A Reader's Opinion: Cold Justice and River Whispers by Kathi Oram Peterson

COLD JUSTICE - The Book

After overcoming missed connections, murder accusations, and years of living lives apart, Regi Bernard and Samuel Tanner’s "happily ever after" is finally within reach. On the eve of their wedding, however, Samuel disappears, and Regi wonders if once again he has run away from both a life with her and a membership in the Church.

Quite the opposite; Samuel has been kidnapped by the Raven Clan, a powerful Alaskan tribe, and is en route to stand trial in front of their justice council for a puzzling crime that happened years ago.

When Regi and Samuel’s close friends suspect a kidnapping, Regi—with the help of her sister, Claudia, and friend Wakanda—resolves to follow Samuel to Alaska but soon learns secrets about her fiancé she hadn’t bargained for.

While Samuel struggles with his faith and with understanding why he has been accused, Regi risks life and love to set him free.

KINDLE | PAPERBACK

RIVER WHISPERS - The Book

Regi Bernard’s small hometown on the Snake River is good for some things (like fishing) but bad for others (like avoiding old flames). On one unlucky day, Regi runs in to the two men she least wants to see: Samuel Tanner, her first love, whose sudden rejection still stings decades later; and Ranger Curtis Romney, the man who trampled her daughter’s heart and reputation. But the next day, Regi’s luck is even worse. While trespassing on Samuel’s land to fish, she discovers a dead body in the willows. And when Regi reports the murder, she becomes the prime suspect.

Of course Regi knows she’s innocent. What she doesn’t know is why the murder leads keep pointing to her, and she’s not going to sit around waiting while others find out. Unraveling a murder case in a small town where everyone and everything is interconnected is a tangled task at best. As Regi takes matters into her own hands, she finds the evidence points to multiple townspeople as the possible killer, including Regi’s own sister. With so many possibilities, Regi can’t get the job done without getting close to one particular suspect—Samuel, the man she’d hoped to avoid forever. The two of them will need more than luck if they’re going to clear their names and their past. And as Regi races to discover the truth about the murder, she may very well face her own.

KINDLE | PAPERBACK

A Reader's Opinion

Suspense and romance are the words to best describe the two latest books by Kathi Oram Peterson. One thing you're likely to notice are the settings. Kathi knows Idaho well (the setting of River Whispers) and she's either visited, or done her research on Alaska (setting of Cold Justice). Both books paint a vivid picture of the character's surroundings to the point where the reader sees the mountains and feels the water of the river rushing around them.

Regi is a woman with grit and has strength enough to overcome the overwhelming obstacles in her way. Samuel was my favorite character from both simply because he felt a bit more real to me--a trait I always appreciate in a character. The characters are well-developed and interesting (just meet Wakanda) and the romantic tension between Regi and Samuel is strong enough for the reader to desire a particular outcome, but the author manages it without smut--always a treat.

In Cold Justice, Kathi's newest release, the reader is transported to Alaska where the small town feels like a movie set filled with interesting characters, intrigue and small-town secrets. I like the Raven Clan addition to the book and how the author managed to intertwine that into her murder mystery. You'll want to turn each page to find out who did and what will happen with Regi and Samuel.

Both books are extremely clean and can be read by just about anyone (no sex or language). The reader will notice a religious element in the books, though it is secondary to the suspense and romance, and comes from the character's feelings or desires--it's not a lesson in religion. I found the religion to be me far more present in the second book, which at first threw me off, but it mellowed out as the 'meat' of the story became gripping and I found I wanted to know what was going to happen and how Regi and Samuel's lives would turn out.

Kathi Oram Peterson spins wonderful stories that I would recommend to any reader.

Please note that where the River Whispers provides a good foundation for the second book as far as Regi and Samuel's relationship is concerned, Cold Justice can be read as a stand-alone. 

Cover note: I love these book covers, especially River Whispers. It perfectly fits the mood, subject, and setting of the book.

This review was originally posted on 6/25/12.