A solid story that may or may not have me coming back for the next in the series. I didn't read the first but the description on this one caught my eye, and I decided to try it out. Mostly it was solid, and I enjoyed the interaction between the characters and their families, but at the same time I could see some of the twists coming because they were overly noticeably disguised, and it was a real stretch to take the bad guy’s big secret location as any sort of real secret…I’ve watched plenty of “unknown squatter” type stories but I’d have thought at least one of the law enforcement folks in the story would have taken a good look! Still, I liked the lead characters a lot better than the leads in the previous series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

Nancy Mehl is a very cinematic writer. I could easily see this series becoming a TV mini series.

I love that this book has its own case as well as an overarching case and romance as well as a strong character arc of each of the two leads.

I love how Mehl weaves in the story of the crime (through the perspective of the victims and the criminals) with the perspectives of River and Tony. She slowly reveals what happening, layer by layer, and always leaves you wanting more in the best way!

The crimes here are realistic but not gratuitous. If you like crime procedurals that air on network channels, I think you will appreciate these books!

Plus, the faith elements in these is so realistic! I love how the characters have to contend with real life issues and confront their faith in the process. This isn’t surface level belief, but deep soul change and understanding.

Content Note: murder, stalking, death, arson, kidnapping, Alzheimer’s, infidelity

Thanks to Bethany House Fiction for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

If you like page turning, edge of your seat books then this book is the one you would like to read. Twist and turns and an amazing story line leads this book to one you must read.

Cold Threat by Nancy Mehl is book 2 in an amazing series. It could be read as a standalone novel, but the series is too good to skip any of them. The plot is so well designed— you will quickly forget that you are reading and just get absorbed in the story. The characters in this book were vivid and flawed and realistic. The overarching story of the series will hook you as well. I cannot recommend this book enough to readers of Christian suspense. It’s the best! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This one was slightly better than the first for me. but I still struggled to relate or connect to the story or characters throughout most of it. I know most of the negative commenters were upset about the religious and Christian themes...I'm sort of in the opposite camp, yet I also agree. The writing style and content struggle to really convey true faith and genuine relationships and spiritual growth. I mean, it's there, and it gets better as this series goes on it seems, but after the struggle I had with the first book, this second was difficult to pick up and I still found myself uninterested and disconnected for a while. Toward the end, it does start to pick up and became a more enjoyable story, Both Tony and River have grown some since we first met them, and I was happy to see it, but I still would have preferred to be able to say I loved the story. Definitely an improvement though, and I have hope that the final book in the trilogy will be able to mend things.

Cold Threat is the excellent second book in the Ryland & St. Clair series by Nancy Mehl. I think it's important to point out that this is a series best read in order to get the most enjoyment out of it. Though each book has a case which is solved, another case in which River and Tony worked on when they were in the FBI remains unsolved in books 1 & 2. The character development throughout the series can't be appreciated without reading these in order. I love cold cases, and Cold Threat has a cold case that Tony's dad has been working on (on his own) for years. He's convinced that a recent fire is tied to others which occurred 20 years ago. I love that this case takes them to Tony's parents' home, and that it takes place in the winter. Snow plays an important part in the novel. This story is not only suspenseful, but it has a lot of faith based themes, forgiveness being one of them. I really enjoyed getting to know Tony's family and seeing River's faith continue to strengthen. I'd definitely recommend Cold Threat to those who enjoy inspirational suspense with a bit of romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This is book two in the Ryland and St. Clair series, I would recommend reading book one first, cold pursuit. I love the writing style of Nancy Mahl, she does an amazing job at developing her characters, dialogue and plot. I look forward to reading more from this series. If you like a series that leads into another one you will love this one. If you like one to be all cleaned up and done, well.....I would suggest you wait till the next one comes out so you can just dive right into another book, which I know will also be great.
I love the friendship between River Ryland and Tony St. Clair and can't wait for the next book to watch that friendship develop. River and Tony have decided to help his dad with a case. Both must continue to watch their back all while trying to help tony's father with a cold case. This book is full of all you expect from Nancy mahl and so much more. I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

Second in a series in which I have not read the first book. I wish Netgalley was more clear when a book is part of a series, but I guess that is the publisher's responsibility to note. This is often an issue. River and Tony have a detective agency and are asked by Tony's father to investigate a case from earlier in his career. I couldn't really get into this one. There was a subplot related to River's religious beliefs, which would have been fine if it was so heavy-handed. There was as much talk about religion as about the case, and it just felt forced and awkward to me.

Excellent follow-up that really keeps the suspense and storyline going!

