Murder Gone Cold & Crossfire (Harlequin Intrigue)

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the first book in A Colt Brothers Investigation series. I really enjoyed this book, but I do think the beginning was a little slow to get going. The suspense/mystery was front and center in this book, and I really loved the mystery in this book. Mystery kept me guessing and wanting to keep reading this book. The romance was cute and in the background of this book. The characters in this book was great, and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

First, although Murder Gone Cold is billed as a mystery/thriller, it also has a romantic suspense backstory, and it appears that this is the first book in what may be the start of a new series featuring the 4 Colt brothers, set in Lonesome, Montana. I don't know how B.J. Daniels does it, but she always manages to hook me from the first page to the last, and she did it again with this novel. I'm giving it 4 stars because I would have enjoyed a bit more romance between the two principal characters, James Colt and Lorelei (Lori) Wilkins. James and his 3 brothers all ride the rodeo circuit, but when 36-year-old James was injured during his last bronc ride, he returns home to rest and recuperate only to find that all that's left of doublewide trailer that had been home-base for him and his brothers, was nothing but ashes. He winds up moving into the small bedroom/bath in his late father's office, which his dad used to sleep in after working late. James' father was a private detective, who died before finishing his last case, the mysterious death of a 7-year-old boy whose body was found in a ditch just before it was about to be buried under concrete, nine years earlier. With not much to do but recuperate, James decides to look into the case, and that starts the ball rolling, because some of the people in Lonesome want the past to also be buried. James' father, Del Colt, also died under mysterious circumstances, a second mystery within a mystery. In addition to meeting the locals, getting his license as a private investigator, and starting to ask questions, James also meets Lori, a gal he went to high school with, and who now owns the sandwich shop next door to his dad's office building. While she carries a silent but weird chip on her shoulder since he ignored her during their school years while she crushed on him, she too gets involved in trying to help his investigation, not even realizing that she's putting herself in danger too, but she's about to find out that there are more secrets and intrigue in the small town of Lonesome than she ever realized. Clue by clue, Ms. Daniels leads us into the unsolved case (or it is two unsolved cases?), as well as the budding relationship between James and Lori, and as the secrets begin to unravel, there's danger lurking everywhere, and this is indeed a gripping thriller with one heck of a surprise ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am happy to recommend it. I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Murder Gone Cold is a fast-paced murder mystery with a bit of romance. The main characters, Lorelei and James are likable characters and I was rooting for them. As the story went on, I was pulled in so I didn’t put the book down until I finished. There were some twists and turns and a few characters who were hiding things. The killer was a surprise. I’m looking forward to the next book in this new series.

Murder Gone Cold is the first book in A Colt Brothers Investigation series. It pulled me in from the beginning and kept me riveted until the end. This page turner has twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. It has action, suspense and danger. I can't wait to read the next book.