I flew through this book. I’m a huge fan of winter thrillers and this one was a knockout! The story starts with a shocking twist: Julia Adler's husband's suicide is just the beginning of her nightmare. His secret financial dealings leave her penniless and forced to flee their lavish life. Seeking solace in her hometown of Banff, she takes a job as a hotel housekeeper. But when a guest is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect.

This fast-paced thriller is a snowy, suspenseful adventure. I loved the multiple POV and the setting. The Banff setting is the perfect backdrop for a story filled with deception, grief and survival. I could feel how cold it was while reading. The author created a cast of intriguing characters that made each one of them a suspect and kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to see what Susan Walter writes next!

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I hope to read more books by this author.

When Julie Adler finds her husband dead on the bathroom floor, her whole life is turned upside down. She is overwhelmed and confused by this and what could have possibly made her husband want to end his life. Things only get worse when Julie discovers that all of the money has been drained from every account her husband had and she has no money to her name.

Julie decides to escape to the comfort of Banff, Canada where she used to live and where her her old friend, Remy, manages a hotel and gives her a job as a housekeeper. When one of the hotel guests turns up dead, all of the evidence points to Julie and she ends up in the fight of her life. In this story of survival, can Julie prove her innocence and do it before she becomes the killer’s next victim?

I loved the setting of this book. The isolated hotel, winter vibes and snowy mountains set the scene for this suspense-filled thriller. Told from multiple points of view, this was a quick enjoyable read filled with lies, deceit and twists! It would be the perfect book to snuggle up with over the upcoming winter season!

I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous thriller! Set during winter in Banff, Canada, at the Banff Springs Hotel, the setting was so well described and woven into the story that I felt like I was there with the characters. I love when that happens! I could feel the chill in the winter air as I read this in 90 degree summer weather!!

Told in three viewpoints, there were twists and turns, betrayals, deception, tense scenes, and a satisfying ending. The main character, Julie, an Olympic biathlon champion, was likeable and vulnerable and I was rooting for her throughout.

Easy to read and well-paced with short chapters, I read this one in a little over a day. This is the first book that I read by this author but it definitely won’t be my last!!

Like my fellow Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse colleagues, I 100% recommend this great thriller read!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

4.25/5
Hey hey hey it’s time for #pulsepoint #thepulse recommendations from all my thriller lovers @thrillerbookloversthepulse A huge thank you to @susanwalterauthor @lakeunionauthors for this gifted copy!

I am a HUGE fan of wintery cold books and this one definitely delivered! This one starts out with quite the jaw dropping moment! Julia Adler’s husband commits suicide and if that’s not terrible enough she soon realizes he left her with empty bank accounts. 💸 She is not only grieving but has no idea where all their money went. Feeling embarrassed and lost she leaves quietly in the middle of the night to return home to Banff where she feels most comfortable. Needing to make ends meet she starts working as a housekeeper at a hotel. When one of the guests turns up murdered all fingers point to Julia because she was the last in the room. Talk about bad luck! 😬 She claims she’s innocent and races to try and prove her innocence!

This one was such a wild and twisted adventure! First of all…the setting being in Banff made me envision such a snowy beautiful wonderland! I could picture this fancy hotel on the side of the mountain with snow capped trees and swirling snowflakes! YES PLEASE! ❄️ This book had so many great ideas surrounding deception, forgiveness, murder, survival, grief and thrill! There was not a single moment I felt bored because this was extremely fast paced and had me wondering who the culprit was! Susan does a spectacular job creating several characters that left me questioning if they were the bad guy! The ending unfolded perfectly and was satisfying and complex! I enjoyed this one greatly and can’t wait to see what Susan writes next!

I was totally hooked by "Lie by the Pool," so naturally, I had to dive into "Running Cold." It's a complete change of pace, but with the scorching summer heat, it's a relief to escape into cooler settings, even if it's just in a book.

The story follows Julie, a former Canadian Olympian who left her athletic dreams behind for love. When her husband Jeff, a wealthy tech company owner, tragically passes away, Julie's left in dire financial straits. She returns to her hometown of Banff, Canada, and takes a job as a chambermaid in a resort hotel. The author's descriptions make Banff come alive, almost like another character in the story.

