Beans, our main character that is investigating the murders, was unfortunately someone that I took an immediate dislike to, because he thinks the following of the coffee shop he frequents which makes the baristas dress like play boy bunnies in Alaska:
“It was a corny throwback to the old playboy days of objectifying females. But as long as women consented to keeping the bikini barista business model alive even legal, he saw no harm in it”
If a dress code is a requirement for a job in an area where jobs are limited, I would not exactly call that consent, and I doubt that baristas have any say in the legality of the business. This just tells me that Beans has not actually thought about gender inequality and power dynamics a day in his life and does not understand why you should not objectify women. He then goes on to say that “He would have asked her out if it wasn't for society looking down on their age gap”.
But don’t worry: For Beans, women don’t have to be dressed in bikinis to be objectified, it actually does not matter what they wear. When a female FBI agent (Agent O’Riley) is assigned to the case, he has no qualms about sexualizing her either. Basically every woman that is the same age or younger than him, is on his sexual radar. Then there’s his ex Raisa that also advises on the case. He does not remember how they broke up or if he told her that he loves her. So he does not only hit on every woman he encounters, once he becomes a boyfriend, he also forgets the entire relationship.
I feel really weird knowing that a woman wrote this book, given the sexist things Beans says.

Throughout the story, I was unfortunately not very invested in finding out who the killer was, because we as the readers have no tie to him. Therefore, the book also lacked suspense for me. I feel like this book could have benefited from some chapters written from the killer's perspective.
I would categorize this as a cop murder drama, because it is missing many elements that a thriller should have. That being said, there was not that much investigating in this book to begin with, especially not from Beans. It just felt like he was waiting for more victims and more evidence, but he was not actively following any leads.

The reason I requested this book, was the Alaskan setting and that I like coffee, so I was intrigued why someone would choose baristas as murder victims. I wish the story had extended on both a bit more. We did not really get to see much of the Alaskan setting apart from the snow, and it seemed that there was no real tie between the murderer and the baristas, but rather that they were scantily dressed. So the fact that they were murdered had nothing to do with their actual occupation as a barista.

Some things I liked about this book were that we also got to see Beans as a private person. I would have obviously enjoyed this more, had I actually liked his character, but I feel like there could be some potential here for further books. I especially liked reading about Archie the cat. Cam was also a nice addition to the team, and I was hoping they would hire him on a more permanent basis the whole time. It was also pleasant to see that the case isn’t over as soon as the killer is caught, but that there are more elements to the case.

I think I will revisit this author in a couple of years to see what she is up to. I feel like the author still has some room to grow, especially when it comes to creating likable characters and building suspense, but there could definitely be some potential here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review.

The victim wakes up in a dark room. She is gagged and blindfolded, her arms and legs are tied up, and she is lying on a blanket that reeks of manure. This is the beginning of the book which pulled me in right away! Detective Beans is the lead detective on this case, as they find more victims, he is determined to find the killer. I loved this book because of the storyline and the characters. I listened to this book on audio and couldn't stop, I will be looking for more books by Kerri Hakoda. I will be requesting this book to be put in my library!

Alaskan homicide detective, DeHavilland Beans, gets a case of a murdered female but when he recognizes the victim, it makes him want to solve the case even more. Beans brings in wildlife expert Raisa Ingalls to help obtain evidence since the body was damaged by scavengers but as more murdered women are discovered, the FBI joins in to find the serial killer.

I thought the book was very well written and the characters were well developed. I enjoyed the storyline and liked following Beans through the investigation and his personal life. I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller and was drawn in right from the beginning. I found the book to be very descriptive however some scenes were very gruesome.

I enjoyed the narration by Eric Fox and Abigail Reno, I found it easy to define the characters and the voices fit the characters

The debut novel by Kerri Hakoda was very well written and entertaining and I hope there will be more books by the author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This thriller captured my attention right from page one. Hakoda is adept at introducing a large number of characters so well that I never lost track of who was who. The storyline was engaging with action throughout. I thought it was well-paced with a more realistic unveiling of the antagonist. Dehavilland Beans was a charming detective I am eager to learn more about. The ending did seem to suggest a potential second book, and I hope this is the case.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

Wow, this was a wild read! And a Det. named Beans, what could be better?! I wish this was a series b/c I could read about him and his family all day long! This was my 1st book by Kerri Hakoda but will not be my last, I adding all of her books to my TBR!

#ColdtotheTouch
#NetGalley

Serial killers + Backdrop of Alaska = I’m all in!

A wonderful premise for a five-star read. Alas, it just didn’t work (for me) here.

Someone is murdering the baristas’ serving the Anchorage area. Now it’s up to Homicide Detective ‘Beans’ to root out the killer before another woman is killed.

I cherish books that take place where the elements of nature play a significant role. (Must be the Canadian in me.)

I was hoping for a storyline that would play out in Alaska’s cold brutal winters. I wanted to feel the desperation of the hunt for a serial killer as depicted in the blurb. Something dark…sinister that I need to keep the lights on in order to finish.

But sadly, I didn’t feel any of that.🤷🏻‍♀️

This book actually became a struggle as it seemed to lack both focus and direction. At times, the killings took a complete backseat to everything else going on with Detective Beans.

I started with the audio version, eventually switching to a digital copy hoping I’d have a better connection with no better luck.

I am a bit of an outlier on this one as there are many positive reviews from readers who really enjoyed it. Make sure to take a look at their reviews as well!

