Detective Cash Ryland suspects that his brother has been wrongfully imprisoned, the only person he can ask for help is Mae Vogel the woman he wronged when they were in high school. As they start digging into the cold case, threats are made, can they solve it before it's too late.

I liked that Cash has come to faith, as well as how Mae's grandmother encourages her to forgive. I liked seeing their relationship grow and them come to trust each other over the course of the book.

A little harder to get into, Mae struggles to move past old-fashioned generalizations, and there is a lot that she wrestles with in her past.

Overall, I'll admit that it just wasn't my favorite, as their was a lot of self talk and blaming others. There were things that I liked, but in the end it was mixed for me.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Detective Cash Ryland begins working with cold case investigator Mae Vogel after asking her to look into his brother's case, who was wrongly convicted for killing his wife. Cash knows his brother is innocent and would do anything to find the real killer.

Unfortunately, Cash and Mae have a rocky past, one that began back in high school. Mae was betrayed by Cash, and even tough she is a woman of faith, she struggles to forgive him and finds working with him more than a challenge. But, she excels at her job and is begins looking for answers.

While this story has a good level of suspense, faith and forgiveness play equal roles. Factor in the love that develops between Cash and Mae and this proved to be a delightful story.

Many thanks to Love Inspired Suspense and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A page-turning cold case mystery with tightening screw of suspense and sweet moment of romance. A great blend of those two in a size the can be enjoyed in a couple hours.

Like most Love Inspired Suspense novels this was a fast paced quick read. That kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Normally I don't say this about my romantic suspense, but this time this book needed more romance. But all in all it was still good.

Romantic suspense is the best of both worlds for me. I love a good mystery and if there's a romance thrown in, so much the better. Cold Case Double Cross gives us a cold case (pretty obvious from the title, right?) and we get to follow Mae and Cash through the investigation. The romance between them takes some time and both have things they need to work through. Mae is a hard nut to crack, but it's understandable. I really liked the way Cash's dyslexia is worked into the story. In fact, there are several hard topics dealt with in this one-sitting read, and the author handled all of them very well. In the end, I suppose there's a pretty good balance between the two tropes - sometimes I liked the suspense more than the romance, and then there were times when it was the opposite. It's a clean, inspirational romance, and it's an entertaining story.

COLD CASE DOUBLE CROSS (Cold Case Investigators Book #2) by Jessica R. Patch is a Christian romantic suspense in the Cold Case Investigators series. Each book features a member of the MBI (Mississippi Bureau of Investigations) Cold Case Unit involved in a crime mystery/suspense. They meet and work with their perfect match and as their case progresses so does the romance. Each book can easily be read as a standalone with minimal crossover of the characters in the MBI unit introduced in the first book.

Detective Cash Ryland believes his brother was wrongly convicted of murdering his ex-wife. He is determined to find the real killer no matter how long it takes.

MBI Cold Case Investigator Mae Vogel is home on vacation to visit her ailing grandmother. Cash wants Mae’s expert assistance, but he mistreated her years ago in high school. Mae is willing to help with the case, but she is having difficulty forgiving Cash personally.

Can they work out their differences and solve the mystery before the killer silences them for good?

I enjoyed this quick romantic suspense read. The suspense plot is fast-paced, action packed and gives the reader many suspects and red herrings. The killer was a surprise to me and I like when that happens. It is well integrated with the Christian romance which has no sex scenes. Mae must learn to truly forgive past transgressions and learn and believe that there are some good men out there. Cash is hiding a secret that he has held for far too long. Ms. Patch does a good job of working the H/h through their pasts and misunderstandings.

I can recommend this Christian romantic suspense for a fast and entertaining read.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Jessica R. Patch, Netgalley, and Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

So I didn’t realize that it was a series, but like with other Harlequin series, you don’t need to read them in order. I am curious about the first book though, so I may end up checking that out in the future. Also, thank you to Dita for including all of the trigger warnings in their review on Goodreads, that I’m linking here for your review.

One of my favorite things about romantic suspense novels from Harlequin is that things seem to move super quick in these, but not where things aren’t making sense. This is also part of the Christian romance lines, so keep that in mind if you aren’t the type to read religious types of novels. I felt like this was okay, I didn’t feel like I was oversaturated with it, so that’s a plus. I think that Patch did a great job with this novel.

This is also a good reminder that you should also treat people with respect, especially when you’re younger and you’re still learning how to be a good person, because you never know who you’re going to need help from when you get older. That’s what happened here between Cash Ryland and Mae Vogel. Cash was basically a jerk to Mae back in high school, but now they have to work together in order to solve a cold case involving Cash’s brother being convicted of murder years ago. Mae could have been petty and said no, or had another Cold Case Investigator assigned to the case so she didn’t have to deal with Cash, but alas the book probably wouldn’t have been as intriguing if that happened.

