A Faint Cold Fear: A Grant County Thriller

By Karin Slaughter

The third book in Karin Slaughter’s acclaimed Grant County Series.

“[A] page-turner . . . Slaughter’s plot has more twists than a Slinky factory and the characters’ relationships are sharply drawn.”
—People, starred review

“Scary, shocking and perfectly suspenseful.”
—BookPage

Sara Linton, medical examiner in the small town of Heartsdale, GA, is called out to an apparent suicide on the local college campus. The mutilated body provides little in the way of clues—and the college authorities are eager to avoid a scandal—but for Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, things don’t add up.

Two more suspicious suicides follow, and a young woman is brutally attacked. For Sara, the violence strikes far too close to home. And as Jeffrey pursues the sadistic killer, he discovers that ex-police detective Lena Adams, now a security guard on campus, may be in possession of crucial information. But, bruised and angered by her expulsion from the force, Lena seems to be barely capable of protecting herself, let alone saving the next victim.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061802768

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular storytellers. She is the author of more than twenty instant New York Times bestselling novels, including the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and standalone novels The Good Daughter and Pretty Girls. An international bestseller, Slaughter is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. Pieces of Her is a #1 Netflix original series, Will Trent is a television series starring Ramón Rodríguez on ABC, and further projects are in development for television. Karin Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

Reviews for A Faint Cold Fear

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Have finished A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter, 4 stars. An enjoyable read but I would have liked more of the story to have focused on Sara and to have mixed up between the characters a bit more rather than the big sections focused on the viewpoint of the three main characters. It was one book where I did work out who did most of it but there was still a shock waiting for me at the end!

[olivermagnus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book in Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series. The main characters are Sara Linton, pediatrician and part time medical examiner and her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, who cheated on her five years ago, resulting in their divorce. They are currently dating and trying to work out their issues. Sara is having lunch with her sister, Tessa, when she is called to what appears to be a student suicide. Tessa decides to go with her and while Sara and Jeffrey are examining the dead college student, Tess, who is pregnant, is stabbed. Soon another student is found dead. Although she also appears to have killed herself, further investigation reveals that hers was a staged murder, casting doubt on the first suicide as well.

This book also focuses on one of the most fascinating female characters in suspense, Lena Adams. Her life has been falling apart since incidents that occurred in Blindsighted. We also have a bully of a campus security guard, and a white supremacist who is trying to clean up his act.

This is definitely not a series for the faint of heart though. The subject is dark and many of the characters are unlikable. I've been rereading the series in audio and really enjoy them. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, Indelible.

[carol420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sara Linton is a practicing pediatrician and also the town's Medical Examiner, as well as the ex-wife of Jeffrey Tolliver, the Chief of Police. When questions are raised over a death that looked like an obvious suicide and when someone close to Sara is attacked, you know that the mystery is only beginning. A second suicide/murder, leads into an intricate web of deceit. Along with the investigation, Sara's relationship with Jeffrey becomes more defined, even as an old boyfriend of Sara's pops back into the picture.

Lena Adams is now working security for the local college, no longer an investigator for the Police Dept. Lena's dysfunctional life places her squarely in the center of a major murder investigation.....and only a few people will see the whole picture.

Karin Slaughter's writing is very detailed and in detailing, it's graphic. You will leave a page with a definite picture of the crime scene. You won't have to use your imagination. Fans of Patricia Cornwell should enjoy it.

[bhabeck-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this 3rd book of the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter, the story opens with a call to the police for an apparent suicide. A college student has jumped from a bridge at the edge of the college grounds into the dry riverbed below. Jeffrey Tolliver, Chief of Police, has called the ME, Sara Linton (his ex-wife and current lover) to the site to confirm the death.Sara had been out running errands with her sister when she gets the call. Tessa insists on accompanying her and Sara agrees. While at the site of the suicide, Tessa decides to answer the “call of nature” and disappears into the woods where she is attacked and almost killed. This attack calls into question whether the death in the riverbed was really a suicide.Also called to the scene at the bridge is Lena Adams, now a college security officer. After the events in the first 2 books, Lena has decided to leave the force and her life has been falling apart. She’s working for a man she loathes, drinking too much, becoming self-destructive and belligerent to Jeffrey when he tries to help her.As other college students are found dead in apparent suicides, Jeffrey, Sara and Lena rush to determine a connection between the deaths and – more importantly – if the deaths are really suicides or if there is a killer loose on the campus.This was a good read but very painful as we watch Lena spiral out of control and consistently make bad decisions. We feel for Jeffrey as he tries to help her and doesn’t understand why they are continually at odds. In addition, we see the strain put on Sara and Jeffrey’s relationship as he is effectively shut out by her family as they sit vigil at Tessa’s bedside.Yet another good book in the Grant County series, ensuring that I will continue. The story is well-written and has good tension as well as being extremely frustrating. The narration by Kathleen Early was top-notch.Rating: 4

