Genre: Suspense Thriller
Publication Date: 1st August 2014
Blurb:
'They stared at each other, and Maggie felt the tightness in her middle expand as it shifted, burning its way up . . . Painful sobs rose in her throat as Colin, his face expressionless now, reached for his mobile and tapped 999'.
When three-year-old Olivia disappears from the beach, a happy family holiday comes to an abrupt end. Maggie is plunged into the darkest nightmare imaginable – what happened to her little girl? Further along the coast, another mother is having problems too. Jennifer's daughter, Hailey, is starting school, and it should be such a happy time, but the child is increasingly moody and silent. Family life has never seemed so awkward, and Jennifer struggles to maintain control. The tide ebbs and flows, and summer dies, but there is no comfort for Maggie, alone now at the cottage, or for Jennifer, still swamped by doubts.
'A psychologically astute, edge-of-the-seat story.' Hilary Johnson
'Unsettling and disturbing . . . I couldn't put it down.' Rebecca Muddiman
'Breathtaking and utterly compelling.' Debi Alper
'They stared at each other, and Maggie felt the tightness in her middle expand as it shifted, burning its way up . . . Painful sobs rose in her throat as Colin, his face expressionless now, reached for his mobile and tapped 999'.
When three-year-old Olivia disappears from the beach, a happy family holiday comes to an abrupt end. Maggie is plunged into the darkest nightmare imaginable – what happened to her little girl? Further along the coast, another mother is having problems too. Jennifer's daughter, Hailey, is starting school, and it should be such a happy time, but the child is increasingly moody and silent. Family life has never seemed so awkward, and Jennifer struggles to maintain control. The tide ebbs and flows, and summer dies, but there is no comfort for Maggie, alone now at the cottage, or for Jennifer, still swamped by doubts.
'A psychologically astute, edge-of-the-seat story.' Hilary Johnson
'Unsettling and disturbing . . . I couldn't put it down.' Rebecca Muddiman
'Breathtaking and utterly compelling.' Debi Alper
**No Spoilers**
Once again, I am thrilled to be on the blog tour with Love Books Group, this time for The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber, for which I have a spoiler-free review of the book to share. Thanks so much to the lovely Kelly from Love Books Group for sending me a copy of this book to review!
Thrillers, especially suspense and psychological ones, are one of my favourite genres of all time, and this book reminded me of why that is. The Cold Cold Sea is wonderfully written; it is a combination of beautiful and stunning descriptions, whilst also equally conveying the emotional intensity and suspense that surrounds the characters. The first chapter alone was so beautifully done that I knew I was going to love the writing style of this book. It is so emotive and follows the very difficult topic of losing a child and the effect this can have on different families.
I enjoyed reading from the perspective of every single character in the book. Huber has a skill for writing realistic characters that are interesting and understandable, whilst also being frustrating and making choices you know they'll regret. Every choice the characters make is completely understandable yet I still found myself shouting at them to change their minds. I really loved the teacher and child dynamic in this book, as well as the relationship between the two couples. They just felt so real to me that I could imagine them vividly.
I will say that if you're looking for a thriller with a dramatic twist, then this book doesn't really have that. I does have a twist that made me re-read a chapter just so I could see the hints I missed earlier, but it does mostly deal with the suspense of the situation, and I loved that. This book was so fast paced that I would have read it in one sitting if I'd had the time. Every chapter hooked me and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen. The ending was also beautifully done and it just felt so right.
Overall, this book was riveting, suspenseful and filled with some of the best written characters that I've ever seen in a thriller. I will 100% be picking up more of Linda Huber's books and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre, or even to people who want to experience the genre for the first time!
About Linda Huber
Linda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Currently she teaches one day a week, and writes psychological suspense novels and feel-good novellas with (most of) the rest of her time.
Linda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Currently she teaches one day a week, and writes psychological suspense novels and feel-good novellas with (most of) the rest of her time.
Her writing career began in the nineties, when she had over fifty short stories published in women's magazines. Several years later, she turned to psychological suspense fiction, and her seventh novel, Death Wish, was published by Bloodhound Books in August 2017.
Linda's latest project is a series of feel-good novellas, set on the banks of Lake Constance and just minutes from her home in north-east Switzerland. She really appreciates having the views enjoyed by her characters right on her own doorstep!
Links:
Check out the rest of the blog tour below!
Thank you so much for a wonderful review - I'm so pleased you liked The Cold Cold Sea!
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