COLD THREAT is the second book in author Nancy Mehl’s excellent, suspense-filled Ryland & St. Clair series, but it can easily be read and enjoyed independently. (But don’t miss out on the first book if you can help it. Read my 5-star review of Cold Pursuit here.) This time, the partners in Watson Investigations head to Iowa to help Tony St. Clair’s police detective father investigate a 24-year-old cold case of murder and arson.

River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are an intriguing and inspired pair. Both are damaged individuals due to the after-effects of trauma from their final case with the FBI as profilers. However, even after what they experienced, they continue to complement each other synergistically and to their mutual benefit. They work so well together, yet have different strengths, like the two sides of the same coin. They are dedicated and focused on the case at hand, although they know they are being stalked themselves by an evil killer.

While primarily a tense tale of suspense, I liked how this author incorporates her characters’ spiritual natures into the story. She’s got a knack for making their thoughts and struggles understanding how their beliefs mesh with life natural and organic. It feels authentic and genuine, never artificially introduced.

The plot features a cold case new to the overall series, but elements from book one also carry over. However, the author reveals enough backstory to allow readers new to the series get up to speed and still have an unspoiled story to enjoy if they decide to pick up the previous novel in the future.

There is a brooding sense of evil from the start as the perpetrator of crimes in the cold case gives his narrative and later as the stalker weighs in on their plans. The growing tension was enough to give me prickles on the back of my neck at times! The story is quite robust, with solid character development and a plot that evolves with plenty of action and surprise twists to keep readers off-balance and glued to the pages. I was so absorbed in this story that time flew by, and I was still compelled to stay up late to reach the final conclusion. I am so looking forward to the next book, which is scheduled to come out later this summer.

With its great characters and well-paced, suspenseful plot, I recommend COLD THREAT to readers of suspense, especially those who enjoy Christian fiction and fans of the previous book in the series.

We are coming back with another adventure of Ryland and St. Clair. In this second story we are following our private investigators as they try to solve a 20 year old arson case. The killer has come back but the police think that it can't be the same arsonist. Will Ryland and St. Clair find out who it is in time before he strikes again?

Nancy Mehl is one of my favorite authors for mysteries mixed with faith. Her characters are true to life, with real struggles in their faith and learn to lean on the Lord during hard times. I was surprised by the ending and didn't guess who did it.

*Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

Cold Threat
by Nancy Mehl
Pub Date 23 Jan 2024
Bethany House |Bethany House Publishers
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Mystery & Thrillers| Romance


Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Cold Threat for review:


Nancy Mehl is one of my top recommendations for a clean suspenseful read, and Cold Threat is no exception...


Several people were murdered in Des Moines two decades ago, and the only evidence left behind was a snowman ornament hanging ominously on a tree. The killings have come to an end now that a suspect is in jail--or so everyone thought. A small Iowa town is now experiencing crimes with a similar MO, and a local detective believes the killer is back.


Before they have another murder on their hands, River Ryland and Tony St. Clair must work with Tony's detective father to uncover an evil that has endured far too long. It will take all they have to catch a killer before he catches them, as the danger mounts and the suspect closes in on them.


I give Cold Threat five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I enjoyed this suspenseful story of trying to stop a serial killer. The struggle to understand the clues that were being left was interesting and I liked the characters. I received this book for the purpose of reviewing.

This was my first book by Nancy and I really liked it. I didn’t realize it was part of a series (oops) but I was able to follow along just fine. I may go back and read the first just for more context on what happened with River and Tony but there was enough explanation throughout this one to fill in the gaps.

I though the faith elements were well done and though it was a major thread in the book and their relationship, it wasn’t awkward or overdone like it can often feel. As a Christian I appreciated the way it depicted real Faith conversations between friends and family.

The mystery/thriller aspects were well thought out, if not a little predictable but it was still very enjoyable. I’m definitely planning to read the next book in the series (especially once I go back and read the first)

The audio is well done and I really enjoyed the narrator.

I'm afraid I really couldn't get into this one and I was not expecting it to be as religious as it was - there should be a warning about that. It leans very heavily into Christianity which detracted from the ploy for me. I also found it a very slow pace.

