After a young woman is found brutally murdered on an estate in remote northern California, detectives swiftly identify and arrest Andrew Rodarte, a young man passing through the area, for the crime. Returning to the arena after years away, veteran DA Sonya Brandstetter takes on the prosecution of Rodarte as a personal mission, while junior prosecutor John Patrick Howland – assisting to his own surprise – does little more than watch. But after a startling revelation at his trial raises the stakes for Rodarte, a late crisis irrevocably alters its course. And years later, Howland is called upon to revisit the killing, its agonizing aftermath, and the layered nature of truth itself.

In this gripping debut novel, ideally suited for fans of courtroom drama and subtle legal mysteries, author Eric Ferguson draws on his 19 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor to create a powerful, authentic story of justice sought and served. Reflective and moving, Cold Record vividly explores the impact of a brutal crime on all those it touches – the victim and those who mourn her, those who seek justice in her wake, and even the defendant himself, whose own elusive narrative ultimately decides his fate.

Cold Record by author Eric Ferguson is a legal thriller spanning fifteen years and written in numerous parts. The story follows the case of Hayley Branch, a college student who was murdered at a wealthy estate in remote California.

Assistant District Attorney Sonya Brandstetter and lawyer John Patrick Howland are the prosecutors on the case. They are tasked with sifting through all the evidence and bringing suspect Andrew Rodarte to justice.

However, the case is anything but straightforward.

You can tell from the beginning that Cold Record has been written by someone who works in the legal industry. The book is told from a few points of view but mainly John Patrick Howland’s (JPH). We get to read about the murder, the pretrial, the trial, and what comes after. There are police interviews to go through and the trial cross-examinations.

The plot sounded exciting and I love a good legal thriller but I struggled enormously with this book. In fact, I put it down for a while and picked it up again a few weeks later and this time I made myself stick with it. While I am glad that I read the book it wasn’t easy and had I not committed to reviewing it I probably wouldn’t have done so.

For me, there was too much information, especially when it came to people, sometimes less is more and I did find myself flitting past sections. It does pick up and become engrossing the further you read which is a blessing but the writing and the layout are a little disjointed.

Overall, If you love a good legal thriller and complex reads then give Cold Record a go. The storyline is excellent and the twists and turns, of which there are many, are fabulous but personally, I just couldn’t get used to the writing style.

Eric Ferguson was born in Texas, but migrated west as a preschooler and was raised in Los Angeles. The son of writers and a lifelong reader and rereader, he earned his undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Los Angeles. After several years as a journalist, freelance writer, marketing copywriter and editor, he attended Chapman University School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Chapman Law Review and graduated with honors in 2004.

Eric joined the district attorney’s office for a major Southern California county in 2005, and spent his first five years in a colorful trial assignment on the rural fringe of the county. He then moved to his office’s appellate unit in 2010, and has since focused primarily on post-conviction writs and motions, including habeas corpus, DNA and discovery litigation in murder cases. He has also represented the People at more than 50 parole-suitability hearings for inmates convicted of murder.

Eric and his wife Susanne are the parents of two adult children now living abroad. Cold Record, written over a period of more than a decade, is his first novel.