Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

When I put in for this ARC, I didn't realize it was book two of a series. I went back to check out the first one (Cold Pursuit) before I read this one. While you could read Cold Threat as a stand-alone, I appreciated the back story and discovering the character growth from the initial story. This is a Christian, romantic suspense book with an enjoyable main duo, River and Tony. I admit, it took me a while to establish that River was the female of the pair and Tony the male due to past books with names of the opposite sex.

In this installment, River and Tony are called by Tony's father who is a detective trying to solve a cold case of a serial arsonist. The two travel to Tony's hometown to unravel the mystery of the "Snowman killer." I enjoyed watching River and Tony as their relationship took a more romantic view even if neither of them openly admitted their feelings yet. They have such a great friendship and working partnership. The fact that River has opened up her life to being a Christian and can finally share in Tony's faith is a plus. And Tony's family was such a pleasure (other than his sister for most of the book, but there is hope!) There is some carry over from book one with mention of the serial killer who is determined to get River after his mentor failed to kill her...

I am looking forward to the next book and hopefully a full declaration of love! :)

River Ryland and Tony St. Clair must work alongside Tony's detective father to prove that the real Snowman murderer is once again active after 20 years and not the man accused and found guilty. Wow! Twists and turns, numerous clues that lead nowhere. This killer is very smart but if they keep profiling and updating their new, not known before evidence, it all comes together but... well, see if you can figure it out before the final showdown!

The story kicks off with a gripping flashback, thrusting us 24 years back into the past through the eyes of our antagonist. The sheer intensity of this scene immediately grabbed my attention.

In the current timeline, we follow River and Tony as they make their way to Iowa, tasked with creating a profile for Tony's father, detective Ray St. Clair. Two decades earlier, Ray played the hero by rescuing a young girl from a destructive fire ignited by an arsonist who has once again resurfaced.

Now, Ray suspects the return of the arsonist, endangering more lives. River and Tony work together with Ray to unravel the mystery of the culprit and their motives. All the while they remain on high alert for the imminent threat to River's life from the Salt River Strangler apprentice.

This book not only delivers a pulse-pounding narrative that had me burning the midnight oil on more than one occasion but also explores the theme of forgiveness. River's spiritual journey, grappling with forgiving her father and embracing her mother's love, struck a deep chord and served as a poignant reminder of the significance of forgiveness.

I am eagerly anticipating the release of Book 3 in this exceptionally engaging series.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. I was under no obligation to provide a review and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Can Tony & River solve a Cold Case?

Master Storyteller, Nancy Mehl, has created another multilayered, outstanding, FBI Profiler Thriller, Romantic Suspense in "Cold Threat (Ryland & St. Clair Book #2)"! It's Best Understood, by 📖ing the Series in Chronological Order.

Tony's Police Detective Dad, asks for River & Tony help to find a suspected Serial Killer. These 2 PI's (& former FBI Profilers), travel to Iowa to investigate, at Christmastime.

NM sucked me in from the first riveting page, & pulled me deeper into an intricate, danger-filled plot. As God continues to heal River's emotional trauma, she opens herself to the beginnings of a romantic relationship.

The 📕's pace kept me on the edge of my seat. I Highly Recommend You 📖 this twisting, poignant Thriller, that blends modern-day Christianity, with razor-sharp Suspense! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I will continue to say how AMAZING Nancy Mehl's Christian Suspense books are. She always blows me away with her writing, characters, on the edge of your seat feeling and the faith content throughout the story! This is book 2 in the Ryland and St. Clair Series, with book 1 being Cold Pursuit. These books are PERFECT for Winter Time and make you have that "I HAVE TO KNOW" feeling where you just really want to pick it up and finish it so quickly! This is the 5th Nancy Mehl book I have read and needless to say, she is my favorite Christian Suspense author now.

In this book, we have a solid story where River and Tony are back at it in their jobs as private investigators/profilers with a serial killer resurfacing after 20 years. 20 years ago, several people were murdered in Des Moines and the only evidence left behind was a snowman ornament hanging on a tree in their front lawns. A suspect was put behind bars and Tony's father, who works for the FBI, thought the case was closed...but was it? With new killings occurring, it appears the "Snowman" killer is back. Can Tony and River figure this old cold case out that Tony's father worked on so long ago?

