Bah humbug. Bounty hunter Jake Hale hates Christmas. He doesn’t do twinkling lights, festive packages, and you definitely won’t ever catch him singing Christmas carols. What he will do? Track down the worst of the scum out there. The former special ops soldier makes merry by tossing the naughty into prison cells and getting a grand pay day. Ho, ho, ho.
Then a ghost from Christmas past walks through his door.
True Blakely is always at the top of the nice list. Beautiful, sweet, with an innocence that—yep, he might have been tempted to destroy once or twice—she’s there to hire him. There have been a string of dangerous accidents in her life, and True fears that someone is trying to kill her. Not at all the sort of case that Jake would usually take—he hunts down the criminals after they jump bail, not before they’ve even been arrested. But one look into True’s bedroom eyes, and he can’t refuse. Maybe he still is a bit too tempted by the girl who got away…and surely one nice act won’t kill him? For her, he can play the hero.
He’ll close the case and be home in time for Christmas dinner.
Except, on the first morning of his investigation, he finds a dead body. One waiting underneath True’s glittering Christmas tree. The attacks are real, and it’s clear that someone is gunning for True. But Jake is on the job now, and no one is going to hurt her. His protective instincts are in overdrive…and so is the desperate desire that he’s always felt for True. This time, he’s done fighting that desire. He’ll finally show True just how fantastic it can be when you aren’t nice. Welcome to his naughty list.
HOLDING OUT FOR A HOLIDAY HERO by Cynthia Eden is a hot and steamy holiday romantic suspense that kept me laughing out loud, turning the pages to figure out the villain in the suspense plot, and cheering for Jake as he turns from Scrooge into the hero True needs. This is a fast-paced standalone holiday romantic suspense with a great H/h duo and interesting secondary characters.
True Blakeley was the sweet, good girl in high school. Jake Hale was the bad boy who secretly wanted her. Now the former special ops soldier is a bounty hunter who hates Christmas, and beautiful True, the object of all his dreams, comes to him for help. Jake is determined to protect her as well as bed her. What he doesn’t realize is True has no problem with any of that.
Believable characters, fun dialogue, a well-paced suspense plot, and smokin’ hot sex scenes make this the perfect for me holiday read.
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About the Author
Cynthia Eden is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller.
Never miss a release from Cynthia Eden! Sign up for her newsletter at cynthiaeden.com/newsletter. You can also visit her Facebook page for her latest updates: facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage.
Cynthia writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.
Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate.
As soon as Hannah bumps into her brother Rob’s best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But Hannah has a boyfriend – and Nico has two children to look after.
When Hannah loses her beloved shop in Stockholm, though, she is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip – only to find Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work – or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?
CHRISTMAS WISHES by Sue Moorcroft is a cozy holiday romance set in Ms. Moorcroft’s familiar small-town setting of Middledip, England with the unique inclusion of Stockholm, Sweden and its holiday festivals. This is a book in a series that is mainly tied together by the town of Middledip and all the books are easily read as a standalone story.
Hannah is living in Stockholm running her own shop, when her relationship blows up, she loses everything and then moves back home to Middledip to help her grandmother after a fall that breaks her arm. Nico is a single divorced father dealing with a high-pressure job, childcare issues and then the added responsibility of caring for his daughter’s half-sister. Nico ends up moving to Middledip with the girls to slow down and decide on new career options. Nico is one of Hannah’s brother’s best friends and they are reunited at her brother’s wedding. Can these childhood friends have a romance with so many life changes and obstacles in their way?
This was a holiday themed romance that really dove into some serious topics. Nico was not only seriously stressed, but he had an eating disorder from his teens that is resurfacing. He also has the baby that broke up his marriage handed to him to care for while his ex is in rehab, or she will end up in care, and his daughter will be devastated. Even with all this, I truly loved Nico and his heart that wanted to do what was best for everyone. Hannah is the character I had problems with because she was immature and ran rather than communicate even though she was a successful entrepreneur? This was my only problem with this romance because I really do not like miscommunication or no communication at all as the only thing keeping a couple apart.
Both families of the main characters were fully developed and believable with everyday family problems. Hannah’s grandmother was wonderful, and Nico’s daughters were enchanting. I love the things I learned about a Stockholm holiday season and Ms. Moorcroft’s descriptions made me feel as though I was right there.
Nico and Hannah are a couple that must really work for their HEA, but the resolution makes this a heartwarming holiday read.
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About the Author
Sue Moorcroft is an award-winning Sunday Times and internationally published author of emotionally compelling, feel-good, page-turning fiction who has reached #1 on Amazon Kindle UK and Top 100 Amazon Kindle US, Canada and Italy. Her novels, short stories, serials, courses and columns have appeared around the world. An army child, Sue was born in Germany and then lived in Cyprus, Malta and the UK.
