This is my first book by this author. And though this is the second book in the Sheriff Bet Rivers Series, I did not feel like I missed much. While this is a series, each book can be read as a standablone! I am excited to continue reading this series! And I will definitely be going back and reading the first book. I already have it queued up, ready to start!
This book drops you into a snow storm in the middle of norwhere Collier, Washington. And it’s not just any snow storm, it is supposed to be a really bad one. Elena Taylor does such a good job of describing the scene, I am able to get lost in the book, picture myself being there. Which is amazing considering the temps are 100+!
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. It caught my attention from the beginning. The short chapters helped keep my interest. I also really like Bet. I was rooting for her the entire way! Even though she became a Sheriff in an unconventional way, she did not let that deter her and just let it make her stronger. She seems calm under stress which is a great characteristic for any officer. I love how everything wrapped up. And I can’t wait for the next adventure!
I feel like this book is good for anyone who loves police procedurals, mysteries, or whodunnits.

Sheriff Bet Rivers is new to the job as top law in her small Washington hometown. They do things a lot differently here than in the big city police force where she used to work. When a huge snowstorm hits the area, it's even harder to deal with the crime wave, which starts with a dead teen on a snowmobile.
Nothing goes the way she wants and Bet deals with a lot of self doubt, even as her deputy has to leave for his wife in labor and she deputizes a vet to help. This was interesting and atmospheric enough that I'm interested in continuing to read the books in this series. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A Cold, Cold World is a page-turning story set in in central untouched Washington state and the climate and terrain of Washington state is a minor character driving the mystery plot line in the book. Sheriff Bet Rivers is learning the ropes of being sheriff after the recent death of her father. She left her home town for the bustle of the LA Police department, but came back home due to family concerns. It's touching that the voice of her father and her LA mentor guide her through the twists and turns of a record breaking snow storm, a high crime, the birthing of a horse and a wild snowmobile chase after a fugitive. This book was especially meaningful to me as I have traveled to this area several times and even got lost near Cle Elum, which is a beautiful small town.

This is the second in a series, but could easily be read as a stand-alone book. Sheriff Bet is a sympathetic character along with her receptionist Alma, who has served three sheriffs and is 80 years old. I could easily see this becoming a series on the Hallmark Murder & Mysteries channel. This is delightful book that is easy to read and you will fall in love with the characters and Washington state by reading the book.

4.5 rounded up to 5

I've done it again, and this book is the 2nd book in the author's Sheriff Bet Rivers series.  I really need to start reading series in order!  However, this one can be read as a standalone, but I'll be going back to read the 1st one.

Collier, WA is a small isloated mountain town.  It doesn't see much crime.  Bet Rivers has taken over her father's position as the sheriff.  She has one deputy Clayton, the office manager Alma, and her loyal furry companion.  The snowstorm of the century is about to hit, and Bet gets a call that there is an injured boy on the ridge.  When she gets out there, she realizes he is dead.  Was this an accident, or was he killed?  As the snow covers up, the evidence Bet needs to determine what really happened, and it's a race against the storm.  Meanwhile, a man and his young daughter go missing.  Could this all be related?  Will she be able to solve these cases and keep her town safe amidst this horrible snowstorm?

I mean murder and mayhem in a small isloated mountain town during a snowstorm?  What's not to love?  I love police procedurals, and this was a really good one.  It was well-written, atomspheric, and full of mystery.  There was a lot going on and never a dull moment, which definitely kept me turning pages.  I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

The story takes place during a horrible winter storm that severely reduces access to the small town of Collier in Washington state. A body is found and because of the weather the police have to get creative in solving the crime. I loved reading this book because the authors vivid writing style had me in the snow with everyone else. I also liked how the story was not purely focused on the crime. It was also focused on Bet, the sheriff, and her life. She is a committed, caring person who will stop in the middle of a police investigation to help a horse give birth. I can’t wait to read the first book in the series and hopefully many more!

