This was a strong thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Some of the twists were slightly easy to anticipate but others shocked me so I appreciated the many different twists that came along throughout the book. Overall, a really solid read and I now appreciate Gregg Olsen's fiction AND nonfiction and am looking forward to reading the second book in this series!

A Cold Dark Place is one of those books that keep you hooked from beginning to the end. Emily is back to her hometown working as a Detective after leaving her previous job in the Police Force and a broken marriage. She believes she has a strong relationship with her daughter, a teenager who is enjoying living in a smaller town and is in constant bickering with her ex-husband. Everything is going well until a tornado hits the area, and besides the destruction it provokes, they find 3 members of one family killed, the older boy of the family is missing and finally Emily's daughter also disappears. She'll go into a frenetic search for the killer and also for her daughter which will uncover dark secrets involving a serial killer, his fans, and his children. Emily is divided between being a mother and a police officer and sometimes there's a line that needs to be crossed. Gripping and entertaining!
I thank Mr. Olsen, his publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

The first Gregg Olsen book I have read and suspect it will not be the last. Read in a day. Fast moving thriller to be enjoyed.

Emily Kenyon is a single mom and the town's sheriff. She is called to investigate the murder of a family in a farmhouse. There, she discovers that their teenage soon is missing.

Emily will soon find out the secrets that this family carried, the lies and murders that are hidden, and she must figure it all out because her daughter Jenna is way ahead of her and deeply involved.

First time reading this author, and I am hooked. Loved the writing style and how the characters are developed.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen is a fast paced and chilling thriller with twists and turns, complex characters and plenty of suspense. This is the first book in the Detective Emily Kenyon series.

Detective Emily Kenyon is called in to investigate when a family has been murdered in an isolated farmhouse in the Pacific Northwest. The only survivor is the teenage son, but when he goes missing he quickly becomes a prime suspect. Before Emily can start to sift through the evidence, a tornado rips through the town destroying any and everything in its path. As the cleanup gets underway, Emily discovers that her daughter Jenna has run off with the teenaged survivor. As Emily frantically searches for her daughter and her main suspect, she stumbles upon a twisted web of murder, secrets and a serial killer.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and had me thinking about it for days after! The timeline shifts between past and present, allowing readers to piece together parts of the whole puzzle. The beginning is a bit slow only because there are a lot of characters introduced but soon you'll be flipping pages faster than ever! As the search for the killer gets personal, things begin to get creepy and ominous. Overall I definitely recommend this book for fans of twisted and compelling thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley, Gregg Olsen, and Storm Publishing for this ARC! Publication date is May 22nd 2025.

A secluded farmhouse in Cherrystone, Washington, is the scene of the brutal murder of a family, and the only survivor is their teenage son, who has suddenly gone missing. As Detective Emily Kenyon begins her search for the missing boy and the killer, she learns that her teenage daughter Jenna has befriended the missing boy, who is now suspected of murdering the family. Jenna believes he is innocent and is trying to help him. Little does she know that her own life is now in danger.
When there is a similar brutal slaying in Salt Lake City, Emily believes that the similarity of the two crimes is linked to those committed years before, which may lead to more deaths.
Desperate to save Jenna from the boy now suspected of the murders, she suddenly comes face to face with a killer who is responsible for a string of unrelated murders in the past and has set both Emily and Jenna as his next targets. An edge-of-the-seat thriller with twists and turns that lead to an incredible ending.

Emily Kenyon is a tough small-town sheriff's detective and a single mother of a teenage girl. Who is called to investigate the murder of an entire family at a nearby farmhouse, where she discovers that their adopted teenage son is missing, making him the prime suspect.

But before Emily can uncover the truth about what happened at the farmhouse, a tornado strikes, destroying everything in its path. To make matters worse, Emily learns that her own daughter, Jenna, has gone on the run with her prime suspect.

