Bea Reviews Cold Wicked Lies by Toni Anderson

Series:  Cold Justice: Crossfire #3
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Toni Anderson Inc.
Source: pr firm in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: June 8th, 2020
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books* | Barnes & Noble | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A young woman is found murdered on a remote mountainside, and top FBI Negotiator Charlotte Blood must go head-to-head with her stubborn, sexy, Hostage Rescue Team counterpart to unravel the mystery. When blame falls on a secretive survivalist group, the stakes turn deadly…and Charlotte discovers that she’s the one tangled in COLD WICKED LIES.


✔ Remote location
✔ Murder mystery
✔ Enemies-to-lovers
✔ Forced proximity

The newest riveting thriller by New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson.

My Thoughts:

Another Toni Anderson book, happy sigh. I don't remember now who it was that first introduced me to her books, or maybe I stumbled over them, but her books are amazing. Solid, gripping and relevant stories, empathetic and realistic characters, lots of fast-paced action and steamy romance, and a dash or two of humor. "Cold Wicked Lies" lived up to those standards.

This scene had me open-mouthed at first and then cackling. I won't give you the lead up; you really need to read it in context, but enjoy this snippet:

Charlotte hurried after her fellow SSA, no longer distracted by the sight of ripped abs or thick thigh muscles or tight butt. Nor by his penis which was a piece of anatomy she didn't usually encounter when it came to her coworkers--nor anywhere else nowadays.

The only thing I didn't like were the names of the main characters, Blood and Payne. Seriously? Gag. I get that Payne could be a family name that the parents decided to use as a first name, but then you give him a heroine whose surname is Blood? SMH. Honestly, I thought better of the author. Oh well, different tastes, and romance characters often have...creative names.

That issue aside, I really enjoyed "Cold Wicked Lies". It grabbed me from the first few pages and if not for a painful injury and the need for sleep, I would have finished it in one sitting. I thought I knew how the murder investigation and subsequent events would play out but I was only partially right. Anderson always leaves me guessing; I don't think I've ever been completely right, lol. And Charlotte and Payne's romance was a treat to watch. They went from antagonistic co-workers to respectful co-workers to burn up the sheets lovers in just a few days. The suspense ratcheted up towards the end and Anderson upped the stakes. I kind of felt bad for one of the villain but I just to remind myself of what he'd done and then I was out of sympathy for him.

Anderson is one of the best romantic suspense writers today and I'm looking forward to many more stories from her.

About the author ~

Toni Anderson writes award-winning, bestselling, FBI Romantic Thrillers. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Anderson's books have won the Readers' Choice Award, Aspen Gold, National Excellence in Romance Fiction, Book Buyers' Best.

Originally from a small town in Shropshire, England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she'd never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko.

Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fifteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016. She also got to shove another (police) car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy. Basically she has way too much fun!

For more information about Toni and her books, please visit her website: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com

Find Toni Online ~
Website: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com
Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/toniannanderson
Facebook Like Page: https://www.facebook.com/toniandersonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/toniannanderson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toni_anderson_author/
Newsletter: http://www.toniandersonauthor.com/#!newsletter/c238q
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2r5la7G
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1kwEVw2
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/toni-anderson
Audible: www.audible.com/tonianderson