My favorite part of this story is seeing so much of Tony and River working together and seeing the romantic emotions start to form and take root. We know they care about each other and it was great to see. While this is mostly classified as a general suspense and romance is not a main thread in this story, we saw more romance than you might normally see in a Nancy Mehl book from their feelings standpoint and I loved that! I love how River and Tony work so well together and they would do anything to protect one another. I also loved the scenes with Tony's family and getting to know his parents and seeing the journey his sister went on.

The faith journey River specifically went on in this series was beautiful to see. She is really coming in to her own and trusting God in everything. This is truly an honorable mention for my top books of the year - 4.5 stars just because I wanted a bit more detail in the ending when "everything was going down" with our killer to see how it played out, but overall SO SO good and I can't wait to see how Book 3 ends!

Thank you to Bethany House for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this series! Nancy Mehl has once again created memorable characters and placed them in intense and twisted scenarios that grip the reader until the final page is turned.

My thanks to the publisher for my advance copy. My review has not been solicited. My review is honest.

Having read several of Nancy Mehl's books, I was looking forward to reading Cold Threat and I was not disappointed. Although second in the Ryland & St Clair series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone book. The author fills in the back story well so the reader is not in the dark about the back story. Former FBI profilers, River and Tony, are now fledgling PIs and have agreed to help his father with a case that has haunted him for decades. The story is full of family, faith, edge-of-the-seat mystery, and a bit of romance too. The cast of characters is diverse, with each character having their unique personalities and personal boundaries that are tested as the hunt for the killer progresses. I enjoy books in a series and I can't wait to read the next installment. If you're a fan of contemporary mystery and suspense stories, then you'll want to read this book. I read a complimentary copy of the book and I was not required to write a positive review. However, the opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

Absolutely enjoy this author's work.
This is the second book in the series. And i'm ready for the third book which comes out this summer..

#Christian'ssuspense
At it Best.

In this thrilling edge of your seat story, We have a serial killer. These are my favorite kind of books these days. this serial killer likes to kill when it snowing, he likes leaving a little gifts behind..

This was totally an Fascinating story, I feel like the story picked up where the first book left off. And I totally loved that first book.

River ryland. And Tony St Clair.
Perfect investigators.
They bring the story to life.

This book can be read as a standalone.
You don't have to read the first book in order to read this one and enjoy it immensely..

My favorite part of the book Was when, The story came out How tony got his nickname.
That honestly made me Giggle . Such a funny part.

But this was such a great book.
The highly suggests this one. Because well I do like serial killer books they're so Intriguing.

Another excellent suspense novel.
I loved every minute of this book.
It was exciting with the many twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
Mehl is just that good.
I find it interesting that some of this is told from the killers POV. I loved seeing his thoughts and what makes him tick and sometimes set him off. Pretty weird and cool at the same time.

WHAT?! 🤯🤯🤯🤯

My mind is BLOWN!!!! I never saw that coming.

I'm really enjoying this series that follows the same characters and their growth. I'm enjoying River's journey into true faith, the development of Tony and River's partnership/friendship.

There are kind of three threads to this book - River's journey, the case, and whoever is messing with River! When it comes to River's journey, I liked how meeting Tony's family helped her see what a family is supposed to be like. I appreciated the discussions of scars and the part they play in our lives. This portion was so powerful:

"When we are deeply hurt, we may still have scars. And we don't have to feel ashamed of them. We didn't put them there, and we can't heal them by ourselves. He has scares too, you know. No one understands scars more than Jesus. Someday you'll barely notice yours. I promise that God will restore you, but He'll do it in His own time and His own way. And that's okay. Please stop punishing yourself for what someone else did to you."

This book had something I don't think I've ever encountered in fiction before. Tony's mom talks about the great importance of motherhood. How it is often overlooked and undervalued. It was a very touching moment and I am thankful that there is a character saying these things because I know a lot of people who feel the same way but think they need to do something "more" with their lives.

Nancy Mehl is brilliant and is crafting a very compelling series. You definitely should jump into River and Tony's adventures! (Although maybe not if you live alone :)


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.

Another exciting thrill ride in the Ryland and St. Clair series! I was eagerly anticipating the continuation of River’s and Tony’s story after the first book Cold Pursuit. This book was just as intense with a devious new serial killer known as “The Snowman” and the continued threat of River’s stalker always present in the background. It’s an edge of your seat, inspirational, romantic suspense that’s extremely hard to put down.