For those that enjoy second chance romances, check this one out and see if it’s to your liking. For those that like solving murder mysteries – albeit this isn’t the typical one but it’s still something you have to figure out along with Cash and Mae – I think you should check this one out too. Pay attention to all of the suspects being introduced to you, and stay tuned for the big twist to see if you could guess ahead of time. Lots of fun.

Detective Cash Ryland is convinced his brother was wrongfully convicted of murder years ago and is willing to put himself in danger to prove it. Cold case investigator Mae Vogel could help him, but he mistreated her in high school. To solve this case, the past has to be put aside. If not, the true killer might come after them both.


Cold Case Double Cross is the second book of the Cold Case series, and I hadn't read the first one. I didn't feel like I was missing anything, maybe because the series focuses on different members of the team.

Mae has to deal with a lot of pressure both in the field and at home; her family is traditional to a fault so that her father and brother will spout rather misogynistic lines about how she shouldn't be working as an investigator and let the real men do the work. Cash is a detective caught up in his own personal case so that he often reacts by instinct and emotions rather than with logic. Mae is able to pull him back from it, even after she's threatened as well as he is. I appreciated her voice of reason, and that even when she made mistakes of her own, she was willing to apologize and make up for them.

People aren't who they seem to be at first, and the theme of alcoholism, domestic violence, and vengeance comes up throughout the text. None of it is described in-depth but is a linking factor between the victims in the story. As with many thrillers and mysteries, we have a lot of red herrings to sort through. We discover facts as Mae and Cash do, and digging further into who might have wanted Cash's brother out of the way only puts both of them in the killer's sights. The two are forced together, confronting the perceptions they had of each other and the past in their town. As with any good partnership, it works when there's trust and a shared goal.

Cash has done Mae wrong when they were young costing her being valedictorian while she was the one trying to help him at school and she's never forgot it. Still untrusting of him its been years and now she's on a case with him and still not sure if she can trust him.

This was a pretty good book. There was just so much going on that I had a hard time putting it down. Cash is doing what he can to try to help his brothers case which he felt was done without further digging into and it was a rush job so he's looking more into it. Personally I thought it was a bit ridiculous that Mae was mad at Cash still about something that happed in their past I mean they were young, but I can kinda get it with how things continually seemed to happen without anyone helping her side. I thought it was interesting how they handled the case and overall it was pretty good I really enjoyed it.

TW/CW // blood, brutality, bullying, death, domestic abuse, murder, sexual assault, violence

I would die for you. Ten thousand times over.

A fast-paced suspense romance read and I love it.
It's full of action, danger in every corner that put me on the edge of my seat, mystery that keeps me turning page after page, sweet romance that put a big smile on my face, it's about forgiveness, it's about excepting your flaws. It's light yet so complicated at the same time. It's a short book yet packed with lots of good things.

I love how the author throwing lots of suspects and then hit me with a twist. I also love the romance between Cash and Mae, it's a second chance romance which is one of my fav tropes. It's entertaining, although a bit predictable at the end for me, I still love it nonetheless.

Highly recommended to everyone who's looking for a light fast-paced suspense romance read.

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the Cold Case Investigators series. I really enjoyed the beginning, but the middle I felt was a little repetitive. I felt the story was not going anywhere doing the middle. The ending was full of action and the twist I really did not guess. I love the message in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Love Inspired Suspense) or author (Jessica R. Patch) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Jessica Patch is such a great writer and is excellent at riding the fine line of romance that isn’t graphic, and mysteries that aren’t graphic, with stories and characters that are completely engaging. I will happily read and recommend anything that she writes, and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to be able to review her newest novel!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5! This is a delicious mystery sure to please any mystery fans.

*eARC provided via NetGalley & Harlequin Publishing. This does not affect my review.*

Actual Rating: 3.5

I haven't read anything by Jessica R. Patch before this, and other than it being on NG, I hadn't seen or heard anything about this story or series yet either. That said, I'm always up for trying new authors and series so long as it's a genre or type of story I'm likely to enjoy, and LIS (LoveInspired SUSPENSE) has delivered enough winners that I love finding new authors through them to follow!

That said, I did have some doubts with this one... Namely that I didn't instantly connect with the Main Characters as a couple, Mae has a serious chip on her shoulder, and Cash, well other than his insecurities with having Dyslexia (which I loved, and enjoyed seeing how it played a role in his relationship with Mae as well as his partnership with Terry) but he also acted immature at random times, which I'd understand some, Mae's the 'woman of his dreams' and has been since high-school, but...he's now in his 30's...not in high-school. As a detective, he's expected to be professional and mature. I get that emotions can wreak havoc on how we think if not held in check during highly emotional times in out lives, but it seemed quite the contrast while just getting to know these characters. I'm happy to say that I noticed it less and less as the book goes on, it was mostly just the first chapter (and maybe slightly in Ch. 2?) that I noticed this slip in age/personality.

