Author, John Nicholl is a former police officer who worked in Child Protective Services. He also lectures, writes articles, and even wrote manuals used by multi-agency child protection services. He knows his stuff, and it shows. Tragically so. The fact that there are actually people in the world just like the villains in this book, ensconced in positions of trust, working with children, is an utterly horrifying reality, especially when reading a work of fiction. In fact, the first couple of pages in this debut novel were enough for me to question if I had the fortitude to continue. Our villain, a renowned and respected child psychologist, is one of the vilest men I’ve ever seen depicted on paper.

Because of that, I find myself unable to delve too deeply ... but, if you’re able to get past that, you are drawn into the story, and into the characters.

I found myself wanting to shake the poor abused wife, yell at young Anthony’s mother to wake up, swear at the police, who are torn between wanting to do everything by the book to ensure they get everyone and getting it done before anyone else is hurt. And as Dr. Galbraith (our main baddy) grows in desperation and ramps up his abuse, you start wanting to scream at all the players. All. Of. Them.

And while it feels like I’m really only doing half a review here, the only thing left to say after finishing White Is The Coldest Color is that I will never not trust someone’s gut instinct about another human being.