This intriguing police mystery is set in the small small town of Collier, Washington, during an insane snowstorm. While it is the second in the series, I didn't feel like I missed out on much from not reading the first one. Sheriff Bet Rivers and her two deputies are the only gig in this small town, and Bet takes her job very seriously. She has to prove time and time again that she is up to the task of taking over for her father, knowing she has VERY big shoes to fill. While the town of Collier is relatively quiet, Bet and her team are faced with a string of crimes that may or may not be related. A young man is reported to be injured in a snowmobile accident, but he ends up being dead. She knows she has to report his death to his dad, but his dad is missing along with his ten-year old daughter. Next, a vacant home is broken into and there is evidence of blood EVERYWHERE. AND! There is now an apparent drug problem when the local ambulance gets robbed. Then, there is a fugitive with two children as hostages in the trunk of his car. The story was so well-written and moved very fast, IMO. The steps in a crime investigation were detailed as well as informative. I always enjoy police procedures in books and this definitely hit the nail on the head with that!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and of course the author for this wonderful ARC! I can't wait to see what Sheriff Bet gets into next.

Wow! Complex characters and a complicated case!

A Cold, Cold World is the second book in author Elena Taylor's Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery series, and readers are beckoned back to the small mountain town of Collier, Washington, and the secrets it hides. As a massive snowstorm pummels the little town, Sheriff Bet Rivers is confronted with a possible murder, a missing father and daughter, and a blood-soaked sleeping bag, all of which may be related.

I really enjoyed Bet, the main character, who's gotten her feet under herself a little more firmly since the events in book one. Still, she retains some feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty and projects a vulnerability that makes her so very realistic and human. However, she's smart and makes better decisions than she realizes. In such a small town, she's investigating incidents that involve neighbors and lifelong friends, people who watched her grow up, and others she has witnessed do the same. What happens in this town is personal for her, and that takes its toll. She's also working under a lot of stress, with little sleep or time to eat properly as the storm descends. Clayton, her full-time deputy, is unavailable and in another town, as his wife goes into labor with their first child.

The action takes place as great amounts of snow bury the town, bringing down trees and power lines and covering up footprints, tire tracks, and other possible clues critical to solving the ongoing investigations. The descriptions of the storm and crime scenes are vivid and atmospheric. I could feel the chill as I read. Each call for service brings with it a level of urgency that Bet must prioritize, but she's still pulled in several directions at once, even when she gets a little extra help. The story is a complete surprise as it unfolds.

With its absorbing plot, eerie and dangerous snowstorm of a setting, and impressive main and secondary characters, I recommend A COLD, COLD WORLD to readers of mysteries, police procedurals, and thrillers.

So this started out a little rough for me. I'm not sure if it's because it was describing a winter storm and I'm completely against the fact that winter is just around the corner and I'm not ready.

Regardless this was part two and I hadn't read the first one but honestly, I don't think I needed to! Once the book got going, I really enjoyed it! It was a fun fast paced. I struggled a little trying to keep up with all the names but I loved bet and her vibe. She definitely had some internal issues going on since she was replacing her recently deceased father as the sheriff in a small town.

This wasn't a super in depth mystery/procedural book though. It had more to do with the people and their interactions. I really liked it though and am ordering the first one!

Thanks netgalley!

A

Sheriff Bet Rivers is busy dealing with a brutal snow storm that threatens to cut off her small town of Collier. when she gets a call that tourists have found a teenaged boy injured in a snowmobile accident on a mountain ridge, Bet arrives at the accident scene & finds a corpse & evidence that his death was no accident. Bet has to move fast to save the integrity of the crime scene & temporarily keep the corpse in storage since she can't get the body to the coroner.

Then Bet is alerted to a break-in at a remote cabin. No one is there but a bloodied sleeping bag left on a table hints at another injured victim. So Bet has to deal with the raging snowstorm’s multiple impacts as well as triaging multiple potential crime scenes and victims.
She is short-handed since her loyal deputy Clayton is with his wife who is in labor with their first child, So Bet temporarily deputizes a former soldier named Kane to provide her with limited support.

This was a thrilling read with plenty of drama, tension and action.