And as the investigation unfolds and Emily's desperate search for her daughter intensifies, she uncovers a twisted web of lies and past murders. At the centre of which is a ruthless serial killer.

And with multiple timelines, shifting between the past and the present. A Cold Dark Place will keep you on the edge of your seat. Not to mention leave you haunted long after you reach the end.

Holy cow! This book was phenomenal. I was a bit worried because it was a new character, new series but this was more than a home run, it was right out of the park! Sooooo suspenseful and creepy. The characters were amazing. The plot had serious depth. Full of twists and turns that kept me guessing… and then the jaw dripping twist.
This is a must read. I stayed up all night to finish this one.
Can’t put it down page turner!

This is one of those edge of your seat thrillers that will haunt you after you finish the book. It is, at times, terrifying, as the search for a serial killer gets personal. This twisty mystery will stay with with you long after you finish it. You will also probably want to sleep with the lights on after reading it, and while reading it as well.

This is a complex puzzle with many moving parts, but those puzzle pieces will fall in place and leave you shocked. The beginning was a little bit confusing as you are introduced to a lot of characters, but if you hang tight, everything will make sense.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a hard review to write. I didn't hate the storyline, I quite enjoyed the concept but there was just so much going on and jumping back and forth in time and from different characters POVs that it kind of felt a little all over the place.
There were some inconsistencies that were a bit confusing as well and I have to say I didn't really fall in love with the ending, which kind of felt a bit unrealistic to be honest.
It was a bit of a hard slog to get through in the end and didn't have that twist or shock factor that I was waiting for!

Book one in a new series featuring Detective Emily Kenyon, who is a strong, compassionate woman who is very protective of her daughter Emily.
When they both find themselves drawn deeper into the mystery of the case Emily is trying to solve lots of emotions are brought to the surface.
Jenna is a strong added bonus to the story showing a fresh insite into a dark theme from a younger point of view.
The pacing is a steady one, and the outcome is well worth the wait, all be it an unsettling one.
Thoughtful,dark, and very engaging.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the Arc.

Fast-paced and gripping, A Cold Dark Place immediately pulls you in with a strong, flawed protagonist- a single mother and homicide detective- and a suspenseful atmosphere enhanced by an ominous, unknown narrator. Gregg Olsen’s references to real-life crimes add authenticity and depth, and the mystery unfolds in unpredictable ways that keep you guessing. While the writing is straightforward and effective, I feel that the story would have benefitted from deeper character development and more resolution, especially regarding side characters like Bonnie and Nick as I feel like I have some unanswered questions. Still, it’s a solid, enjoyable crime thriller that holds your attention throughout.

This is book number one in the Emily Kenyon series. It also seems to be a rewrite and published with a different publishing company. I have read several of Gregg Olsen's true crime writings, this is the first time I'm reading his fiction writing. You can tell a difference., it doesn't quite feel like the same author. That is not to say anything bad, I enjoy both writing styles. I found the main character of Emily a strong female lead. The story kept me turning the page and I enjoyed the plot twist. I will be reading the next in the series.

A Cold Dark place was a very captivating story!
After a tornado ramshackles a town, bodies are found where a house used to be, but their cause of death was not the natural disaster but something more sinister.
The towns detective is on the case but when her daughter goes missing things start to spiral out of her control.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was hooked from the beginning and had no idea where the story was going so it had me on the edge of my seat! Absolutely loved the main character and her determination to find out the truth. The unravelling of everything nicely ties things up and I cannot wait to read more with the Emily Kenyon series!
Thanks to netgalley and Storm publishing for the arc!

Gregg Olsen’s A Cold Dark Place kicks off with an intriguing setup: a series of gruesome crimes in a quiet town, a determined detective named Emily Kenyon, and a teenager caught in the crossfire of a long-buried secret. The story spans multiple timelines, weaving past and present as secrets unravel and identities come into question.

