Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Book.
Review: I loved that latest edition of the Alan Gregory books. I like getting to know the characters better. I think Stephen White does a great job of dealing with MS in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Why does he insult the reader so blatantly?
Review: I really don't know why I keep reading Stephen White. He can write a readable novel for the most part but then at the end he just keeps throwing one implausible thing after another at us until our intelligence is insulted. How many times can a person be held at gunpoint but manage to get away? And after Alan whined so pitifully about getting the bad guys some medical help IMMEDIATELY even if it meant all his friends could rot I found myself hoping someone WOULD shoot him! I know he's a big humanitarian and all but he was just ridiculous during those parts. That he would display so much compassion and concern for people who had just done their best to mercilessly end his life stretched my suspended disbelief just too far. Shoot him already.I liked all the members in Locard so much more than Alan. I read White's books for his secondary characters like Sam Purdy, I can barely tolerate whine-boy, and in this novel he is at his all time worst for stupidity and cluelessness. I can believe that Alan would follow the bad guy right into the big woods like an idiot, but Kimber? No way. How stupid do you think we are Mr. White? SPOILER: But the real insult came with the resolution. Like another reviewer said: why in the world would the Franklin family pay to open that can of worms after so long? White insulted us with that bit. No way they would have done such a thing. I guess all the fireworks at the end were supposed to make us forget that little detail. This isn't the first time he has chosen an ending or a killer that doesn't fit the facts. The real mystery here is why I keep reading these silly books.
Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT READ REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK
Review: I usually like the Alan Gregory novels, but I don't understand why the editor did not catch one glaring error. Why would the Franklin family help fund the Locard investigation to reopen this case? This family must be really stupid.
Rating:
Summary: Weak plot but strong characters mark this mystery
Review: I've never read one of Steven White's mystery novels before. I wasn't aware he had a series going (which is one thing that I enjoy a great deal) and frankly hadn't heard of him. This book, for all it's flaws, has awakened me to him, and I'll be looking for others in the series. Alan Gregory is a psychologist who's married to an Assistant District Attorney, Lauren Gregory. Lauren is pregnant and fighting MS. The two of them are summoned by a friend from Colorado to the east coast, where they meet a sort of club that specializes in solving mysteries that are old, and therefore "cold." They are asked to assist in the club's latest project, which is solving the murder, a dozen years before, of two girls (one of them Japanese) in Colorado near where Gregory and his wife live. The girls disappeared one winter, and weren't discovered till the snow melted. They'd been mutilated, and their snowmobile had crashed. Gregory and his wife agree, and from there on they investigate the crime, and another that occurred at about the same time, for about 400 pages. The mystery itself isn't that entertaining. Procedural stuff these days is rather mundane; everyone knows how a crime scene is worked, who takes charge of what, and all of that. The crime itself is easily solved: I won't tell you who dunnit, but if you're anything like me, the first time you meet the character, you guess he has to be the killer, or at least a bad guy. This is kind of annoying, especially since it's so based on stereotypes (read the book and you'll see what I mean) and predictable. I was hoping for a twist or something more innovative (and frankly he did surprise me a bit at the end) but I think I was mostly disappointed. Why then would I recommend the book? The characters, especially the secondary ones, are outstanding. Gregory himself is somewhat of an enigma, and his wife is little better. But the supporting characters, the crimefighters of Locard (the club) and a reporter from the Washington Post, are wonderful. We meet a woman with a marvelous selection of designer eye patches for her bad eye, an immature rock-climber who's also a pathologist, a reclusive computer expert, a prosecutor who knits in her spare time...It's all wonderful, and very much better than the plot. I'll be checking out Mr. White, to see what else he's written.
Rating: 
Summary: Where have I been?
Review: Im ashamed to admit that Stephen White is a new author to me. Well, since reading Cold Case I went to my local used book store and bought four other Stephen White books. His style of writing and his character reminds me alot of Jonathan Kellermans' Alex Cross character. I loved the book and I am very glad to add him to my list of favorite authors.
Rating:
Summary: I really Love a good mystery!
Review: My normal reading pattern is one nonfiction, then one mystery to clear my head for the next nonfiction. Mysteries entertain me more than any other type of book and this is the first Stephan White I have encountered -- I will search for more. I even bought a copy for my wife (I listened to mine on a road trip) as she loves mysteries, too. The story will keep you gled to the book until you think you have it figured out, then it will hit you with the truth. Great book! Can't wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Psychologist as Detective Story
Review: Psychologist Alan Gregory and his wife, Assistant DA Lauren Crowder, join forces with a volunteer group of investigative professionals to reopen a 12 year-old murder case of two teenage girls killed near Steamboat Springs, CO. This group, named after legendary French detective Edmond Locard, specializes in "cold cases," long unsolved crimes where the police investigation at the time had been unsuccessful or inconclusive. The initial task assigned Alan, to profile the victims for insight into their killer, seemed straightforward enough, requiring professional sensitivity in interviewing sources. As one police officer cautions about this case, however, someone will be very interested in the trail remaining cold, and word spreads quickly in a small town. White handles suspense with great skill, letting it build chapter by chapter. This is a compelling book, hard to put down. Much of the story is one of patient investigation, putting pieces of the puzzle together a few at a time, but always the reader senses that something could go terribly wrong. As Alan is aware, his instincts and techniques are quite different from those of trained police detectives. This book, for my taste, ranks with the best of the psychologist as detective sub-genre. White does not go the route of delving into extremes of human depravity. His perpetrators are normal flawed-but-functional human beings, much like the investigators, one reason they escaped detection in the past and are still hard to find. White does not rely on excessive gore, explicit sex, or offensive language. His forte is a good mystery, well told.
Rating:
Summary: Cold Case
Review: Right from the beginning I was pleasantly surprised to find that Stephen White didn't resort to using profanity to bolster his story as so many writers do. While I don't object to an author using profanity, it is extremely annoying to me, when every other word is a curse word. Too many authors seem to believe that the more cursing there is, the better the book. That is unfortunate, as too much profanity in a book is not un-like too much salt in the stew. A little adds to the pleasure, too much ruins it. That being said, I hate to admit that I can only give "Cold Case" a rating of three stars. I would like to give it more, but in my humble opinion, it wasn't gripping suspense. It wasn't one of those books that you can't put down. I am willing to give Mr. White another chance and will read more of his work.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable thriller
Review: Stephen White is another novelist in the Jonathan Kellerman vein, and while he lacks a colorful sidekick like Milo of the Alex Delaware series, his psychological background comes to the fore throughout this novel. Alan Gregory is a bit of a cipher since you never really can figure him out. His first person viewpoint reaches out and fleshes out the various people running through the story, but he's rarely introspective enough to get a real good fix on him. That, and the bad guys are as obvious as the nose on your face. Still, this was a good read with a quick moving plot that never bored me. His knowledge of the terrain in Colorado was also an advantage. I never had any problem envisioning any of the beautiful scenery and the description of the ranch house made me want to see it for myself. Will I read more in this series? Probably. And I will definitely recommend it to anyone needing a good beach book.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Page Turner
Review: Stephen White, where have you been all my life? I don't know how I've missed him, since I'm a more than avid reader, but I was very pleased with "Cold Case." I read it in record time because I just couldn't stop turning the pages. I really like Alan Gregory's character. He reminds me a bit of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware, and I liked Lauren Crowder much better than Delaware's live-in, Robin. Even the dog, Emily, was a good character. The book certainly captured my interest and the ending lived up to the rest. I'll be looking for all the other Alan Gregory books.
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