[alan18_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Too much small talk and not enough suspense and movement to plot. I didn't read all of it. The first book I have tried by this author. I will try again with another. When characters talk about things like their ice cream melting or have personal relationship fights I lose interest since the plot is not advanced.

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. This was not my favorite book in the series. It was sad, and very vulgar and graphic in some parts. Might have been better for me to read it to skim over parts I didn't enjoy rather then have to listen to them. But the story was good and I do like the characters so I will check out the next book in the series.

[balthazar0lawson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I loathed this book and I so wanted to throw it away and not finish it. But I rarely do this with any book I start.

I hated the characters and couldn't care less about what happened to them. In real life I would not have anything to do with them. I loathed this so much that I won't be reading any more in this series.

[wareagle78 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another in Karin Slaughter's riveting series based in Grant County, Georgia. The killing is close to home - initially at the local college. Medical Examiner Sara Linton and her significant other Sheriff Jeffrey Tolliver investigate, but at the same time Sara's sister Tess is lost in the surrounding forest. As usual, the bloodshed escalates and the tension in the story rachets up as Slaughter keeps the reader engaged.

[wcath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed her first novel, Blindsighted, much more. Although this is very readable suspense it did not keep me on the edge of my seat like the first in this series. I have not read the second in the series, Kisscut, but I am hoping that it is more like Blindsighted.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

College students appear to be committing suicide at an alarming rate, and their deaths are not your ordinary suicides. In amongst the suicides a young woman is brutally attacked not far from the scene of a suicide. How are the two related? Grant County just keeps getting better and better! Lots and lots of unexpected events happen in the lives of our main characters. I'm really intrigued as to where they will go in the next book. The case was unusual with just the right amount of gruesomeness as I've come to expect from Slaughter. A thrilling, fast-paced read with intriguing characters. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

[darrol_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A sometimes moving book about the struggles to put a life back together after being a victim of violence. A few too many dead bodies in the course of 3 books to be quite plausible, but still a reasonably good series to read.

[heidilove_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

not literature by any stretch of the imagination, slaughter manages to put a grisled twist on the mystery genre and hold her own. perfect for plane rides, beach trips, or any bit of escapism.

[tulikangaroo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very well written and engaging, as usual, though Lena drives me a little nuts. Most of my problem is I've read subsequent books and I know how well things go for her and Ethan. Other than that, Karin Slaughter's usual intelligence and wit are touching and refreshing, and her commitment to speaking out against racism and violence against women are in full force.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Faint Cold Fear
3.5 Stars

A suspicious suicide and a vicious attack on a pregnant woman at the local college place Chief Jeffrey Tolliver and his ex-wife, Sara Linton, in pursuit of a brutal killer who will let nothing stand in the way of his ambitions.

Slaughter’s writing style is dark and gritty but never fails to captivate. The crimes in this installment are toned down somewhat as compared to the previous books, but there are still some gruesome depictions. The investigation is interesting with several solid twists and turns although I did manage to guess the villain quite easily prior to the big reveal.

Even though this series is character driven, it cannot be said that any are particularly appealing. Jeffrey and Sara have tremendous potential both as individuals and as a couple, but they never quite manage to pull it off. The biggest problem is their on again/off again relationship, which doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and the time has come for them to either fish or cut bait.

Lena has always been rough around the edges bordering on unstable, but her behavior in this book is simply incomprehensible. I can only hope that Slaughter does something to either rehabilitate or get rid of her once and for all.

All in all, one of the weaker books in the series and I hope the next one will be better.

