Giveaway Info
As part of the Walnut Springs Press Month, Walnut Springs Press will be giving away 4 fantastic novels by Walnut Springs authors! All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment on this post or any of the event posts. (See the event page for the full event schedule.) The more posts you comment on, the more entries you have into the contest!
And as an added bonus, you will get an extra entry into the contest if you comment on one of my reviews!
Cold River by Liz Adair
About the Book
Title: Cold RiverRelease Date: 2011
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press (Facebook | Twitter)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Received from publisher for review.
Someone wants Mandy dead...Mandy Steenburg thinks her doctorate in education has prepared her to run and school district--until she tangles with the moonshine-making, coon-dog-owning denizens of a tiny district in Pacific Northwest timber country. She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. And though she has to literally swim through perilous waters, she finds a reason to stay and chance the odds.
Review
The opening pages of Cold River hooked me right away! The setting is a cold, dark, and rainy night and Mandy, the main character, is forced to sleep at her office where she spends a fitful night full of creepy noises and unexpected visitors. The vivid description gave me chills! It was both subtle and eerie and kept me reading right from the start!
I liked the pace of this story. It started out strong by setting the scene and then gradually building up the suspense and romance as the story progressed. And of course the twist at the end was completely unexpected and surprising!
My absolute favorite part of Cold River was the community feeling. I grew up in a small town and still have an affinity for them. I love how Mandy's outlook on her new community changed as the story progressed. When she first moves in, she views the town as hostile and unfriendly. I think that many small towns come across this way because they are so tight knit and wary of outsiders. However, as the story unfolds, the town and its people grow on Mandy and she begins to see the benefits of living in a community that is as close as family.
I also enjoyed Mandy's journey as a character. In many stories, the main character helps to change their surroundings or fellow characters. However, in Cold River, Mandy is the one whose perspective is changed by her surroundings. She comes to the town with a strong, "take charge" attitude but learns to rely on and accept help and guidance from others. And despite all the opposition, Mandy is able to find friendship, comradery, and of course, romance (my favorite part!)
Cold River is a "cozy" and suspenseful read, full of great characters and small town charm.
About the AuthorA native of New Mexico and mother of seven, Liz Adair lives in northwest Washington with Derrill, her husband of 47 years. A late bloomer, Liz published her first Spider Latham Mystery just as AARP started sending invitations to join. After writing three books in the Spider Latham series, Liz moved into romantic suspense with The Mist of Quarry Harbor.
Liz took a break from suspense to write Counting the Cost, a novel based on family history. The book won the 2009 Whitney Award and was a finalist for the Willa Award and the Arizona Publisher Association’s Glyph Award.
Liz is back writing romantic suspense with Cold River and feels that’s where she belongs. “I remember when I was a young mother with all those kids and a slender budget,” she says. “I was so grateful for books that let me go places and meet people who carried on adult conversations. That’s what I want to write—cheap vacations.”
Heeding advice given to writers not to quit their day jobs, Liz works as a forensic scheduler on schedule delay analyses. She also serves on LDStorymakers’ board of directors, is a member of American Night Writers Association, and chairs the annual Northwest Writers Retreat.
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Thanks for taking time to review COLD RIVER. It's always interesting to see the book through other eyes, and I agree with you. Mandy was the one who changed.
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