<i>Example: Ch. 1 - Cash had just been stabbed, Mae attempted to stop to attacker:

“Hey, no worries you didn’t catch him.” The fact that she’d sprinted off after the perpetrator alone was pretty cool. It was her job—but it was well…kinda hot. Oh, he could not be thinking along those lines. Reel it in, Ryland. Reel. It. In. Think case. “This proves I’m right.”</i>

While he does find her attractive later on, and who wouldn't? She's the woman he's cared for since he was 18! But their is a difference in a teen with a crush, and a grown man realizing that's the woman he wants to marry. It's odd when someone around 32-33 y/o act like he's still in high-school (or she, women don't get a pass on this one, it's weird all around, haha)

I found it interesting that this story covers several hard topics. Dyslexia, insecurity, fear of trusting others, and also themes of abuse toward women both marital abuse, and things like stalking, disrespect, and taking advantage of the woman's trust. It's rare to see many of these topics of their own, but together it made for an interesting (if surprisingly heavy, for LIS) read and I loved seeing the MCs heal while taking on such a difficult and dangerous cold case!

Still, I did grow to like both Mae and Cash, and enjoyed seeing them work through their past and to learn to find healthy ways to deal with their insecurities and fears moving forward. I also found the mystery to be interesting, and had narrowed down the suspect rather quickly, but was surprised by the reveal! A fun story and enjoyable enough that I look forward to reading the others in the Cold Case Investigators series by Jessica R. Patch!

Cold Case Double Cross by Jessica R Patch gives readers plenty of action and suspense from the start. Police detective Cash Ryland’s brother is in jail for murder, but Cash doesn’t think he’s guilty. He convinces his high school ex-girlfriend, cold case investigator Mae Vogel, to take up the case. Too bad he and Mae have a rocky past. But Mae soon realizes that they are both being targeted for getting too close to the truth.

With lots of suspects and plenty of life-or-death danger, this story is a definite home run for a suspense fan like me. The characters had chemistry and the plot twists kept me rapidly flipping pages until the end. The ending was quite unexpected, and I love books that keep me guessing who the culprit is until the very last page. This is the first novel I’ve read by this author, and now I’ve just added a bunch of her novels to my wish list.

Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)

Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)


I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Mae is back in her home town to visit her family, but what she doesn't count on is Chase Ryland tracking her down and asking for her help to open his brothers case. Now in jail for murdering his ex-wife, Chase believes he is innocent but he needs Mae's help to prove it.

The first one of the tour that I read, I am a little mixed about Cold Case Double Cross. Both Chase and Mae are great charactersand I love how 3 dimentionally flawed they are. The story was solid with plenty of action and twists. However I really disliked how preachy it became in places

I have no issue with characters who have faith and go to church but I do find that books that cross the line from having character with faith to preaching to the reader off putting. So much so that Chase's greated fear of his brother taking his own life was the fact that he hasn't given himself over to Jesus yet. Seriously? Just loving your brother and your guilt over the role you played wasn't enough?

It may not bother other readers, but it really put me off. If you can overlook these moments though - of which there are only a few - then otherwise Cold Case Double Cross is a great addition to the Investegator series.

"Cold Case Double Cross" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second in a series, but it works as a standalone. The mystery was a clue-based puzzle to solve. I had a suspicion that they ought to look further into certain people, but I wasn't sure of exactly whodunit until the final clues (when Mae and Cash also worked it out). The suspense came from repeated attacks on Cash, Mae, and anyone who ticked off the killer (like Cash's brother).

Cash and Mae worked well together as a team despite the past issues that they needed to work through. Cash broke Mae's heart and trust when they were in high school, reinforcing her belief that men can't be trusted to respect women. She struggled to forgive Cash for the past and trust him again. Cash respected Mae's skill but had her back when she needed help or someone at her side. He felt stupid due to his severe dyslexia, and he didn't want to tell Mae about it even though she always insisted he was smart. Mae built Cash up (except when he triggered her continuing trust issues).

The Christian element was Mae learning to forgive past offenses. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romantic suspense.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I enjoyed how the main characters had a past that they had to overcome. I also enjoyed how Mae was a powerful and successful woman in a “mans” field, that was pointed out so often by family. And that Cash was concerned about the stigmas of dyslexia. I didn’t fully see the killer until towards the end which makes it a good mystery.

A fast-paced story with realistic characters and scenarios. Patch makes the reader feel a part of the action. I love that the suspense, vs the romance, is at the forefront. It's a quick, enjoyable read.