Saturday, January 23, 2021

Cold Case Pursuit banner

About the Book

Book: Cold Case Pursuit

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Cold Case Persuit A cold case solved by the K-9 unit…

but the past is not so easily escaped.

Decades after her parents’ murders, Penelope McGregor’s grateful the killer’s finally been identified—until he comes after her. Now Detective Tyler Walker and his K-9 partner, Dusty, must protect Penelope and catch the culprit…while making sure his little girl stays out of the crosshairs. But can the single father outplay a killer whose endgame will leave no one safe?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Poisoned Pen Press, and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself puttering around her Northern California backyard. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

More from Dana

I love book covers with adorable children on them, don’t you? There’s something so angelic about those wee folks on the covers. I have two bear cubs myself, young adults now, and I love them devotedly. Tell you what though. Sometimes, just occasionally mind you, they were a wee bit naughty. Don’t tell anyone, but one reason I enjoyed writing Cold Case Pursuit so much is that hero Tyler is the single dad of a little girl named Rain who is….er…a handful. Sure, she’s adorable, but she’s prone to disobedience and the occasional tendency to flush things down the toilet. So in addition to the edge of your seat pursuit of a murderous clown killer, there are the shenanigans of a precocious preschooler, a highly trained yet distractible police K-9, and a romance that doesn’t exactly run smoothly. Fun to write? You betcha! I hope you enjoy coming along with me on this True Blue adventure!

MY REVIEW

What makes for a successful romantic suspense? I have a list that I want to share. It has to have suspense that is fast paced, intriguing and keeps you guessing til the end. Of course you need romance, but not too much.You need characters that are easy to get attached to and bonus if there is a child and/or dog involved. Well it looks like this is exactly what this story is. It starts with danger from the beginning and I instantly tensed up. I do not like clowns at all. They are creepy and just right for a suspenseful story.

Penny is a very likable character. She is dedicated to her job and loves her brother. There is a bond between Penny and her brother Bradley that draws a dark cloud over their heads. Growing up with parents that didn’t really take care of them was hard. Penny questions why she was not loved by them. It is hard for a child to be rejected by their parents and it can cause lingering insecurity.

I loved how the author brings a cold case to the surface and unravels it piece by piece. We get a glimpse of who killed Penny and Bradley’s parents, but as the story continues we realize how evil he is. This man who claims that he did it to save Penny and Bradley from more abuse made me want to scream. All he really wanted was to feel power over someone and reign terror in their lives.

Tyler is someone who works with K-9s and dedicates his life to protect others. I liked learning about his precious daughter Rain. He is raising her as a single dad since the mother abandoned her. Tyler won’t let anyone get close to him for fear they will leave him. He has a new assignment to keep Penny safe until they can catch the man who not only killed her parents but is now trying to kill her and her brother. Something in the paper sets this unstable man off. Now the race is on to capture him before he kills again.

The story is one that holds your attention and keeps the action going. Penny has a few close calls that had me on the edge of my seat. Tyler does his best to try to stay one step ahead but somehow this evil person knows where they are at all times. I loved how the K9 dogs took center stage and allowed readers to see how hard they work. Each one is trained and only listens to their handler. I have really been enjoying this series and getting to know more about these specially trained dogs.

In the midst of the danger going on, we see two people start to have feelings for each other. Penny is scared to let someone in because she isn’t sure that she can be loved. Her fear of turning out like her parents keeps her from letting go of the past. Tyler has not forgiven his ex-wife for abandoning him and their daughter. The author does an excellent job of using faith to help these two people realize they both need to stop allowing the past to keep them from happiness. The story is a great example of surrendering to God . His unconditional love is there for them and He is there to heal their broken hearts. I loved everything about the story and always love reading a book by this author. Her ability to make the story come to life is exception. The characters are relatable and the lessons in the book help you understand that God loves us and will never leave us.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.