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claire_loves_books's review
3.0
Cold Run really surprised me- in places it was a paranormal shifter novel and in others it was a mystery/crime thriller novel about some pretty dark subjects (human trafficking- which was dealt with up close and personal and in a very real way). I enjoyed what was a pretty unique shifter novel.
I was expecting PNR from cover but I'd probably call it paranormal/horror/thriller- there's virtually no romantic content and it's pretty gory and disturbing in places so do be aware of that before you pick it up. The blurb doesn't really mention romance but in my head topless guy generally equals romance. I enjoy those genres anyway so I didn't mind but if you were expecting a lighter book it might come as a bit of a nasty surprise.
Rick Keller is a bit of an antihero character- he's not particularly likeable but he's fun to read about. He's pretty abrasive with a very flexible moral code, he has flashes of real compassion that make him a sympathetic character at times.
As a shifter he's not a person who turns into a cute fluffball every now and then he's wolfy whichever form he's in. While he does act more human in human form the conditions he's in don't make him want to make much of an effort- after being forced back to work for MONIKER spends most of the book hating the organisation and most the people in it. MONIKER is apparently full of bureaucrats on their own little power trips- Rick Keller has every reason to be pissed off at them. Karen (the beautiful operative who is better with guns than relationships) is someone he respects- at least enough to make some attempt to act in a less abrasive manner.
I liked that Karen was there as a character in her own right- she's a sharpshooter, highly intelligent and a lot more than a romantic foil. Karen was also a pretty conflicted character- she's torn between her dislike of Rick- and annoyance at the way he acts and annoyance at MONIKER and the way they are acting. She thinks he's unprofessional and acts outside the limits of his MONIKER job, but also recognises that MONIKER isn't always right. I was never quite sure whether she wanted to shoot him or the third part of their team- Tell.
Tell (a sadistic agent who loves making dog jokes) is an a complete jerk. He hates seem to Keller and given a small level of power over him is going to make use of every bit of that power. While Keller and him are both abrasive jerks, they are very different characters- Keller is physical and impulsive while Tell is more of a long term plotter who like to think of himself as smarter than every one else.
The combination of perhaps the least cohesive team possible with characters full of their own faults makes for a really interesting read- they're all so different and uncooperative that it makes them unpredictable I never knew what stunt one of them would pull next. It made the story really unique as a shifter story- I had no idea where it was going and that was really refreshing (I've read a few too many similar shifter stories).
While the paranormal element did play a big part in the story in other places it could almost have been a crime story as we follow our characters all over the world as they hunt down an international human trafficking ring. For all the Keller is impulsive and a bit insane he's also trained as a covert operative and we really saw both sides of him (and the team). I'd like to see more of the world- we don't really get much about Keller's origins or the Paranormal side of the world in general- the story isn't focused on that and it doesn't feel like it's missing but I'd still like to see more of this world.
*ebook provided in exchange for review*
I was expecting PNR from cover but I'd probably call it paranormal/horror/thriller- there's virtually no romantic content and it's pretty gory and disturbing in places so do be aware of that before you pick it up. The blurb doesn't really mention romance but in my head topless guy generally equals romance. I enjoy those genres anyway so I didn't mind but if you were expecting a lighter book it might come as a bit of a nasty surprise.
Rick Keller is a bit of an antihero character- he's not particularly likeable but he's fun to read about. He's pretty abrasive with a very flexible moral code, he has flashes of real compassion that make him a sympathetic character at times.
As a shifter he's not a person who turns into a cute fluffball every now and then he's wolfy whichever form he's in. While he does act more human in human form the conditions he's in don't make him want to make much of an effort- after being forced back to work for MONIKER spends most of the book hating the organisation and most the people in it. MONIKER is apparently full of bureaucrats on their own little power trips- Rick Keller has every reason to be pissed off at them. Karen (the beautiful operative who is better with guns than relationships) is someone he respects- at least enough to make some attempt to act in a less abrasive manner.
I liked that Karen was there as a character in her own right- she's a sharpshooter, highly intelligent and a lot more than a romantic foil. Karen was also a pretty conflicted character- she's torn between her dislike of Rick- and annoyance at the way he acts and annoyance at MONIKER and the way they are acting. She thinks he's unprofessional and acts outside the limits of his MONIKER job, but also recognises that MONIKER isn't always right. I was never quite sure whether she wanted to shoot him or the third part of their team- Tell.
Tell (a sadistic agent who loves making dog jokes) is an a complete jerk. He hates seem to Keller and given a small level of power over him is going to make use of every bit of that power. While Keller and him are both abrasive jerks, they are very different characters- Keller is physical and impulsive while Tell is more of a long term plotter who like to think of himself as smarter than every one else.
The combination of perhaps the least cohesive team possible with characters full of their own faults makes for a really interesting read- they're all so different and uncooperative that it makes them unpredictable I never knew what stunt one of them would pull next. It made the story really unique as a shifter story- I had no idea where it was going and that was really refreshing (I've read a few too many similar shifter stories).
While the paranormal element did play a big part in the story in other places it could almost have been a crime story as we follow our characters all over the world as they hunt down an international human trafficking ring. For all the Keller is impulsive and a bit insane he's also trained as a covert operative and we really saw both sides of him (and the team). I'd like to see more of the world- we don't really get much about Keller's origins or the Paranormal side of the world in general- the story isn't focused on that and it doesn't feel like it's missing but I'd still like to see more of this world.
*ebook provided in exchange for review*
ciannait76's review
4.0
I made the pleasurable mistake of reading this really late last night and the result was that I stayed up until morning to finish it.
The MC dynamics of this story was entertaining and the story was awesome and kept me going until the very end. I loved that the Keller was a "wolf" in and out of his four legged form. And I loved that Karen doesn't take any shit.
This isn't a love story at least not in the conventional sense, but the undertones are there. It is also not a "fluffy" paranormal story, it is action packed and will keep you guessing through out.
The MC dynamics of this story was entertaining and the story was awesome and kept me going until the very end. I loved that the Keller was a "wolf" in and out of his four legged form. And I loved that Karen doesn't take any shit.
This isn't a love story at least not in the conventional sense, but the undertones are there. It is also not a "fluffy" paranormal story, it is action packed and will keep you guessing through out.
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