Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan is the seventh in the Detective Josie Quinn series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  
Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Once Acting Chief of Police, Josie Quinn is now doing what she is best suited for. She’s back to being a detective and happy. She is learning to love her new-found family, but it is keeping her busy. So is dating Detective Noah Fraley.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

The bodies of Valerie and Tyler Yates are found in the woods near their tent.  They have been strangled.  It looks like another woman was camping with the couple, but she is missing.

While searching for the missing camper, Josie and Noah investigate an old farmhouse owned by Charlotte Fadden, who runs a sanctuary for those that want to live off the grid.  Sounds a bit like a cult.  Although she doesn't find their missing woman, Josie does find a young woman who looks like she is being abused.  The woman refuses their help.

Then, a pregnant woman runs out from the woods, and it turns out she has been missing for two years.  She says she was abducted, and kept in a cave by a big hairy man.  Sounds a little strange.

Josie wonders if all these things are connected, or if she should be treating them all separately.  

Meanwhile, Josie is also trying to ignore her horrendous past.  The woman who kidnapped her and abused her as a child is dying in prison, and wants to see her.


My Opinions:  

I like Josie.  The author has created a strong woman, and even when battling a panic attack, can take care of herself.  With each book, her character grows.  Although I am not a romance reader, I really like the relationship between Josie and Noah.  It seems real.

The plot was really good, and as always, there was a lot of action.  Even though there was a lot going on, everything moved smoothly.  The topics of abductions, and cults, and abuse, as well as mental health issues all tied together very well, and led to some interesting events.  The book hooks you and carries you along on a rather tense ride.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book.

Cold Heart Creek by Lisa Regan
Detective Josie Quinn #7

Nightmares are plaguing Josie’s sleep making it difficult to get enough sleep. Having murders to solve and missing people to find seems to increase her stress and keep her nightmares coming. The fact that the woman she has believed was her mother is dying and wants to see her one more time only compounds the emotional issues she has to deal with while trying to solve the mystery of who killed a young married couple and what happened to the woman that was camping with them. Throw ins a crazy cult and you have the makings of an intense action-packed murder mystery that kept me reading throughout the day. This is the second book in this series that I have read and I had no trouble following without having read the entire series. I would at some point like to go back and read the first books to find out more about Josie and how she ended up where she is and how she and Noah ended up together.

What I liked:
* Josie Quinn – a woman who has suffered much but come through stronger in the long run. She has a wonderful job and warm caring boyfriend along with a support group that includes the people she works with as well as her biological family recently reunited with.
* Noah – Josie’s boyfriend is a warm, loving and caring man who is there for Josie through good times and bad.
* Josie’s team – such a wonderful group of people
* The story – the way it was written had me thoroughly invested and hoping for a good ending for those I grew to care for.
* The baddies were caught and put away

What I did not like:
* The baddies – definitely creepy and in need of incarceration
* How warped and twisted some people in the story truly were

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

*CRACK*

That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark once again with another installment of her Josie Quinn Series. This was another heart-pounding, page-turning, roller coaster ride of a police procedural with heart! Lisa Regan is the new force to be reckoned with when it comes to suspense/thriller/drama/mysteries.

The book begins when a park ranger finds the bodies of a young married couple by a campsite with a third sleeping bag empty. As Josie and her team are called in to investigate, they find a "Sanctuary" type place int the woods which adds to the mystery, mystique, and drama of the book. Even more concerning is the woman Josie and Noah assisted giving birth after they found her running from the woods. She has been missing for some time, where has she been? Plus, what is going on with the hermit? And that folks is just the beginning...

Jeepers, this book might make you think twice about camping in the woods again!

She had me from page one and didn't let go. I had to keep reading to learn what would happen next. If you have not read this series, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend reading it from the very beginning so you can appreciate the character development and appreciate story arcs that continue throughout the series.

Josie continues to be a strong female character with demons. She is haunted by her past and continues to deal with past events (hence, why I feel readers need to embrace this series from book one). She's dedicated, hard-working, spunky and extremely likable. She's a character I root for time and time again. Plus, Noah and Gretchen are fabulous characters who only enhance my enjoyment of the series.

This book has just the right amount of detective work blended with a focus on the characters and their relationships. I LOVE this series and get very excited when a new book in the series comes out. As long as Regan keeps writing, I will keep reading.

Captivating, heart-pounding, page-turning, exciting and Intense! A must-read!

Thank you to Lisa Regan, Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I have read three books in this series - all out of sequence. While there is a back story to be told, each book is great as a stand alone mystery.

The main character, Josie, is a strong woman with vulnerabilities she wont allow to get in the way of solving a terrifying multi person abduction and murder.