A COLD, COLD WORLD (Sheriff Bet Rivers Book #2) by Elena Taylor is an intricately plotted small town sheriff procedural crime thriller and the second book in the intriguing Sheriff Bet Rivers series. This book can be read as a standalone, but I felt both books are great reads, and I feel you would enjoy the first in the series, All We Buried, too.

Sheriff Bet Rivers is now the duly elected sheriff in place of her deceased father in her small hometown in Collier, a Cascade Mountain valley in Washington state. With a massive snowstorm looming, Bet receives a call that a family of tourists discovered a snowmobile accident with a teen victim. Bet finds the teen is not only dead but shows signs of having been dead for some time. As she investigates, she is called about a break-in at a summer cabin that appears to be a crime scene. Is it related to her dead teen even though the cabin is in a different area of the valley?

With a major storm over the valley and multiple crime scenes, Bet is stretched thin. She is doubting her ability to fill her father’s shoes as this complicated case has surprises with every piece of evidence uncovered.

Bet is a wonderful protagonist who is dogged in her pursuit of justice, but still worries that she is not up to the responsibility of being the sheriff her father was in her hometown. With this complicated case, she proves that she is. I was happy to reconnect with Alma, who runs the sheriff’s office and Bet’s deputy, Clayton. The team is great together and now with the addition of Deputy Kane, I will be looking forward to reading how they all work together in future stories. The crime plot is intricately twisted and kept me on the edge-of-my-seat. The blizzard adds to the threat level throughout, and Ms. Taylor’s descriptions of the wind and snow had me shivering even though it is the middle of summer as I read this.

I highly recommend this crime thriller and look forward to many more books in this series featuring Bet and her team in the future.

The title, A Cold, Cold World, is perfect for this novel. Throughout the book, readers experience the harsh weather along with Sheriff Bet Rivers. Readers will feel the coldness as the snow falls. She has served as sheriff for a year in a small mountain town in Washington state. When a blizzard strikes, the town is basically shut down, including all access roads. This unfortunate timing adds pressure as Bet must ensure the safety of the townspeople while also looking into two homicides. Despite the lack of food and sleep, Bet shows remarkable resilience as she gathers evidence and deals with the effects of the storm and the town. Following in the footsteps of her late father, she works hard to be as effective a sheriff as he was. Having grown up in the area, she knows everyone in this tight-knit community, but that doesn't make the investigative process any easier.

It is amazing to watch Bet step by step piece together her investigation. Her character is very likable, and her thought process kept me thinking nonstop as she found each clue.

This mystery will grab readers, keeping them engaged and on the edge of their seats with so many twists. A Cold, Cold World is a must-read for mystery lovers craving a chilling tale that keeps the mind racing from start to finish.

Elena Taylor’s Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery series is one that I will follow. Book 2 builds on the first but could be read as a stand alone.

In a small town the sheriff is more than the person who arrests the drunk or gives the speeding ticket. Bet had big shoes to fill and during inclement weather she and her team have to keep the towns people safe.

Likeable characters who are so real you can easily be part of Collier Washington! Descriptions of locations and weather conditions in this novel are nothing short of atmospheric.

If you like a cozy mystery, with perfectly placed breadcrumbs all to solve the crime this series is for you.

My question for other readers and further books - Team Kane or Team Rob? Ahh Bet!!!!???!!!!

I really liked the first book in this series, from the new sheriff to the setting to twisty plot to the writing itself. This new story is quite different from that one, except in the ways it is the same. There is still the feisty sheriff who's good at her job, but full of self-doubt. Still the small town where everyone knows everyone. Yet another dead body that's discovered in a remote area under mysterious circumstances. And still the relentless police work to get to the truth.

The big change is that this time everything is happening in the middle of winter and in the middle of one of the largest, most dangerous snow storms ever. The small town of Collier hunkers down and pulls together to ride out the storm. But there's a murderer in their midst. Add a missing person or two and another possible murder and the reader feels the walls closing in on a classic locked room mystery. Who can Sheriff Bet Rivers trust? And where are her suspects?