[themjrawr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This... is kind of hard for me to review. A lot of the annoyances came from me not reading the previous books. That's what happens when you buy books as they're on sale :P So, I tried to look past those. There's.. a lot of stomach churning crime described. I'm not sure I appreciate how some aspects of Lena as a survivor of horrific sexual abuse were depicted. But, I'm not a survivor myself, and I feel.. unsettled and uneasy critiquing that, like I'm falling into the 'good survivor' trap. But, the entire books is complicated and messy in its relationships, which I greatly appreciate. There are some questions left at the end (as expected from a series), and some nice twists and dead ends. I think it stood up well as a stand alone story, really, despite the annoyances I mentioned earlier. And there were definitely parts where i could not put it down! Give it a whirl if you aren't adverse to reading about some grotesque crime scenes, because there's a good mystery and thriller in there.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With A Faint Cold Fear, Karin Slaughter has taken her Grant County series up a notch. Fastpaced action combined with great character development kept the pages turning, and I am looking forward to the next installation.The main storyline revolves around a series of deaths at the local university. At first glance they appear as suicides, but are they? They must be connected, but Sherrif Jeffrey Tolliver is having difficulty finding the connection. His ex-wife, Medical Examine Sara Linton is involved with a nightmare of her own involving her family. I found the most interesting plotline was of Lena Adams, former Grant County deputy, now working as security at the university campus. Her life has been in a downward spiral since the first book, and she seems to be hitting rock bottom in this, the third book. I am curious to find out what is going to happen to this character. A Faint Cold Fear is a solid thriller, the author doesn't pull any punches, she takes us ona thrilling ride with skillful writing, great imagination and excellent characters.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Faint Cold Fear is well paced, with solid plotting that moves the story forward as the investigation twists around the characters. It starts with a suprising crime scene that gives an impression that quickly changes with the arrival of Sara who uses the injuries, described in detail, to determine that not all is as it seems. There is a lot of violence in this book - some overt, some hidden but Karin handles it well - it's never gratuitious but contributes to the story. There are enough victims and enough suspects to keep you off balance in determining who dunnit - personally I didn't see the last little reveal coming.I found Lena almost more intriguing than the murders, such a damaged woman and her behaviour so difficult to reconcile even though I know intellectually that it is not an unusual reaction to the tragedy she experienced.Suprisingly I haven't ever read this author before - as a fan of the genre I am not sure how I missed her - but I'll be hunting up some more of her work

[bjmitch_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm gradually becoming a solid fan of Karin Slaughter's mystery novels. In this one the lead characters are Sara Linton, medical examiner, and Jeffrey Tolliver, Chief of Police, of a small college town in Georgia. The college plays a large role in the story; it's supposedly a school for dorky types who don't fit in at the better known large universities in Georgia. Judging from the scene at one dorm party, though, these kids don't seem very nerdy at all.As this gripping story begins, the body of a young man has been found in the dry river bed under a bridge by the college. He has fallen or jumped from the bridge and his legs are shattered. Is it suicide? He has tried to slit his arm before. While Sara, Jeffrey, and others try to figure out what happened, Sara's very pregnant sister leaves Sara's car to go up a hill into the woods to relieve herself. They find her stabbed and bleeding profusely a few minutes later. In other words, the book grabs the reader by the neck and doesn't let go until the end.There is one masterfully drawn character in this book you won't soon forget. Lena is a former cop who now works for the college security department. She hates the job, mostly because of her bigoted, smarmy boss. She was an excellent cop but was the victim of one of the most terrifying violent kidnappings you'll ever read about. Her head still isn't back to normal, and neither is her body for that matter. I was impressed by the depiction of this woman and her struggle to keep it together.The other characters are well drawn too and although the plot kept me turning pages, it was the characters I really loved. Slaughter has been compared to Patricia Cornwall and Kathy Reichs and I can see the truth of that comparison, but I am more impressed with Slaughter's characters than Cornwall's. I highly recommend this book.

[ravenswoodpublishi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Karin Slaughter is the absolute best crime/mystery writer I have come across in this day and age. Her novels will simply astound you with their heart-racing moments and intrigue. Every time I pick one of her novels up I cannot stop reading until I'm done and I still find myself begging for more. She's a writer with no fear! She wields her instruments like a knife ready to dig in deep and take you by surprise at every turn!

