4.5 Stars!

Cold Woods is the second book in Ms. Katchur’s Northampton County series and reads well as a standalone - but it’s predecessor, River Bodies, is a great read and there are a couple of back-story type things that will make more sense if you grab it first.

Told in two timelines, Cold Woods revolves around Trisha, a troubled child turned alcoholic and abused spouse, who returns home after the death of her childhood friend’s mother. Reunited with her friends and her own mother, the past is dragged into the present when the skeletal remains of Trisha’s stepfather are found near the Appalachian Trail, threatening not only Trisha but her former friends, Carlyn and Dannie, and their families. Throw in the abusive husband who has tracked Trisha down and is intent on dragging her back under his thumb, and there is plenty of drama and suspense to go around.

What makes the Northampton County series different is that Ms. Katchur has allowed the location to be the thread that ties the series together. Both Becca and Parker Reed, the handsome detective from River Bodies, make a return but it’s largely peripheral. The story focuses more around Trisha, Carlyn, Dannie, and their mothers and how their childhood experiences - the poverty, abuse, absentee or abusive father figures - and the secrets and lies surrounding them affected their formative years and their adult lives.

Ms. Katchur, as always, has done a wonderful job of drawing believable and nuanced characters. The pacing is on point (although a little slow in the middle), and the little misdirects and reveals will leave your jaw hanging open!

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Cold Woods!

This is the second book in the Northampton County books. I thoroughly enjoyed the first one River Bodies so was pleased to receive this one in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Although this is the second book in the series it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Lester Haines had disappeared three years previous, now his bones have been discovered in the Cold Woods of Bangor, Pennsylvania. When alive he hadn’t been a nice person, and everyone had thought he had run off leaving his abused wife Sheila and teenage stepdaughter Trisha behind. On examination of the bones the forensic pathologist concludes that he had been murdered. But who had committed the murder?. The wife Sharon and Trisha are the most obvious suspects as most murders are committed by those closest to you.

Trisha had left the area at 18 but had recently come back to see her mum and her teenage friends Carolyn and Dannie. She has been living in Vegas for the last thirty years. She had married a wealthy but abusive and controlling man. Fearful he will come after her and drag her back because she has left him.

The story is told in two different timelines the past and the present. Detective Parker Reed is back in this book leading the investigation looking at the events that were happening back in the 1980’s leading up to Lesters disappearance.

I really enjoy the way the author writes, the characters work well, and the story is well plotted throughout. Looking forward to book 3 in the series.

Another well written book by Karen Katchur, there are lots of things to throw you off the case and keeping you guessing. It’s a case of unravelling the secrets of the past and finding out what really happened.

This book is the second in a series. Like the last book, the focus is on the characters involved in the murder rather than the detectives investigating the case. Complete with flashbacks and uncertainty. A good second book in the series.

Detective Parker Reed has a new partner, Geena Brassard, and they are working a cold case. Remains are found on a mountain, and they go back to a missing person case from 30 years earlier. As Parker and Geena investigate, they are led to Trisha and her friends. The remains belong to Trisha's stepfather, Lester, and it seems he was not an upstanding citizen. Trisha and her friends were teenagers 30 years ago, and Trisha has not kept in contact with them since she left after high school.

Told with two timelines - past and present. The past timeline follows Trisha and her friends, Carlyn and Dannie. Trisha's stepfather is abusive and she escapes her home life by hanging out with her friends. The three girls live on the same street and have been friends for years. After Lester goes missing, Trisha becomes distant from her friends and leaves town without telling them. The present timeline is when Lester's remains are found, and Trisha and her friends are brought into the case. Trisha has returned to town to get away from her husband, and to attend the funeral of Dannie's mother. The girls, now grown women with very different lives, reconnect.

The mystery of what happened 30 years ago is slowly revealed. Since Lester was such an unlikable guy, there are plenty of suspects as to who killed him. It's a difficult case for the detectives to work. The more they learn about Lester, the less they like him, but it's also their job to find who killed him. An interesting and complex case.

This is the second book in the Northampton County series. This book can be read as a standalone.

A suspenseful mystery. I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series, and look forward to reading more by Karen Katchur. Dark, gripping, and complex.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cold Woods had my interest from page one, For most of the book I thought I knew who killed and hid the body , then I realised I didn't. Although I eventually figured it out before the reveal I enjoyed the book. Thank You Netgalley.

This is the second in the series and I have not read the first one but the story was easy to follow. While you have the two detective main characters most of the story is about the crime and the backstory of it, You know from the beginning what the crime was and you think you know from the beginning who did it but the story is well developed. Growing up in a small town a group of single moms and their kids become friends. The depictions of abuse of sadly realistic. I really enjoyed this book.

