Lightning Review: The Cold Room by J.T. Ellison

This is something new that I'd like to try.   Instead of a long and detailed review, here are lightning reviews that are meant to be a snapshot of the book.  I'll tell you my impressions of the book, what I liked best about it and what didn't work for me with brevity.  It's an experiment -- let's see how I do!


The Cold Room (Taylor Jackson Novels) by J.T. Ellison

The blurb:
Homicide detective Taylor Jackson thinks she's seen it all in Nashville -- but she's never seen anything as perverse as The Conductor.  Once his victim is captured, he contains her in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death.  Only then does he give in to his attraction.

Later, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings.  Strangely, similar macabre works are being displayed in Europe.  Taylor teams up with her fiance, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, and New Scotland Yard detective James "Memphis" Highsmythe -- a haunted man who has eyes only for Taylor -- to put an end to The Conductor's art collection.

Review:
I first began reading The Cold Room months ago but had found the scenes with The Conductor too disturbing.  When I came back to the book months later and read about Homicide Detective Taylor Jackson, the book turned for me.  Taylor Jackson, Dr. John Baldwin and Memphis Highsmythe are a good team:  their detective work, fighting skills and rapport give the book a lighter side.  The Cold Room is a dark detective thriller offset by the strong woman detective Taylor Jackson -- be prepared for intense and disturbing images.

The book made me realize that I don't enjoy novels that give me a vivid glimpse into the criminal's mind - especially if this results in a violent and sadistic crime.  If you're not overly bothered by dark and twisted psychotics and you enjoy detective thrillers, give this a try because the book itself is gripping and might be more to your taste.  Many other reviewers enjoyed it.   If you'd like to read fuller and more favorable reviews of The Cold Room, head over to Paige Crutcher's review for the Nashville Authors Examiner at The Examiner.com, or Jenn's Mini-Review of March 23, 2010 at Jenn's Bookshelves.com or January Magazine's March 4, 2010 review.  Each of these reviewers clearly recognized the J.T. Ellion's superb storytelling skills.

ISBN-10: 0778327140- Mass Market Paperback $7.99
Publisher: Mira Books (March 1, 2010), 416 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

About the Author:
J.T. Ellison is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Taylor Jackson series, with novels published in 14 countries. A former White House staffer, she moved to Nashville and began research on a passion: forensics and crime. She has worked extensively with the Metro Nashville Police, the FBI and various other law enforcement organizations to research her novels. Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and a poorly trained cat. Visit www.JTEllison.com for more insight into her wicked imagination, or follow her on Twitter @Thrillerchick.