Unstoppable, fierce, feisty Sara Jane Rispoli is an uber-cool teen heroine with an in-your-face attitude and she won’t cower down from bullies, bullets, or baddies. Girls will admire her and want to be her; guys will want to meet her and if they’re brave, date her. From the first words in the “prelude,” I was reading with breathless anticipation of what would happen next. This book is a suspenseful thrill-ride that will have teens reading into the wee hours of the morning.

The day of her sixteenth birthday, Sara returns home to an empty and darkened house. It’s unusual—where is her family? She enters and can’t believe her eyes. The living room is tossed—someone was looking for something—and whoever it was didn’t appear to find it. She investigates and finds blood on the wall and their family dog has been badly beaten. Just then, a man jumps on her in the dark basement. Sara is a fighter—she’s been training at a local boxing gym for years, and she gets in a few well-aimed licks and jumps into her dad’s old Lincoln along with Harry the dog who helps her escape. Sara’s on the lam and running out of time to find answers.



She goes to the gym where she thinks she can find a safehouse until she can figure out what happened and who is after her. She knows not to trust the cops because they are now looking for her, too. The one thing she carried out of the house is a cheap plaster bust of Frank Sinatra that always sat on their mantle. It has a camera in it, and Sara Jane replays the tape and sees her father’s last message to her. He is in a panic and tells her to go to the God of Fire. It’s code for the Vulcan oven in her family’s bakery.



Sara Jane follows the clues and finds a hidden room, a coded notebook, a Sig Sauer .45 (gun), $96,000 in cash and an Amercan Express Black card in her name. What did her father intend when he left all this behind? Sara Jane deciphers what’s in the notebook—much of it is yellowed and very old and some of it is in Italian.

She reads the history of her family and realizes that their very being is a sham. Her grandfather was a powerful man in Chicago and her whole family is “mobbed up.” The notebook holds the ultimate key, and whoever wants it will stop at nothing to get that notebook away from Sara Jane.

Her pudgy but helpful friend Doug steps in as “Robin” to her “Batman” and they take the fight to the criminals. This books sets up the sequel nicely. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!



I predict this is going to be a huge title. The cover with the picture of a tough looking girls holding a steel briefcase is edgy and screams, “BUY ME! “ The back cover and inner cover hooked me, and I had to purchase this book for myself. Teens are going to love this one.



Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Some violence, mob references to crimes, Doug mentions he doesn’t know if he likes boys or not—but he doesn’t go into detail and he’s never acted on it. No other sexual references.
http://www.tmgoeglein.com/index.php/booktrailer

Quite engaging and the ending came too quickly. Good red herrings along the way and probably more to come. ( )

This review appears on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter.

Upon first meeting Sara Jane Rispoli, one might think they aren't going to be treated to such a gutsy character. Such a misconception is not bound to remain for long, however, as Sara Jane's past is recounted, revealing a girl tougher than anyone around her can possibly know. In this action-packed thriller, perseverance is everything as one teenage girl takes on a shadowy band of corrupt authority figures, a jealous uncle, and quite possibly the eeriest villain I've encountered in a book this year. I can only say that I was wrong to think that Cold Fury would be a slow, convoluted book. It turned out to be anything but!

If I were to sum up Sara Jane in one word, that word would be "backbone." Beneath her quiet exterior lies a fiery core that is capable of more than Sara Jane herself even realizes. As she takes on all those who would seize or harm her, the full extent of not only her strength, but her intellect shines through, making her a very intriguing character to follow. She isn't perfect by any means, but her strength makes her a compelling character, nonetheless. Such an intelligent, determined, and loyal main character is one well worth reading about.

The pacing of Cold Fury worried me in the beginning as I slowly waded through the narrative of Sara Jane's early years. However, things soon picked up and the information learned during that narrative proved to be very useful in understanding all that was going on throughout the rest of the book. In addition to pacing, Cold Fury has some exemplary settings. The numerous Capone doors (a really clever means of escape) and the unpredictable streets of Chicago made for such a fantastic backdrop. Each one fit the actions and tones of the story perfectly. I couldn't wait to see where Sara Jane would find herself next.

Cold Fury is one of the more action-filled books I've read this year and I'm very glad to have had the chance to read it. It made for a perfect change of pace from my typical fantasy/dystopian/supernatural reading habits, a very important thing for someone in a bit of a reading rut. If you have a fascination for spy or mob movies, you should definitely check out Cold Fury. With its imposing main character, action, and unique settings, you're sure to find something you like in the pages of Cold Fury. Trust me when I say that you won't be bored. ( )

I had trouble connecting with this book for the first 50-75 pages. I actually almost gave up at one point. The pacing was much slower than I had expected after reading the synopsis. I understand why the author took the time during the beginning of Cold Fury to build the Rispoli's backstory, but there were several aspects I just didn't find all that interesting. The author is a stellar writer who provides top notch imagery, but the pacing felt a little off.

I'm so very glad I didn't add this to the DNF pile because the second half of this book was quite a page-turner once the action picked up. I found the whole mob angle quite fascinating and loved the added paranormal element. The ending did feel a little rushed, but all in all this is a solid debut. I'll definitely pick up the next in the series when it is available. ( )

The cover of this book reflects the novel so well. I love how kick-butt the model looks and that there is a silver briefcase. I love that it looks like a poster to an action movie instead of the typical YA cover. No fancy dresses here- Sarah Jane is out to kick some hiney!

This is not the type of book I normally read. I am much more into faeries and vampires than I am a straight contemporary action novel. That being said, I have been trying to branch out with what I read- this was the perfect novel to branch out with.

Have you ever watched the Bourne series? Well the summary is absolutely right that this is a teen girl's Jason Bourne. The action was non stop and the writing was intensely clever. I never felt like this book was predictable or followed well-used plotlines.

The only part of this book I was a little confused about was the "cold fury". Was it intimidation? Was there something paranormal going on? I really don't think that there is any need to have anything paranormal in this book- it stands alone quite well. I really loved reading about all of the history of the mob in Chicago and how it still relates to the "mob" today.

I will note that this book discusses some pretty tough topics like kidnapping, bullying, suicide, and a whole whole whole lot of butt kicking.