This isn’t my usual type of book. But it was good and I enjoyed it all the same. It was good to read and well written. It flowed well and was easy to read

Thank you, Netgalley, for this book! It took me a bit to "settle" into the story and figure out who was who, but once I did the story really took off at a quick pace. This book is apparently #2 in a series but I felt like it did really well as a standalone. A compelling read!

The talented Karen Katchur returns following the introduction of River Bodies (My Top books of 2018), with the second installment of her popular Northampton Country series –COLD WOODS. (My Top Books of 2019) 🙌

In this multi-generational dark, gripping, spine-chilling mystery, a cold case unearths dark secrets that refuse to remain buried. When lines are blurred between good and evil. A "must-read" series. I would suggest cranking down the AC, grab a blanket or throw, a cup of espresso or tea, pretend it is winter with snow falling, and DIVE IN!❄

If you have not read RIVER BODIES, (Northampton County #1), no worries because guess what??? It is on sale NOW for only .99 cents on Amazon Kindle through the month of August! What a DEAL! Order Here.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen (An Elevator Ride with the Author) last year with the introduction of the series. A fascinating interview. 😍 View it HERE!

Learn the inspiration behind this riveting series and its characters and in a small rural county where the past never stays buried. Also, if you have not read her previous books, highly recommend. My links are included in the interview.

COLD WOODS revolves about three young girls (Trisha, Dannie, and Carlyn) childhood friends around the age of ten. In 1983, Trisha’s family moved from the outskirts of Chicago and immediately made friends with the two neighbors gals in the small rural town of Bangor, Pennsylvania.

The girls formed a bond and called themselves "The Slate Sisters." The three mothers also became friends. Trisha’s stepfather was a drunk, creep, an abusive husband, and has a thing for young girls. Everyone wanted to stay clear of him. Each of the girls and their mothers has distinct personalities. They each have their own secrets. He goes missing.

Now thirty-some years later, headlines read: Human Bones Discovered Near Appalachian Trail. Leading the present investigation back to when the girls were younger. An aluminum baseball bat was found in the ground. Now, Lester’s remains have been found in the mountains.

From past to present, Trisha returns from Las Vegas (also in an abusive marriage). She meets up with her former friends from the past and stays with her mom, Sharon. Dannie’s mom has just passed away due to a heart attack.

What happened years ago when Lester went missing? Of course, not many people were too sad to see him go. However, now Detective Parker Reed is on the cold case. Could the bones be that of the missing Lester?

If so, who killed him and why cover it up.? Three girls and three mothers. Which one swung the bat and who buried the body? Who will crack? Each suspect the other.

Detective Parker Reed returns with some new characters including his new partner, Detective Genna Brassard. (I hear we get more Genna in Book #3) Spring Girls (2020) Add to your TBR list. 📢

In book #1 we were introduced to Becca, a veterinarian and her faithful German Shepherd, Romy. As well as a bad guy named John. We also met Detective Parker Reed, and in book #2 he gains a partner, Detective Geena Brassard.

In RIVER BODIES, the author uses the elements of nature, river, water, and woods to set the tone and atmosphere. As she mentions in her interview, the metaphors to reflect the characters’ emotions, needs, and wants. The environment impacts a character’s actions. She references she likes to explore how nature plays a role in the types of crimes committed by those characters. John’s character was a hunter.

In COLD WOODS, we once again return to nature with a setting in the small rural town of Pennsylvania, during the brutal winter months, snow and woods. The harsh weather, cold and unpleasant, like the darkness and evil of human nature, as well as the woods being a mystery and white blanket of snow as purity or redemption. I am a huge nature gal. Nature can be beautiful and dangerous at the same time. There is a mystery and the unknown.

The properties of light and darkness are often associated with weather conditions. Light and darkness are metaphors which represent people, their thoughts, feelings, actions, moods, and light is often connected with goodness, warmth, positive things whereas darkness is connecting with cold, sadness, abuse, evil, bad.😜

Like the first book, there is an ongoing theme of parent-child relationships. Often neither understands the other. They hold secrets for fear of being misunderstood, guilt, shame, or other. However, by doing so, often, this leads to more complex issues.

Friendship and loyalty are other ongoing themes. The author intricately weaves and explores female friendships, mothers, daughters, and the lengths they will go to protect each other. Katchur not only delivers an engrossing knock-out dark, bone-chilling psychological suspense thriller, she also explores strong human dynamics, which makes her novels stand out with her compelling characters.

