Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for this copy of A Cold Dark Place.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Story starts with Detective Emily and her daughter Jenna. With a recent tornado hitting their town and whilst dealing with this. Emily finds a family murdered and their oldest adopted son missing. Emily’s daughter then going missing potentially with the missing son Nick, who Emily suspects is the one to have hurt his family. Emily has to work fast to figure out what has happened and where her daughter is.

This story happens in 3 parts and in duel timelines. Which all come together in the end.

Enjoyed the ending but found this to be a bit of a slow burner.

The first in a series featuring a female lead detective, with, it has to be said, the obligatory demons.

I found this on the whole to be an enjoyable read. It was a tad repetitive at times which meant it lacked the pace I prefer.

This is certainly worth a read, especially if on holiday as there is enough to hold your interest without being taxing. I will read the second in the series, I often find that is when I begin to gel with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen

Creepy, twisty, and super addictive. This one had me flipping pages way too late at night. The small-town setting gave it that eerie feeling where you know something’s off but can’t quite figure it out.

The characters were really well done and the mystery kept me guessing. Every time I thought I had it all worked out, something else would happen. Loved that.

Some bits dragged a little, but overall it was a really solid thriller that kept me locked in till the end. If you like dark crime stories with secrets and suspense, you’ll enjoy this one.

This was an unfortunate DNF for me, I sadly felt that the plot and characters felt short I just couldn't get into the story or the writing style which is really upsetting! I'm sure there will be people who love this but it wasn't for me.

A myster thriller, first in a series.
The story started out suspenseful and had some twists. It was interesting enough that I enjoyed reading it, but it did not stand out for me.
I would give 3 1/2 stars

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy for review

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This is crime fiction and a thriller in one book. DI Emily Kenyon is investigating a local family who have been found murdered, the elder son is missing and a presumed suspect. We learn about Emily , her daughter, Jenna and her estranged husband as the story progresses. Their relationships play a part in this investigation , as do the dynamics of the murdered family. The characters are real and the pace of the story is fast. However, I somehow felt slightly ill at ease with the conclusion. It didn't feel right to me. I am sure that others will have a different opinion, so I will still recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Emily Kenyon.

Its small-town setting enhances this dark murder mystery. Detective Emily Kenyon knows the town and wants to keep control of the case. She has a personal connection, as she knows the victims, and when her daughter becomes entangled in it, this challenges Emily's objectivity. I appreciated the atmospheric ambience, the menacing undertone, and the small-town setting of this crime thriller.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

A Gruesome Killing..
A gruesome killing at a remote farmhouse, a missing boy and a detective leading the hunt. Detective Emily Kenyon is in charge of the investigation- seeking both killer/s and missing boy. Yet when almost identical incidents occur in other places just days apart, can Kenyon tie up the crimes? A pacy thriller with a well drawn and credible cast of characters populating a propulsive plot with a well imagined sense of place. Fast and immersive.

Loved this one. It's a good mix of thriller and only shows the personal and emotional connects. The characters are well written and the supporting characters do well.

Told in multiple perspectives I liked how it ties together. The murder cases and the race to find out the killer and what is going on is interesting. You see the lead's life unfold in parallel to this mayhem. Quite a thrilling read!

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

I enjoyed A Cold Dark Place! It started off a little slow, but about halfway through I couldn’t put it down! I’m excited to read more books in this series and get to know Emily more.

BOOK: A COLD DARK PLACE
AUTHOR: GREG OLSEN
PUB DATE: MAY, 2025
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I loved the murder mystery in this book, it was amazing with the most satisfying ending. Anyway, the murder was that of a family of four with the first son being the prime suspect and the main detective on the case, Emily Kenyon. The book was equally focused on solving the case and Emily's personal life.
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The murder case was really interesting, and I felt like the author managed to bring it home. However, there were a few things I'd have changed or added. But, I liked how the past and present came together. At first, it was confusing to see how both parts would connect. I was pleased when I finally understood the hows and whys. However, there was a mention of another family murder case similar to this one, but it was abandoned in the end. It was disappointing for me. But, I liked how Emily solved the case using the available clues even when her daughter ran away. She was good enough. But, Olga Morris was also a good detective, she was a character from the past.
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Emily's personal life was complicated with her divorce from her cheating husband, a breakup from a problematic ex with a missing daughter. Some times, Emily was kinda difficult, especially with her ex's new wife. At the same time, she's only human, so I allowed her that. But, she was an amazing mother.
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I liked the storyline, the characters, the fast pace and the setting. I read this book in two days alone, so eager to know who the culprit was. I would definitely recommend this
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Dark ,gritty thriller with a great many twists and turns. Interesting characters who make strange choices. Also quite a strange plot.

