Rating 2.5 stars
Running Cold by Susan Walter is about a former Olympian grieving her husband's recent loss. Wanting to escape, she returns to Banff, an isolated ski town where she once trained for the Olympics. Staying at a hotel run by a friend, she soon becomes implicated in the murder of one of the eccentric guests.

I enjoyed the premise of this story, the setting of Banff, Alberta, and the inclusion of Banff Springs. I became easily distracted, and the characters lacked depth. I couldn’t relate to them enough to get through, and I found them unrealistic. Some of the plot was contrived. The slow-medium pacing didn’t help; my mind wandered, and I skipped ahead, which wasn’t a good sign. 

Although described as a ‘heart-pounding story,’ it didn’t have that effect on me. It was a solid story but could have been executed better with a great atmosphere, especially in Banff's picturesque setting. Unfortunately, I found the murder mystery too clear, even from the beginning. Perhaps this was the intention; however, I would have enjoyed an unreliable narrator being misled and thrown off track rather than having it be the most straightforward and predictable answer. It was my first read by Susan Waters.

I paired the e-arc with the ALC for a fully immersive experience. It had an entire cast: narrators Selah Victor, Erin Moon, Jess Nahikian, and Braden Wright. I didn’t enjoy Izzy's character's narration; it was monotone.

I want to thank Lake Publishing, Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the e-ARC and ALC for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

Julie’s life is ripped apart in Running Cold - and her journey to save herself is chock-full of swirling secrets!

The story is told from several points of view, but because each chapter has the name of whose voice we're hearing, it's easy to follow.

Was everything that happened entirely believable? Definitely not. Did that bother me? Definitely not! Running Cold is perfect for readers who appreciate an atmospheric book filled with suspense, as well as twists and turns.

Many thanks to both #LakeUnionPublishingand #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Running Cold. This book has an expected publication date of October 8, 2024!!

Running Cold by Susan Walter is set mostly in postcard perfect Banff, Alberta, during the icy depths of winter. Told in four parts in multiple perspectives, this is an addictive rollercoaster of a book. Though the mystery itself was not a surprise to me, the gorgeous writing and atmospheric setting made up for it. There are secrets and betrayals galore. I got lost in the story for the pure enjoyment of reading.

Former Olympian Julie is desperate to leave California after she is the one to find her husband's lifeless body from suicide. She drives to Banff where her home and heart are. She is stunned to discover their bank accounts empty. She is given a housemaid job by friend/manager at a luxury hotel but keeps it from her friends who surprise her with a visit. Meanwhile, a murder is committed at the hotel and she is in the wrong place at the wrong time. RCMP officer Monique is convinced she did it. But there is more in store one dark and stormy night. Julie must rely on her disciplined training, athleticism and wit.

The very first few words enticed me in a nanosecond. As a Canadian I know brutal blizzards as well as the incredible majestic Rocky Mountains. The level of bone chilling cold is described so vividly I could feel it. The pace is exciting and zippy.

My sincere thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this enthralling novel.

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Banff, a biathlete and murder! Julie's trying to pull herself back from the death of her husband and so takes a job at a hotel in Banff but then things go very wrong when a guest is murdered and she's the prime suspect. This uses multiple POVs which works through the various twists. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast read.

See I much twists,turns,secrets,lies and so much more. I loved it. A definite recommend

Thanks to netgalley and publisher.. all thoughts and opinions are my own

This is a fairly predictable thriller set in a really beautiful backdrop. I loved Banff, the snow, the fancy hotel - all of the scene setting was done incredibly well. The story is slow to start somehow, and its not until we get the POV of Monqiue that I really felt the pace pick up. There are some twists and turns that keep the intrigue and once you get into the meat of the story its easy to zoom through happily. Overall and enjoyable read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

When ex Olympic gold medalist Julie’s tech husband is found dead by suicide, she decides to return to her old stomping ground of Banff Canada to get back to herself. Working as a maid in her friends hotel isn’t what she planned, but she’s enjoying it anyways, that is until a guest turns up murdered, and she is the main suspect.

I really enjoyed Julie as a character. She was real, and had a true depth to her. The writing was easy and flowed so nicely. Quick chapters kept me fully invested. I enjoyed travelling with Julie through Banff and she tried to find out what truly happened to he murdered woman to clear her name.

I will for sure check out more work by Walter.

A somewhat predictable thriller with an amazing setting - Banff Canada . Unfortunately I didn’t like any of the main characters except for Monique , who were don’t meet until much later in the book, which did impact my enjoyment of the story

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for the chance to read the ARC of Running cold by Susan Walter. I quickly requested this ARC because I had read and enjoyed the author's previous book, Lie by the pool. Running cold was a fast paced read, and while the plot starts in California, most of the book centers around Banff, Alberta and Banff Springs Hotel. Told by multiple narrators, each chapter is clearly marked making it easy to follow and the description of Banff makes you want to take a trip there and stay at the hotel, even if it is winter!! Totally recommend not only the book, but also the author!!!