In my opinion, it makes for an engrossing read. In addition to being plot-driven, COLD WOODS and RIVER BODIES are both strongly character-driven as well as atmospheric with a strong sense of place. Emotionally resonant, and a deeply insightful tale of family bonds, friendship, betrayal, violence, abuse, and redemption. Men can be good and some evil. We see both sides. I think readers will enjoy the ending!

The author is not afraid to tackle complex characters, and dysfunctional families, and traumatic experiences which carryover from childhood to adulthood. She explores small rural towns and young girls who want a better life; however, what lengths will they go to break away, which may lead them back to the same place.

A superb mix of suspense, mystery and coming-of-age classics like Stand by Me, Now and Then, and The Five.

An avid fan of the author’s work, I highly recommend all her books. I would love to see this series made into a TV series 🎬 and looking forward to #3 Northampton Country SPRING GIRLS. (June 2020). Fans of true-crime and authors: Lisa Gardner, Karin Slaughter, A. J. Banner, Amber Cowie, Jennifer Hillier, and Christina McDonald will enjoy.

A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy I also purchased the audiobook narrated by Lauren Ezzo, which was exceptional!

#JDCMustReadBooks

Cold Woods is a multi-point of view story that follows two time periods. Chapters switch back and forth between a several year period in the 1980s beginning when three friends and neighbors are ten years old, and 30 years later when a buried body is unearthed. Physical and sexual abuse are major factors in the novel though most occurs off page. The novel focuses heavily on the effects of abuse, even years later, and the author does a good job demonstrating this and how the effects of trauma can manifest in various way. At times it’s an extremely difficult story to read but that’s the point. I recommend Cold Woods particularly for those who enjoy character-driven mysteries and psychological thrillers.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC! The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #ColdWoods #mystery

A chilling and disturbing physiological thriller filled with secrets ! A deliciously intense page turner ! I highly recommend! Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas&Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this book ! #Netgalley #Thomas&Mercer #ColdWoods

Trisha and her friends Carlyn and Dannie were best friends growing up on the same street in a small Pennsylvania town in 1986 when Trisha’s stepfather Lester goes missing. Thirty years later, Lester's buried remains have been found in the Appalachian foothills. State homicide detective Parker Reed is assigned this cold case to solve.

When Parker and his new partner Geena identify the remains, they go to Trisha’s childhood home and find that everyone is keeping secrets. Told in alternating points of view and two different timelines (1986 and present-day), the story unfolds about the girls and their complicated relationships. It's clear that Trisha, Carlyn and Dannie have had a tough time as middle-aged adults. Dannie's mother has just died, Carlyn has a distant relationship with her mother and Trisha is a drunkard who escapes an abusive relationship with a rich man in Las Vegas to temporarily return home to her mother Sharon.

This is a good follow-up book to the first Northampton County mystery, River Bodies.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I read Book 1 in this series recently (RIVER BODIES) and could not wait to start Book 2. I was keeping fingers crossed this one would be as good as the first. I was not disappointed.

Starting at the beginning, voices are speaking to each other. They seem anxious and afraid as they try shoveling a hole in the winter ice in the woods. Pushing the body into the hole, they cover it up and go home.

When the long buried bones turn up, Detective Parker Reed is called to investigate. Thirty years ago a man went missing ... he's now been found.

Secrets can stay secret a long time in the Appalachian foothills .....

Although second in this 2-book series, it is easily read as a stand alone. although I highly recommend starting at the beginning. Alternating chapters jump back and forth when a few characters were teenagers to the very present, as people in their 40s. The characters are finely drawn and they all have issues that they are dealing with. One deals with alcohol, one with food, one uses avoidance. The suspense starts on Page 1 and doesn't let up until the final chapter.

For those who are sensitive, the story deals with domestic and sexual abuse. The subjects are handled delicately, almost no graphic descriptions in the telling.

Many thanks to the author / Thomas Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A book built on secrets where the characters all have kept a secret for decades. Three mothers and their daughters are suspects when the bones of a man who disappeared 30 years ago are found. Each of them have something that they would rather not explain so the reader is left trying to figure out which one is the killer or maybe more than one? Karen Katchur has given us a great back story that unrolls as the book moves from the past to the present in alternating chapters. It reminded me of the song "Goodbye Earl". Great story about who's to blame when a man just needs killin'.

It was a good mystery. The backstory of three friends was packed with suspense and the ending was well done. Mystery/whodunit lovers would surely love the book.

Cold Woods is the first Karen Katchur novel I've read and now that I found out this is the second in a series, I'm planning to read the first. Don't let that bother you though, this book was completely standalone. I had no idea it was part of a series.