Just when Julie thinks things couldn't get worse, a murder occurs at the hotel, and she becomes the prime suspect. The narrative unfolds from multiple perspectives, keeping readers on edge as we unravel the intricately tangled web of connections and motives. Oh wow! The eventual revelation of the culprit's identity adds to the intrigue, making it a compelling read.

#Running Cold #SusanWalter #LakeUnionPublishing #NetGalley

This one kept my attention from the start and held it! Walter's back and forth chapters from the three main character's point of view was a great way to fill in gaps as the story progressed. While the breadcrumbs at the end of chapters were a bit heavy handed, I appreciated how the story wrapped up and left me wanting more from this author.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Running Cold releases October 8, 2024

3.5

Former Olympian, Julie Adler, is left grieving and penniless after she finds her husband dead in their California home. In the thick of winter, she flees back to her hometown in Banff and asks her old friend, Remy, for a job at the hotel he manages.

Not long after Julie gets settled into the hotel as a maid, things start to go awry when a casual weekend visit from her friends turns into a disastrous city-wide power outage amidst a blizzard, all while Julie becomes the prime suspect for the murder of the hotel’s penthouse guest.

First and foremost, I loved the Canadian setting. I kept picturing Remy as Michel from Gilmore Girls because of his French accent, which made things all the more entertaining.
While the plot was quite predictable, the writing was straight forward and very easy to read. With short chapters and multiple perspectives, this is the perfect mystery to cozy up with on a cold day.

cw: mentions of cheating

Susan Walter just may be the BEST author, that you haven’t yet read! SERIOUSLY.
Good As Dead
Over Her Dead Body
Lie By the Pool and soon…
Running Cold -expected publication date : October 8, 2024

Described ACCURATELY as a heart-pounding story of deception, murder, and survival- It’s the story of former Olympian, Julie Adler, who won the Gold 🥇 in the Biathlon-skiing and target shooting, before giving up the limelight and moving to Sunny California with her new husband, Jeff.

Life was good until Julie came home one day to find her husband dead in their bathroom-an apparent Suicide. But, that would not be the only shocking discovery that she would make. The other one-he has left her penniless.

Confused and heartbroken, Julie doesn’t want to admit all of this to her friends, Izzy, Christa and Suki, so she decides to return to the picturesque ski town of Banff, Canada where she trained for the Olympics.

Remy Delatour is an old friend, who happens to be the manager of the historic Banff Springs Hotel, so he is able to give her a room to live in, and a job as a housekeeper, to tide her over until her house in California can be sold.

But her bad luck will follow her.

A “difficult” guest, turns up dead, and Julie was the last person seen in her hotel room, and therefore the first suspect that Detective Monique Montpelier will focus on.

The story unfolds from the alternating first person POV’s of Julie, Izzy, Remy, and Monique, over 4️⃣ parts-beginning with “THE FIRST TO DIE”.

The evidence may be stacked against her, but Julie is determined to prove her innocence and discover the truth about what happened to her husband Jeff. Her only obstacles? Evading police and the real killer-while outrunning a blizzard.

The tension is palpable, and the setting is oozing in atmosphere! I could feel the chill and I even wrapped up in a blanket while reading this despite the 106 F degree temperature outside my door!

You can tell that Susan Walter was a screenwriter as every one of her books could easily translate to movies. I would love to see this one optioned as Banff and the Banff Springs hotel are actual places and there is even a story of a Murder-Suicide taking place in room 873 according to the Author’s Acknowledgments at the end of the book!

Can't you just picture the treacherous snowy mountains and the Castle like hotel on the big Screen? I can hear the audience cheering now! 🍿

I can’t wait to read whatever Susan Walter pens next! She is 4 for 4 for me!

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

So atmospheric, tense and twisty!
Mainly set in a small ski town, this is perfect to read cozied up with a blanket.
Julie is a former Olympian who moved to California to be with her husband. When she comes home from lunch to her husband dead from suicide and their bank accounts drained.
She goes back to what she knows, a small ski town where she used to live and stays and works at a high end hotel where her old friend Remy manages.
She wants to find answers but then finds herself fighting for her life.
So tense and thrilling that you won’t want to put this one down!

