Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Suspense #Thriller Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira by Joan Hall

Delighted to share my review for the suspense thriller by Joan Hall – Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira

About the book

New husband, new house, new town… and a new mystery to solve.

Tami Montgomery thought her police chief husband was going to be the only investigator in the family when she gave up her journalism career and moved with him to Madeira, New Mexico.

But after the historical society asks her to write stories for a book celebrating the town’s one-hundred fiftieth year, she becomes embroiled in a new mystery. If she can’t solve this one, she could lose everything. Her research uncovers a spate of untimely deaths of local law enforcement officials. Further digging reveals a common link—they all lived in the house she and Jason now share.

Tami isn’t a superstitious person, but the circumstances are too similar for coincidence. Then she unearths an even more disturbing pattern. And if history repeats itself, Jason will be the next to die.

My review for the book February 26th 2022

I really enjoyed House of Sorrows, the prequel to this series which really set the scene for this book and left me anticipating the follow up to an intriguing mystery.

It can be very challenging to settle in a new home, in a town steeped in history with families who go back generations. Outsiders are not always welcome, especially if they start digging around in events that some would prefer left well alone.

It doesn’t help when your husband is the chief of police, a position that appears to have been more dangerous than a small town with low crime rates might expect. Or that you live in a house with some ominous links to chilling events of the last 100 years.

Thankfully there is a welcome from well-meaning neighbours and a cat seeking companionship, although it is clear that some are also carrying heavy burdens from the past.

The author has created wonderful characters and a gripping storyline that will draw you in as you engage with the lead characters in the drama.

The story time shifts through the decades, offering nuggets of information that might or might not lead to solving the mysterious death of so many law enforcement officers. Tami has a need to discover the truth as her fears for her husband in his new role become more insistent with each passing day.

It is a race against time and Tami and those she trusts find themselves hurtling towards a precipice with surprise discoveries and secrets revealed that will shock the small town to its core.

A recommended read

Head over to read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

Also by Joan Hall

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Read other reviews and follow Joan: Goodreads – Website: Joan Hall – Blog: Joan Hall – BookBub: Joan Hall – Facebook: Joan Hall Writes – Twitter: @JoanHallWrites

About Joan Hall

Joan Hall has always enjoyed reading or listening to stories about inexplicable events, so it’s not surprising she writes mystery and romantic suspense. A lover of classic rock music, songs often serve as the inspiration for her books.

When she’s not writing, Joan likes to observe the night skies, explore old cemeteries, and learn about legends and folklore. She and her husband live in Texas with their two cats.

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. thanks Sally.