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    Cold Betrayal: A Novel
    Cold Betrayal: A Novel
    Cold Betrayal: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Cold Betrayal: A Novel

    Written by J. A. Jance

    Narrated by Karen Ziemba

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the New York Times bestselling author hailed for her “inimitable, take-no-prisoners style” (Kirkus Reviews), Cold Betrayal forces Ali Reynolds to confront the face of evil, and the women who are being hunted.

    Revenge isn’t the only dish served cold...

    Ali’s longtime friend and Taser-carrying nun, Sister Anselm, rushes to the bedside of a young pregnant woman hospitalized for severe injuries after she was hit by a car on a deserted Arizona highway. The girl had been running away from The Family, a polygamous cult with no patience for those who try to leave its ranks. Something about her strikes a chord in Sister Anselm, reminding her of a case she worked years before when another young girl wasn’t so lucky.

    Meanwhile, married life agrees with Ali. But any hopes that she and her husband, B. Simpson, will finally slow down and relax now that they’ve tied the knot are dashed when Ali’s new daughter-in-law approaches her, desperate for help. The girl’s grandmother, Betsy, is in danger: she’s been receiving anonymous threats, and someone even broke into her home and turned on the gas burners in the middle of the night. But the local police think the elderly woman’s just not as sharp as she used to be.

    While Ali struggles to find a way to protect Betsy before it’s too late, Sister Anselm needs her help as well, and the two race the clock to uncover the secrets that The Family has hidden for so long—before someone comes back to bury them forever.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateMar 10, 2015
    ISBN9781442376038
    Cold Betrayal: A Novel
    Author

    J. A. Jance

    J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, she lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington.

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    Reviews for Cold Betrayal

