Member Reviews

What a wild ride this book was! A snow storm and a missing kid = Tori Hunter at her crime fighting finest. I have enjoyed the evolution of Tori throughout this series. While she’s always been a rockstar crime fighter seeing her evolve has made her all the better.
Truly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Roger Stelljes delivers another thrilling installment in the Tori Hunter series with Taken in the Cold. This seventh book showcases the author's signature fast-paced and descriptive writing style while immersing readers in a chilling blizzard-bound mystery.

As someone who read the first book in the series and jumped ahead to the seventh, I was excited to dive back into Tori Hunter’s world. Thankfully, it is written in a way that makes this book accessible as a standalone novel. While I didn’t read books two through six, I never felt lost, as the story stands on its own without relying too heavily on prior installments.

This book is a classic "follow the money" tale, steeped in mystery and danger. Although well-executed, this theme didn’t captivate me as much as the classic murder investigation from the first book. As a result, I found myself less invested in this story.

One critique I had of the first book also applies here: the story felt drawn out. At nearly 500 pages, I believe Taken in the Cold could have been 100 pages shorter without losing its impact. A tighter narrative might have helped sustain my attention in the middle sections.

That said, the real strength of this series lies in its characters. Tori Hunter is as compelling as ever, and her character development from book one to book seven is a highlight. I particularly enjoyed seeing her relationship with Will evolve into something more solid and meaningful, adding a humanizing layer to the story’s high-stakes action.

Overall, while this book didn’t grip me as much as the first, it’s still a well-crafted mystery that will satisfy fans of the series. I look forward to catching up on the other books and continuing to follow Tori’s journey in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Book 7 in the Toni Hunter series and each book is better than the last. This book had me glued to the pages to the very end. Lots of twists that kept me guessing. Highly recommend this series. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for my arc.

Was this review helpful?

Brilliantly phenomenal. This fast paced thrill ride picks up from page one and justs blasts you through terrifying twists and turns. This page turner will keep you up way too late because you need to know what’s happening. Incredibly woven characters that you come to know and love make this book extra special. Absolutely horrifying plot and my mama heart was pounding from cover to cover.
A must read

Was this review helpful?

A child should never have to undergo what Teddy did - see his mother and step father being killed, being kidnapped - and one could not be braver as he paid attention to what people said, tried to understand what was being played, recognized voices. Tori, Braddock and their team never stopped investigating the case even after Teddy was found - what was the end game and why? Another great story in the series, Taken in the Cold, has a very good plot, it's fast-paced, and well-written. Highly recommended!
I thank the author, his publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

It took me a little time to get into this book. I love that all the characters are growing. Especially Tori, with her troubled life. This was such a wild ride. I found the premise for this one to be similar to the times.

Was this review helpful?

I have liked every book in this series. This one is no exception.

It's got everything you could want in a mystery/thriller book. Murder, kidnapping, suspicious people, plenty of suspects.

I really enjoyed catching up with Tori and the gang. Even with how great all the regular characters are, I have to say Teddy was the star of this one. I loved how he was portrayed and the role he had in the entire book.

I cannot wait until another book comes out.

I alternated listening to the audio book and reading the print book, depending on where I was at the time.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

Taken in the Cold by Roger Stelljes and narrated by Kate Handford is the amazing 7th book in the excellent Agent Tori Hunter series and I was so lucky to get a chance to read and listen to WoW this excellent audiobook. This book has been a completely addictive and I have loved it - It was great, that I had a chance to listen to audiobook 1 Silenced Girls recently which I enjoyed as well. I'm going back to purchase the other 5 audiobooks.
This was the same as the first book, fast paced and full of great twists and turns throughout and a great story......Agent Tori Hunter is a brilliant character: I just wished i read them all before when I had a chance.

The narrator by Kate Handford was excellent.

Was this review helpful?

I appreciate the ARC courtesy of Netgalley! The book's grip on me was initially firm, but its ending felt slightly extended. Teddy, a 10-year-old, witnessed his parents' brutal murder. While initially seeming financially motivated, it encompassed more. Kidnapped and freed by one captor, he was rescued by an FBI agent, who diligently connected the dots to save others.

Was this review helpful?

Book 7 in the Agent Tori Hunter series.

When Brodick is called out to a double murder Tori is called in to help when he realises a 10 year old boy is missing. And after further investigation they realise his father is too. Did he murder his ex wife and new partner and take his son? If so, why?

