Skip to product information
1 of 1

A Cold Dark Place (EBOOK)

A Cold Dark Place (EBOOK)

Regular price $5.99 CAD
Regular price Sale price $5.99 CAD
Sale Sold out

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Over 11,000 5-Star Reviews

COLD JUSTICE ® SERIES (Book #1)

When a series of brutal murders links to a cold case that is intensely personal for one FBI agent, she seeks help from a cybercrime expert with a secret identity in the hunt for a vicious killer—in this award-winning Romantic Thriller from New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson.

FBI agent Mallory Rooney spent the last eighteen years searching for her identical twin sister’s abductor. With a serial killer carving her sister’s initials into the bodies of his victims, Mallory thinks she may finally have found him.

Former soldier Alex Parker is a highly decorated but damaged war hero with a secret—he’s a covert government assassin who hunts predators. Now he’s looking into the murders too.

When danger starts to circle Mallory, Alex is forced out of the shadows to protect her and they must race against the clock to find the killer. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex’s life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago, makes Mallory his next target.

 

*Winner of the New England Readers’ Choice Award and the Aspen Gold. 

This EBOOK will be delivered instantly via a BookFunnel email.

🏷️ Purchase the ebook bundle

🔗 Ebooks are instantly delivered via email from BookFunnel. 

📱 Send to your preferred reading device (including Kindle, Nook, Tablet, etc) and enjoy!

❤️ Any problems, email me at toni@toniandersonauthor.com

Read a Sample

Prologue

Lindsey Keeble sang along to the radio, trying to pretend she wasn’t freaked out by the dark. It was one in the morning and she hated driving this lonely stretch of highway between Greenville and Boden. Rain was threatening to turn to snow. The wind was gusting so forcefully that the tall trees looming high above her on the ridge made her swerve nervously toward the center line. The back tires slid on the asphalt and she slowed; no way did she want to wreck her precious little car.
She worked evenings at a gas station in Boden. It was quiet enough she usually got some studying done between customers. Tonight everyone and their dog were filling up ahead of a possible early winter storm. You’d think they’d never seen snow before.
A flash of red lights in her rearview had her heart squeezing. Dammit!
She hadn’t been speeding—she couldn’t afford a ticket and never drank alcohol. She signaled to pull over and stopped on the verge. Lindsey lived responsibly because she wanted a life bigger than her parochial hometown. She wasn’t some hillbilly. She wanted to travel and see the world—Paris, Greece, maybe the pyramids if the unrest settled down. She peered through the sleet-drenched glass as a black SUV pulled in tight behind her.
A tall dark figure approached her vehicle. A cop’s gold shield tapped against the glass. Frigid damp air flooded the interior as she rolled down the window and she huddled into her jacket as rain spat at her.
“License and registration.” A low voice rumbled in that authoritative way cops had. He wore a dark slicker over black clothes. The gun on his hip glinted in the headlights of his vehicle. She didn’t recognize his face, but then she couldn’t really see his features with ice stinging her eyes.
“What’s this about?” Her teeth chattered. She found the documents in her glove box and purse, and handed them over. Her hands returned to grip the hard plastic of the steering wheel as she waited. “I wasn’t speeding.”
“There’s an alert out on a stolen red Neon so thought I’d check it out.”
“Well, this is my car and I’ve done nothing wrong.” She knew her rights. “You’ve got no reason to stop me.”
“You were driving erratically.” The voice got deeper and angrier. She winced. Never piss off a cop. “Plus, you’ve got a broken taillight. That gives me a reason.”
Lindsey’s worry was replaced by annoyance. She snapped off her seat belt and applied the parking brake. She’d been shafted last year when another driver had sideswiped her in a parking lot and then claimed she’d been at fault to the insurers. “It was fine when I left for work this afternoon. I haven’t hit anything in the meantime.” Goddamn it.
“Go take a look.” The cop stood back. He had a nice face despite the hard mouth and even harder eyes. Maybe she could sweet talk him out of a ticket, not that she was real good at sweet talk. Her dad could fix the light in the morning but if she had to pay a ticket as well, every hour of work today would have been for nothing.
She pulled the hood of her slicker over her head and climbed out. The headlights of his SUV blinded her as she took a few steps. She shielded her gaze and frowned. “I don’t see anything—”
A surge of fire shot through her back. Pain exploded in a shockwave of screeching agony that overwhelmed her from the tips of her ears to the gaps between her toes. She’d never experienced anything like it. Sweat bloomed on her skin, clashing with sleet as she hit the tarmac. Rough hands grabbed her around the middle and hoisted her into the air. She couldn’t control her arms or legs. She was shifted onto a hip where something unyielding bit into her stomach. She fought the urge to vomit even as her brain whirled.
It took a moment to make sense of what was happening.
This man wasn’t a cop.
Still reeling from the stun gun, she couldn’t get enough purchase to kick him, but she flailed at his knees and tried to elbow him in the balls. It didn’t make any difference and she found herself dumped into the cold confines of the rear of his SUV. He zapped her again until her fillings felt like they were going to fall out and her bladder released.
The world tilted and she was on her front, face pressed into a dirty rubber mat, arms yanked behind her as something metal bit into one wrist, then the other. Handcuffs. Oh, God. She was handcuffed. A sharp pain ripped through her chest—if she didn’t calm down she was going to die of a heart attack.
A ripping sound rang out in the darkness. She was shoved onto her back, and a piece of duct tape slapped over her mouth. It tangled with her hair and was gonna hurt like a bitch when it came off.
Something told her that was the least of her worries.
There was no reason for him to kidnap her unless he was going to hurt her. Or kill her.
The realization made everything stop. Every movement. Every frantic breath. Her heart raced and bile burned her throat as she stared into those cold, pitiless eyes. With a grunt he slammed the door closed, plunging her into a vast and consuming darkness. Rain beat the metal around her like an ominous drum. She was scared of the dark. Scared of monsters. Humiliated by the cold dampness between her legs. How could this have happened to her? One minute she was driving home, the next…
Where was her phone?
She rolled around, trying to feel it in her pockets. Shit. It was still in her purse in the passenger seat of her car. There was a crashing sound in the trees. She closed her eyes against the escalating panic. He’d gotten rid of her car. An elephant-sized lump threatened to choke her. She’d worked her ass off for that car, but finances and credit ratings were moot if she didn’t survive this ordeal. This man was going to hurt her. She wriggled backward so her fingers could scrabble with the lock but there was nothing, and the panel above her head didn’t budge even when she kicked it. How dare he do this to me? How dare he treat her as if she was nothing? She wanted to fight and rail against the injustice but as the SUV started up, she was immobilized by terror. All her life she’d fought to make things better, fought for a future and this man, this bastard, wanted to rip it all away from her. It wasn’t fair. There had to be a way out. There had to be a way to survive.
She didn’t want to die. She especially didn’t want to die in the dark with a stranger who had eyes as cold as death. Tears brimmed. It wasn’t fair. This wasn’t fair.

FAQs: Reading order

People often ask where to start reading Toni's books. She put together this page with more information: Reading Order

All sales of digital products are final. No returns. No refunds.

View full details

COLD JUSTICE® SERIES

What to expect:

  • Tortured heroes.  

  • Twisty plots.

  • Forbidden love.

  • Secret identity.

  • Afraid to commit.

  • Serial killers.

  • Twins.

  • Scars.

  • Vigilante justice.

  • FBI agents.

  • Accidental pregnancy.

  • Never date.

  • Women in peril.

  • Danger.

  • Redemption.

  • Slow burn.

  • Hot romance.

  • Found Family.

All the books can be read as standalones.  

SAVE BIG ON BUNDLES

What readers are saying...

"Wow. This is hands-down one of the best Romantic Suspense books I’ve read. This is a new author to me and I’m hooked. Highly recommend!"

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader Review.

  • She was a federal gent who lived to uphold the law.

    A COLD DARK PLACE

    When a series of brutal murders links to a cold case that is intensely personal for one FBI agent, she seeks help from a cybercrime expert with a secret identity in the hunt for a vicious killer.

  • Cold Pursuit Romantic Thriller by Toni Anderson

    COLD PURSUIT

    A single-mother desperate to protect her child is rescued by an off-duty FBI profiler as they are hunted by ruthless terrorists.

  • Cold Light of Day Romantic Thriller by Toni Anderson

    COLD LIGHT OF DAY

    What happens when an FBI agent falls for the daughter of the most notorious spy in US history? Discover the explosive chemistry in this non-stop action Romantic Suspense!

1 of 3
  • Cold Fear Romantic Thriller by Toni Anderson

    COLD FEAR

    Enigmatic and aloof FBI profiler Lincoln Frazer falls for a woman hiding dark secrets…

  • Cold In The Shadows Romantic Suspense by Toni Anderson

    COLD IN THE SHADOWS

    Working in the shadows, CIA Officer Patrick Killion needs to figure out if feisty frog biologist, Audrey Lockhart, is a deadly assassin or an innocent scapegoat. And the only way to do that is to gain her trust.

  • Cold Hearted Romantic Thriller by Toni Anderson

    COLD HEARTED

    When a double homicide shocks a small college town, a tenacious detective is forced to work with a brooding FBI profiler to track down a vicious serial killer.

1 of 3

More reviews...

"I am in love with this series and Romantic Suspense is now one of my favorite genres!! So, my suggestion is if you like shows like Criminal Minds and such, you will love these books."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review.

  • Cold Secrets Romantic Suspense by Toni Anderson

    COLD SECRETS

    An FBI agent risks her heart and closely guarded secrets in this pulse-pounding Romantic Thriller from New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson.

  • Cold Malice Romantic Suspense by Toni Anderson

    COLD MALICE

    A dedicated FBI agent has to confront the past and work with a woman whose family he destroyed twenty years ago to catch a vicious killer who threatens everything they both hold dear.

1 of 2

More reader love...

"If you like romance-suspense novels, you definitely should give this book a go. You won't regret it."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

  • A Cold Dark Promise by Toni Anderson

    A COLD DARK PROMISE (WEDDING NOVELLA)

    In the midst of wedding preparations, a shadowy figure from Alex Parker’s past reappears and threatens the joy he’s found with Mallory Rooney.

  • Cold Blooded Romantic Thriller by Toni Anderson

    COLD BLOODED

    Scrappy investigative journalist Pip West vows to determine how her best friend died—the only thing standing in her way is one devastatingly attractive, incredible stubborn FBI agent. Hunt Kincaid needs Pip to stop interfering in his investigation before she spooks a ruthless terrorist and gets them both killed.

1 of 2

About the 10-book bundle...

  • 10 Bingeable Stories 📚

  • 6 Industry Awards 🏆

  • 3,044 Pages 📖

  • > 940,000 Words

  • > 2 Million Copies In Reader Hands

  • Nearly 30,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reviews

1 of 3

Customer Reviews

Based on 3 reviews
100%
(3)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
A
Angela Herron
The start of a great series

I have now read most, if not all, of Toni’s books and have loved and devoured them all. This one is one of my favourites, as it is the start of a great series, and introduces us to the characters that we come to know and love. Highly recommend

L
Lesley Roberts
Best series of books! Start here…

Okay, first book in the series - here’s my review.
Started this series with book 8 many years ago. Lost my joy of reading for a fair few years but had the urge to read again and started with book 8. Then straight onto book 1 and worked my way through the series - up up book 8 again - loving all the books but picking up a few favourites along the way. Alex features in many of the stories and him and Mallory are the favourite for many and so I decided to re-read book 1 before I started book 9. I think second time round I was actually able to savour this story and the character’s and suddenly, I realised why this couple are so loved.
Great storyline - as are all of Toni Anderson’s books, but Alex! He is such a lovely character - actually quite vulnerable, but strong and kind. Mallory is also such a lovely character and perfect for Alex. Definitely worth a read there really is a good story which runs through this book along with the romance. I also think that sometimes a break between books is good. I’m dying to read book 10 (finished book 9 yesterday), but want to be fresh for it and not still reminiscing about what happened in the last book. Is it worth a read? Yes, the whole series is.

B
Barb Kiser
Good and suspenseful

Mallory is an FBI agent who’s twin sister was taken eighteen years ago. They never found her kidnapper or her body. That is the reason she became an agent. Alex owns a security company and works for a clandestine group that has him assassin serial killers, pedaphiles, or anyone they suspect of being evil.
Mallory figures a vigilante is killing the perpetrators before the police arrive and she is transferred to the BAU unit. On the anniversary of her sister’s kidnapping, she plans on getting drunk but Alex shows up and she figures a one night stand will work to take her mind off her sister. Alex has been keeping an eye on Mallory to make sure she doesn’t connect him to the killings. But someone is out there taking women and raping and killing them and leaving PR carved on them. As she gets closer to capturing the killer, he’s also after her but Alex will protect her with his life.
Excellent story. Great characters. Suspense, mystery, sex, and secrets. Absolutely loved this story and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.