Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag
Posted: 09 Mar 2015, 20:54
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag is a slow-burning mystery. Hoag presents the truly tragic story of Dana Nolan. A once beautiful up-and-coming reporter, she is left scarred and broken after an encounter with a madman. Dana is first introduced in the worst situation imaginable. She is abducted and abused, but she finds a way to survive.
The Plot follows her slow recovery, which is complicated by the fact that she has no recollection of who she is or what happened to her. This is truly a brilliant plot move by Hoag because readers can connect with the frustration Dana feels when people tell her who she is. Readers are never given the chance to know what Dana refers to as “Before Dana”, and as a result, can fully feel the tension between “After Dana” and those around her. This is especially true in the beginning of the novel with the introduction of Dana’s mother. Lynda is a mother, who just wants her daughter back, but she, at times, has a hard time dealing with who Dana becomes. However, Lynda cannot really be faulted for her smothering and overprotective ways. She lives every mother’s worst nightmare. I found her to be an extremely sympathetic character, and I truly felt for her.
Dana is lost for a part of this novel. She does not understand her purpose anymore, and she is reluctant to remember anything that has happened to her, but memories of an almost decades old disappearance of Dana’s best friend force her to face her fears and attempt to regain a piece of her old self.
The plot does sometimes lag in places. Without giving away too much, there are places of the plot that were just not necessary and really weighed down the pace. When the plot does hit the correct pace, it is a truly thrilling and intriguing ride for readers. It deals with some very heavy topics, but Hoag does a wonderful job not adding overly gruesome details. She provides just the right amount of description to unnerve readers, but she does not completely make readers shy away from the subject matter.
The presence of the secondary characters adds to the “chill factor” of the novel. Most of them seem like they cannot be trusted. Readers will wonder if one or multiple characters are involved in the disappearance of Dana’s friend. Everyone appears to be hiding something, and Hoag does a great job planting seeds of doubt into readers’ minds.
Cold Cold Heart is a 3 out of 4 star book. The characters are great, but the lag in the plot holds me back from giving it 4 stars. I do recommend this book to those who love a good mystery, with a lot of creepy moments. Hoag has talent, and I will definitely be picking up her other books in the future.
The Plot follows her slow recovery, which is complicated by the fact that she has no recollection of who she is or what happened to her. This is truly a brilliant plot move by Hoag because readers can connect with the frustration Dana feels when people tell her who she is. Readers are never given the chance to know what Dana refers to as “Before Dana”, and as a result, can fully feel the tension between “After Dana” and those around her. This is especially true in the beginning of the novel with the introduction of Dana’s mother. Lynda is a mother, who just wants her daughter back, but she, at times, has a hard time dealing with who Dana becomes. However, Lynda cannot really be faulted for her smothering and overprotective ways. She lives every mother’s worst nightmare. I found her to be an extremely sympathetic character, and I truly felt for her.
Dana is lost for a part of this novel. She does not understand her purpose anymore, and she is reluctant to remember anything that has happened to her, but memories of an almost decades old disappearance of Dana’s best friend force her to face her fears and attempt to regain a piece of her old self.
The plot does sometimes lag in places. Without giving away too much, there are places of the plot that were just not necessary and really weighed down the pace. When the plot does hit the correct pace, it is a truly thrilling and intriguing ride for readers. It deals with some very heavy topics, but Hoag does a wonderful job not adding overly gruesome details. She provides just the right amount of description to unnerve readers, but she does not completely make readers shy away from the subject matter.
The presence of the secondary characters adds to the “chill factor” of the novel. Most of them seem like they cannot be trusted. Readers will wonder if one or multiple characters are involved in the disappearance of Dana’s friend. Everyone appears to be hiding something, and Hoag does a great job planting seeds of doubt into readers’ minds.
Cold Cold Heart is a 3 out of 4 star book. The characters are great, but the lag in the plot holds me back from giving it 4 stars. I do recommend this book to those who love a good mystery, with a lot of creepy moments. Hoag has talent, and I will definitely be picking up her other books in the future.