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fast-paced book that was hard to put down. I started with Will Trent series and realized I needed to read these first. Well-developed characters and a great plot makes for a good read. Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[debavp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, this was much better than the last installment. Slaughter kept the pace moving right along. Too easy to give lots of things away here, suffice it to say you probably know won't who the villain is until the end, with a big surprise (but then again, maybe not???). Slaughter doesn't get bogged down with a lot of unnecessary descriptions. As for Sara, Slaughter uses her humanity along with a gentleness that gets the point across perfectly with regards to the forensics without beating the reader about the head with a over-sized medical dictionary.

[permaswooned · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is one of the series of Karin Slaughter books featuring police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, M.E. Sara Linton and the rest of the series cast of characters. This is one series that you should probably only read in order, and fairly close together, since they depend on the others. To me, that's a detriment.

[emhromp2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Karin Slaughter never disappoints. Again a good, decent thriller, almost Agatha Christie style, with the unexpected turn of events at the end of the novel. I am warming towards the characters more and more.

[riverwillow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Karin Slaughter writes compelling crime fiction and this book is no exception. I am not sure enjoy is the right word to use as this book is so dark, but her books are engaging reads. I also really like how from each book the relationship between the characters develops.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could not put down a Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. I am now caught up on all Slaughter's books and anxiously awaiting her next book.

[dearheart_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The investigation of an apparent suicide of a university student becomes so much more, including on a personal level, putting the nerves of both characters and readers on edge. Then another apparent suicide, but wait, this one doesn’t add up.The story is once again told from the points of view of three characters, Dr Sara Linton who is both a pediatrician as well as the county coroner, chief of police Jeffrey Tolliver who also happens to be Sara’s ex-husband. And Lena Adams, a former detective now working security at the university after Jeff, her boss had given her an ultimatum to get counseling or get fired.The mystery itself is buried really deep and the real reason behind everything isn’t made clear until the perp tells another to impress them. We’re provided a number of twists and red herrings – or are we? We do get some gritty detail on victims, but this one wasn’t as graphic as others have been. However, it can be argued that a stabbing victim will hit the reader harder.Domestic violence is brought up and it’s difficult to watch victims lie about it and the abusers getting away with it. Jeff and Sara are trying to work on their relationship, but right now the nerves are getting in the way. Watching Lena self-destructive is difficult. Hopefully she’s hit rock bottom in this book. She’s never been a particularly likeable character, but you’ll just want to shake her—or more--this time.I found the story engaging as well as disturbing. Keeping the reader guessing on the who and why is handled well.

[Michael W Theryoung · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As always, a story that tangles you up and ties you in. As always , a Karin Slaughter you must not miss. There are other authors, including number one worldwide, that I will start and not finish. Karin Slaughter is impossible to not finish; whether your life started in a big town and ended in a small town or the opposite, Karin Slaughter will lock you in, wishing for more.

[Richard stone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tense, exciting and filled with twists. An incredible novel about small town life and murder. A must read!

[techeditor_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A FAINT COLD FEAR is the third book in a series by Karin Slaughter. I, however, read it out of order. And I enjoyed it. That is one of my tests of whether an author is a good writer: can their books in a series also be read and enjoyed as standalones? Slaughter passes my test.Because I had read the first book in this series, I was already familiar with the main characters: the chief of police in a small town in Georgia; his ex-wife, a doctor; and his former employee who is now in Security for the college in this town. Put simply, college Security, headed by a creepy man, and his new employee, Lena, the former police detective, have called the police to come to the scene of a crime at the college. Someone has either committed suicide or was murdered. Soon other murders occur as well, and the police race to solve these and prevent more.Jeffrey, the Chief of Police, suspects that Lena knows more than she is saying. Unfortunately, Lena has anger issues and is not forthcoming when police question her. Sara, Jeffrey‘s ex-wife and the medical examiner in town, sometimes acts as a buffer between them. She is seeing Jeffrey again but is not ready to remarry him.Of course, there are many side stories involving others in town. These add mysteries to the main story.Although I enjoyed this book as a whole, I did not enjoy Lena‘s anger issues and misbehavior. I hope these do not continue to be a problem later in the series.

[bah195 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this author. Great series. I can't believe there are only 3 books left in this series.