-to-earth' sense getting 2 scenes. Some bits and pieces with the Reggie Benchet issue. The fact that The Chosen One's downfall at the end was described through the supposed competence of James and Bentz but was really just him carelessly abducting Olivia in an obvious parking lot. The fact that a fuss is made about The Chosen One needing to speak with James in person but never does.

The slightly more prominent issues are how sexually charged the book is. It is aggressively, traditionalistly, heterosexual. While Olivia is a good 'break the mould' character for a woman in the 80s or 90s, she is still used for the majority of the book as lynch pin of emotional weight. She's fearful, lustful and while 'aggressively independent' still shown to need help at all ends she cannot adjust for herself.
In ways I don't mind about this, but there are certain times the book feels like its trying to push narrative that people just are a certain way. Especially the amount of times all men in the book are described as have their cock push up against their pants. Even as someone distasteful for the sexually inclined nature of men on the best of days, not every interaction with a slightly attractive women is reason for their erection to twitch. Its just gross.
I'm not sure what evaluation this is to leave me with in regards to Lisa Jackson as an author, where that lies as her perception of the world. She clearly has some hyper-traditionalist values but at times it feels so archaic in that men only want sex and women must play games and both sides can never just speak plainly. My greatest hatred in all medium is that flirting and lack of ability to speak feelings is utilised as a way reinforce its normal to never ask and speak about feelings in a human way - that everything has to be done in sexually explicit or sexually coded messages through pushing buttons and being cagey. In reality, far too many people do this, but I don't think its that it is normal, I've found it is one of the many large narrative ideas that so many people have just adopted because it is not yet normal to learn its not normal - as to many progressive ideas. It seems indicative of younger folk replicating the actions of their elders, but without much educative dialogue about subject matters like this in any age demographic it leaves too much room for adult and middle-aged folk to carry these preconceptions through their entire lives much like a good amount of ingrained bigotry. Where that line lands though as being a byproduct of an American based author, life experience, or traditionalist values is not something I am qualified to speculate on in this instance.

What does bother me the most however, the very biggest issue I have with this whole book, is that it is aggressively, unwaveringly and unceasingly christian.
I hate religious pushiness and have many harsh feelings about christianity in modernity of a philosophically and scientifically expanded world. I'm an extreme athiest, but not in my hatred for religions, far be it, rather just the exemption of their doctrine having real implications on a world outside of our human subject matter. I'm happy for people to believe in what they want, but I often stray from a moral courtesy for this when it comes to christianity because so much of the religious stance is about people who aren't involved with their religion. It's about damning people, being on the 'right-side' of penitence, supplication and fear. Never acting in according with a truth to self lest some measure can be pushed through a tiny hole of christian dogma. An ethos and principled code which is only ever valued for the highly incorrect notion that all should adjust to values decided outside of reason for the sake of upholding traditions that - unquestioningly - have stayed for far too long.
I don't believe all christians are like this - but this novel, this novel case, specifically, makes everyone and everything so UTTERLY CHRISTIAN. It is nearly unbearable.
Sarah is put in a horrible position of a wife who's been cheated on time and time again by a truly skeevy husband but she keeps says "She doesn't believe in divorce"... I'm not even going to get into that smoking gun but what I will get into is how OIivia wants whats best for her friend but never speaks up and lets this carry on for the sake of holding onto the christian morals.
That James McClaren uses religion in order to show resolve in the face of his poor actions, and instead makes excuse through the 'God-fearing' christian lens when he is "tested" for wanting to engage romantically and sexually with Olivia.
That while we have a religious zealot killer, no critical evaluation is made from any angle about how religious acceptance and hyper-fixation affect a persons good or bad. That the entire mantra the antagonist carries throughout the story is just hand-waved as "Oh, yeah, he's bad". Not a single second goes into questioning the facets around christianity pulling the strings on this slew of actions, EVEN WHEN faced directly against the differing christian view points of other christian faith individuals in the story.
Everyone has a little bit of extra unnecessary christian in them too and a there are too many occasions where its mentioned more than its needed to.
I don't know if this is my exposure to the world in a different lens that I've seen less of this but if America is truly this totally enraptured by religious doctrine then I've cause to like it even less.
Thankfully, as the book is overflowing with christian motifs, notions and ideologies it ends up being less abrasive. It feels more like a subject matter which everything else exists within for the sake of the narrative, similar to a setting in a fantasy story - making it easier to tolerate. The issue primes itself with the problems above where it is lauded as a pronounced and necessary aspect of human life even in the face of obvious and extreme detriment.

Overall I enjoyed the book. The density in the pages and long winded path to the end was slow but it was not rough. The climax, while mishandled in some ways, was a brilliant nail-biting scenario that managed to soar well because of the run-way it was given in advance. The tension, tone and sense of locality was excellent and honestly, beyond my issues, leaves me at least little tempted to pick up its predecessor story.
I do wish that Olivia had more room to identify herself other than "attractive spunky female who is upset she can't do anything" like every protagonist woman in these books. And I do wish there was more room for people that weren't cut and jacked perfectly sexy men or perfect lithe women. It feels Lisa Jackson has taken too much mirrored influence from the male authors of her generation in that all initial impressions must be subject to a lens of sexual objectification.
I liked James as a character and I enjoyed Kristi to a degree. There were just not real occasions for an identity of character to shine outside of the issues faced at immediacy or with one another.
I do think the biggest takeaway having just finished it not long ago is that even with a lot of gross overtones and sexual application, there was some delicacy to where the framing landed for sexual abuse and torture - there was enough to be unsettling but never the amount that leaves you worried and uncomfortable about what you're reading. A correct measure of explicit detail to the right ordained heights. Mixed with a good flow from moment to moment and it seems there are some great strengths in Lisa Jackson's writing style that made the book something I wanted to read through to the finish.

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