The Book of Cold Cases, (Hardcover)

** “What makes a killer? Are killers born, or are they made? Can they be stopped, or are they simply a human anomaly, a genetic gamble? Maybe the killing itself is buried deep in his psyche, waiting for the chance to come out. Or maybe the would-be murderer can be saved, the course of his life changed.” ** Simone St. James delivers a spine tingling story that combines a 40-year-old whodunnit with a spooky house quite possibly filled with ghosts in “The Book of Cold Cases.” Shea Collins is a cold case fanatic. After living through her own harrowing, near-death event as a child, she now investigates and reports on old cases. When the subject of Claire Lake, Oregon's, most infamous case agrees to talk to her, Shea never imagines what she is getting herself into. In 1977, Beth Greer is accused of being the Lady Killer, a serial killer whose crimes might be linked to trauma in Beth's own life. Now, she has agreed to talk to Shea and provide her side of the story, all while still living in her family's creepy mansion. St. James does a good job of weaving together the two women's stories, revealing trauma in both of their pasts as well as keeping the reader guessing as to the truth of the crimes. She develops intriguing characters filled with very real and raw layers. Told alternately from the perspectives of both Shea and Beth, “The Book of Cold Cases” even contains some good themes, like dealing with the ghosts from our pasts — possibly quite literally; living with fear and madness; sleepwalking through life; and the consequences of living a half life. One disclaimer: this book, which is due out March 15, does contain quite a bit of language. Five stars out of five. Berkley provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.