Thursday, December 22, 2016

Cold Betrayal - #Friday56 and #BookBeginnings on Friday

I never know what I'm going to find at the freebie table at the senior center. 
Good news: Recently it was a hardback copy of COLD BETRAYAL by Seattle mystery author J. A. Jance. 
Bad news: This book is #10 in the Ali Reynolds mystery series! I enjoyed the story a lot, so now I guess I'd better go back and read the first nine. Although this book stands alone, I'm sure I would have understood more about the relationships between some of the characters if I'd read the first nine books.

Book Beginning:
     As the snow started to fall in thick, feathery flakes, Betsy Peterson, seated in front, checked the tension in the seat belt against her collarbone, clutched her purse to her chest, and peered out through the headlights into the dark night. Marcia Lawson was a good driver, but a fast one. She seemed to be under the impression that just because she was driving a four-wheel-drive Kia, an older and decidedly dilapidated model, she didn't need to worry about road conditions.
(NOTE: I hate to be out on the road in snow, whether as a driver or a passenger, so I can relate to Betsy's nervousness!)

Friday 56 (from Page 256):
".... Little girls are expected to be betrothed by the time they're six or seven. When they're in their mid-teens, they're forced into marriages with much older men and end up giving birth to children while they themselves are still juveniles."

Genre: Mystery
Book Length: 337 Pages (hardback)
Amazon Link: Cold Betrayal
Author Website: J. A. Jance

Synopsis:
     Ali’s longtime friend and Taser-carrying nun, Sister Anselm, rushes to the bedside of a young pregnant woman hospitalized for severe injuries after she was hit by a car on a deserted Arizona highway. The girl had been running away from The Family, a polygamous cult with no patience for those who try to leave its ranks. Something about her strikes a chord in Sister Anselm, reminding her of a case she worked years before when another young girl wasn’t so lucky.
     Meanwhile, married life agrees with Ali. But any hopes that she and her husband, B. Simpson, will finally slow down and relax now that they’ve tied the knot are dashed when Ali’s new daughter-in-law approaches her, desperate for help. The girl’s grandmother, Betsy, is in danger: she’s been receiving anonymous threats, and someone even broke into her home and turned on the gas burners in the middle of the night. But the local police think the elderly woman’s just not as sharp as she used to be.
     While Ali struggles to find a way to protect Betsy before it’s too late, Sister Anselm needs her help as well, and the two race the clock to uncover the secrets that The Family has hidden for so long—before someone comes back to bury them forever.

                


Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.
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Twitter: @SandyNachlinger
Facebook: sandy.nachlinger

8 comments:

  1. Another mystery series that sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing...I like the sound of the characters in those excerpts.

    Here's mine: “THE GIRL BEFORE”

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  2. I tend to avert my eyes when I see free books. I already have more than 1000 at home to read. This does sound good though. I dug into TBR mountain to read Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead this week. Happy reading!

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  3. Oh my goodness! Page 56 is horrible! These poor girls!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  4. That 56 hit me hard too. Like, holy cow. Sounds like an intense and emotional read.
    Happy holidays!

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  5. That's really an unnerving 56. Yikes. Hope you enjoy the holidays!

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  6. I love it that you got this book free and read it even though it was the 10th in the series. This is not going to cost out for you! Ha!

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  7. Hi Sandra,

    I'm so glad that I am not the only one who is a sucker for a freebie book, whether or not it is part of a series which I know nothing about - it just has to be done!!

    I don't even always go and check out the rest of the series, just content to read the book as a stand alone. However I did make the mistake of checking out the 'Ali Reynolds' series and it does sound so good. I might have to try and get my hands on a copy of the first book.

    Thanks for sharing and the fact that those opening lines aren't action packed is fine by me, although they do sound quite tense for Betsy. I don't like driving in the snow and ice either and I would certainly be very wary about who I allowed to drive me anywhere in those conditions, especially given the cover art as well!!

    Happy Christmas to you and yours. It has been great chatting with you in 2016 and here's looking forward to 2017 :)

    Yvonne

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