There’s no doubt that Olsen knows how to create an eerie atmosphere. The pacing in some sections is brisk, and there are flashes of tension that work well. The premise has all the right ingredients for a chilling thriller, with murder, hidden truths, and a killer who manipulates from the shadows. For readers new to crime fiction, there’s an accessible quality to the writing that makes it easy to dive into.

That said, this one didn’t quite land for me.

The story jumps between timelines and characters so often that it starts to feel disjointed, and unfortunately, the threads only come together in a very loose way at the end. I found it hard to connect with the characters, especially since many felt underdeveloped. Emily, who’s supposed to be the anchor of the story, often makes choices that strain believability. A police officer heading solo to an abduction scene, for example, pulled me out of the story more than once. These types of plot decisions matter to readers who appreciate thrillers that respect logic and procedure.

There’s also a disturbing subplot involving women who idolize the killer in very unsettling ways. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say it crossed into cringey territory and didn’t add much to the emotional depth or suspense of the book. It just felt off.

Thriller readers tend to be sharp and enjoy picking up on layered clues and smart twists. This book didn’t offer that kind of payoff. While the idea behind the story had promise, it lacked the clarity and cohesion that could have made it truly gripping.

Still, every book finds its readers, and Olsen has a solid fanbase for a reason. This one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

When his family is slaughtered a teen boy goes on the run but police wonder if he's a killer or a victim. Not only does the son disappear but also a school friend who happens to be Detective Emily Kenyon's daughter. No one knows if she went willingly or was kidnapped but Emily is determined to find out.
The story is a fast paced, thrilling read with twist and turns galore. Once you start reading you don't want to stop. Thanks to Netgalley and Storm publishing for the chance to read this chilling book.

Detective Emily Kenyon is investigating a triple homicide of a family in her small town when her teenage daughter goes missing. Things only grow more complicated when she discovers her daughter, Jenna, is hiding from her and helping the lone survivor of the slaughter, a high school friend who just happens to be the prime suspect.

As Detective Kenyon searches for her daughter and answers to the crime that is rocking her town, she also has to face mistakes from her past. She uncovers a link to a scandalous baby adoption ring, a decades old serial killer, and relies on the help of the original detective still looking for justice.

I've read Olsen's books before and this one fell short for me. At times, I felt like I was attempting to put together a jigsaw puzzle and half the pieces were missing.

This was a pretty average read for me. It frustrated me that there wasn't a lot of police work going on, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and the end just didn't do it justice. And whilst I read it rather quickly, I don't think that I'll be reading any other books from this author.

A Cold Dark Place
by Gregg Olsen
Pub Date: May 22 2025

A Cold Dark Place is my first Gregg Olsen book. This was a good, creepy thriller-mystery that had me hooked from the very beginning. It had complex characters and awesome plot twists that kept me wanting to not put the book down! A lot of suspense but I feel it ended with a lot of unsolved pieces. As this is the first book in a series, perhaps the second book will pick up and continue on with the story.

Synopsis: In a secluded farm house in the Pacific Northwest, a family has been slaughtered—and a teenage son has disappeared. Single mother and cop, Emily Kenyon spearheads a dark hunt for a killer. But Emily’s teenage daughter Jenna is one step ahead of her. Then another family is butchered, and another. As Emily fits the puzzle pieces together, she makes a chilling discovery: the killer is coming after her and her daughter . . .

Many thanks to #StormPublishing #NetGalley and #AColdDarkPlace for providing me with an E-ARC of Fantastic new series!

I’m conflicted over this book. Some parts of it were really good, but others were weak, and I struggled at times to understand the motivation of the characters. There was a lot going on and at times the whole plot line became rather convoluted.
The story centres on the deaths of three members of one family, and the disappearance of the only remaining member. The case is being investigated by a detective who is a single mum to a teenage daughter. Being a small town, the daughter is friends with the missing family member. To this, we add a convicted killer, an adoption agency, and more murders. The ending of the book seems rather too contrived and i found it a little disappointing.