The story was told in alternating timelines - current and past. It was done very well so that everything flowed smoothly and it held my interest throughout. The idea of someone finding a dead body from 30 years ago will probably always pull me in and Cold Woods really did a great job of that.

The story of Lester and how he came to be found dead was interesting, but what I found the most fascinating was the relationships between the three teens and how they changed over the years. The mothers relationships were also interesting, but there was much less about that.

The author does a great job keeping the storyline moving. It was well done, easy enough to figure out (I mean someone killed him, right?) but not so easy at all! I changed my mind a few times as to whodunit, but never was I right. This is a tightly woven, twisty tale that made me feel so much for all of the characters - whether it was empathy, fear for their circumstances, understanding or what - there was something that touched me about every single character, which is very hard to do. Karen Katchur did a wonderful job both in describing the settings, building the characters and giving snapshots of the times as they were "back then". Well done!

Pick this up if you like mysteries or crime novels. I think you'll be glad you did. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this great novel at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and gratefully given.

I enjoyed "River Bodies" and was expecting even more from this book, but it was a disappointment. The first two thirds of the book is a well written story, but is only an introduction with no suspense or originality. The last third has the unravelling with a lot of twists and saves the book. The characters are great, as are the language and dialogue, so if it were half the length it would have been a good book.

Cold Woods
(Northampton County #2)
by Karen Katchur

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: August 13th 2019 by Thomas & Mercer



Goodreads synopsis:
Buried bones of the past rise to the surface in this chilling mystery from the bestselling author of River Bodies.

When the long-buried bones of a man turn up in the middle of December, Pennsylvania homicide detective Parker Reed knows he’s in for a cold case.

Trisha and her friends were teenagers when Trisha’s stepdad went missing. Now, thirty years later, his remains have been found in the mountains. The women have always known there was more to his disappearance than meets the eye, and they must confront their grim past. Secrets can stay secret a long time in the lonely Appalachian foothills—but not forever.

When Parker and his partner identify the remains, their investigation leads them to Trisha’s childhood home. But the deeper Parker digs into the crime, the more he realizes that the truth isn’t always simple. In fact, it’s so complicated that even Trisha and her friends don’t fully understand what really happened in those cold woods.


***

3.75 Stars

This is the second book in the Northhampton County series by Karen Katchur.

There is a lot going on in this book and even though the story is focused around the the discovery of a dead body up in the mountains, the man uncovered isn’t the only truly bad guy in this book. Tricia’s step dad was not a nice guy and Lester made more than her life miserable.

Detective Parker Reed and his partner discover the body and they are immersed in the lives of Tricia and her friends, Carlyn, Scott and Dannie. Not to mention all their parents and neighbors. The death of Lester occurred in 1986 so some people’s memories of the time are rusty. I can’t imagine trying to recall a specific day back when I was a senior in high school. That would be a nightmare waiting to happen.

I would have liked to see more about Detective Reed and his relationship with Becca because that seemed to be pretty much glossed over. I didn’t quite understand the dynamic between them. I know they were both featured in book one of this series as well and maybe reading that would have made it all more understandable to me.

The last third of this book was excellent. Exactly what I was looking for in a police procedural mystery. I wouldn’t have minded a few flashbacks in the first two-thirds but the backstory sort of took over the entire novel making it a struggle to get through.

All in all an above average read where I had hopes for more. But the twist at the end revealing whodunit was exactly what I was waiting for. Didn’t see that one coming. Definitely going to check out book one in the series, RIVER BODIES.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Secrets almost always come out- even if it takes, as in this case, 30 years. Parker Reed, who messed up his last case, has a new partner in Geena Broussard, and a challenge in figuring out what happened to Lester Haines, whose skull has just been found. This is really about six women- three pairs of mothers and daughters- and what happened 30 years ago. Trisha took off and didn't come back after Lester disappeared but her mother Sharon and her friends (and their mothers) are still in Northampton County. Why? You might not be surprised by the reasons no one was upset about Lester but Katchur has written a page turner about what happened in the intervening period (and Reed's investigation). This is the second outing for Reed and you will be fine with it as a standalone because you get enough of his back story to understand why he's been more or less banished. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The characters here are well drawn, the plot a little twisty, and all in all, it's a good read.

When Trisha moves into her new neighbourhood, she becomes fast friends with Dannie and Carlyn. They all go to the same school and spend all their time together until a cold winter evening when Trisha's stepfather disappears. Years later Trisha returns to her old neighbourhood to escape from her marriage, Dannie's mother as just passed away and all 3 girls get together not knowing that a body just found in the woods is Trisha's missing stepfather.
The story starts out slow but finishes with a punch. It kept me guessing and the characters were so different from each other but yet shared a connection. I loved it.