I read Running Cold in a matter of HOURS. I really couldn’t get enough of this story. There was so much drama and twist after twist that I just had to keep reading until I got to the end. This is an excellent thriller to read by the fire on a cold winter night with a cozy blanket and your hot beverage of choice.

I found this book to be a mixed experience. If you don't mind a predictable story where much is revealed by the halfway point, you might enjoy it. The pacing is brisk, making it a quick read, which I appreciated. However, I struggled to connect with the characters. They felt somewhat one-dimensional and didn't evoke much empathy or interest from me.

While I don't need to love every book I read, I felt let down by the story in particular. Key events and twists felt rushed, and as a result, the narrative lacked the impact it could have had with more development. Despite these shortcomings, the book has its moments and might appeal to readers looking for something light and easy to get through. However, for those who seek a deeper connection with characters and a more nuanced storyline, this book might fall short.

Book/Story: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐.5

TRIGGER(S): INFIDELITY, MENTAL HEALTH, DEATH OF SPOUSE, SUICIDE, MURDER

POV: Multiple, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Safe or Dark: Dark (see trigger warnings)

“Unfortunately, even tiny, well-intentioned lies are dangerous. Because they force you to tell bigger lies to cover them up.”
 
This is a quick read. The chapters are relatively short, and the writing is easy to follow. Although at times simplistic, it is still very engaging. 

This story taps into the age-old fear of “how well do you really know someone?” especially your spouse. What kind of secrets are they keeping? Are you really as financially well off as a couple as you believed you were? Was your significant other really as wonderful as they seemed to be on the surface? 

What happens when the life you thought you had built for yourself ends up being an illusion? 

Most of the time, when something seems too good to be true, it is. The perfect relationship, life, or person often has cracks spreading beneath the surface. 

The plot threads the feelings of grief, betrayal, and the idea of starting over again. 

While for myself the book started off a bit slow (despite pretty much getting right into the meat of things), it was still intriguing, and I wanted to find out what happened next. 

It’s rare that I pick up a book and end up liking all the characters. But somehow, I liked each person in this story. Even the murderer. They were all imperfect in their own ways, and all their imperfections were very believable. They all had flaws that we might even sometimes see in ourselves. I loved that both of the lead characters (Julie and the detective) were strong females. 

“If she was grade A prime, I was Hamburger Helper.”

I really enjoyed how, after Julie’s life fell apart, she didn’t wait around for someone to show up and fix it for her. She didn’t try to find someone to help her make things right again; she decided to do it herself. She was the one to determine the new course of her life. With many books I read now, that’s not the case with most female characters. Nine times out of ten, they wait for a man, friend, or family member of some sort to help them put their shattered pieces back together. So, personally, for me, this was a refreshing take on that scenario. 

The killer is revealed at approximately a little over the halfway mark of the book. I was pretty sure I had figured out who it was early on in the story, and I did. It's not a big deal. While I liked getting their point of view, it did somewhat take away from the intensity of the story. It made things feel a little anticlimactic. But overall, the execution was done well. It didn’t kill the bigger picture for me. Especially since a lot more than just a murder was at play. 

Remember to always keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But how do you know what to do if you can’t distinguish the two? 

Susan Walter’s book "Lie by the Pool" has been on my TBR for some time now, and after reading this, I might have the encouragement needed to finally check it out. 

“Athletes are told, There’s no limit to how great you can be! Problem is, when the sky’s the limit, you never arrive.”

TLDR: ENJOYABLE! WELL PACED STORY WITH LIKEABLE CHARACTERS! GIVE IT A TRY!

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

When former Olympian Julie Adler loses her husband to suicide, she flees their California home for the comfort and familiarity of her former training grounds in Banff, Canada. Living and working at a resort run by an old friend, Julie tries to settle in while still seeking answers about what could possibly have driven her husband to kill himself. Shortly after she starts her new job, an extremely wealthy guest dies and the police start to wonder about Julie's proximity to two different deaths so close together leaving Julie racing to find the killer and clear her name before she ends up being the next victim.