She has a boyfriend, Noah, also a police officer. Noah seems hungbupbon the baby they helped deliver during a rain storm while in pursuit of a murder and missing person.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the rest bbn of the series in order

This is the 7th book in a series and I've read all of them, in order, and suggest that you not tackle this as a standalone as there is a lot of backstory in Detective Josie Quinn's personal and professional life.

In this installment, Josie and her live-in boyfriend, Noah Fraley (also a Detective), are called to a camp site where they find two bodies. Husband and wife, Tyler and Valerie Yates, appear to have been poisoned. As they search the campsite, it's obvious that most of their belongings have been taken except for one oddity -- a third sleeping bag. Who was the person who was with them and where are they now? Their investigation takes them to a nearby commune, known as The Sanctuary, and their interviews with the inhabitants lead them nowhere though Josie is suspicious that these people know something that they aren't sharing. Then, on their way back to the station after an exhausting, wet August day, they find a pregnant woman stumbling out of the woods. After Josie delivers the baby (!) and they get the woman and infant to the hospital only to find out that the woman has been missing for 2 years. Is there a connection between their dead campers and this woman? And how is The Sanctuary involved? NO SPOILERS.

This was an easy one-sitting read and I really was all-in for the first 2/3 of the book. Then, something happens that sort of put me off the rest of the story and I never got back the level of interest I had in the case. Josie finally has some sort of closure in her personal life with Lila, however, and I hope that also ends her nightmares (which should require her to be in therapy). I hope that Josie and Noah's relationship can survive. There wasn't much in this installment about the other members of their team: Detectives Gretchen Palmer and Finn Mettner and the main focus was on them running around piecing together this complicated case. To sum up my feelings -- well, this was not one of my favorites in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

A full and busy day at work, then a crowded ride home on the train, but what will help you get through the day will be coffee and a good book. Cold Heart Creek is that book. ( and every other Lisa Regan book ). Before you know it you will be at a camping site trying to solve a murder. It takes you away from your every day. A very good book!

The seventh book in the series (already? that has gone so fast!), and just as good as the others.

Josie Quinn is a police officer, and a good one, despite a very rough start in life. She has Noah by her side, and it hasn't always been easy for the two of them but things seem to be working out quite well at the moment. Her mother seems to be reaching out to her but considering what she did to Josie when she was young, this is something Josie needs to consider very carefully indeed.

This is one fast-paced and gripping book! There are dead bodies, missing women, a cult and a man who lives in the woods. Somehow or another, this author makes all these complicated threads come together and the end result is a fabous read.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

In true Lisa Regan form, this book is a fantastic suspenseful read. The characters are believable and the reader is transported to the scenes. I could almost feel like I was watching a movie play out.

Josie Quinn is one heck of a detective and once again, this story delivered!

Lisa Regan just keeps surprising me with her books, each one is better than the next. I look forward to the next one already!

This is one of my favourite series. How many of those can one have? Well, quite a few in my case. ;) I could never tire of them.

Josie is a wonderful person. My heart goes out to her and her personal life is very intriguing but also very heartbreaking. What does not kill you, makes you stronger is a saying that was made for her. And strong and determined she most certainly is. This already gives you an idea about what kind of past she had.

Apart from having created a great police team and interesting twisted minds, the author cranked out a very captivating story. All the boxes to turn this into a wonderful read, were ticked.

Josie is a keeper, for sure and I sincerely hope she will remain that way for a very long time to come. 5 stars

Thank you, Lisa Regan and Bookouture

Let me make a case for Lisa Rogan's books with detective Josie Quinn. If you like me adore Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon, this series is a slam dunk: the same outdoorsy setting, the no-nonsense but compassionate protagonist, the same mastery of plot. If you re not particularly fond of the genre...wait, can we call it that? There are not nearly enough thrillers set in the wild. More, please!
But aside from that, if that is not your jam, I bet a thriller with an unusual premise, a careful and unexpected unfolding, involving compelling and likable characters, will do. And throw in a weird cult, and I bet you are downloading Cold Heart Creek already.
At book nr seven, it works as a standalone book, but wish I came in earlier in this series, and I almost put it away halfway through not to let it spoil the previous ones.
This is unpretentious stuff: There are a lot of things this book doesn't have, no wisecracking, no multiple POVs, no unreliable protagonist, no whining. It doesn't need it; it is engaging and genuine.
Lisa Rogan doesn't waste to much time explaining her leads or villains; she is a matter of fact in evoking them. For example, Josie and her partner and boyfriend Noah rib each other throughout the book about a toaster oven. It is cute; their relationship must be pretty good shape if that is the worst point of contention. And it shows that when it concerns the heavy stuff, they are on the same wavelength.
With the rustic setting, the style is a perfect match: straightforward, uncomplicated, without any tricks, just plain satisfying in a comforting retro kind of way. And by that, I mean that Josie fits in with decent, tough, and highly professional gals of the first wave of female detectives, like Kinsey Milhone, V. I. Warshawsky, and Anna Pigeon.

