I read a pre-publication copy of this novel. This author (Nancy Mehl) has created two very engaging main characters. They are fully developed and believable as well as sympathetic. Her writing style is lively, and she kept the action moving at a good pace. The plot was multifaceted yet easy to follow. I will look for other books by the author and/or in this series.

Another great book by Nancy Mehl! I'm personally not a fan when these types of books have portions of the book written in the perspective of the "bad guy" but I mostly skipped those parts. I have really enjoyed Mehl's addition of various mental illnesses in her books and this was another great one!

Cold Pursuit
Nancy Mehl
Pub Date July 11, 2023
Bethany House
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is so good! I was hooked from page one. I liked the strong Christian message throughout.
I hope there are more books in this series. I really connected with the characters, I love that there was little romance. I can concentrate on this story better! I highly recommend this author and book!
5 stars

Cold Pursuit is a wild ride with twists and turns I never expected. Told from multiple viewpoints I got an up close look at the thoughts, insecurities, and emotions of the characters.
This book took a unique path in writing a serial killer. I found myself feeling empathy for him, hoping he’d somehow choose to change, and at the same time abhorring his actions.
Tony and River were both well rounded characters I could easily relate to. Their friendship and care for each other was sweet and I loved the thread of faith that ran through the book and cemented their relationship.
Tony and River both carry scars from a negative experience during their time in the FBI. Each one deals with their trauma in their own way, Tony leaning on God and River trying unsuccessfully to suppress it. Now they are starting their own detective agency and their first case turns out to be more than they ever expected.
A grieving mom whose teenage son has been missing for four years, a high school drug ring, a janitor who’s more than meets the eye, where is everything connected? Or are they?
Read this book to find out. I highly recommend it.
I was given a copy through NetGalley courtesy of Bethany House and this is my honest opinion.

Wow! Fast-paced, great mystery, great characters! It's pretty creepy when you're reading about Brian, but otherwise not too bad on the scary dept. Leaves you hanging at the end, though!! Argh! I must know what happens in the next book!!! Not much romance in this one, which is great for readers like me! But there is the possibility of something...
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book!

Tony and River were former FBI profilers who had been attacked by a serial killer. They leave the FBI and open a private detective agency. There is a lot going on in this book. There are several serial killers and and attacks on their lives. There is also a lot of religion in the book in case you aren’t into that. I enjoyed the book and will definitely be on the watch for the next one as there is a cliffhanger at the end of book 1.

Cold Pursuit
I really enjoy Nancy Mehl’s books. They keep me entertained and interested at the same time. The story is well thought out. The characters each had their own issues or flaws that made them feel very real. Very well done and a pleasure to read. I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

“The killing hadn’t stopped. It had only just begun.”

“I believe you may be dealing with something called synesthesia.”

“When God forgives, He forgets too. That means there’s no place for guilt…All you can do is move on and make good choices for your life from now on.”

Another action packed Nancy Mehl book! I love a good detective mystery and this one does not disappoint. River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are great characters that Nancy Mehl has created. They have a fantastic rapport and I enjoyed their back and forth. Their background as former FBI Behavioral Analysts made it similar to some of her previous outings but also much different as private detectives. This one has several storylines involved, including a serial killer from their past who has been put into jail but may have a partner out there, and a cold case brought to them from four years earlier of a missing high school student. Throw on a young janitor who cleans their building that deals with synesthesia and schizophrenia and you have an intriguing read. Not as many twists as her books sometimes has but very enjoyable nonetheless. There is a cliffhanger at the end that will lead into Book 2 of the series.

* I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Bethany House in exchange for an honest review

Nancy Mehl does not disappoint in this book! I literally did NOT know I was reading the last page of the book until I did, that’s how hooked I was up until the end. There will most definitely be another book to follow, so read these in order.

River Ryland, the main character finds salvation in this book, which is heart warming and inspiring. As she fights the spiritual battle with fear and a physical battle with a serial killer, the reader roots for justice and truth.

There’s a thread of romance throughout the book, but it’s very low key. This book is appropriate for teenage readers and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a thriller.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for this review.

This is a very intense and gripping mystery. Although one of the villains is known from the beginning, the suspense builds quickly and stays throughout the book. Add to that another person with evil intentions towards our private investigators, and the intensity ratchets up. There are also personal issues in River’s life with her mother dealing with Alzheimer’s, both River and Tony dealing with repercussions from a previous incident, and a new detective agency getting off the ground. Whew! Complex fast-paced, page turning adventure only scratches the surface of what to expect!

