“I devoured this book! Clear your calendar before starting Cold Malice, because you won’t want to put it down!” -USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant.Twenty years ago, she was a cult leader’s innocent daughter and he was an undercover agent who broke her heart and destroyed her life. Now he’s back…ASAC Steve (Mac) McKenzie is leading a task force investigating a series of malicious crimes … investigating a series of malicious crimes in the heart of Washington, DC. His undercover work in an antigovernment compound twenty years earlier is related—as is the sweet, innocent girl he befriended back then. Now that girl is a beautiful woman, and she has something to hide.
Tess Fallon spent a lifetime trying to outrun her family’s bigotry, but someone is using the anniversary of her father’s death to carry out evil crimes and she’s terrified her younger brother is involved. She sets out to uncover the truth and comes face-to-face with a man she once idolized, a man she thought long dead. As the crimes escalate, it becomes obvious the killer has an agenda, and Tess and Mac are running out of time to stop him.
Will the perpetrator use a decades-old dream of revolution to attack the federal government? And will the fact that Tess and Mac have fallen hard for one another give a stone-cold killer the power to destroy them?
Finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence for Single Title Romantic Suspense.
This edition features a brand-new cover.
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Toni Anderson is my go-to author for romantic suspense! Richly detailed research, strong, smart heroines well-matched with strong, smart heroes, perfectly balanced romance and suspense!
Tess was raised in a compound by a white supremacist group. When she was ten, the compound was raided by the Feds an most of her family was killed except her baby brother that she protected and an older brother who went to jail. Now twenty years later, she’s changed her name, is an accountant, and hasn’t told her brother about their family. Mac is a FBI agent and is working a case that might have to do with the Pioneers, the white supremacist group started by Tess’s family. Twenty years ago he was undercover in that group and remembers the sweet ten year old who lived there. Now he’s investigating her and her brother in connection of some murders. Can they stop them before more people are hurt or killed?
Good story with sex, action, and suspense. The only thing that bothered me, was how Mac would say no one was going to come before his job. But gets mad when Tess is putting her brother before anything. He was being hypocritical and a jerk. It does have a happy ending.
An outstanding story. I volunteered to read and review a readers copy .
I really enjoyed this story . It’s an amazing suspense/romance story .
The moment I started reading I was captivated . The storyline is intense and also very interesting , absolutely suspenseful . The story is very emotional somewhat dark . It definitely has twists and turns . The story has you on the edge of your seat and flipping the pages wanting more answers .
It’s such a fantastic story . So well written I felt like I was there . I’m sure my heart rate increased . The characters are great . They range from dark and deranged to loving and brilliant . Tess is
a brilliant , strong , kick butt woman my favorite character in this book . Mac is a close second . He’s caring , take charge true alpha hero . I highly recommend reading this fantastic story . I will definitely be reading more from author
I read book 1 and really liked it. I decided I should save the rest of the series and only read one occasionally. That was dumb. Life’s too short to save good books when you can read them now. So I binged, reading 9 books in 16 days. It was glorious. I especially enjoy how the main characters from book 1 become supporting characters in book 2, etc. It’s a great way to have some of the continuity of a sequel without the boredom of typical sequels.
Life interfered once or twice, but other than that, I never put one of these down until I finished it.
I absolutely loved this book from the very first chapter. I couldn’t put it down and read well into the night. The whole story was compelling and relevant to current events in my opinion. A white supremacy cult working its way into every government agency in a bid to force a revolution and root out anyone that doesn’t look and belief what they do? Yeah, sounds scary familiar. I loved that this book had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing but was also sweet and the really sexy parts were done really well. I loved Tess and Macs characters and what amounted to a second chance romance. I’m recommending this to all my friends who enjoy romantic suspense for sure.
I really enjoyed all of Toni Anderson’s books!
Such a great romantic suspense. I devoured this book and read way too late into the night.
New series and the action begins from the first page.
Dominic at his friend and retired FBI agent Van’s funeral, questions his death. Ava Kanas gripping her boss Aldrich arm, till Dominic suggest they cool it till back at the office. Their gut instinct telling them it was murder. Then an agent fell, their was a sniper close by and shooting. Dominic wants the case, he is the best negotiator there is,but needed there for now. With Ava on his mind, rule he didn’t date agents, or young rookie ones. Aldrich ask Dominic to look at the files, was there anything to what Ava said This is another winner for the author, it is fast action, with lots of twists. Showing us their negotiation skills. The romance interest between Dominic and Ava. The plot is straight forward and easy to read. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.
Loved the whole series…compelling characters good suspense…..steamy
As with all Toni Anderson books, this one didn’t fail to keep my interest from beginning to end. I enjoy her style of writing and recommend her books.
always a good read
*5 stars*
“But hearts don’t have locks, she said.
Some do, he replied. There are people who give away the key to theirs for
safekeeping. Others are mistrustful and give out several keys just in case. Then
there are those who have misplaced them but never cared to look.
What about your heart, she asked.
He smiled.
Your words are the key to mine, he replied.
Never forget your words.” ~ Lang Leav
I wish there is a word to describe how much I love this series and the characters. Toni Anderson has written well-structured, well-plotted, gritty, concise story with some resilient, determined, strong flawed characters. She is such a dedicated and amazing writer that her words and writing just take you on the journey and capture your attention from the start.
This book really gave me Matt and Scarlett vibes but it was more emotional, gritty, suspenseful and with jaw dropping moments. Also really liked Frazer and Alex in this one; Alex Parker is a real badass character and so happy he appears as a consultant in these books.Loved how this book started with a bang and a bit of cliffy chapter 1.
