I find Karin Slaughter very readable and this book is no different. Unfortunately I found it very average. The story started off strong, but then quickly got tedious and boring. ALL of the characters quickly turned into drama queens, each having a never-ending truckload of problems and baggage. And the angst-filled Sara and Jeffrey relationship is on full display, and I found that too tiresome. Lena, whose life cannot be more chaotic or a spectacularly emotionally and physically wreck, somehow proves the universe wrong and works overtime to make her life even worse. All the personal issues fill this book so I felt like that weighed it down on the negative side.

At the end, the storyline ends rather abruptly. I’m sure that plays into the next book in the series, but after all kinds of crazy murders in a murder-free corner of America, the 3 pages that explained it all at the end didn’t make up for the long, long intro or the previous 400+ pages. ( )

En los terrenos pertenecientes a una pequeña universidad del sur de Estados Unidos ha sido hallado el cuerpo de un estudiante que aparentemente se ha suicidado. Acompañada de su hermana embarazada, la forense Sara Linton acude al lugar para examinar el cadáver del joven, pero hay algunos detalles que no parecen cuadrar con la hipótesis del suicidio. Mientras Sara trabaja, su hermana Tessa, que se ha separado del grupo, es atacada brutalmente por un desconocido. A partir de ahí, la investigación que dirige Jeffrey Tolliver, ex marido de Sara y jefe de policía, deja de ser rutinaria y toma un rumbo inesperado. No tardan en aparecer los cadáveres de otros dos estudiantes universitarios. Los primeros indicios señalan que también se han suicidado, pero la lógica invita a pensar que hay algo más oscuro y terrible detrás de este cadena de muertes. Con un ritmo vertiginoso, Temor frío avanza sin dar concesiones al lector, desarrollando una historia que engancha desde la primera hasta la última página.

"Sara Linton, medical examiner in the small town of Heartsdale, is called out to an apparent suicide on the local college campus. The mutilated body provides little in the way of clues - and the college authorities are keen to avoid a scandal - but for Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, things don't add up."
Lena Adams is no longer on the police force but is still waist deep in this adventure. Her character is complex to say the least. Sara and Jeffrey continue their push and pull, yes and no take on their relationship or lack thereof. The mysteries intensify and lead to a conclusion that no one would have suspected. Lots of red herrings and possible culprits but the reader will be floored at who the killer is and the motive behind the terrible murders. ( )

I've long been a fan of the Will Trent series. Lately I've been on a Karin Slaughter binge, getting to her stand alones and starting the Grant series. The first two were pretty good, but this one just got on my nerves. It's at a point where you just say this isn't going to happen, especially is this lazy, small town. The Trent series, however, is varied on the crimes and mysteries tackled. I'm pretty sure there isn't even ritualistic the requisite serial killer in the Atlanta one.

My biggest pet peeve in this series is the characters, though. I really don't care for any of them. Sara Linton is so much better in Atlanta. Ole Jeff is about the most annoying cop I've met in a book and is just a complete jerk here.

But having said all this, I'll probably try to finish the series. They're really easy to listen to on audio while driving or down time at work. The best thing about the audio books is they were re-recorded by Kathleen Early, who has narrated the newer books for Slaughter. I'm not sure who it was originally, but her bumpkin twang was annoying and insulting to this southerner. ( )

I really like the grant county series and early books a lot ( )