It all builds slowly as the characters all step onto the stage and questions are raised. For every answer there are two or three more mysteries. The reader is kept guessing right until the end.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a free copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Bet Rivers, the daughter of the previous recently departed sheriff of a small town in Washington state, has recently taken over her faher's job. Equipped with only one deputy and a long-term civilian assistant, Bet prepares for what promisses to be the snow storm of the century. Everything is in place to keep her community safe. Until, that is, a local teenager is found dead, following a suspicious snow mobile accident, by a family of tourists staying in the area. Just as the snow begins to blow in, Bet discovers her community is far from safe: two break ins, a missing father and daughter, and one menacing warning from a journalist about increasing drug trafficking in the area hit Bet in quick succession. To make things worse, her duputy's wife enters early labor, leaving Bet even more understaffed. Are the waves of break ins, deaths and disappearences all the result of bad timing, or something more sinister? As the storm rages, Bet rushes to respond to each emergency, find temporary help, and solve the cases that keep pilling up faster than the snow outside.

I recently finished the first novel in the series, and was looking forward to the next installment. Just like "All We Burried," "A Cold Cold World" is extremely atmospheric. The weather both immerses the reader, and raises the stakes, one gust of wind at a time. The mystery is well laid out, and all the clues come together nicely at the end. The pacing is fast without reaching breakneck speed. Kane, the new temporary deputy, is extremely intriguing and I hope we get to see him in a future installment; I can only describe him as a still water that runs deep. Bet continues to take mental advice from prior mentors, and in this novel her father's voice is replaced by that of her former LA Latina mentor; I would prefer if Bet didn't relly on these mental dialogs for much longer and to my joy the book ended with Sheriff Rivers acknowledging that she feels like she can start making her decisions without virtual mental consultations. I'd be interested to see if the next novel includes a dialog between Bet and Kane, I think those two would make excellent partners that can challenge and respect each other. I found myself wishing we had a chapter from the perspective of the criminals, as I had a couple of questions about the logistic of the plan; however, the actual investigation was promptly and clearly solved and this is more of a personal preference. I also hope we have more time to delve into Bet's emotional life--be it with Rob, or ...maybe there's a switch coming with Kane? I'll have to wait and see. Overall I greatly enjoyed this story and I hope we get more novels in the series, as I think Bet's story is just taking off, 4.5 stars rounded up.

It was the first novel I read by this author and in this series. I was fascinated by the setting and the small town vibes.
Bet grew on me and I liked her.
A solid mystery that kept me hooked and guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.5 stars

“We have a problem.”

Poor Sheriff Bet Rivers. I groaned with her every time those four words (or a close equivalent) occurred in A Cold, Cold World, the latest layered mystery from author Elena Taylor. A raging snowstorm. A dead teenager. A missing father and daughter. A grisly crime scene. Bar fights. Break-ins. Power outages. No cell service. Fallen trees. More than one female in labor. All in a day’s work, right? Taylor does a phenomenal job of immersing readers right in the middle of the tension as one thing after another competes for Bet’s immediate attention – not the least of which is the snowstorm itself, which really becomes a secondary character in the story just as much as the people. I loved that the author did this with the lake in All We Buried, too, because in both cases it raises the stakes that much more and makes the story come alive.

While Bet wrestles (in very relatable ways) with the snowstorm’s multiple impacts, she also has to triage multiple potential crime scenes and victims. All with limited resources. Are these all separate crimes? Are any of them related? I enjoyed following Bet’s thought process as she decides which step in the investigations to prioritize in what order and delegates tasks to her loyal deputy Clayton and to her right hand woman, Alma. (Alma really deserves her own review because she’s such a trip – an almost-octogenarian who certainly doesn’t act her age, knows everything, watches out for Bet, and has way more stamina and energy than I do.) With each additional layer to the mystery and each nature-induced obstacle, I became all the more glued to the page, holding my breath to see what ‘problem’ would pop up next.

The addition of a new character, Kane, to the mix gave me a whole other set of layers to love about this story, and I’m quite intrigued to see where the author takes this ‘connection’ that Bet feels with Kane. They certainly made a great team, and I thought Taylor excelled at showing us what we needed to know about him in his actions and reactions. For example, one of his first scenes, all he does to command the room is take a step in someone’s direction and wow! I could feel the energy of the scene change with just that simple action.