4.5 stars A page turner from beginning to end. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I normally don't like multiple POVs but this one made sense. It was easy to follow and I like "hearing" from the people.

Julie Weston Adler is quite a respected and accomplished woman. An Olympic gold medalist, she’s a biathlete; one of the best skiers and shooters in the world. When she met her technological wizard of a husband, Jeff, she left Canada and moved to be with him in Southern California. She met her best friends, Izzy, Suki and Christa, and was finally settling into this new life, when that life ended with a bang. She came home one day to find her husband dead in the bathroom, having locked himself in before shooting himself in the head.

Julie is devastated that her husband is gone, and she’s very perplexed by why he would kill himself. It’s not until she checks their bank accounts that she finds one possible reason: they had nothing left. Her husband had received $3 million in seed money for a nanotechnology project, and that along with her salary as a part-time physical therapist should have left them with plenty of money - money she now needs, as life insurance doesn’t pay out for suicides. Instead, she finds their personal and business accounts have been completely wiped out.

Not knowing what to do with herself, she heads back to Canada, where an old Olympic buddy manages a luxury resort. When she asks for a job as a housekeeper, Remi is surprised, but he is able to give her the job and lodging. It’s while working her new job that Julie meets Cici Rousseau, a wealthy woman in the middle of a divorce, who has been living in the penthouse for months. After a catty confrontation in the lobby, Cici is found dead in her room, and Julie is arrested for her murder. Then the story REALLY gets going…

This was a well-crafted mystery/thriller that didn’t get bogged down in unnecessary characters or details. The story was relatively simple, but very effective…Julie is now on the run in the Canadian wilderness. Can her training and knowledge of the mountains help her save her own life? You’ll find out in a book that was definitely a page turner, especially towards the ending, which was also simple but effective. Four stars!

(Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Susan Walter and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on October 8, 2024.)

Running Cold is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. Susan Walter masterfully weaves a tale of suspense, survival, and personal redemption, taking readers deep into the heart of the Canadian wilderness. The vivid descriptions of Banff’s isolated, snow-covered landscapes add a chilling layer to the already tense plot, making the setting feel like a character in its own right.

I highly recommend this pulse-pounding read that leaves you breathless! A must-read for anyone who enjoys page-turning thrillers with strong, complex, heroines!

Running Cold is a chilling (literally) and gripping thriller that had me hooked straight from the start. I was absolutely engrossed in the storyline, I needed to know where it was headed, who was doing it and why ! I loved that we did get to see who the suspect was quite a bit before the ending, it gave for such a good cat & mouse chase. It built the suspense even more in my opinion. The writing absolutely grabbed me, the vivacity of the descriptions, the settings it was truly playing out as a movie in my head.

So many secrets, lies, deception, murder and it was all woven with masterful skills. The way everything came together. I enjoyed the characters, loved digging into each of them more and more as the story went on. The story had a great pace and kept me on the edge of my seat.

This is a solid thriller that I really enjoyed and I believe it's perfect for the upcoming winter months !

✨️Thank you to @netgalley & @susanwalter for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a compelling and intense suspenseful read! Julie’s husband has recently committed suicide. After being shocked by his death and later looking through their finances she realizes something had gone terribly wrong in his life. Once relatively well off she discovers she is broke! Stunned by his death and now the financial worries she leaves their home in California and heads to Banff, Alberta where she has previously lived. Julie is a renowned biathlete and has competed in and won the Olympics and has trained in the Banff area. She hopes to be able to get to the bottom of the events happening in her husband’s life. Soon Julie realizes she may have become a target and now fears for her own life. The book is fast paced and engaging. The setting of Banff is what initially drew me to this book as I live relatively close and make frequent trips there. The Banff Springs Hotel is as majestic as it is described! Overall a very enjoyable and captivating book!

Holy cow! Having read several of Susan Walter’s books already, I knew even before diving into Running Cold that I was in for a treat. Let me tell you, this intoxicating thriller did not disappoint. From the atmospheric setting to the ever present foreboding, the swiftly moving plot quickly pulled me in deep. Not only did the Hallmark-esque town of Banff come alive before me, but the multiple POVs felt undeniably well-drawn. But the gasp-inducing twists were what drove this book home. Turning the story on its head, it just couldn’t have been better no ifs, ands, or buts.

The characters were, in a phrase, simply sublime. Running the gamut from someone you’ll love to hate to a resourceful, strong protagonist that you’ll happily cheer on, I was easily swept up in her deadly ordeal. I especially loved the shocking revelations that exposed weaknesses that made them all oh so genuine and true. As much as I loved each of them in turn, though, it was the naturally unfurling plot that made this book sing. It’s no wonder all of my colleagues at @thrillerbookloversthepulse couldn’t put this one down.

All said and done, with short cliffhanger chapters that escorted me handily through the heart-pounding climax and soul-satisfying conclusion, I was easily bowled over by this unputdownable novel. My absolute favorite piece to the puzzle, however? That would be how we learned the who in this magnificent whodunnit earlier than expected. Far from ruining the rising suspense, it instead elicited an addictive game of cat-and-mouse that kept me utterly spellbound from beginning to end. Needless to say, you have GOT to order this book now. A slam dunk success, Walter has clearly done it again. Rating of 5 stars.

