Book Review: COLDER THAN SIN by Toni Anderson

About the Book

Top FBI negotiator Quentin Savage is hurled into his worst nightmare when a terrorist attack on a luxury hotel propels him from esteemed keynote speaker to powerless captive.

Haley Cramer is co-owner of a private security firm and prides herself on her independence, but she is shaken to the core when gunmen attack a conference she is attending. She survives, but only because Quentin Savage pretends she’s his wife.

Together Savage and Haley plot their escape from a ragtag army of brutal but efficient thugs while struggling to figure out exactly who the enemy is. Why was the conference attacked, and why was Quentin a specific target?

My Thoughts

Well! Toni Anderson definitely had me on the edge of my seat with this book. COLDER THAN SIN is quite the enthralling read.

When FBI Negotiator Quentin Savage and private security company CEO Haley Cramer find themselves running from a luxury resort after a terrorist attack, it will take all their strength, wit and cunning to outmanoeuvre the enemy. And it’s not just a matter of running away, but figuring out who to turn to for help; professional alliances are nebulous in this part of the world, so they could just as easily be walking into the hands of the enemy.

I’ve read several of Anderson’s books but COLDER THAN SIN is hands down the grittiest I’ve read to date. At times incredibly raw and crude, it lifts the veneer off civilised society, exposing a dangerous underbelly.

In contrast to the violence, we also get a most marvellous romance between Quentin and Haley. This relationship starts at an incredibly stressful time but it’s also what helps them keep faith, support one another and do their utmost to get themselves to safety.

I really enjoyed getting to know Quentin and Haley. Both of them are damaged souls, trying to move on from tragic past events. Their exteriors may exude confidence but these two are hurting. Embarking on a relationship that requires barriers to be lowered and vulnerabilities to be exposed is plain hard work.

The satisfying conclusion delivers to us not only the instigators of the attack but a fulfilling romance. Highly recommended.

Note: There are many law enforcement acronyms used throughout the book. The author has kindly provided a list of them, but I only discovered them at the end. If, like me, you’re more likely to think of HRT as hormone replacement therapy than Hostage Rescue Team, do yourself a favour and keep the list at hand while reading.  

About the Author

Toni Anderson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Originally from a small town in England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she’d never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko. 

Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fourteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). 

She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016, and she also got to shove another car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin. Watch out world!

https://www.toniandersonauthor.com/