Bottom Line: In A Cold, Cold World, skilled author Elena Taylor delivers a riveting and atmospheric mystery with pitch perfect plotting and character development. I continue to love Sheriff Bet Rivers for her smarts, her determination, and her humanity. She is delightfully relatable as well as inspiring, and she’s definitely the kind of person I would want to befriend in real life. The fact that Bet is pitted against a monstrous snowstorm as well as the bad guys made for a complex conflagration of layers that kept her on her toes and kept readers fully immersed in the story. I could feel the bitter cold, the biting wind, the wearying pull of the heavy snow as Bet trudged through it yet again… and if she manages to survive all of that, she’s still got all of these investigations to tackle. All of it was executed brilliantly and has me eager for a third book!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

An exciting second novel for Sheriff Bet Rivers! A storm bearing down on rural Colliers, Washington will be only one of the challenges that Sheriff Bet Rivers and her team must face. Trees down, a main road closed, a power outage and the body of a local teen found up on the ridge. Time is of the essence to retrieve his body with no way to get him to the medical examiner. A cabin is broken into leaving behind a bloody scene, a local man and his young daughter are missing, a fight at a local bar, and a family visiting local rancher Jeb Pearson’s summer and adventure camp. With only one full-time deputy and her office manager Alma (who is so much more), can she uphold the trust that the town has placed in her? Her father was the former sheriff, so Bet can only follow the lessons he taught her to prioritize what is happening and handle situations one at a time. Stretched to the max, a visiting relative with military police experience may be just what Bet needs to turn the tide in her favor. A rural town where the residents are used to stepping up to help others, but does one of them have an agenda of their own? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

The setting for this novel is a fictional town in the Cascade Mountains of my own Washington State. Bet is a great sheriff. Thrust into the job when she wasn't expecting it, she is now a year in and growing into the position. A death high up on a snowy ridge initiates a dangerous investigation during a once in a century snow storm. A mountain not too far to the north of this town, Mt. Baker, holds the world record for the most snowfall in a winter season so this snow storm is not inconceivable. The novel contains a good balance of police procedure and personal character story, including a new deputy and the existing one becoming a father. Bet is frequently on her own, the small mountain town cut off from help because of the snow storm.

This is a good police procedural for readers who like one set in a unique location with dire extenuating circumstances. It is the second novel in a series but reads well on its own. I recommend it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I am so happy to be back in Collier with Bet and the rest of the gang. Bet has been Sheriff of Collier for a year now. I think we are in for a chilling time in the Cascade Mountain Range of Washington State. It’s winter time and the storm of the century is heading their way.

Seeing Collier is a small town, it has a small police force. Bet’s the Sheriff, Clayton is her right hand man, and Alma is the glue that holds them all together. Bet is the first line of defense against disaster and most likely the last line too. She could use another man and Kane is in need of job. He’s qualified and I liked him right away.

We start out with a snow machine death and the Lakers, hometown folks, spin out of control. It’s hard to figure out who is doing what to who, but that is common for an Elena Taylor book.

The Colliers had founded the coal mining town and could Rob be a love interest for Bet? We shall see in future books in the Sheriff Bet Rivers series.

I love Shweitzer and Grizzly, the critters who add a certain something something to the story.

The avalanche…I had my heart in my throat for a moment or two.

We have so many suspects and so much action going on, at times my head was spinning. Elena Taylor does not make it easy to figure out who is doing what to whom and why they are doing it. She kept my interest from beginning to end.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Cold Cold World by Elena Taylor.

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An intriguing mystery set in the small town of Collier, Washington during a vicious snowstorm. Sheriff Bet Rivers is a memorable character with steadiness under pressure while trying to prove she's up to the task of taking over for her father. The snowstorm acts as a character with the chaos it causes and the limits it places on the residents of Collier. The plot plays out at a steady pace, dropping breadcrumbs along the way as the mystery behind the death of a teenager unravels. I highly recommend this book for fans of police procedurals and whodunnit mysteries.