2.75🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Baristas are murdered in Anchorage, Alaska, and detectives must track down the killer before they can’t get coffee anywhere, I guess?

I usually enjoy a good icy murder, but this story didn’t really connect with me. Maybe because the main character is named Beans and that’s the name of one of my cats, so I just couldn’t get over that, ha. It wasn’t a terrible story, it was just missing something to make me care about the main characters. I did care about the murdered girls- they were the only ones I really invested energy into. I was always hoping one would survive, as we had to hear about their time with the kidnapper and it was always really rough.

So the moral of this story is don’t wear a skimpy work uniform if you don’t want unhinged murdery-types to target you. Or something like that.

I love a good thriller, especially set in Alaska. This book had a great story line and the suspense was there. However, the narration was... meh. It was a little monotone for me, which I believe was on purpose, but it did not entice me to get to the end. In fact, I had to fight myself to finish listening.

The author wrote a wonderful, gripping thriller. Kerri Hakoda weaves the tale, does well with introducing and pulling you into the characters, and keeping them "involved" in the story. I think reading the print version would have been a better option for me.


Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to list and review the audiobook version!

This books reads like a Nordic noir. The characters are pretty interesting, though I think I would have enjoyed this one better as a book rather than an audiobook. The narration didn’t quite match the story (in my mind). However, I did enjoy the book. A little less complex than most Nordic noirs but an entertaining book nonetheless. Thank you for this complimentary audiobook.

A fast-paced psychological thriller set in Alaska. A serial killer is targeting women baristas and Detective Beans is on the case. I am not usually a fan of police thrillers, but this one worked well. I loved the setting in Alaska! This was well-written and I enjoyed the different POVs. Beans felt very real as a character. These types of books are overdone, but still enjoyable to read. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Eric Fox; Abigail Reno ⭐⭐⭐, ⭐
Sorry by Kerri Hakoda ⭐⭐

The premise of this book was really good but unfortunately it did not deliver. I really struggled to feel any type of emotional attachment to the characters so it was a very underwhelming story.

Loved this! I would be lying if I said my favorite part of this book was not Beans and Archie the cat. The narrators cute little meows were everything. I am not sure how the author managed to make this a fun, quirky read while also being dark and mysterious but its working. Is this the beginning of a Beans series because I need it. I really loved the setting being in Alaska. It was fascinating and the author did a great job.

Ever since reading City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita, I can’t get enough of mysteries and thrillers set in Alaska — more please! COLD TO THE TOUCH was a great addition to my newly-beloved sub genre; it was. well-plotted debut procedural with a solid cast of interesting characters, who I’m very much hoping will get to make further appearances if this is turned into a series!

I really liked how Hakoda used some familiar elements from Israel Keys’ abduction and murder of Samantha Koenig from a roadside coffee kiosk without turning it fully into a thinly-masked Keyes story because omg that f-ing guy is the worst. I didn’t love the way some things were tied together in the end - it felt a little too tidy - but overall this was a great audiobook, and I’d love to read/listen to future books by Hakoda.

I loved the setting of this book and how it contributed to the investigation. I also had no idea there were so many bikini coffee shops in Alaska!

I think this would be a good series, I really enjoyed Beans and would like to see more backstory with his family and relationships (like Raisa). As it is, the parts with Raisa didn’t quite seemed like they fit in.

Nothing mind blowing about this book but it was an enjoyable listen. I liked the different narrators but would have loved a POV from the killer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Young, beautiful, scantily clad baristas are turning up dead in Alaska. This story has themes of closure, beginning, trauma, and hidden personalities. Good narrator and interesting story with likable characters.

I loved this book. I hope to see more of Beans in future novels. I'm not much of a thriller reader, but I love titles set in Alaska. It was a great story and kept me holding my breath as Piper (you'll know when you read it) kept giving Beans the slip. It wasn't too gory for me to sleep and I enjoyed the ending. From someone who doesn't like series, please make these characters into one!!!

American Predator meets Harlan Coben in this taut, ticking-clock thriller in which women are being kidnapped and murdered in a remote corner of Alaska.

DNF @ 13% Just not my style. The audiobook was rough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me the opportunity to listen to Cold to the Touch. I would classify this book as a police procedural mystery. I was intrigued by the description of the book and the fact that it is set in Alaska. The story is well told with both the difficulty of police work and the struggle of balancing work with life. The characters were brought to life by the narrators, giving each one a different voice. I was invested in not only the solving of the crime(s), but the personal lives of the many diverse characters. There were a couple times I thought I had the perpetrator figured out, but I didn’t until close to the end. I would recommend if you enjoy a mystery that is wrapped in a police procedural and brought home with very interesting characters.

I really enjoyed this detective novel. The details were real and gory enough to set it apart from some others in this category. I loved the Alaskan setting, it was perfect for this book.

Growing up in the Midwest, it was fun to hear about half Japanese population, since you don't see many of us there.

I was definitely invested in all the characters and think would make a great series!

I mainly listened to this via audio book. I wasn't a huge fan of the male narrators voice or tone- especially when doing female and accents but it was doable. The female narrator was great, easy to listen to, smooth, great inflection. Sometimes the transitions between chapters seemed choppy. All in all I would read more by this authors maybe with a female lead!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Cold to the Touch by Kerri Hakoda in exchange for an honest review. This was a very interesting book. I love that it took place in Alaska. There was a murder mystery to solve, family issues and a romantic entanglement.