Authors do their best writing when it involves something they are passionate about. For example, Tara Laskowski has forged a career in suspense writing by weaving in elements she already has an interested in. Things such as Halloween (The Mother Next Door), the wine industry (The Weekend Retreat), and now in her latest novel, 1980’s slasher films (The Cold Read). These topics of interest build a strong backbone onto which Laskowski skillfully layers complications, secrets, and, of course, murder—ensuring that her books appeal to domestic suspense readers, thriller fans, and more traditional mystery enthusiasts in equal measure.
The Cold Read begins as the director and cast of the cult classic horror film, No One Can Hear You Scream reunite to announce and film the long-awaited, but never expected, sequel, ten years after the original’s success. In this way, Tara Laskowski has gathered a small group of individuals to an isolated location, which can only mean that things are sure to go awry.
This location, an abandoned ski resort in a remote town is the very definition of creepy. Almost from page one, The Cold Read draws readers into a general sense of menace, where every shadow hides a threat and each whispered conversation contains a condemnation. The chilly—literally cold, quiet, and dim—atmosphere oozes off the page causing readers to turn on every light in their house and to check that all locks are engaged. There are brief moments in the opening chapters of The Cold Read that will send a shiver up the spine of any reader.
Also on site, is a neophyte influencer/vlogger/pop culture fanatic granted access to document the movie production for the masses of fans eager for any tidbit of news about their favorite horror franchise. When the livestream announcement of the sequel is unexpectedly severed, the “outside world” loses contact with the group isolated on the treacherous mountainside and the tension within the novel escalates proportionally.
The death of a cast member during the original filming of No One Can Hear You Scream adds complications to this reunion. Each of the assembled group have different memories of that event and no one has all the answers. The duel POVs—from “final girl” Cassidy and influencer Izzy—along with social media ephemera and flashback sequences, keep readers invested in the truth without making the outcome too obvious or unrealistic.
It should be noted that while The Cold Read centers on a horror movie, the novel itself is squarely in the crime fiction arena. Horror fans will certainly enjoy this twisted tale but should not enter expecting the fear to rise above the creepy and unsettling level. This is a book about the filming of a horror movie where ambience outranks jump scares for the most part. That said, readers used to more procedural or cozy crime tales, are also cautioned as Tara Laskowski’s aim is to build a sense of dread as the novel progresses. For those for whom the sweet spot lies comfortably in the middle of the “scary, but not terrifying” scale, The Cold Read will no doubt be a success.
BUY LINKS: The Cold Read by Tara Laskowski
Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