The gist: detective Josie Quinn and her partner Noah are called on the scene on a campsite in the small town of Denton, Pennsylvania, where two campers are found dead, probably poisoned, and a third is missing. While exploring the neighboring woods, Josie and Noah enter the gates of a secret community lead by Charlotte, a vague creature, who while being evasive, can look right through Josie and see her darkest fears.
Josie has been suffering from nightmares lately, all connected to the imminent death of the abusive woman she believed to be her mother. Reeling from her trauma, Josie dives into this case and the woods, a little too deep and running the risk not to find her way out.

Ms Regan what have you done to me! This is by far my favourite in the series, holy mackerel! There is a running theme of books I have been reading lately…cults. This is a super creepy topic to tackle as it is, but when Regan got her mitts on this subject she made it ten times worse.

Josie finally got her holiday at last woohoo!! We see her and Noah back from that holiday and her nightmares are back and this time with such a force and a vengeance I would not want to sleep either! She is struggling to keep her past firmly in the past with constant phone calls from Mundy about her ailing “mother” Lila – less said about her the better. This case, a missing woman and two people dead at a campsite in the forest is hitting Josie hard. Not a few hours later, a pregnant woman in the throes of labour is found staggering around the roads. Are these cases linked? And why is The Sanctuary, a peaceful communal living place under scrutiny, is there more than meets the eye? Is Charlotte, the owner, as innocent as she makes out she is? Cults and communes I tell you!

God some of the scenes I was holding my breath so much! Travelling into the hermit’s cave in the dark! I mean all I kept thinking about was the awful horror film The Decent where you can’t see what is in front or behind you and anything could come out of the darkness right at you! No thank you! If that wasn’t bad enough, further things happen to Josie and the action was so packed I was reeling with what was going on and if anyone would be safe again! Welcome back Josie hope you enjoyed your holiday!!

The struggle for Josie to not blur the line between personal and professional in this book was hard for her especially in the guise of one person and that is all I can say. Demons have to be faced and it has been a hard journey for Josie, my heart did crumble a little bit for her each time we relived her past in her dreams. Bloody Lila!!

Yet despite all this, Josie is a powerhouse, she refuses to give in and give up. She won’t be pandered to and she will keep going until the case is closed, even refusing to go home until the mystery is solved. This is what a heroine looks like to me. She does accept her weaknesses but she uses them to push through and channel it into the case she is working.

I do love everything about this series and the team, (still waiting for a book with Mettner as a focus point #justsaying) they all work so well together and like another of my favourite series they are a well-oiled team. I mean Gretchen walking into the office and knowing exactly who wants what food and drink without calling ahead – magical! Such a tight team.

I will say it again, this is my favourite book in the series, I thought the last one was but each time Regan writes something more devilish and dark and makes me sit there and think Woah! I am not sure what else I can say that I have not already said on my previous five reviews…and yes still need to read book one and two! I will say do not read it as a standalone, I mean it can be, but my recommendation is to read them all. You get more of an understanding of Josie and where she is in her head especially as she tries to understand and make peace with her past. Cold Heart Creek is actioned pack, it fast and thrilling and leaves you bated breath waiting for the next claustrophobic experience to happen!

I will sit here and wait now until I can read the next book and meet Josie again! Regan is an author I wholeheartedly admit that I would pick up a book written by her without reading the blurb…I mean that is what I did this time!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Cold Heart Creek’, the seventh in the Detective Josie Quinn series written by Lisa Regan, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

In the early hours of the morning Detective Josie Quinn and Lieutenant Noah Fraley of Denton Police Department are called out to Lenore County where the bodies of Tyler Yates and his wife Valerie are found where they’ve been camping. When they find another sleeping bag it soon becomes clear that a third person is missing, presumed to be a friend of theirs called Emilia Gresham. During the search Josie and Noah come across a farmhouse hidden in the forest known as The Sanctuary, a hideaway for people who want to escape their lives. Josie thinks the people living at The Sanctuary are somehow involved but can they locate Emilia before her body is the next one to be found?

‘Cold Heart Creek’ is a gripping police thriller and a welcome addition to the series. It has a chilling and cleverly thought-put plot, devious suspects, twists and turns, and plenty of drama and suspense, with a nail-biting last few chapters. Reading this book is like meeting up with old friends and it’s really good to know that Josie is having a happy life with Noah after the childhood she experienced at the hands of her mother. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller, can wholeheartedly recommend it and can’t wait for the next one.

