Book Review: Cold Fear by Rick Mofina

I love books that are full of twists and turns. Just when I think I have it all figured out, another bombshell gets dropped. Cold Fear by Rick Mofina is an edge of your seat page turner that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. In the recent months we have all seen how the media has fueled certain stories, which in turn has driven suspicion and created assumptions. In this case, fear and suspicion could have deadly consequences.

Emily Baker has struggled desperately to hide her past, even from her husband Doug and her daughter Paige. As she begins to crack under the pressure, and it starts to tear apart her family, her therapist suggests she return to her childhood home to finally face her past and bury it. Emily and Doug decide to turn the trip into some much needed family bonding and heads to Glacier National Park with their daughter Paige and their puppy Kobee. They plan on camping in one of the most remote parts of the park, a region called The Devil's Grasp.

Doug's patience begins to wear thin when Emily won't confide in him. This eventually leads to a screaming argument. Needing time to think and cool off Emily goes off into the park alone, leaving Doug and Paige behind at their campsite. Doug, trying to work off his anger, begins chopping wood. Paige having witnessed her parents blow out, is worried that her parents are getting a divorce and desperately tries to talk to her dad. Doug screams at her to go find her mother, not paying attention when the ax slips and he badly cuts his hand. In a fit of rage, Doug screams at Paige, with the ax in his hand and gushing blood, to leave him alone and begins to chase her off. Terrified Paige grabs Kobee, her puppy, and takes off into the forest. While walking through the forest, Paige loses Kobee. Frantically searching for him she suddenly realizes she has no idea where she is at, and it's getting dark.

Doug, thinking Paige has finally gotten the point and went to find Emily, heads back to the campsite to take care of his hand. A couple of hours goes by when Doug sees Emily walking up to the campsite, alone. He asks where Paige is and then realizes Emily has no idea and that Paige never went to her. Panic sets in as the parents desperately start searching the quickly darkening woods for their missing daughter. With no sight of Paige or Kobee, Doug decides to hike out in the dark to find help.

With Paige having been missing for almost 24 hours by the time Doug reaches help, the seriousness of the situation draws immediate media interest. There is immediate suspicion that Doug and Emily are somehow responsible, especially when the FBI agents assigned to the case see the wound on Doug's hand. As the investigation mounts it becomes worldwide news. Reporters are trying to come up with anything on Doug and Emily's lives that may answer what happened to Paige. As certain things are uncovered by the reporters, the FBI begins building their case. But are they right? Did Paige's parents have something to do with her disappearance? What are they hiding?

Cold Fear will keep you guessing all the way to the end, I couldn't put it down. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

**This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own and completely unbiased.**