Taken in the Cold by Roger Stelljes Blog Tour for Booktoure

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Taken in the Cold by Roger Stelljes Synopsis: "Make sure you wrap up warm for school, honey. A blizzard is on the way." Ten-year-old Teddy rolls his eyes at his mother. But then he hears a bang... By the time police arrive, Teddy's mother is dead. His open school backpack is strewn across the hallway. And Teddy is nowhere to be found.   When gunshots ring out from an exclusive family home on the edge of Northern Pine Lake,  Agent Tori Hunter  races through the gathering snowstorm to discover that  ten-year-old Teddy Marist has disappeared . His mother and her new boyfriend are dead in the family kitchen, breakfast still cooking on the stove. And racing to track down Teddy's father,  Tori finds he is missing too.   Local police are certain this is a simple case of a jealous ex-husband turned violent over his recent divorce. But interviewing everyone she can about Teddy's father, Tori's gut has her questioning if he would really kidnap his own child?  An...

Caged (Agent Sayer Altair, #1) by Ellison Cooper


Title: Caged
Author: Ellison Cooper
Series: Agent Sayer Altair
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Format: Paperback
No. of Pages: 359
Date of Publication: July 10, 2018

Description: FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair hunts for evil in the deepest recesses of the human mind. Still reeling from the death of her fiancĂ©, she wants nothing more than to focus on her research into the brains of serial killers. But when the Washington D.C. police stumble upon a gruesome murder scene involving a girl who was slowly starved to death while held captive in a cage, Sayer is called in to lead the investigation. When the victim is identified as the daughter of a high profile senator, Sayer is thrust into the spotlight.

As public pressure mounts, she discovers that another girl has been taken and is teetering on the brink of death. With evidence unraveling around her, Sayer races to save the second victim but soon realizes that they are hunting a killer with a dangerous obsession...a killer who is closer than she thought.

My Thoughts: The same two cops are called to the same location that they had previously been called to and had found nothing suspicious outside so they dismissed it. Now they are wondering if they had missed something. Could it be that something was wrong the first time? A caged girl is found in the home, which is booby trapped. Cops and FBI agents are killed and injured. Is this the work of a serial killer? Is there a connection to the Mayan myth of the hero twins? Could there possibly be a mole in the FBI or even worse?

This the first book in the Agent Sayer Altair series, which currently consists of two books. 

One of the things that I really struggled with was the use of animals in the books. I am a huge animal lover and even though their is no direct cruelty to the animals there is indirect and it was very hard for me to read about. 

The plot is easy to follow and it is filled with lots of twists and turns. I found it quite hard to figure out who the serial killer was and when it was finally revealed, it was shocking. There is a lot going on in the book from booby traps, bombs, ancient history varying from Mayan culture to Greek culture, and use of substances. 


The plot is pretty heavy and serious, but luckily Ellison Cooper does add some characters that help lighten up the plot at just the right times. Introducing Agent Altair's Grandma, neighbor Tito, and even the dog helps with adding some much needed humor.

Rating: 3 out of 5 because I found myself almost wanting to put the book down due to the parts that included the animals.

Purchase book: Amazon

About the Author: 
Ellison Cooper has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She has conducted fieldwork in Central America, West Africa, Micronesia, and Western Europe. She has worked as a murder investigator in Washington DC, and is a certified K9 Search and Rescue Federal Disaster Worker. She now lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son.



Thank you Minotaur Books for the review copy. This is my honest opinion.

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