It would be a chilling sight to see a snowman ornament at the site of a murder. It could be heart sickening to have one show up at a new murder scene, after the serial killer had been in prison for years. Was there a copycat? An accomplice?
Nancy Mehl continues with her magnetic Ryland and St. Clair series. I received this second book from the author and Bethany House via NetGalley. It is as suspenseful as Cold Pursuit. This is my own unsolicited opinion. I like the story very much. I did not figure this one out which is a magnetic challenge for me with suspense stories. The author definitely had me on the edge of my seat with the book. You can enjoy it as a read-alone as she adds in some back story to let the reader understand the dynamic of River and Tony's professional relationship, friendship and that spark of more. River and Tony are in tune with one another. Their dedication to helping his father, Ray, as investigators and profilers to solve the case before retirement is special too.
Nancy Mehl, in my opinion is a master Christian and suspense storyteller. She has a strong plot with well-developed characters who are changing as we all do in life.

4.5 stars

Wow. Wow. Wow wow WOW.

That basically sums up my reaction to the reveal of the serial killer’s identity. Gobsmacked once again, as I always am at some point in Mehl’s suspense novels. I thought I had it figured out this time – I should have known better haha. The author weaves such a delightfully complex plot that keeps me glued to the page and in awe of her ability to do so. In fact, I love it even more when I’m miles off base about the killer (which is almost always the case with her books) because I read so many suspense novels that it’s really hard to catch me off guard. And Nancy Mehl always does. Always. It just proves again how talented she is at crafting suspense.

I also really enjoyed the further development we see in River and Tony’s characters and their partnership … including a bit more hope for a romance between them in the future. The layers we added and further explored in Cold Threat fit well with what we learned about them in book one, and I thought River’s faith growth was especially meaningful while staying organic to her character. Tony’s parents are a delight – I absolutely loved his mom Beth and her penchant to feed everyone always. Lots of family banter that added well-timed levity to ease the tension of hunting a serial killer, but there were some very touching subthreads as well here. Also, Tony’s childhood nickname? Adorable.

Bottom Line: Cold Threat is another stellar suspense offering by author Nancy Mehl, with layered characters and several surprising twists. River and Tony make such a good pair, in life and in work, and I enjoyed watching their friendship deepen as they worked with Tony’s dad to solve a haunting cold case. The faith thread is touching and relatable, and it fits easily with the character development without distracting from the plot. The series arc of the obsessed serial killer after River is definitely still in play even though it isn’t the main focus of this book, and I look forward to watching how that all ends up in the final novel.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

If you like thrills and chills in a mystery book then "Cold Threat" is certainly the book for you. I love the way that Mehl describes places and people until you can actually see them in your mind's eye and be right there when they are talking or when the deeds are committed. I also love the way that Mehl brings in faith and God in her books.... Ryland and St. Clair have finally got their business up and running and waiting for customers. St. Claire's dad who is a police detective has something that he wants them to look into. It has bothered him for years, although the man who committed these murders was found guilty and has ben serving time for them. This has bothered him for over 20 years as similar crimes have been committed during these years and he believes it is a serial killer still doing these same types of crimes. He wants them to profile the killer for him and give him some sort of lead as to Who and Why he is killing seemingly innocent people. The only clue he has in these murders is that it happens when there is snow on the ground and a little snowman is attached to a tree or something around the house where the murders have been committed and the house is burned.... Hold on to your seats for an exciting ride as Ryland and St. Clair unraveled the few clues they have and the real murderer is apprehended.... Thanks to Mehl and the publisher for an early e copy and I am happy to leave my review.

Cold Threat has so many twists and turns that I had no way of see coming. I thought this was a fabulous suspense filled novel. I loved it. Five stars.

Cold Threat kept me coming back for more. The author had a way of roping the reader into the drama. River and Tony, who were once in the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, became private investigators. While they were with the FBI, they had worked a case involving Joseph Baker who wanted to kill River. He ended up dead but he had an accomplice who was now out to get her.

Tony's dad, Ray, was a detective in Burlington, Iowa. He was working a case involving an accomplice who went by the name of the Snowman. He was called that because all of his killings took place in the snow in the month of December. The Snowman had been responsible for the deaths of several foster parents. Ray had enlisted River and Tony to write a profile on the Snowman, much like they had done with the BAU.

The author takes the reader through the ins and outs and the ups and downs of a murder investigation, and helps the reader see inside the mind of a madman. And the story had Christian overtones, which I found refreshing. Overall, I was well pleased with this book. I gave it five stars.

While this is the second book in the series, Mehl does a nice job of providing enough details so this can stand alone, but readers may want to read the books in order. The creep factor with the serial killer angle amped up the tension and engagement. The Christian element is woven throughout. Some key themes include humility, guilt, good vs. evil, turning control over to God, and forgiveness. As it's the second in the series, it's nice to see the characters' develop, particularly River's faith journey. The pace was a bit slower than I prefer for this genre, but it was an enjoyable read overall.