Cold Case Danger by Roxanne Rustand is this week’s Reader Friday. Here’s the first line: Jana McAllister swept a cobweb away from her ear, blew at the damp tendrils of hair trailing over her forehead and stared at the three mice sitting on the kitchen counter of Cabin Ten.
But first the photo and verse: I drove home from Pilates on Tuesday and noticed these clouds, so as soon as I parked, I pulled out my phone and snapped this photo. I love it when the clouds are pink against the blue sky! And I ran across this Scripture verse that same day. Perfect match!
Now for Cold Case Danger by Roxanne Rustand. Here’s the cover and back copy:
Janna McAllister figures she has everything under control. But maybe not…
She can handle raising her daughter alone. The refurbishing of a remote mountain lodge and derelict cabins in time for tourist season income. Caring for her increasingly confused mom.
But when her ragamuffin dog digs up human remains behind a cabin and she starts seeing a shadowy figure lurking in the surrounding forest, danger mounts.
Will her intriguing new boarder and his troubled son prove helpful, or is she totally on her own?
DOWNLOAD TODAY, and stay up all night!
My Take:
The last sentence in the copy is so true! I downloaded the book Tuesday and stayed up past midnight before I forced myself to put the book down, then I finished it the next day! It was really good. And the setting was beautiful…and scary at the same time.
Rustand did a great job creating characters that I really cared about. I really hurt for Janna–she and her mom did not have a good relationship and now they were thrown together since her mom had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. The disease made her difficult personality even more difficult. Not only that, Janna was raising her daughter as a single mom and she’d quit her job to renovate Frost Canyon Lodge and the adjoining cabins that had been vacant for over fifteen years. And someone was determined to run her off.
Then Michael shows up with his seventeen-year-old son who is recovering from a wreck that killed his mother. Michael is expecting the cabin he’d already paid for to be ready. But Janna had no idea he was coming–her mom had rented him the cabin and forgot to tell her. Turns out, Michael is the interim sheriff–not much way to wiggle out of the signed contract he has.
Oh, and then Janna finds a body buried near one of the cabins. As Michael investigates the buried body and tries to discover who’s trying to run Janna off, he begins to fall for her. And Janna falls for him. But neither are in a place to act on it.
Like I said, this is a great book for readers of suspense. You can find it on Kindle for $3.99 or read it for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Leave a comment with the first line of the book you’re reading and I’ll enter you in a drawing for an October book from my library!
Check out Cold Case Danger by Roxanne Rustand on this week's Reader Friday. Leave a comment and I'll enter you in an October drawing for a book from my library! Share on X
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Comments 33
Cold Case Danger sounds excellent and suspenseful! Great review, Patricia! I am reading something different (for me), a memoir by Bob Newhart called I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This. This first line: “Most comedians are committable.”:-)
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It is, Vera! And I love Bob Newhart! I’ll have to find that one.
Just an interesting tidbit. One of my uncles on my mother’s side was researching their family genealogy on their father’s side. Somehow, my uncle got in contact with a man in California who was working on his family genealogy. He had the same last name. My uncle started comparing notes and found that they were working on the same family tree, just from different starting points. Turns out Bob Newhart was on one of the branches of that family tree.
Author
That’s so interesting, Edward! I’ve never submitted my DNA to any of the sites, although I’ve researched it a LOT! I’d love to have Bob Newhart on my family tree…unfortunately I probably only have cattle thieves…
Edward, that’s fascinating. In the same manner, my husband and his siblings found out they are third (fourth? I can’t recall) cousins of Patsy Cline.
Those clouds are beautiful, Pat. Your Scripture choice reminds me that the more I study how this universe works, the deeper is my appreciation for God’s design and implementation of it. There are no words that come close to how amazing it is.
I love cold case stories, and “Cold Case Danger” sounds good. I have not read anything by this author, so I’m looking forward to that.
I just finished “Wreathed in Disgrace” by Robin Patchen, the book whose first line I gave last week. Today, I’m finally starting “Concrete Evidence” by DiAnn Mills, and the first line to that has already been given in a prior week.
