A Faint Cold Fear: A Novel

The third thrilling Grant County novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author, Karin Slaughter, featuring Sara Linton of the acclaimed Will Trent Series.

“A fearless writer…One of the boldest thriller writers working today.”— New York Times bestselling author, Tess Gerritsen

“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.

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.

“Simply one of the best thriller writers working today.” - Gillian Flynn, bestselling author of Gone Girl

“An impressive...landmark on the thriller map.” - Val McDermid

“Slaughter knows exactly how a crime scene looks and exactly how much it hurts to lose a loved one… For [her] haunted characters, as for Faulkner’s, the past not only isn’t dead, it isn’t even past.” - Hollywood Reporter

“This is a fantastic book. The writing is superb…The mystery is a mind–bender and its architect a master. Everything here rings true and is for that reason satisfying, even when disturbing. And disturbing it is on occasion…Much more provocative, however, is the portrayal of the damage that can be done to the very heart and soul. DON’T MISS THIS BOOK.” - Deadly Pleasures magazine

“This is one of those rare books that keeps delivering surprises right up to the very last page.” - San Francisco Chronicle

“Slaughter keeps baring her living characters’ psychic wounds in scene after scene with a remarkable intensity the reigning postmortem specialists, Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, can’t match” - Kirkus Reviews

“The undertone of violence is pervasive, even at quiet moments, amplifying Slaughter’s equation of intimacy with menace and placing her squarely in the ranks of Cornwell and Reichs.” - Publishers Weekly

“[A] solid uncompromising plot…A FAINT COLD FEAR combines the best elements of a noir thriller and the Southern Gothic tradition complete with a brooding atmosphere…not for the faint of heart.” - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“A dark and disturbing book, Slaughter delivers yet again. Feeling like the emotional equivalent to a punch in the gut, this powerful and evocative portrayal of lives in anguish is brutal in its honesty. To say the suspense is high is an understatement, and says nothing of the deep and often tormented depiction of these flawlessly rendered characters, especially Lena, whose spiraling descent into near–tragedy is so utterly wrenching, it will leave the reader breathless. This is a must read for the intelligent mystery lover, and we can’t wait for the next in this remarkable series.” - New Mystery Reader

“This is one of those rare books that keeps delivering surprises right up to the very last page.” - San Francisco Chronicle

“Slaughter spares no details…engrossing.” - The Mirror (London)

“Impossibe to put down. . . . Slaughter hits all the buttons, providing an original and well-plotted story that doesn’t let up until the final sentence.” - Orlando Sentinel

“Squarely in the ranks of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs.” - Publishers Weekly

“[Slaughter] has been compared to Thomas Harris and Patricia Cornwell, and for once the hype is justified.. . . . Slaughter’s plotting is brilliant, her suspense relentless.” - Washington Post

“A new synonym for terror.” - Detroit Free Press