Mystery

This book was better than the second and managed to give me a nice surprise ending. ( )

From Amazon:

The small town of Black Falls, Vermont, finally feels safe again—until search-and-rescue expert Rose Cameron discovers a body, burnt almost beyond recognition. Almost. Rose is certain that she knows the victim's identity…and that his death was no accident. Nick Martini also suspects an arsonist's deliberate hand. Another fire killed an arson investigator in California months ago. Now the rugged smoke jumper is determined to follow the killer's trail…even if it leads straight to Rose. Nick and Rose haven't seen each other since they shared a single night of blind passion, but they can't let memories and unhealed wounds get in the way of their common goal—stopping a merciless killer from taking aim straight at the heart of Black Falls.

My Thoughts:

I struggled with this entire reading experience...which is something I swore I wasn't going to do at this stage in my life. I struggled with the rating and above all...the story line it's self. The idea was a great one and I could see where it would make an interesting and perhaps even gripping novel...But...I felt the connections between events were vague, and when additional suspects were introduced, their motives also seemed vague. At the conclusion, I couldn't see the villain's motive for his actions, so the entire story did not come together for me. I also did not find the other characters compelling enough for me to really care where they fit into this story. This particular book was convoluted with most of the characters somehow involved in secret government or military operations, making keeping track of them impossible. I wish I could give this book a higher rating because I know that Carla Neggers is a good writer. The 3 stars was for an idea that could have easily produced a great novel. ( )

From the bestselling author of "Cold River" and "Cold Pursuit" comes the third book in her popular Black Falls series. ( )

Cold Dawn is the third installment in the Black Falls series. I haven't read the previous two [b:Cold Pursuit|3949638|Cold Pursuit|Carla Neggers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255887059s/3949638.jpg|3995281] and [b:Cold River|6730202|Cold River|Carla Neggers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275681695s/6730202.jpg|6926426] but understand the premise of this novel is a continuation of an ongoing storyline in the previous books. It is not strictly necessary to have read them to enjoy Cold Dawn, Neggers provides enough background to put the current plot and characters in context, though I'd recommend it. Neggers has created a solid mystery, an asassin who likes fire seems to be stalking Black Hills. Still raw from previous events, the characters are certain that they are the target of his attentions. Neggers is able to believably sustain the suspicion of who and why until nearing the conclusion. I particularly felt that the misdirections were tightly plotted so that suspense was maintained. I would have liked a slightly more spectacular conclusion given the assassin's famed abilities, I felt the potential for that confrontation wasn't fully exploited.The relationships between the characters are a little convoluted, it's quite a big cast though Nick and Rose are the focus in Cold Dawn. This is where reading the previous books would have been helpful to keep them straight, though Neggars revealed just enough to peak my interest in their stories.Nick and Rose have obviously tangled in a previous book and Nick has come to Black Falls to pursue Rose as much as investigate the murders in town. Rose is likeable, if a little bland. The reason for fighting her attraction to Nick is shallow (he is mega-rich, handsome etc) and I would have liked a stronger motivation. Nick is appealing for both his physical description and his behaviour. Their romance unfolds nicely with a little honest lust thrown in.In all, Cold Dawn is an enjoyable romantic suspense novel, and the series would make a good addition to the reading list of fans of the genre.*ARC recieved from NetGalley* ( )