Vera, I’ve always enjoyed Bob Newhart’s acting. I’ll bet that book is a fun read.
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Tim, I so agree with you about God’s design! I have got to get both of the books you mentioned. I keep hearing good things about both!
Tim, I was one of Robin’s first readers on “Wreathed in Disgrace.” I enjoyed it. I have “Concrete Evidence” on my desk and am looking for a chance to read it. Back to Robin, in a short e-newsletter today, she said she started feeling sick the evening of the day the book released and by the next day, she tested positive to Covid. The title of her e-newsletter was “From Celebration to Covid.”
When I read part of the line about the three mice sitting on the counter, my ADHD had me singing three blind mice, three blind mice. Then I scrolled further and read your line about “DOWNLOAD TODAY, and stay up all night.” Well, between the two of them, I just got plain tickled.
Seriously though, Cold Case Danger does sound intriguing and thought provoking? I’ve not read anything by Roxanne Rustand…yet.
Last night I started reading The secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee last night. “Freedom rushed through Nora Fenton’s veins, erupting with each breath. Invisible shackles didn’t bind out here.” Although it hasn’t been scary so far, it also kept me up past midnight. I’d love to meet Arrow, the stallion!
Your pink clouds had to be such a blessing after your Pilates workout. God gives good gifts, doesn’t he?
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Barbara, God really does give good gifts! And I loved Stephenia’s Emberwild And I’ve gotten to know Roxanne as one of the bloggers on the Suspense Sisters…
And I’m glad I gave you a reason to sing Three Blind Mice!
I have not read anything by the author, but this book sounds good.
Colt Kingston was in worse shape than he thought. Sundown by Susan May Warren
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Hi Gloria! It is a good book, one I think you would enjoy. Sundown sounds good, too!
haven’t read this
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I think you’d enjoy it, BN!
I love Cold Case books! Can’t wait to read this one!
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It’s really good, Beverly. 🙂
Beautiful Picture! The verse fits it well. This book sounds really good. I’ve never read any books by Roxanne. I’m reading Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills. Avery Elliott spurred her horse over the thirty-five thousand rolling acres of the Brazos River Ranch in the blazing heat.
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Thanks, Erica. I love it when the clouds give me a good photo opp! And I.Must.Get.DiAnn’s.Book!
currently between books. book sounds interesting
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It is, Shelia!
It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
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I think you’d enjoy it, Diana!
Beautiful photo and scripture Go! Protect her! She’d said. Mary by Shannon McNear
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Thanks, Lucy! And I like that first line!
Where to start? I guess with the picture. I love it. It’s interesting how the one cloud that stretches across the width of the picture looks like it has fish bones. Great picture and scripture.
Pat, you share a line about seeing mice and I’m trying to get mice out of my mind. I caught one in a trap that I set almost two years ago. I didn’t know I had caught one until I caught the whiff of an odor in my basement.
I hope to start reading “Happily Ever Amish” by Shelley Shepard Grey after I finish checking email, writing and sharing a book review, and one or two other small tasks. Since the first line only states “Daniel Miller was bored,” I’ll share just a little more. “It made no sense. Not really. It was Saturday night, there was no church in the morning, and he was standing with a group of longtime friends in the Troyers’ backyard.”
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I hate to set traps…but I hate to have mice even more. lol Shelley Shepard Grey’s book sounds really good. We were on a cruise together once. Such a lovely person!
Beautiful photo for the scripture, Pat!
Enjoy your weekend.
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Thanks, Caryl!
I’m a wee bit late on answering this (it’s been a long week, lol) but first couple of lines of my current read from “The Blackout Book Club” by Amy Lynn Green. I got an early copy from Bethany House for review:
January 21st, 1942
Derby, Maine
“Avis gripped the ladder as her husband climbed, a think swath of black bunting draped over his shoulder. “Be careful, please, Russ.” He looked down at her from under that dashing swoop of dark hair and grinned. “Careful as I always am.” Which did very little to reassure her.
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Trixi, I love that opening line!
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Today was not a good day to die.
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I wonder whose book that is, Deb. lol Thanks!