The Coldest Fear

You are immediately pulled into this story, wrapped up in suspense and intrigue. Fast paced with a great flow to the story. Each character is so well developed. Lots of secrets in this one with the main question of “why had Weller brought her here?” to be answered. So many twists and turns that you never see coming. I am so invested in the two main characters, Bobbie and Nick. They both share a driving need for justice. They are two broken people who have found something together. Another awesome suspenseful thriller from Debra Webb. This is a series that should be read in order, starting with the prequel The Blackest Crimson.

32 years ago five children vanished in one night in Savannah, Georgia. Five family's lives were torn apart and no clues were ever found....Until today. Detective Bobby Gentry is called to Savannah and pulled into this cold case by unknown hands but one thing Bobby is sure of, the person pulling the strings is Randolph Weller. Serial killer Randolph Weller may be on the run, but he is also determined to stage one more deadly game of cat and mouse with Bobby and in doing so, bring his son, Nick Shade, down. Four of the five children's bodies have been discovered, but where is the fifth? As the bodies begin to pile up, Bobby must find out the connection between the notorious serial killer and the disappearance of these children. Once again Debra Webb pulls us into this story and wraps us in a cloak of suspense and intrigue with a fast paced, clock ticking rhythm to her words, as the story flows from one page to the next. Each character is well developed and so very complex, each with their own ghosts haunting them from their past and an inner strength to battle for their future. I suggest that you don't start this on a night that you have to get up the next morning because putting it down once started is a tough job! Although this book does work as a stand alone, I suggest you read the series in order....and really, you will WANT to!

Bobbie has left town to go to Atlanta to find Nick Shade after Weller has made his escape. She ends up in Savannah just as 5 children are found encased in statues in a pet cemetery. All disappeared over 32 years ago. The chief of police has requested her name as it mysteriously appears in the case file. Problem was this all occurred before she was born. She knows that Weller is setting her up for a showdown of massive proportions but is he involved in the disappearance of the children so long ago? Then the parents of the children keep being found dead. What is the connection to Bobby or to Nick Shade? Again, Debra Webb hits it out of the ball park. I started reading and could not stop til finished. I have to say this series is my favorite to date by this author and highly recommend! I received an ARC for my honest opinion.

Deliciously scintillating! The bodies are piling up and the mystery surrounding Bobbie and Nick just keeps getting creepier as one person after another is uncovered as having had contact with the serial killer they are hunting, but as the scenes are dissected they realize they aren't all adding up to the same M.O. Is there something else going on here that they aren't privy to? A great continuation of this series ... and a joy to see Bobbie continuing her fight for justice! Bobbie Gentry has fought hard to regain her life after it was derailed with the brutal of her family and her own horrendous abduction at the hands of a serial killer. She was living a very dark life until Nick Shade came into it and helped her to see past the emptiness inside herself. Now she's willing to do anything to help Nick fight his own demons. Nick Shade has been covertly delivering his own version of justice since his life fell apart years ago. Now he's in Savannah as mysteries are unravelling and monsters are emerging. Will Bobbie be able to convince him to let her help get the answers he needs?

Debra Webb’s latest Shades of Death novel, The Coldest Fear, picks up right where the previous installment left off. I almost feel sorry for Bobbie and Nick, they keep running from crisis to crisis and never seem to have time to breathe. The latest crisis is in Savannah, Georgia, and as with all previous crises, appears to be courtesy of Raymond Weller. Weller’s end game is to make Nick just like him and he hopes to use Bobbie to do it. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Weller is a looming presence in the background as opposed to the chess master; he is watching things unfold as opposed to orchestrating the ending. Webb masterfully connects two seemingly unrelated crises into an explosive ending. There are significant revelations about Nick in this book that will hopefully help him and Bobbie move forward. I very much like when they are working together as opposed to him trying to protect her by staying away. Webb is a master at dark and creepy and this is no exception. You will want to keep reading long after bedtime, but make sure to leave the lights on. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.