The seventh in the Josie Quinn series and I must admit I am addicted. I get really excited when a new book is released and immediately goes to the top of my reading pile. Josie is a very complex lady with a past that was abhorrent and heartbraking. In this read we learn more about how she was treated as a child and we have bodies in the wood. No more YOU WILL just have to read it for yourself. I devoured this book in one sitting and everything else was on hold. This read kept me glued to my seat and constantly holding my breath, I just had to keep on reading. A multi layered story which took me in so many directions and left me wanting more. This series just keeps getting better and better. A MUST READ from a fantastic author. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Deep in the woods two campers are found dead and there's evidence of a third camper. Josie's investigation leads her to a cult in the woods. She is haunted by nightmares of her past that get worse as she uncovers the depravity of the cult. As Josie unravels the mystery she finds out that not everyone is who they appear to be.

A fast paced thrilling mystery that works well as a stand alone with enough detail and backstory to understand the main characters.

Thank you #Netgalley and #Bookouture for this ARC #ColdHeartCreek

Wow!!! Lisa Regan has done it again!!! I love this series it gets better and better with every book. I hope thos is not the last I hear of Riley and Noah. A must read

Lisa Regan's Josie Quinn series is one that I cannot wait for the next installment to come out. Her development of Josie as an officer, partner, and human being has been very special to explore throughout the novels. And, Cold Heart Creek is a fine example. Ms. Regan developed a tight mystery that the reader will say up reading, long past a reasonable bedtime. It's interesting how she wove Josie's unresolved feelings about her "mother" into the case she is desperately trying to solve. As always, the supporting case is impeccable. I'm anxiously waiting the next book to see where she takes Josie and crew next, as there were a lot of unexplored feelings and developments at the conclusion of Cold Heart Creek. Thank You!

I really love this Josie Quinn series - feels like catching up with an old friend. So what’s going on in Josie land. Really complicated murders, really complicated relationship with a really sick mother, and I would think a really complicated situation with her new man Noah. Josie barrels through and discovers a hidden world of abuse and deceit. And solves some murders. Bye til next time - can’t wait to catch up again!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the Detective Josie Quinn series is one of my favorite detective series and every time I discover a new installment is coming out I get that feeling of Christmas having arrived early. I've been a fan of this series ever since I read the first book almost two years ago... It's been a long and intense ride for Josie Quinn, and it seems like trouble keeps showing up around the small town where she works. Not that I'm complaining, as each new appearance of trouble means a new Josie Quinn book and a promise of another formidable and addicting ride. Cold Heart Creek is no exception, and already the seventh book that manages to hit the detective thriller nail right on the head. Want to know why?

The first thing you have to know is just how compelling each book is. I know it might come over as a bit of a book reviewer cliche, but you will want to clear your schedule before you pick up one of these books... Because once you read the first chapter, you will forget about your pending tasks and keep turning those pages until you suddenly reach that final page, look up at the clock and realize hours have past. With a superfast pace, lots of action and suspense and a compelling plot, time will fly as you will become fully addicted to whatever shocking case Josie Quinn and her team encounter next... And I literally finished Cold Heart Creek in one sitting.

There is also no denying the power of being able to meet up with favorite characters again. I have been rooting for Josie, Noah, Gretchen and the others since the beginning and I've really enjoyed seeing them grow over time... And getting to meet up with them again is always a fantastic feeling. Technically, you could read Cold Heart Creek as a stand-alone, but you will be missing out on the background of the different characters and you might not understand some comments about events that happened in previous books. That said, the main storyline and two cases Josie Quinn and her team investigate in book seven shouldn't be a problem to follow without that previous knowledge... Although if you are a fan of thrilling and intense detective stories, there really is no excuse to just read them all and enjoy the ride before diving into the newest Detective Josie Quinn.

There isn't too much focus on the personal development of the main characters this time around. Instead, Cold Heart Creek mostly focuses on not one, but two cases that might or might not be connected... The story will grab you from the very first chapter, as Lisa Regan manages to lure you in with the promise of another disturbing and thrilling story. I've mentioned in the past that if you look critically, things can be said about the credibility of the plot and things being slightly over the top, but I personally don't mind as the story reads lightning fast and is 200% entertaining and addictive. I really enjoyed the cult element in Cold Heart Creek and just how big of a role it played in the plot in general; the scenes in the woods were particularly well described and really made the setting come alive for me. The plot itself has many twists and turns and events that will definitely manage to catch you unawares... If you are a fan of fast and intense detective thrillers with a very high entertainment value and pack a punch, I can highly recommend both Cold Heart Creek and the Detective Josie Quinn series in general.

Big Lisa Regan fan and this book was awesome. I love the Josie Quinn series. I’ve read them all. I cannot wait for the next instalment.