The Printed Page

Title: The Cold Room
Author/website(s): J.T. Ellison
401 pages
Publisher: Mira
Publication date: March ’10
Genre: Police procedural
Review book or pleasure reading: Review book
New-to-me author: No
Would I recommend this book: Definitely
Would I read more from this author: Eagerly anticipating book #5 and book #4 isn’t even available until March of this year.
Journal notes: I’m pretty sure it isn’t fair to classify The Cold Room as a review book because J.T. Ellison’s Taylor Jackson series has quickly become a favorite of mine and hits the auto-buy authors list. Now that isn’t to say the relationship has been this way from the start (All The Pretty Girls) because I was a bit unsure at first. While I enjoyed All The Pretty Girls I wasn’t raving about it. When the opportunity came along to get The Cold Room as a review copy I thought ‘why not?’. I’d enjoyed All The Pretty Girls enough to give Ms. Ellison’s work another try. But first I needed to read 14 and The Judas Kiss as I have this little hangup about reading series in order. I did read 14 and The Judas Kiss and with each book my love of Ms. Ellison’s Taylor Jackson series was quickly growing into a long-term relationship. Taylor Jackson is a strong female lead character. Taylor reminds me a lot of Eva Dallas in J.D. Robb’s In Death series. There are several similarities in both Taylor’s and Eva’s professional and personal lives. Because I’ve been of the fan of the In Death series from the first book I wasn’t surprised by Taylor getting her hooks into me (reading wise that is). There is never a dull moment in this series. If you’re a fan of police procedurals check out The Cold Room. It kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning.

He Can Only Truly Love Her Once Her Heart Stops

Homicide Detective Taylor Jackson thinks she’s seen it all in Nashville—from the Southern Strangler to the Snow White Killer. But she’s never seen anything as perverse as the Conductor. Once his victim is captured, he contains her in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death. Only then does he give in to his attraction.

When he’s finished, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings. And it seems similar macabre works are being displayed in Europe. Taylor teams up with her fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, and a New Scotland Yard detective named James “Memphis” Highsmythe, a haunted man who only has eyes for Taylor, to put an end to the Conductor’s art collection.

Has the killer gone international with his craft? Or are there dueling artists, competing to create the ultimate masterpiece?

(The Cold Room was provided to me by TJ at Planned Television Arts. I was not paid. This book doesn’t have a home yet so the first reader to tell me they want it can have it )