Thank you to Susan Walter and Lake Union Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I've read all of Susan Walter's book and there is something so engaging about them. There are twists and turns throughout the book, always with something unexpected. Her writing style often gives you an idea about what is to come, so it's not completely out of the blue. I love the domestic suspense element to her books - always something a little sinister going on within a marriage or friendship.

This book had some great characters too! The main character is Julie, whose life is suddenly shattered when she comes home and finds her husband dead by suicide. She quickly discovers that all is not what it seems in her marriage and escapes California to Banff, a small skiing town where she trained as an Olympic athlete. A great setting for the book! So many things can go wrong in a small town, set in the mountains in the winter...

I love a story with a remote setting and/or bad weather trope, so it's easy to understand why I ended up adding Running Cold to my TBR. I loved the sound of the premise with the murder mystery and the isolated Canadian ski town setting... And I'm happy to announce that this book was definitely a winner for me! This was the first time I read one of Susan Walter's books, but I will definitely be back for more in the future.

Running Cold is part psychological thriller, part murder mystery slash detective thriller and part survival thriller. These different subgenres are spread out over multiple POVs, but somehow still manages to create a successful and cohesive thriller cocktail... The fact that the story is divided into parts helps putting order to the plot, and I liked what it added. The POVs were not too difficult to keep apart, as we mainly stick with Julie Adler and (starting in part two) detective Monique Montpelier.

One of the things I loved about Running Cold is without doubt the Canadian ski town setting, which was such a perfect backdrop for this story. It is winter in Banff, and the cold weather plays an important role in the plot... Especially once the blizzard arrives and things escalate. Both the focus on Julie's past as an Olympic atlete, the descriptions of all things skiing and how her skills play a key role in the plot add a little something extra to the story, and it definitely made Running Cold stand out for me. The survival focused part of the plot is without doubt the most intense of the whole book!

The murder mystery was intriguing, although I admit that it was quite easy to guess who was behind it. It was still fun to discover if Julie was able to uncover the truth though, and it without doubt added a lot of suspense. The psychological part had a tad too much drama at times, and I definitely could have done without the cheating element. It distracted too much from the rest of the story without adding anything substantial, but then again I'm never a fan of this element in the first place.

Running Cold turned out to be an engaging and suspenseful thriller mashup against the backdrop of an isolated Canadian ski town in the middle of winter. Get ready for drama, murder and a lot of intrigue! And make sure to bundle up, because there will be a blizzard coming... And the realistic descriptions will chill you to the bone.

Well now.......

Running Cold had me running non-stop paces within my mind. This, folks, is an unexpected little gem of a read. Me thinks that I'll have to check out more books from this talented author. Susan Walter brings the blizz in blizzard.

Just when you think that life has taken its lowest ebb, it hasn't. Life keeps on givin'. Julie Adler gave up her stellar Olympic career as a highly competitive biathalon Gold Medal winner to marry Jeff. She left the snowpeaks of Canada to live in sunny Southern California. Julie settled for a career in sports medicine while Jeff, tech genius, had a start-up company in the works.

Promises line all marriages. The majority of these never fulfilled. Julie realizes that her marriage is on the rocks. After a liquid lunch with her friends, Izzy, Christa, and Suki,, Julie heads home. It's here that she finds that Jeff has shot himself in their master bath.

Fright takes flight. Julie checks their accounts and the the company accounts. They're broke.......like almost 0 Balance. She flees to the Banff Springs Hotel in Canada where her friend, Remy Delatour, is the manager. She needs a job like yesterday. Julie becomes a maid or "room attendant" in a nano second. Julie never even informs her friends. She's just gone.

Susan Walter is a screen writer and it shows here. We feel the biting cold of Banff with a stellar panoramic view. Walter sets up a scene with vivid details when a body is found at the hotel and Julie is the last one out of that room on the video. There are a few potholes on these snowy roads, but we forgive and move with the fast paced storyline. Walter seems to know the challenge of this icy terrain and it eventually gives us more solid footing through the conclusion. Be sure to check this one out. It's due to publish 10/8/24.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to the talented Susan Walter.

Susan Walter is truly the queen of multi-POV thrilling madness, and Running Cold is further proof of it!

After ex-Olympian biathlete Julie comes home to find her husband has taken his own life, she finds herself pulled back to what was home for her before she married Jeff - Banff. More specifically, the Banff Springs Hotel, where she gets a job as a maid. But when one of the long term guests is found dead, and certain evidence makes Julie look guilty, she must navigate both her grief for losing her husband, her anger and confusion that he left her with no money, and figuring out the actual killer to clear her name.

The last 20% is a wild dash to a climactic ending that really was a beautiful cap to Julie's character arc.

Fans of destination thrillers, murder mysteries and falsely accused main characters will devour this one!!