Supervising two newly minted medical residents might be the toughest challenge Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus has ever faced. Wren Baker, sharp and ambitious, graduated at the top of medical school with a hidden agenda in tow. Charlie King, at the bottom of the class, is determined to succeed–though Dok isn’t convinced he’s got what it takes. Then there’s traveling nurse Evie Miller, whose quiet love for Charlie doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by Wren.
Boarding at Windmill Farm, the trio struggles to balance modern medicine with Plain living. Between medical emergencies, cultural misunderstandings, and brewing romantic tensions, Dok finds herself juggling far more than she bargained for. Soon the stage is set in the small Amish community of Stoney Ridge for plenty of professional and personal complications.
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Elise’s Thoughts
A Hidden Hope by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a fantastic read blending romance, hope, faith, intriguing medical facts, and doctors/nurses learning their craft under the supervision of a very wise doctor. Readers can revisit characters from the previous book and get to know some interesting new ones.
The plot has Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus deciding to lessen her medical workload by taking into the practice two newly minted medical residents, Wren Baker and Charlie King, as well as traveling nurse Evie Miller. Wren is sharp, ambitious, and graduated at the top of her medical school, while Charlie King is at the bottom of the class and determined to succeed. The trio struggles to balance modern medicine with Plain living. Between medical emergencies, cultural misunderstandings, and brewing romantic tensions, Dok finds herself juggling far more than she bargained for. A second main thread continued from the last book is about Annie, Dok’s Amish receptionist, who desperately wants to join her love interest, Gus, in the EMT field. But medical issues complicate the matter and makes her wonder if her dreams and future will blow up in smoke.
What makes these books stand out is how the author highlights some medical issues such as postpartum depression, reading disabilities, family dysfunction, drug trials with pharmaceutical companies, and severe motion sickness. Readers will take the journey with the characters as they struggle with these issues and try to overcome them. In addition, there is subtle commentary on the attitude of doctors. A great quote that exemplifies this is by Dok, ““You have all the tools to be a good doctor, but to be a great one, you need to treat the person, not just the illness.”
This book was very hard to put down. Readers will become entwined with the characters. There are tender moments, heart wrenching scenes, and humorous dialogue.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why did “Dok” decide to have doctoral residents?
Suzanne Woods Fisher: I was not setting out to do a series but have written a third book. It picks up where the last book, A Healing Touch, left off. Dok had a local TV station do a feature on her and her practice blew up with a waiting list out the door. She ends up with two brand new medical doctors. They decided to go to this rural local community to get their medical school bills paid off. It is a story where the outsiders are looking in, about observation and noticing.
EC: How did you find out about the medical practice to write about?
SWF: I have several friends who have children that became doctors. My own daughter- in-law has a residency in clinical psychology. I interviewed two of my friends’ children who did not match to where they went. I have written into the story medical issues that either I know about personally or knew of people that experienced it. Most of “Doks” work is not specialty but common, basic, and true anecdotal medical issues.
EC: Why did you write this powerful book quote about looking at the individual or animal by doctors and vets?
SWF: My experience with the medical community is that it is all about statistics. Doctors and vets today do not individualize. They need to look at the person or dogs care, commitment, devotion, and budget. Dok said to the resident that she must see the whole person. Her quote, “What truly matters to me is that you start seeing your patients as a whole people not just a collection of symptoms…You need to treat the person, not just the illness. Your patients aren’t mere tasks on a to-do-list. You need to be attentive to them as human beings.” Dok is the doctor we all wish we had.
EC: Did Dok practice differently than other doctors?
SWF: Rural doctors like Dok practice differently than those in an urban setting. They are much more on the front line of a family practice. Dok has this philosophy that she can learn more about a person in a home than in an office call. Dok is now so connected to the people’s well-being and whole health. She believes in alternative options, and is a quick thinker, and adapts to the moment. At first, she thinks how much Wren is like her when she was a young doctor, but Charlie is like Doc now as an experienced doctor.
EC: How would you describe the resident Wren?
SWF: Wren Baker graduated at the top of her class, brilliant, quick, decisive, gutsy, bold, audacious, competitive, and ambitious. She is also territorial, snobbish, impatient, used to luxuries, not culturally sensitive, cunning, determined, and tenacious. Wren had life a little too easy including in school that applauded her high successful IQ but that does not necessarily make a successful person with relationships, especially working with others.
EC: How about the other resident, Charlie?
SWF: He was at the bottom of his medical class. He is curious, steady, can connect with the patients. Wren was the reason he got through medical school. He had an appreciation and tolerance for her that others did not see. He is also kindhearted, patient, goofy, likes to fix things, and is all heart. He thinks outside the box and comes at things from a different angle.
EC: What about the nicknames given to Charlie by Evie, the nurse practitioner studying under Dok?
SWF: Clueless Charlie, Charitable Charlie, Correctable Charlie, Coachable Charlie, and Conniving Charlie. Evie was crazy in love with him. She feels neglected by him. These represent her emotions. Her feelings zig zag. Evie felt it was unrequited love all the time.
