My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent follow-up that really keeps the suspense and storyline going!
Cold Threat is the second book in author Nancy Mehl's excellent, suspense-filled Ryland & St. Clair series, but it can easily be read and enjoyed independently. (But don't miss out on the first book if you can help it.) This time, the partners in Watson Investigations head to Iowa to help Tony St. Clair's police detective father investigate a 24-year-old cold case of murder and arson.
River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are an intriguing and inspired pair. Both are damaged individuals due to the after-effects of trauma from their final case with the FBI as profilers. However, even after what they experienced, they continue to complement each other synergistically and to their mutual benefit. They work so well together, yet have different strengths, like the two sides of the same coin. They are dedicated and focused on the case at hand, although they know they are being stalked themselves by an evil killer.While primarily a tense tale of suspense, I liked how this author incorporates her characters' spiritual natures into the story. She's got a knack for making their thoughts and struggles understanding how their beliefs mesh with life natural and organic. It feels authentic and genuine, never artificially introduced.
The plot features a cold case new to the overall series, but elements from book one also carry over. However, the author reveals enough backstory to allow readers new to the series get up to speed and still have an unspoiled story to enjoy if they decide to pick up the previous novel in the future.There is a brooding sense of evil from the start as the perpetrator of crimes in the cold case gives his narrative and later as the stalker weighs in on their plans. The growing tension was enough to give me prickles on the back of my neck at times! The story is quite robust, with solid character development and a plot that evolves with plenty of action and surprise twists to keep readers off-balance and glued to the pages. I was so absorbed in this story that time flew by, and I was still compelled to stay up late to reach the final conclusion. I am so looking forward to the next book, which is scheduled to come out later this summer.
With its great characters and well-paced, suspenseful plot, I recommend COLD THREAT to readers of suspense, especially those who enjoy Christian fiction and fans of the previous book in the series.I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.