    4/5

    134 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great book really enjoyed the suspense all the way through
    • 5/5
      This is the second time I’ve read this book and I still find it relevant
    • 5/5
      One of the most moving stories I have ever read! The horrible issue of sex trafficking is international in scope! How many young girls and boys have been used by perverted evil people is mind boggling!!! A story like this brings the reality of this evil into the spotlight!
    • 4/5
      Not her best but a good read. Ending of one plot seems unfinished. Ending of second plot seems abrupt.
    • 5/5
      Good story line , as usual, like with all Jance's books
    • 4/5
      Ali Reynolds’s longtime friend and Taser-carrying nun, Sister Anselm, rushes to the bedside of a young pregnant woman hospitalized for severe injuries after she was hit by a car on a deserted Arizona highway. The girl had been running away from The Family, a polygamous cult with no patience for those who try to leave its ranks. Something about her strikes a chord in Sister Anselm, reminding her of a case she worked years before when another young girl wasn’t so lucky.
    • 4/5
      Cold Betrayal is my first novel by J.A. Jance and I was quite impressed. It started off slowly, and introduced me to the principal, Ali Reynolds. Once the second storyline about a polygamist cult was introduced, the novel really took off for me. Ali is a mature, intelligent woman and is supported by other strong but centered women, as well as having 2 strong males in her life. As we have a vacation home in Arizona, I enjoyed the local setting and characters.The characters are well drawn, even the peripheral ones and the writing style was straight forward and easy to read. The narrative proceeded in a logical manner. While this is a mystery, the author handles the cult issue was the seriousness it deserves. I will definitely look into the other titles in this series and others by this author.
    • 4/5
      Another good entry in an excellent series. Two sets of bad guys in two different places. Both crimes reprehensible, one horrifying. Jance's great set of characters keeps the stories moving well and your interest high. Nerds and a nun support Ali's intervention in a serious case of elder abuse and an even more serious one of human trafficking.
    • 4/5
      Two compelling story-lines - ripped right from the news headlines. One - elder abuse and deception; the other human trafficking and religious cultism. The heroine of this eleventh book in the Ali Reynolds series, is smack in the middle of both stories and manages each with a quick mind, sensitivity, guts, razor-sharp wits and a dash of spit and vinegar. Author, J.A. Jance crafts the two stories well with heightening tension which resolves in an appropriate tempo. The resolution of each story is realistic and not necessarily a bed of roses. This being my first foray into this series, I assure you that it won't be my last.
    • 4/5
      Ali Reynolds is asked for help by two different sources. Her friend, Sister Anselm becomes the patient advocate for a Jane Doe sixteen year old girl who gives birth a month early after being hit by a car. There are similarities to another teenage girl who gave birth after being beaten to death twelve years earlier which still haunts the sister. There is more emphasis on this mystery than the other one which involves the grandmother of Ali’s daughter-in-law who is being set-up for a case of incompetency. I had not read any prior books in this series. I wasn’t paying attention and thought I was getting the latest release from the Joanna Brady series when I put this on hold at the library. We do get enough back story that a reader won’t have a problem starting with this book, although other than through her husband’s business, I don’t have a complete picture on why Ali has the contacts and resources that she does. I do like the idea of more than one issue being tackled, although at times the switch between them can feel a little jarring. Both issues were interesting although a part of me wishes for a different outcome on each one. Betsy, the grandmother, is someone I’d like to see again.But I found a great deal to enjoy in this story and I’ll definitely be going back and reading the prior books. There are a number of characters I want to learn more about.
    • 5/5
      When a young pregnant woman is hit by a car near Flagstaff, Arizona, she's brought to the hospital and opens up a hidden world where a religious cult was active.At the hospital is Sister Anselm, a patient advocate who deeply cares for those who don't have a voice in their own behalf. The woman gives birth but both she and her daughter are in critical condition.Before lapsing into unconsciousness, the defenseless woman pleads with the young man who drove the care that hit her accidentally, please don't let them take me back.With this plea, Sister Anselm stays at Enid's side and tells her friend, Ali Reynolds, who is police academy trained and works at her husband's computer technology company.Both Ali and Sister Anselm are there when a confrontation occurs by two authoritative men from The Family who have come to bring Enid and her daughter back. This was an excellent scene that is well described by the author, J.A. Jance.The story continues and we observe the manner in which the man at the cult treat their wives and how certain young girls disappear in the middle of the night.As this goes on, a parallel story involves a senior citizen, Betsy Peterson who is awakened by her dog one night and finds the gas has been turned on in her stove. If the dog hadn't awakened Betsy, she might have been killed. Betsy is the grandmother of Athena who is Ali's daughter-in-law.With two dramatic story lines, the action moves nicely and the characters are well described and easy to root for. It's easy for the reader to feel empathy for both and both parts of the story treat meaningful situations in today's society, elder abuse and human trafficking along with religious cults who go to the extremes in their treatment of the people under their spell.J.A. Jance is an excellent author and knows how to tell a compelling story. I didn't want this story to end because it was so good but I did want to see the villains get what was coming to them.The novel is skillfully plotted and recommended. Don't miss it.
    • 5/5
      The latest Ali Reynolds saga turns its focus to family. On one hand, someone is trying to do away with her daughter-in-law’s grandmother; on the other, a secretive polygamous cult called The Family may be putting the lives of young girls in jeopardy.Enid Tower, desperate to escape the compound before her child is born, panics and runs across a deserted Arizona highway, right into the path of an oncoming car. Gravely injured, she is taken to the hospital where Sister Anselm becomes a patient advocate for the young woman and for her prematurely-born daughter. As Sister Anselm and Ali learn of the circumstances surrounding the accident, they begin to notice similarities to a twelve-year-old still-unsolved cold case in which a young pregnant woman was savagely beaten and died soon after being found.At the same time, Betsy Peterson is having more than her share of problems and realizes that someone is trying to kill her. Her son and daughter-in-law have convinced everyone, including the local police, that Betsy is simply too old to be living on her own. Desperate, her granddaughter, Athena, turns to her mother-in-law for help. With the swift assistance of Stu and High Noon Enterprises, Ali is able to have surveillance equipment installed and a plan to catch Betsy’s would-be murderer is hatched. The subplot involving Betsy is a welcome counterpoint to the intense drama of The Family. But they dovetail nicely as the protection of family is at the heart of both narratives. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as plots twist and turn and Sister Anselm joins Ali to delve into the mystery surrounding The Family, only to discover that there are those who will stop at nothing to keep the secrets The Family has guarded for so many years. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Since this author is so prolific, I decided to step outside my usual preference and try this book when I received an advance proof from Goodreads. I've rated it 4 stars since it was well-written and I believe it will appeal to readers who prefer a soft approach to suspense. The main plot involves a cult that will ring familiar to some news stories from recent years. A second, unrelated plot revolves around threats made to the mother of the main characters daughter-in-law; possibly more about these characters in future books. The author does a good job of making it clear as the book moves from the main plot to the second. Recommend for cozy mystery readers.