Cold Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann

Former Navy Seal Finn shows up in Iceland in pursuit of three of his former team members who are in Reykjavik on a covert op. Finn's unit was part of a massacre of civilians in Yemen. A massacre which Finn is blamed for but he has incomplete memories of the night it happened and is unsure if he played any part in it. While Finn is in pursuit of answers, another ex-Seal is in pursuit of Finn, whom he has been contracted to kill. On the night Finn arrives in Reykjavik, a young woman runs barefoot through the city and is found frozen in a pond with a message in lipstick written on her body. 

Finn is desperate for answers that the covert ops team may hold about what happened in Yemen, but he also finds himself drawn to the mystery of the drowned girl. A no-nonsense police detective, Krista Kristjansdottir is investigating and finds herself working with Finn, even as she is unsure if she should trust him or arrest him. The intertwined plots, as Finn is both pursuing and being pursued on top of trying to figure out the mystery of the frozen girl's death work together brilliantly. 

The promise that Webb & Mann showed in Finn's series debut, Steel Fear is fully realized in Cold Fear. The action is intense, the atmosphere draws you in, and the characters are incredible. Not only is Finn a fascinating lead character, with faulty memory and self-doubts, but the surrounding characters are fleshed out in a way that makes them worthy as either allies or adversaries and sometimes both. The suspense is sustained from beginning to end. Webb & Mann throw in surprises all along the way, but every answer feels earned and the climax is both exciting and satisfying. 

Finn is an outstanding lead character and I would read an entire book just about Kristan Kristjansdottir. Two books in and I am a fan of this series and will put future installments at the top of my list. This is a treat for thriller and suspense fans and one of the best books I've read this year.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.