What follows is a fast paced plot with plenty of action to keep the pages turning.

I loved this book and can't wait to read more in this great series

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoy mystery books full of twists and turns where you find yourself turning the next page instead of turning
down your bedsheets , unable to stop reading , then this book is for you
Whilst this is book 7 in the Tori Hunter series , in my opinion it can be read as a standalone
Called to the scene of a double murder Agent Tori Hunter soon realises that 10yr old Teddy is missing
from the scene .............. where is he ? has he been kidnapped ? His father's car was seen speeding away from the scene
Whilst the local police are convinced the Teddy's father is guilty of the murder of his ex and her new husband Tori
is not convinced . She is soon proved right when Teddy's father is found dead at an abandoned vacation resort - where
is Teddy ? who has him and why ?
There is more at play here with this case and as Tori starts to unravel what is going on she receives a phone call -
if she wants to save Teddy and possibly others she must meet the killer alone !
This is a fast paced thriller , full of twists and turns , a real page turner - I enjoyed this book so much that I went out
and bought the previous 6 books - I look forward to the next in the series

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, Roger Stelljes, Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Tori Hunter is called back to work, after taking a few months off, when Teddy Marist's mother and her boyfriend are killed, and Teddy is abducted. The team looks at Teddy's father, Barry who seems to have taken off, thinking this is a divorce gone wrong, but they quickly realize this is about more. In the middle of a snowstorm, with whiteout conditions Tori fights off the abductors, on her own with no backup in sight. This book is non-stop action. Bullets aplenty, extremist groups that don't like or respect the government. A highly recommended series.

Was this review helpful?

I had forgotten about Agent Tori Hunter so I've missed a lot of her story. It did not make this book at all hard to follow. Tori was back where she feels the most at home. She is trying to save a child. The kidnapping of the boy is only a part of this story. The action in the first half of the book was non-stop. And then you think you can relax but realize there is still a lot of story to be told.

Was this review helpful?

Roger Stelljes is a new to me author, and one I intend to continue reading more of his books after getting into the Detective Tori Hunter series. Tori is called in to help her boyfriend Will and his police force find a missing child after they find Teddy’s mother and boyfriend murdered. Not only do we get the police perspective of tracking down Teddy and the murderers, we also get the perspective of the crew that had Teddy. I enjoyed getting both sides of the story in that fashion. I attempted to solve the murder right along with Will and Tori.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Now I have been engrossed in every installment of this series, but wow, did this one pack a punch. Personally, this one felt slightly different, don't get me wrong, the story was there, the characters were ever present and the plot was as encapsulating as always BUT the action that came with book #7 was superb.

In the chlling atmosphere of a Minnisota witer, ten year old Teddy Marist witnesses his step father and mother killed before he is then abducted but not before he makes a phone call to his father Barry Marist, a local bank worker.

Former FBI Agent Tori Hunter has been on leave since her last harrowing case with her colleague and partner,, local Sheriff Braddock, unsure whether she has it in her to take on any more cases when Braddock calls. Knowing she has to help, missing children being her speciality, Tori jumps straight into the case.

With local police believing its a simple case of a jealous ex-husband, killing his wife and kidnapping his own child, they are ready to close the case, but Tori's gut is telling her otherwise. When Barry's body is then found in an abandoned holday resort, a resort that used to belong to his late father, Tori knows her gut was right.

Who has Teddy, and can they get to him in time?

This is a tale packed to the rafters with action ,suspense, intrigue, revenge, and secrets. Stelljes is a master at storytelling in a way that has you gripped from the very first pages. A complex, multi layered plot that left me gasping outwardly at points and holding my breath at others!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This page-turner will keep you up way past bedtime. Early on it seems like there isn't any mystery to the case. There is a lot of tension and action. I love Tori and Will so much, I was already invested in the story because of them. Then the author dealt a whammy and I was reminded why I love this series! The ending was perfect.

Was this review helpful?

I like how I read this as the weather has shifted colder. Manchester Bay can keep the snow, but when I time reads like this, I feel a little more connected.

I’ve been reading popcorn thrillers as of late and really appreciated the complex layered case that Tori and Braddock are investigating. It was ever changing as they discovered clues and kept my interest from the first page through to the end. The tension was ratcheted up as they searched for a missing boy. This kept the pace moving along since time was critical. I knew all wasn’t what it seemed from the start since there were multiple points of view feeding my facts, but I had no idea what the reasons were for the kidnapping of Teddy.