River Ryland And Tony St. Clair were FBI profilers who moved to St. Louis and opened a private detective agency. River is also helping her mother who has early Alzheimer's. They thought they had caught the serial killer in their last FBI case but now a cold case that they are investigating and a couple of recent incidents make them wonder if there is an accomplice still operating out there. THere are a lot of twists and turns and surprises as well as the burning question -- are River and Tony just great work partners or is there something more there. I think that question may be answered in further installments in this series.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

This book is so good! I love these characters. They have so much depth and heart. They also feel so real, like people I'd love to know in real life.
I was hooked from the first page and just got more and more invested as the story progressed. I didn't want to put it down.
I would recommend this book to anyone.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own *

River and her partner are recovering from trauma in their past job with the FBI and now run a detective agency together. Their first case is to find a woman's son who disappeared four years ago. But things get complicated fast when you realize that there a layers of connection and more than one adversary in play.

This book's description sounded right up my alley, and it's certainly ready to pull you in. In fact, one reason this book wasn't a favorite for me may be what others love--I do not like being inside the head of the bad guy, and we spend a lot of time there. Nancy includes a really fascinating element that I don't want to spoil, and legitimately the story wouldn't be balanced without that POV. But for me, it was just too unsettling and unexpected. I also had to skip/skim portions of a topic related to River's mother that I didn't know would be a plot point, as it's something I'm dealing with in real life with a family member and was just too painful when I'm trying to read to escape real life! To her credit, Nancy makes it all real enough it bothered me, which means she's doing it right.

Not only is COLD PURSUIT by NANCY MEHL an “unputdownable” thriller with a great plot and unforgettable characters, but it is also rich with character analysis and is based on a strong Christian message of redemption, God’s protection and the importance of forgiveness. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough to anyone who enjoys this genre.
The story starts with River Ryland and Tony St Clair, behavioural analysts with the F.B.I, being attacked by the Salt River Strangler. The results of this trauma lead them to leave the F.B.I. and move to St Louis where they open Watson Investigations, a private detective agency. Their first client is Amy Stover whose son Chris disappeared four years previously when he went to a concert with two of his friends. Amy wants to know what happened to her son so she can have closure……
I like to see the friendship between River and Tony and the way they make each other laugh and are always “there” for each other. I also like to see how Tony relates to River’s mother, who is in the early stages of Altzheimers.
There is so much more to this book but I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling the read for you. I do hope there will be more novels in this series.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I try so hard to read slowly when it comes to Nancy Mehl's books, but she makes it too hard to stop, much less slow down!

This is most definitely her best yet, and that's saying something. How do I know it's the best of the best?

Because for the first time she had me a bit rattled by the UNSUB! Okay... A LOT rattled!

I am so excited for this new series. Great characters, excellent twists and turns, and fascinating backstory. Get ready to fall in love with River and Tony!

I received an advance copy from the publisher. My review is completely honest and unsolicited.

The first in a new series by Nancy Mehl (Ryland and St Clair), involves an interesting cast of characters with different motivations. I liked the character of the mother as it added depth to the story. I enjoy Nancy's writing - this series refers to previous characters she's written so it was a great little nod to them.

The story leaves a few unfinished threads to it so it should be interesting to see where the next book in the series goes based on this. While the killer was fairly obvious, I didn't see it as a problem.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

3.5 stars

Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl features a serial killer who is hiding in plain sight. There is two subplots to this story. First, readers are introduced to River and her past encounter with a serial killer. Then the story moves forward into the present day with Tom and River working as Private Investigator who used to work in the Behavior Analysis's unit. One of my least favorite items in a suspense novel is actually telling the name of the villain. By doing that, it is no surprise to the readers as they work alongside the heroine and hero to solve the case. I prefer stories where it is just a genre or third-person pronoun, so I do not know who the villain is. As for the plot, it was a little different. The villain's deeds were actually showcased near the end of the story. I wanted more of that. I wanted more of the villain taunting the heroine and hero. That did not happen either. While the plot did capture my attention and I couldn't wait to see who the bad person would meet their doom, for my level of suspense, it did not dive deep into that aspect. Overall, Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl could have dove deeper into the suspense and taunting the main characters a little more. They just appeared to co-exist with one another.

I received a complimentary copy of Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl, but the opinions stated are all my own.