Jordan Price was married to Senator Dan Price until his recent death – a suicide.  But was it really?  That seems to be the question his family is posing.  Jordan doesn’t know what to believe, but if Dan was murdered she wants to know it and have the murderer face justice.  Putting herself in the middle of the investigation while trying to keep her ragtag family under control pulls Jordan in several directions at once.

Rick Carson is an investigator for the Powell Agency.  He is going to be the lead investigator and he has an instant conflict.  On one hand he knows that the surviving spouse if the most likely suspect and on the other hand for some reason he doesn’t want Jordan to be anything more than she seems, the caregiver and nurturer for her entire family. 

As Rick discovers more of the Price family and the others in Jordan’s immediate circle, he finds many secrets are being kept from the public.  As these secrets come out, two things happen – they point even harder at Jordan but someone is also trying to get to her.  Jordan doesn’t want to believe anyone she loves could be responsible for everything going on.  As the layers are unwound, Jordan and Rick face danger and a madman who can strike anytime and anyplace. 

I love figuring out who-dun-it on suspense’s before it is revealed.  With Cold Hearted I changed my mind several times and still didn’t have the right person or the right reason.  Jordan pulls at your heart and then you start to wonder if it is really an act.  Rick has to work hard to separate his mind from his emotions while trying to find a killer.  Watching Rick and Jordan try to figure out what they feel and how they can act on it put icing on the top. The actions, danger and red herrings that Ms. Barton put in kept me flipping pages and my brain searching for the answers.  Since I can usually figure out where the clues are leading, I have to give major applause to someone who can totally lead me in the wrong direction.  Ms. Barton did that with finesse.  Cold Hearted is a mystery and suspense lovers dream and will keep you guessing until the final page.  A true keeper for your suspense collection.