Emily Kenyon is a local detective and a single mother to a teenage girl named Jenna. Their life is uprooted when a recent tornado touches down, and they discover the bodies of a local family. However, it wasn't the tornado that killed them. The mystery draws Emily and Jenna down a dangerous path and into the sights of a notorious serial killer.

Detective series, primarily featuring female leads, are my go-to genre, and this is a good first entry into a new series. Emily is strong and fierce, with a deep love for her daughter and a passion for justice. I look forward to meeting her again in book 2!

Thank you, Storm Publishing, for the e-book ARC. All opinions are my own.

A Cold Dark place was a fast paced and well written book. Quite a few twists that really made the book hard to put down.

Wow, this is an amazing experience! Emily Kenyon is a detective for the Cherrystone Police Department. Cherrystone is a town in Washington State its population is less than 15,000 people. Their town had recently had a tornado hit it and Emily hadn't gotten any sleep because of it. Her daughter, Jenna, was on her own to get herself up and ready for school. Sometimes even for dinner time, as well.
Emily was a single mom doing the best she could, seeing how her ex David lived in Seattle with his new girlfriend and new baby to be.. Emily got called out, after having dinner with her daughter to a scene that at first looked like the tornado had ripped it apart. Then after the first police officer had gotten there, he showed her what he thought looked like a homicide. Then they found the next body and, the next. It was a family of four though so where was the fourth young boy?

After work Emily comes home and yells out to Jenna that she needs to get going because her ride for school is here. Shali was Jenna best friend. She picked her up for school every morning. When she showed up this morning there was no Jenna. Emily went running around the house looking for her screaming for her and she was no where.

Jenna was gone!

This is an awesome thriller, and if you don't loose your breath while reading this then you are already dead!

Emily Kenton is a flawed person but there is so much depth to her character that you can’t help but back her all the way as she fights to save her daughter and solve both a past and present mystery. Full of amazing supporting characters, this is a deep and rich book which allows you to feel truly part of the story. It’s pretty dark at times and the author doesn’t shy away from some shocking details as the full extent of the historical crimes comes to light. I was absolutely riveted and am delighted to see there is more to come featuring Emily.

I enjoy Gregg Olsen's Waterman and Stark series, and also the two non fiction books that I have read. This one sounded good- and so I started reading. I quickly discovered that I had read this book before. It was originally published in 2007, and I guess I read it a couple years after publication. It is getting re-published. And I realized why I never rated it- I did not enjoy it at all. The characters are very two dimensional, and the lead detective, Emily Kenyon, made some questionable choices that did not ring true. She doesn't seem to have a good relationship with anyone, including her daughter. Yet we are given no backstory as to why. So the relationships seem to begin one way, then suddenly change- and I couldn't tell why they changed- except to further the plot or add tension????
The plot was all over the place, with more questions than answers. And the end and the solution came out of left field.

I am so glad that I didn't remember this, because I really like his non-fiction, as well as the other series.

Thank you NetGalley and Pinnacle Books for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

If you’re in the mood for a gripping, fast-paced thriller with just the right dose of psychological tension, A Cold Dark Place delivers.

From the opening pages, I was hooked by the brutal farmhouse murders in Cherrystone. It’s the kind of scene that sends a chill down your spine—and sets the tone for everything that follows. Detective Emily Kenyon is a strong, layered protagonist. I appreciated that she’s not just a sharp investigator but also a single mom juggling the emotional rollercoaster that comes with raising a teenager. That personal angle gave the story more weight for me.

What really pulled me in, though, was the dynamic between Emily and her daughter, Jenna. The fact that Jenna reaches out to the missing boy, unsure if he’s a victim or a killer, added a whole new layer of tension. You want to trust her instincts, but you’re also constantly bracing for something terrible to happen.

The mystery spans multiple states and generations, and the way the murders tie together is cleverly done. I didn’t see all the twists coming, which I always appreciate in a thriller. There were a few moments where I had to suspend disbelief—especially how quickly Jenna inserts herself into a dangerous situation—but overall, the story felt grounded and genuinely suspenseful.

My only minor gripe is that some of the villain's motivations felt a bit underexplored, and the final confrontation, while intense, wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste. Still, I raced through this book in two sittings and felt thoroughly satisfied by the end.

A Cold Dark Place is dark, twisty, and emotionally charged. It’s not just about solving a murder—it’s about the lengths a mother will go to protect her child. Highly recommended for fans of crime fiction with heart.

I really enjoyed reading this book which I hope continues with a follow up as I became very invested in the characters almost from the first chapter. The characters are well drawn and three dimensional and the story is well plotted. The writing grabs you from the outset and you find yourself reading just one more chapter.