I loved the hero and heroine in this book: the hero was ambitious, had only one goal – to have a successful career and heroine had a white supremacist extremist family so that family tie really cast a shadow over her and her life.
Steve “Mac” McKenzie is an ASAC who wants to prove himself by leading his own task force investigating a series of murders in the heart of Washington, DC. His undercover work almost twenty years ago helped the police and FBI discover and shut down an antigovernment compound – white supremacist extremist people and it seemed to be related with current series of murders in DC. He is demanding, strong, brave, shoulders and carries a lot of guilt, wants to prove himself – ambitious, sometimes a bit of a jerk, conflicted between the duty as an FBI agent and an ASAC and his connection to Tess but he is also vulnerable, loyal, protective, funny and complex character.
Tess Fallon, formerly known as Theresa Jane Hines who grew up in white supremacist extremist family, is trying to escape her family’s shadow and upbringing starting anew. She saved herself and her little brother when the compound was raided almost twenty years ago and vows to protect her brother. She is brave, strong, survivor, fighter, so protective of her brother, loyal, vulnerable, doesn’t trust easily.
Tess knew Mac as Kenny which was his undercover name when he was sent to surveil her family and their activities. She didn’t think he survived the raid on the compound. So twenty years later their paths cross again. There is some sort of pull, connection and attraction neither wants to admit. They are both flawed characters with a fair share of their past weighing down on them. Neither believes in relationships or love until they met each other again. On the surface a daughter of a well known supremacist and a senior FBI agent are not good combo, but underneath they fit and are each other’s match. Loved their flirty banter and just talking, reconnecting with each other. Didn’t like the lack of trust but I understood both of their points of views.
I loved the ending and another amazing book by Toni Anderson.
Tess Fallon is the daughter of one of the most extremist families! Her dad and his Pioneer followers make Neo Nazis look tame by comparison. But when a young member saves her during a raid, she and her baby brother escape and leave all the hate behind them.
Fast forward 20 years and Tess is now an accountant and after the death of her mixed race foster mother, she again looks after her little brother who is now an undergrad. But their birth family and their minions are waiting in the wings to tamper with her happy little bubble!
At the very beginning of his law enforcement career Steve McKenzie went undercover in the Pioneers as Kenny Travers. Kenny inserted himself into the Hines family and did his best to protect Tess from her brothers incestuous advances. But once the raid went down he disappeared, without ever telling Tess he was a cop. But now Steve is going to smash back into Tess’ life when hate crimes, just like those listed in her fathers manifesto, occur.
OMG this was a fascinating and spine chilling story! The whole bible bashing, gun toting, hate filled family made intriguing reading. Tess is very much a case of nurture overcoming birth nature. I was flapping in the wind trying to figure out who was on what side! I did however suss out who the “inside man” was – props to me! The added layers to the story including Steve’s enmity with his ex-wife and the flashbacks to Tess childhood will make you gasp, scream and cry!
Steve still can’t help jumping to some conclusions about Tess even as he realises she is not involved. Tess for her part does play things very close to her chest, but after her tumultuous childhood you can’t help but understand why she does! Fabulously taut and tense thriller!
What a reminder that hate comes in many different forms, and can inhabit those we would never suspect….
Never has a book been so aptly named, as the malevolence permeating this story will sent a chill up your spine like no other! Tess Fallon was born into a white supremacist cult, but even as a young girl she didn’t belong in that world. When a Federal raid left her and her baby brother orphans, the two were adopted by a single woman and raised to be loving and inclusive. As Tess became an accountant and strove to eradicate her family’s legacy, that past seems to come back with a vengeance. As the anniversary of her father’s death approaches, someone is murdering people in the DC area who are in the news and are people of diversity. Who is trying to bring David Hines and the Pioneers hate-driven agenda back to the fore? And is her younger brother involved?
Whoa, this is one intense story! And sadly, one that in this day and age can be just too realistic. Ms. Anderson has written a plot inhabited with characters both noble and evil; it is a tale filled with hate, love, betrayal and loyalty, sometimes inhabiting the same characters, depending on which side you are viewing them from! FBI Agent Steve McKenzie saw the Pioneers up close and personal when he was a new officer working undercover at their compound years ago. He protected Tess then, and that bond continues to link them. As the two of them reconnect after all those years to figure out who is resurrecting the anti-government, white nationalist agenda of the Pioneers, the crimes and tension ratchet up. The mystery was excellent and kept me guessing until the end. The romance was real and a touch gritty, much like Mac himself. Our FBI agent hero here was rough around the edges, but like Tess I too fell for him. As always, this author delivers a powerful, well-written, engrossing novel!
Toni Anderson delivers another winner! Steve was a fantastic character who was FBI and had formally worked undercover to bring down a cult that Tess was a child in. Tess tried to hide where she came from but when someone starts to kill people her group targeted she’s dragged back in. Lots of action and suspense with some twist. Great chemistry between Steve and Tess with some sexy time. Some great secondary characters with a great plot made this a great page turner. Loved it!! I am voluntarily reviewing an arc I received.
Wow!! Great book!
I have read 5 books in this series. They were all great. Kept me turning pages. Each a stand alone. This author just went on my favorite list.
I could not put the book down!
Just Plain Entertaining
I couldn’t stop reading this one and really enjoyed most of it. It was, however, too steamy for me and I won’t read other books b this author.