Coldwater Revenge
Bad things happen when a bioresearch research company on the verge of bankruptcy agrees to act as a conduit for anonymous shipments of vials, powders and Petri-dishes in exchange for quick cash.
Trouble begins when a poxed corpse floats to the top of a nearby lake and an autopsy reveals it to be riddled with deadly toxin.
COLDWATER REVENGE is an atmospheric mystery/thriller that takes place during a ten day period in the Fall of 2002.
The setting is a small upstate New York town with a centuries-long tradition of live and let live smuggling across the lake it shares with French Quebec. Murder suspects in a place turned inward by history and geography are of necessity friends, lovers and even family.
The brother detectives of COLDWATER REVENGE face difficult moral choices when it appears the killer may be someone close to them. Especially when one begins to suspect the other and the catalyst is an ex-girlfriend they have in common.
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Praise & Reviews
“From the first page, I was drawn into Jim Ross’ captivating novel, Coldwater Revenge. More than a crime novel over the death of a local boy who ran with the wrong crowd, this story has layers in the depths of its characters. The warmth between Tom Morgan and his brother as they work to investigate the murder adds a touching humanity to the story, and the care with which Tom nurtures his neurodiverse nephew brings the dynamics of this family alive on the page. It doesn’t stop there. Ross imbues the many characters in his setting with rich backstory that comes out in the present. In the hands of a lesser writer, the intensity of the different sub-plots might overwhelm the main story, but Ross deftly brings all the story threads together in a gripping read. This is a book not to miss!”
— Vanitha Sankaran, author of Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Ages
“Author James A. Ross grabs you and keeps you spellbound as this fast-paced thriller plunges into the icy depths of a dangerous lake on the Canadian border, and two brothers reconnect to solve a crisis which grows from a murder investigation into potential international terrorism.”
— Lenore Mitchell, author of DYING TO RIDE
“Coldwater Revenge by Jim Ross is a testament to how great mystery stories should be written; with grit and style, and with unnerving characters that blossom into palpable genre-representations that foil each other marvelously with each new page. Detailed and vividly conceived, there's little doubt the story takes its readers to a place of intrigue where it's near impossible to gage an outcome, and instead we must let it come, sometimes suddenly, while praying that there will continue to be more left to read. To call it a page-turner would be an understatement.”
— Josh Michael, Editor, Mud Season Review
“Memorable characters drive an atmospheric thriller.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Quite simply excellent.”
— The Indie Reader
“This mystery really took me by surprise... it completely knocked me off my feet.”
— Texas Book Nook
“A spine-tingling and suspense-filled page turner.”
— Best Seller World
“A fast-paced, gritty novel that will grip you from the start, with plenty of twists and turns to throw you off the scent.”
— Reader’s Favorite
Guest Articles
Author James Ross Speaks Up About His Two Award Winning Books