I’m starting 2025 off strong by finishing my first book of the year. In January, I usually read thrillers. Thrillers are quick reads for me and I find it ramps up my reading year. I had wanted to read The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James for a while. I fully went into this book thinking it would be a new favorite of mine. On top of that, I added some of Simone St. James’s other books to my reading list as well. The Book of Cold Cases had so much potential, ultimately, this book didn’t work for me.

In 1977, Beth Greer was tried and acquitted for the murder of two men. Beth continued to live in Claire Lake, Oregon where the crimes occurred. Currently, Shea Collins is a blogger for her own True Crime website. She’s written extensively about the Lady Killer case, which Beth was linked to. After meeting Beth in a chance encounter, Shea asks her for an interview and is surprised when Beth says yes. Will Shea finally solve this infamous case and did Beth do it?

I was under the impression that The Book of Cold Cases was a thriller. This book is a thriller, but it’s also a ghost story. When Shea interviews Beth, she notices some odd occurrences at the house. It’s revealed to the reader that there are ghosts in Beth’s house. I will be honest, I was not a fan of the supernatural element to the story. I am fine with ghost stories if I’m reading a horror book. I had expectations for what I wanted this book to be, so when it wasn’t what I had originally wanted to read, I was disappointed.

Regarding the characters, Shea was a dull character to follow. She had a traumatic event happen to her as a child which is supposed to explain why she writes her blog. I would have loved to read more character development from Shea. What’s the goal of her blog? Does she want to solve these crimes? Does she want to be an author? Instead, she isolates herself, but that’s all I know about her. It would have been more interesting to hear about her blog and what motivates her to continue writing. The Book of Cold Cases is story-driven, but arguably not character-driven, which is fine. However, I like to care about the characters I’m reading about and I didn’t feel that way about Shea.

Leading into the story, it was okay. Towards the middle of the book, it’s revealed who the true killer is. I didn’t find the reveal to be particularly interesting. On top of that, once the killer was revealed, I stopped caring about the book. In my eyes, the book was finished and all Shea had to do was write the story and what happened all those years ago. Instead, the final climax of the book features Shea trying to escape a ghost.

The Book of Cold Cases boils down to personal preference. I like thrillers and horror, but I don’t need bits of both in one book. I don’t think this author is for me. I read the premise of her other books and they follow the same format of thrillers mixed with supernatural elements. I removed them from my reading list. For those who liked this book, I’m happy for you! This book wasn’t for me. I rated The Book of Cold Cases two stars on Goodreads.