Cold Sight (Extrasensory Agents #1) by Leslie Parrish
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
July 6, 2010
Paperback, 368 Pages
Signet


Reviewed by Tori


Favorite Quote: “Yea, even shut-ins get out to a restaurant every once in a while.”
“Frankly, I was thinking how strange it was that you actually have friends.”

Aidan McConnell has no desire to start investigating again. After a horrible mishap which leaves a boy dead and Aidan’s reputation in tatters he escapes to Granville, GA to live in seclusion and anonymity.

Lexie Nolen is an investigative reporter with a nose for news. And her nose is telling her there is a serial killer in Granville. But small town politics play against her and she soon finds her credibility destroyed and demoted to covering the entertainment beat. But when another young girl disappears, Lexie is even more convinced the serial killer is still at large. She enlists Aidan’s help to find the girl before it’s too late.


Cold Sight is the explosive dark, slightly twisted new suspense series about a group of paranormal investigators who take on the cases nobody else wants-the cold cases.  Parrish starts us off in the clutches of a sadistic killer who is playing and taunting his newest victim-Yvonne (Vonnie) Jackson. The goose bumps coated my body as I felt the waves of despair rolling off Vonnie and the joy the killer receives from her fear. I knew at that moment  that this book wasn’t going to pat you on the head in the end and tell you everything will be ok.

Aidan and Lexie have both be burned badly in their jobs but the resemblance ends there. While Aidan has chosen to hide; Lexie barrels full steam ahead still sure her story has merit and investigating on the side. When bones are found and Vonnie goes missing, Lexie and her boss know that the killer has struck again and her boss steers her towards Aidan for help. At first Aidan will have nothing to do with her. Reporters crucified him and Lexie is tarred with the same brush. But when Aidan receives a psychic “call” from Vonnie he is pulled into the investigation and into Lexie’s life.

Lexie and Aidan have steamy chemistry between them that clicks from their first meeting. Well written dialog and intense scenes make it a joy to watch their romance flesh out. I enjoyed watching Aidan’s protective streak come out concerning Lexie. Even though the whole book plays out in just one week, Lexie awakens feelings in Aidan he had thought he buried. Soon she comes to mean a great deal to him. There is a “connection” between them that facilities their actual physical romance. As Lexie says, “…I feel I’ve known you forever…”

Parrish has a gift for building a nail biting suspenseful story that leaves you hanging on to every little word for just a hint to what will happen. She pulls no punches and allows you no time to accept before tossing you next challenge. Smooth flowing with minimal fillers-this story grabs you and won’t let go till the end. It does start out a tad slow as it sets the plot and introduces the protags. But it picks up quick and flies all the way home. The  romance and the suspense blend effortlessly together. There is no beginning or end to each; they are equally important to the overall arc.

Her secondary characters are well developed and personable. We see many different relationships here that are tested and redeemed by the events unfolding. Ms. Parrish handles each and every one of them with the respect and concern they deserve. She shows the indelible strength that some people have that allows them to triumph over anything. I enjoyed meeting the rest of the team and learning their individual quirks. They definitely provide some humorous moments in the story. I look forward to seeing each of their stories.

As Lexie and Aidan work closer to solving the mystery there are some very emotional moments I did not expect that left me shocked yet hopeful. Her villain is evil, sick, and well hidden. Ms Parrish draws him out inch by inch in the same manner as a magician. She uses extreme skill and illusion to hide him right under our noses till she chooses to reveal him. I give this 4 stars because once I started it, I absolutely had to see how it ended.


Rating: 4/5


Recent Reviews:
Monkey Bear Reviews – B+
Stacy’s Place on Earth – 4/5
The Good, The Bad, and The Unread – C-
Book Binge – 4.25/5
Fiction Vixen – 2.5/5


This series includes:
Cold Sight
Cold Touch – April 2011

Author’s Website.