This story can be read as a standalone since Nancy Mehl expertly reintroduces River Ryland, an ex-FBI behavioral analyst, and her former partner Tony St. Clair with enough background so new readers can quickly be brought up to speed. They’ve teamed up to form their own private investigative firm after suffering serious side effects from a particularly harrowing case where River was nearly killed and Tony injured.

In this story, River’s accompanying Tony to his childhood home at Christmas time to help his law enforcement father with a case that’s been troubling him for over 20 years. The serial killer murdered his victims and then set fire to their houses leaving the same type of snowman ornament at the scene of the crime. Though a man was convicted of the murders, fires with the same MO are happening where Tony’s parents live in Burlington, Iowa. Is this a copycat, or did the real killer escape punishment?

I absolutely enjoyed this story! I loved seeing River and Tony grow closer. There was a hint of romance in the first book, and it’s explored more here. I also liked seeing the dynamics of Tony’s family. There are some who blame River for what happened to Tony, as she does herself. Her need to find faith, forgiveness, and peace from the past are issues River grapples with throughout the story. I love her relationship with Tony and am definitely cheering for these two to find love and a happily ever after.

The investigation surrounding the serial killer was intense, especially when there are times we get his perspective. The ending was particularly nail-biting and I was on pins and needles wondering how everything would be resolved. It’s a fast-paced, suspenseful sequel not only with this serial killer, but with River’s stalker popping up throughout.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series! It’s a definite must read for Christian romantic suspense fans. I received an advanced complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Partners in Crime Tours. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

The second in a series and before I proceed, I absolutely suggest starting with book one in this series as there is a lot of character development for River and Tony in book one that is necessary to understand the happenings in book two.

For book two, I was so glad I read it during the cold month of January and highly suggest reading it now OR holding it for next year during the holiday season as it had perfect wintry vibes. River and Tony head to his parent's house to help his dad who is still in law enforcement with a serial killer that has moved from Des Moines to Burlington and at the beginning there seems to be no ties from one victim to another.

Another book by Nancy Mehl where the pacing was just so spot on. The way the author drops the hints and the action were just so good. Right when I thought it would pause something is thrown our way and I was honestly gasping out loud on an airplane! Although there was one moment where I predicted something, but it was still satisfying to be right and to see the story go there (sorry vague, can't spoil!)

As I stated yesterday, this book also had strong Christian fiction themes running throughout the book. It fit with the character of River and Tony, but even still for me it was distracting from the mystery. The mystery is still good and I will read the next one, but just needed to share.

I am excited that we don't have to wait too long for book three to arrive, as it will be here this summer!

Cold Threat is the second installment of the Ryland & St,Clair series. I hadn't read the first book before I read this one and I followed along nicely. Now that I know this is the second book, I can see where there were things that would've been better explained had I read the first book first. Definitely is a cliff hanger...there will be a third book of that, I'm sure!

This book was a slow-moving mystery/thriller. I wish the thriller portion of the book was more evident throughout the book instead of just the last two chapters. However, that is really the only even slightly negative thing I have to say about the book. Great empathetic characters, the story of River and Tony is adventuresome, and I love the friendship that is beautifully building. The story is very slow moving and I'm not complaining about that because it built amazing friendships and relationships within the books. I felt like there was time to get to know the characters and their surroundings, what they liked and didn't like. I would warn that if you have rape, kidnap, burn victim or abuse triggers then steer clear of this series. Other than those warnings, this is a wonderfully written clean mystery excellently done by Nancy Mehl.

I am giving 3 stars because I wanted more for the thriller aspect, but that is the only reason.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nancy Mehl, and Bethany House Publishers for the chance to read this arc e-version in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have enjoyed every Nancy Mehl story that I have read, which is just about every book she has written. While I loved the FBI profiler stories, I am also enjoying this series, with the on going mystery that is woven into the series, and the PI angle.

