Bio: Nancy Mehl is the author of over fifty books, a Parable
bestseller, as well as the winner of an ACFW Book of the Year Award, a Carol
Award, and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She has also been a finalist for two
Carol Awards and the Christy Award.
Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her
husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.With nearly 1 million copies sold, Nancy Mehl has
garnered a devoted readership with her electrifying romantic suspense novels filled
with treacherous circumstances. Penning the second installment in her new
series, Mehl crafts another spine-tingling thriller that follows two former FBI
analysts—River Ryland and Tony St. Clair—as they investigate cold cases.
Perfect for fans of Terri Blackstock, Colleen Coble, and Irene Hannon, Mehl’s
latest will keep reader’s hearts racing until the daring conclusion of Cold Threat, book two in the Ryland and St. Clair series.
About the book: Twenty years ago, several people were murdered in Des Moines, and the
only evidence left behind was a snowman ornament hanging ominously on a tree in
the victims’ front lawns.
With a suspect behind bars, the killings have come
to an end—or so everyone thought. But now crimes with a similar modus
operandi are happening in a small Iowa town, and a local detective believes
the killer is back and ready to strike again.
With little time left on the clock before they have
another murder on their hands, private investigators River Ryland and Tony St.
Clair must work alongside Tony’s detective father to find evidence that will
uncover an evil that has survived far too long.
As the danger mounts and the suspect closes in, it
will take all they have to catch a killer—before he catches one of them.
Welcome back to my blog, Nancy. Cold
Threat is book 2 in the Ryland and St. Clair series. What exactly ties the books in
this series together and can they be read as standalones? River Ryland was attacked by a man nicknamed the Salt River Strangler
and left for dead. Her partner, Tony St. Clair, was shot four times while
trying to save her. Thanks to a stranger who witnessed the attack and called
the police, River survived. Dealing with PTSD and needing to care for her
ailing mother in St. Louis, she leaves the FBI. Tony goes with her, talking her
into opening a detective agency where they can continue to use their expertise
and training. Although they profiled the Strangler as a loner, the FBI receives
confirmation that he had a partner. The Strangler’s protégé sends River a
message, telling her that he intends to finish what the Strangler started. This
story continues throughout the series, as does River’s spiritual and emotional
journey. Each novel in the series can easily stand alone. I hope, however, that
people will read all three books so they can follow River and Tony’s story to
its completion. In book three, they will not only face the feelings they have
for each other, but they will also finally come face-to-face with the
Strangler’s twisted disciple.
The series has cold cases at its center. What
led you to focus the series on this type of case? : Based on River and Tony’s past experiences as behavioral analysts
with the FBI, their interests would be based on their education and talents. I
decided that chasing cheating spouses or working on cases that involve fraud
wouldn’t be compatible with their training. Instead, cold cases involving major
crimes would be their forte. Tony’s old friend from the FBI Academy is now the
police chief of St. Louis. He sends them cold cases that the department isn’t
currently pursuing. This gives them a way to use their training as profilers
and build their detective agency.
The two continuing characters in this series,
River Ryland and Tony St. Clair, each play an important role in this novel. If
you could introduce readers to this dynamic duo in three to four sentences
each, what do readers need to know? River
Ryland was brought up in a dysfunctional home, raised by a father who pastored
a church, teaching that God is judgmental and critical. When he left his family
and ran away with the church’s secretary, River turned her back on God. She
joined the FBI and became a behavioral analyst, determined to bring justice to
a world she believes needs it.
Tony St. Clair was raised by two parents who
loved him—and each other. Through them, he met God and gave his life to Him. He
joined the FBI because he wanted to follow in the steps of his police detective
father. From the first moment he meets River, he can’t imagine living without
her.
In this installment of the series, Tony’s
father—a local detective—plays a supporting role. What is the relationship
between Tony and his father like? Tony’s
father is his hero. He’s watched his father risk his life for others, and Tony
wants to be just like him.
How do you keep readers on their toes when
plotting out a deadly mystery? I see
each story as a roller coaster ride. The first hill starts the ride and needs
to be exciting enough to fuel the rest of the ride. There should also be
smaller hills as well as twists and turns to keep readers engaged before the
final big hill that propels them to the finish.
What is your favorite thing about writing
crime mysteries? Creating a story of good versus evil. I see
it as a war—and I love it when good wins!
What do you hope readers take away from
reading Cold Pursuit? In Cold
Pursuit, River faces her fears and her anger at God. I hope that readers
will not only enjoy the story but will also relate to River and realize how
much God actually loves them. I think an important spiritual theme is that it’s
never too late to find your way home.
Finally, how can readers connect with you? Readers can reach me through my website: NancyMehl.com or on my blog, the Suspense Sisters: SuspenseSisters.blogspot.com.
I’m also active
on
Facebook.
Thank
you, Nancy, for sharing this book on my blog. It sounds wonderful, and I love reading
your books.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Threat-Ryland-Clair-Book-ebook/dp/B0C9RM2477/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MTDF3YZDHOEO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ipiiSV4j1RCDBwU7t9s9AA5VcPXHIkKrVtFIMxVENq6XTjcHqUR6Igj4hA9MfQ1mENG89BLx8iB7KFM42TW_u6KAfDPB604G-df_FN0U4DW9Kd9QL4NWP8OKLt27UD6GFnX0cqtsHsyY8OFOxIU1u_o3Gu8r2QfEWhif4ap8vIOXBEAAd84tyS5XOsZ-Y9R_ZNJdRLQgSHCtGoU6Ivk7DWyJGrQB1pYRG0uSZ5KhnJel5MysZ72mxzC39Y_zRjxaUxpJYLhNbo_964r6FZ82kRI5ojbyPbFIWBFSUiaS5lU.GM_I0-gU1AQuQ-7nTl3XdfLKDci5xjsFtKdWcf9FF_o&dib_tag=se&keywords=Cold+Threat&qid=1723947833&s=books&sprefix=cold+threat%2Cstripbooks%2C91&sr=1-1
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