Blood Ran Cold

De: Sten Ostberg

Narrado por: Christopher Price

Nothing is what it seems. Karl and Marte Vollan live in an isolated farmhouse in rural Norway. It seems like paradise, until suddenly it becomes a living nightmare. During the dead of winter, Karl tries to drive heavily pregnant Marte to hospital. But before he can get his car out of the thick snow and off their land, they are attacked by a hooded figure. The stranger is holding a hatchet, and it is covered in dark blood. Karl desperately tries to get them both away, but their attacker overpowers them. He escorts them back to their home, locks the doors, and cuts the phone lines. Suddenly Karl realizes he knows who he is. He knows he was committed to a mental institution. He knows he has broken out of prison. And he knows he is a convicted murderer. But does the attacker recognize Karl? Does he realize Karl is a retired policeman? As Marte's labor pains get increasingly worse, Karl becomes more and more desperate. There must be a way out. Why has the attacker targeted their farmhouse? Was it just a coincidence or is he here to kill them? Karl will do anything to save the lives of Marte and their unborn child. But how far will he have to go? And how long will it be before blood runs cold?

Blood Ran Cold is a Scandinavian psychological thriller from debut author Sten Ostberg.

"Chilling and haunting with a twist I never saw coming." - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of Trade Off.

©2015 Sten Ostenberg (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

it was just ok

It started out with a bang! had me wondering what was gonna happen next, but fell short at the end, didn't like the ending at all.

Interesting Concept but...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Better translation, maybe? The story had a lot of potential but it was just lackluster in description and suspense.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Better pacing, description, and mood building. A lot of important scenes seemed rushed, like the author just glossed over them to get thru them.

What does Christopher Price bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He did a good job of narrating the different characters. I enjoyed his performance.

Was Blood Ran Cold worth the listening time?

Eh, it really could have been a great book. Not sure I'll read more from this author.

Bob @ Platypire Reviews

This was a thrilling short story. I felt tense the whole way through, wondering he was going to do or say next, all to end up feeling a little bit sad for the "bad guy", but vastly relieved that it was over. The dilemma, not the story! Great visuals and storytelling, I would suggest this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller but doesn't have a lot of time to read much at once.

Bob says: 4 Platypires overall

The best character was the hatchet

Hapless retired cop and stoic, high-risk pregnant wife cluelessly run around in a blizzard to “escape” a man brandishing a bloody hatchet. Each time they get a chance to kill or incapacitate their pursuer, they don’t. Instead they leave a place of relative safety to slog around in the snow. The couples lack of logic is only surpassed by the author”s lack of knowledge of a woman in labor. For example, when couple reaches their cabin again for the third time, rather than have the husband help the wife get comfortable anywhere, he sends her to climb a flight of stairs to “make herself comfortable.” Mothers everywhere cringe in astonishment. I wanted to take the hatchet to the cop, who once tied up, never takes the opportunity to to cut or remove his ankle restraints. Instead he hops around, falls down the same stairs he later asks wife in end-stage labor to climb, until he finally asks his wife to untie him.

I only finished this because I wanted to write this review.