This one took me a minute to get into because I didn't love Julie Adler or any of her friends. I always love the depth Susan Walter brings to her characters so I was disappointed to find these fell flat for me, at least initially. That being said, once things got going I was drawn in and the back half of the book- once the Detective is introduced- absolutely flew. The setting delivers in a big way and provides an awesome backdrop for a crazy story of survival. The end was definitively more predictable than the other books by this author, but it was still compelling. Overall I definitely recommend this one (and everything else by this author)!!

I really enjoyed RUNNING COLD. I was hooked from the start. The pacing and twist throughout the book made it hard for me to put it down. Run, don't walk to grab yourself a copy!!

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

Julia leaves her home and dreams behind when she falls in love and moves to California. Her life seems perfect, until her husband commits suicide, and all of the cracks are revealed. Julia goes back to where she trained for the Olympics to work as a housekeeper. When a hotel guest ends up dead, Julia finds herself as the prime suspect. She needs to prove it wasn’t her and find the real murderer.

This was an absolutely brilliant read. It was atmospheric and seriously tense. At times, the story felt a little slow, especially when describing the day to day work of the hotel room cleaners, but once the story picked up, it was action packed and didn't slow down. I have a few of this authors books on my tbr and now I can't wait to give those a shot.

Running Cold was exactly what I needed to beat the oppressive heat this summer. It offered the eerie backdrop of a “suicide” plus a case of who done it all within a frigid ski resort. Great read this summer. Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union and Goodreads for this honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In her latest novel, Running Cold, Susan Walter crafts a gripping tale of survival, deception, and resilience set against the breathtaking yet unforgiving backdrop of the Canadian wilderness. This psychological thriller follows Julie Adler, a former Olympian whose life is upended by her husband’s shocking suicide. As Julie retreats to Banff, a place filled with memories of her past, she hopes to rebuild her shattered life. However, the discovery of a dead guest at the luxury resort where she works thrusts her into a perilous game of cat and mouse.

Walter’s narrative is a masterclass in suspense, and Julie’s journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, as she navigates the treacherous terrain of her past and present. 

The characters in Running Cold are well-developed and relatable, each with their own flaws and strengths. Julie, in particular, stands out as a protagonist who is both vulnerable and fiercely determined. Her struggle to clear her name and uncover the truth behind the murder is compelling, and readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way.

The setting of Banff adds an extra layer of tension to the story. The isolated, snow-covered mountains create a sense of claustrophobia and danger that permeates the novel. 

Running Cold is a taut, fast-paced thriller that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Walter’s ability to blend emotional depth with high-stakes suspense makes this novel a standout in the genre. Whether you’re a fan of psychological thrillers or simply looking for a captivating read, Running Cold is a book that should not be missed.

Susan Walter. You just made me incredibly homesick!🍁😩

Julie Weston Alder was an Olympic biathlete. (Combination of cross country-skiing and shooting marksmanship.) Perhaps not as popular in the US, but in Canada she was a local hero!
However, when love comes calling, Julie puts her Olympic life behind her and heads for sunny California!

But what ideally should have been a dream life just isn’t panning out.

She and her husband Jeff aren’t happy. And after brunch with her friends Julie returns home to find Jeff dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.

With grief overwhelming her Julie heads back to the happiest place she knows from her past…the town of Banff, Alberta. (One of my happy places too).
She finds herself knocking on the door of her long-time friend, Remy Delatour. (who happens to be the general manager of the Banff Springs Resort), begging for a job so she can hide from her grief.

Try as she might, Julie can’t outrun death as it follows her across the border!

Sometimes it’s the storyline that captures the readers and other times it’s the atmosphere of the background. Susan Walter superbly weaves both effortlessly and I was once again transported back to my happy place in Canada.

Her research on the City of Banff and the enchantment of the historical Banff Spring Hotel was impeccable. I was right there at the Rundle Bar having my Old Fashioned🥃 while the snow swirled outside on the majestic mountain peaks.🗻

So while I was reading this book in sweltering 115*F summer heat, it was a welcome change to turn a page and immerse myself in a blinding blizzard and sub-zero temperatures of -20*C. (The cold may not appeal to some, but brings back fond memories for this Canadian girl! Even if it was that same weather that had me running for warmer climates).😂

If you’re looking for a thriller to cool off your summer…look no further!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing