View source for Cold Rain by Craig Smith

{{infobox1
|title=Cold Rain
|author=Craig Smith
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=A page-turner of a book as David Albo finds all that he values being snatched away from him.  Recommended.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=320
|publisher=Myrmidon Books
|date=July 2010
|isbn=978-1905802340
|cover=190580234X
|aznuk=190580234X
|aznus=190580234X
}}

Life was pretty good for Dr David Albo.  He'd just had fifteen months away from his job as an associate professor of English at a university in the mid-western USA.  He lived on a plantation-style farmhouse with a beautiful and intelligent wife and a step-daughter who adored him.  He was even going back to work in the expectation that he might well be offered a full professorship in the not-too-distant future and just to put the icing on the cake he's been clear of alcohol for two years.  Yes; life was very good.

Then it all started to go wrong and very quickly.  First it was the damning evidence that he's sexually harassed a couple of his students and had what amounted to a very sordid affair with one of them.  David's known for the tall stories he tells – and when he maintains that he's innocent even his lawyer can't hide her doubts.  She'd much rather that he admitted it and got away with a slap on the wrist.  Then is escalates and David finds himself in a mess of conspiracy, betrayal, jealousy and murder.  Unless he can understand who it is who wants to destroy him he's going to lose everything that he holds dear.

You know that dull weekend when the weather doesn't tempt you to go out and there's nothing on television?  Right – well this is the book you need.  You might have a pretty good idea of who is behind David's problems from early on in the book but the why and the how will have you on the edge of your seat.  The characters all come of the page and they're people you can understand.  David Albo is a charmer and instinct tells you to trust him – but you're not completely sure how far you can believe what he says.  After all he's descended from a car salesman.

The plot twists and then twists again.  Every time I thought I'd got hold of it, it sprang away from me again.  And it's the sort of lean writing that's hard to put down.  I read it in a couple of sittings, turning pages as quickly as I could – and then regretted it as soon as I'd turned the final page.

More, please.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then we think that you might enjoy [[Consolation by Anna Gavalda]].

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[[Category:Crime]]