A Cold Dark Place is book 1 in the Cold Justice series by Toni Anderson. I have read books that occur later in the series and enjoyed the blend of Criminal Minds and Scandal (with less wine). In book 1, Mallory is an FBI agent transferred to the BAU after she discovers a vigilante and a mole in the FBI. She is also hunting the man who kidnapped and killed her sister when they were still children. Alex is a 'security expert' who moonlights as an assassin for The Gateway Project which is a black ops division of the CIA. The characters all converge on the hunt for a man abducting women with a certain look that all leads back to Mallory's sister. Throw in Mallory's mom who is a senator, her father who is a judge, an entire team of BAU agents who are skeptical of Mallory's reason for being at the BAU and you have a tangled web of lies and deceit.
Mallory is a young FBI agent who gets caught up in a major cover up. This leads to a chance to really investigate her sister's murder. Mallory is smart and driven-torn between survivors guilt and familial duty. There is a LOT going on the story that will require you to listen closely for sure. Alex is a complex guy. He was a soldier who joined the CIA to get revenge on those who set up his fellow soldiers. But, the stint in the CIA goes bad as well and now he is bitter and jaded. However, he falls hard and fast for Mallory and is determined to help her. But he also has to keep her from discovering his secret assassin duties or he will end up on death row!
The narrator did a great job. His female voices weren't over done and he created different voices for each character which really helps when there are as many characters as Anderson has here!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: FBI/CIA
- Triggers: a killer is kidnapping, raping, and killing women. The story does give some POV from the killer where he discusses what he is doing and it might be upsetting to some readers
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes
books by Rachel Grant, Cynthia Eden's Killer Instinct Series, Laura Griffin's Tracers series...then you will probably like A Cold Dark Place!
See full review on The Book Disciple