I am always drawn to this author for her chilling plots and unpredictable conclusions. This book hooks the reader in the first pages with a chilling scene from the killer’s point of view, which I think is a great way start of a story! While this book does have a great plot and the characters were likable and capable I felt like it read really slowly. It took me a long time to read this book! I think it likely is due to the fact that there seemed to be minimal dialogue and a lot of explanation of actions. There was a heavy focus placed on Tony’s family and their relationship with River, and a lot of emphasis on the faith thread in this story. Now, none of those things are bad, but it did seem to read less like a suspense book than the typical stories I am used to from this author. The characters seemed to get sidetracked from writing their cold case profile and moved over to the investigative side of things. They basically solved the crime instead of writing the profile which wasn’t the most compelling story. I wanted this one to move a bit quicker and I wanted to feel more in the moment suspense and it just didn’t deliver on those points.

Twenty years ago, a serial arsonist known as the Snowman murdered several people before torching their homes in Des Moines, Iowa. Two decades later, it seems that the Snowman is back, this time in Burlington, but the police aren’t convinced it’s the same killer. Private investigators and former behavioral analysts with the FBI, River Ryland and Tony St. Clair, are brought in by Tony’s detective father to construct a profile of the arsonist so they can find him before any more homes are burned or lives are lost.☃️

Nancy Mehl’s more recent books have been a little hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this second book in her Ryland & St. Clair series! This book picks up right after the end of book one, and it had me hooked from the prologue. I love a good psychotic villain, and Nancy definitely delivers on that (twice over!). I think River and Tony are great partners, and I appreciate the big focus on their faith, especially for River. While this is definitely romantic suspense, the romance is a very slowww burn. This is book two, and while some feelings are admitted to, nothing has been acted on so far. So, if you prefer more suspense than romance in your books, you’d probably like this series. This was a really great book, and I can’t wait to read the conclusion to this story later this year!🧡

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to Bethany House Fiction for sending me this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.📘

This is an easy to read, decent thriller about 2 ex FBI agents who have set up a detective agency and who become involved in a cold case via one of the characters dad.

It’s got Christian themes running through it and obvious attraction between the two lead characters. My challenge with it was the pace…..it’s sooooo slow and not much happens.

There’s nothing to offend and it’s an easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Cold Threat the second book in the Ryland & St. Claire series by Nancy Mehl will keep you guessing until the end, “who done it” if you will.

River Ryland and Tony St. Claire, are former FBI profilers. After both are attacked and injured they leave the FBI and started a Private Investigator business. Tony’s dad, a policeman, ask for their assistance on a case that everyone else thinks is solved. Using their profiling training they also can’t help but investigate the more they examine the evidence.

Nancy keeps you guessing as she leads you through the story. I like that it’s suspense but not one incident after the other. Now I can hardly wait for the third and final book of the series.

I highly recommend this and any of Nancy’s books.

River Ryland and Tony St. Clair have been called in by Tony’s police officer father to investigate a cold case that involves murder and arson. It looks like the killer might have begun again, how can they be stopped before anyone else dies? The details, the way the evidence was reexamined, and people were interviewed as part of the investigation made me feel like I was watching a TV show. It was just enough without dragging the story out.

I always feel like a real detective if I can figure out clues along the way. This time I was able to do just that. There were a few questions about the previous case and the threat to River that still is there left you hanging. I am looking forward to the next book.

I enjoyed the discussions River and Tony, and eventually his family had about God and the power of forgiveness and emotional healing. Difficult topics were addressed and I thought were empowering to me as a reader.

Cold Threat is the second book in FBI Profiler Series. If you haven’t read the first book, enough information is given in the second book that it can be read as a standalone. However, not all of the details are given, so you may miss some aspects that are discussed because of the history of River and Tony.

I received a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion.

This is the second novel in a series and like the first one, has as much about the characters and personal lives of the investigators as it does solving a murder. The novel includes quite a bit of character thought and dialogue about previous events in their lives and how they are dealing with them. This novel also includes a very clear and prominent Christian message of faith.

Mehl covers several issues in this novel including whether Christians should be in law enforcement and how God might give us information through dreams. Forgiveness is also an important topic.

While there are hints of danger included, there is little suspense until the very end. Most of the investigative part of the story deals with River and Tony creating a profile while visiting his parents and helping his father solve an old murder. The murderer may again be active so the investigative duo is under pressure to identify the villain before more die.

This is a good novel for readers who like one focusing on the characters as much or more than the investigative work involved. I am invested in the ongoing story of River and Tony and the possibility of a budding romance so will be looking for the next in the series.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.