"Action-packed suspense thriller"

The government raids the Young Believers compound to get to its leader Mordecai Young. During the chaos that ensues, Elizabeth Marcum known as Beth Slocum inside the encampment takes a bullet. Fed Joshua Kendall believes he fired the shot that killed her. Mordecai survives the onslaught of the bungled assault.

Joshua spends the next seventeen years living in remorse and guilt over Beth's death. However unbeknownst to the haunted Josh, Beth is alive and currently in hiding in Vermont. Mordecai is coming to complete the circle by killing this cult survivor. Josh comes to Vermont to protect Beth, only to realize the woman who haunted his nights with her death is alive and well at least for now. He willingly would die to keep her safe knowing that the monstrous cult leader is coming.

Mordecai is so realistically evil that he takes this action-packed suspense thriller to new levels of excitement that will have readers holding onto the arms of their chair. Beth is a solid heroine who is tired of running while Josh is a terrific champion realizing he has a second chance to keep Beth safe. Though more thriller than romance as Josh keeps Beth's wellbeing above his personal needs, she forces the issue of their attraction. As with the first of the Young Believers trilogy (see THICKER THAN WATER) COLDER THAN ICE is a strong superb "High Noon" like tale with the deranged villain methodically going after the good guys.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 21, 2004