Tori is a strong and determined woman and her vulnerabilities make her relatable. I rooted for throughout the book and there was a moment she might have needed it, but her capable skills help her see things that others don’t.

This one would work extremely well as a stand alone when it is well into the series. It seemed to be uber focused on the case and less on their personal lives which is the part that usually carries from book to book.

This is the first time I’ve listened to one in this series and Kate Handford did a great job narrating the book. She easily conveyed the urgency of the case and emotions that surrounded it. It worked great as an audiobook.

It’s another great addition to the series.

Was this review helpful?

❄Great, thrill-packed plot😲

4.5🌟 stars
I loved this suspenseful story, though it did take me a while to get through it. Poor Teddy, the 10 year old who is kidnapped after seeing his mom killed on a snowy Minnesota morning, gets the tense story rolling. Tori, Braddock and their team meet the challenge of a) a monster of a blizzard and b) a hardened cell of anti-government radicals definitely up to no good and ready to spare no one to get what they want.

The plot is a winner and I loved the way author Roger Stelljes makes the rural, northern locale and the severe weather conditions key "characters" along with the good guys, victims and criminals.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much @bookouture for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I reviewed and loved Book 6 in the Tori Hunter series last year, and was excited to see how Book 7 fared - Roger Stelljes is a maestro at spinning a twisted mystery/thriller which kept me on my toes!

When gunshots ring out from a family home, Agent Tori Hunter races through the gathering snowstorm to discover that ten-year-old Teddy Marist has disappeared. His mother and her new boyfriend are dead in the family kitchen, breakfast still cooking on the stove. And racing to track down Teddy’s father, Barry Marist, Tori finds he is missing too.

Local police are certain this is a simple case of a jealous ex-husband turned violent over his recent divorce. But interviewing everyone she can about Barry, Tori’s gut has her questioning if he would really kidnap his own child? When Barry's body is discovered at an abandoned holiday resort, Tori's worst suspicions are confirmed. With a blizzard looming that threatens to cut off contact, access and answers for Tori Hunter, the question is if she will be able to save Teddy in time and find the perpetrators behind the murders?

I was drawn in from the first page. Roger Stelljes is a powerful, convincing storyteller and is great at delivering beyond what it says on the packet; you will never be dissatisfied after reading his books. Be prepared for a fast-paced storyline, a slick writing style, memorable characters and drama and action that unfolds with each turn of the page! (At this point, I can safely say Roger Stelljes is the king of writing car-chases in fiction!) However, there was also a vulnerability and softness and Stelljes was able to capture this emotion through fantastic character development; I was really rooting for Tori, Braddock and the team to bring Teddy justice. I had my heart in my mouth and was gasping out loud at so many *shockers* - a thriller has to be unpredictable and engaging in equal parts which this book finally did for me. I know I want to read the other books in the series now and complete the set.

Highly recommend this one if you're a crime/thriller fan. You won't regret it!

Was this review helpful?

Taken in the Cold (Agent Tori Hunter Book 7)
by Roger Stelljes

Know that you can read the books in this series as standalones but the books, characters, this world, all these things are so connected and fit so well in a "life goes on" way that I suggest reading (or listening to) the series from book #1 all the way through to book #7. Finally, after all the crime that Tori has seen since she was a teen, her nightmares are too much. She's had therapy, she continues to have therapy as needed, and now she's coming off an eight month vacation away from helping out law enforcement with criminal investigations. Tori has enjoyed this time off so much that she's thinking about expanding the teaching of one college class to taking on a full time job teaching at the local college. Life it good, having a home with Chief Detective Will Braddock and his son is good.

And then comes the call. There has been a double murder and it appears that a ten year old boy has been taken by the murderers. Crimes involving children are Tori's specialty and Will has always reserved the right to call Tori into duty for a case such as this one. Once the search has begun, the team is not only trying to figure out a very complex and convoluted investigative trail but they are trying to outrun weather that is already upon them.

As with the other books in this series, the action is mind boggling. Tori is in the middle of it so good thing she is a work out fanatic, she's going to put her body through the wringer once again. By the end of the book, Tori and company will be meeting people in high places what with the name she has made for herself over the series. It's funny to see various characters in this book searching the internet to read about all of Tori's exploits. Hopefully there will be another book or four coming in the future now that I've finished with all the published books in the series.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?