EC: How would you describe Evie?
SWF: She had a Mennonite upbringing. She does not have self-confidence and does not stand up for herself. She underestimates herself. She feels displaced and does not belong until her grandparents raised her during her high school years as her parents ran off on different missions. She never understood the gift she had with a sense of calmness and confidence.
EC: How would you describe Clara who has postpartum depression?
SWF: She suffered alone, is struggling, broken, withdrawn, and became disoriented. She slipped through the cracks with a lot of people to blame. Motherhood is highly revered in the Amish community. Clara was not thriving and feels judged for struggling. She has a husband who is super patriarchal. She finds it hard to except help and has painted herself into a corner of loneliness and isolation.
EC: How about Dok’s office assistant, Annie?
SWF: She is shy, not confident, and considers EMT Gus like a soul mate. She is a quick thinker but panics when she thinks she cannot achieve her professional dreams. Annie is the youngest in a big family with all brothers. Her mother is a flaming hypochondriac. At the end of the book, she has become her own person where she makes her own decisions.
EC: Next books?
SWF: There will be a book 3, a wonderful conclusion. It picks up a bit where this leaves off. It will be published next October 2026 but no title yet.
In May another book comes out, the second in the National Park Series titled Chasing the Light. This will have the ocean and buried treasure, with a lot of history of New England.
THANK YOU!!
***
BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Today I am featuring Books #1, Three to Ride, and #2, Two to Love, in a re-released and updated erotic romantic suspense series “Nights in Bliss, Colorado”. I did not read this series when originally released under the pen name Sophie Oak, but I was excited to try a “new” Lexi Blake series.
All the books in this series are centered around the small town of Bliss, Colorado which has a very open and nonjudgmental population. Bliss is the town you may end up in accidentally or run to to hide, but then you stay because you are excepted and cared for by the quirky population no matter what trouble may be following you, and you just may find the love or loves of your life.
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THREE TO RIDE (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book #1)
Book Description
Rachel Swift is a woman on the run.
A stalker sent Rachel’s world reeling. Now she’s running for her life, and Bliss, CO, seems like the perfect place to hide. Bliss is a strange little town, filled with artists, nudists, and the occasional conspiracy nut. It’s a good place to start over.
Max and Rye are just the men to catch her.
Horse trainer Max and Sheriff Rye gave up on their dream of finding one perfect woman to share long ago. Rachel walks in, and they’re both in love and fighting their true natures.
A town like no other….
When Rachel’s past catches up with her, all of Bliss is in danger. Rachel knows she should run, but how can she leave behind the love she’s found with Max and Rye and the home she’s built in Bliss? With her whole town behind her, Rachel is ready to make her stand. It’s time for her to get back in the saddle and ride.
THREE TO RIDE (Nights in Bliss. Colorado Book #1) by Lexi Blake is a dangerous, sexy, and humorous erotic romantic suspense that has plenty of characters to fall in love with and quirky small-town characters to laugh with. This series has been reissued, and each book has updates and two extra chapters. I did not read the first issue under the name Sophie Oak, but when I saw a “new” Lexi Blake series, I had to give it a try.
Rachel Swift is on the run from a date who could not take the word “no”. Because he is a police officer, no one believes her life is in danger, so she runs. Her car dies in Bliss, Colorado, a small town she discovers is filled with artists, nudists, and a lovable alien conspiracy theorist besides the normal small-town gossiping, but caring neighbors. Alpha twins, Max and Rye have grown up in Bliss and have always shared their women. Max runs the family horse farm and Rye is the town sheriff. Max discovers Rachel working at the local diner and soon both brothers are vowing to protect and love her, while she is hesitant at first about their relationship, she quickly falls for both.
This book is a solid, well written romantic suspense with a heroine in peril. The change-up comes as the hero is two alpha male twin heroes. The sex is very steamy, hot, and explicit, but the scenes do not overtake the romance, suspense, and humor. While Rachel is on the run and afraid, she begins to become more confident as she is loved and cared for not just by Max and Rye, but by the whole town. The dialogue is realistic and had me laughing out loud at times along with the antics of many of the town folks.
This is a great group of characters, the main throuple, and the entire secondary cast of inhabitants of Bliss all make you want to return. I highly recommend this fun, extra steamy, and suspenseful erotic romantic suspense. Looking forward to book #2!
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TWO TO LOVE (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book #2)
Book Description
Three lost souls
Growing up in the eclectic, small town of Bliss was wonderful for Callie Sheppard. She loved everything about it, except for the lack of potential romantic partners. She only went wild once in her life, sharing a perfect weekend in Dallas with two incredible men she never thought she would see again. When they parted, she was left with a hole in her heart she feared would never be filled.
One romantic weekend
DEA agents Nathan Wright and Zane Hollister were thrilled when Callie agreed to spend the weekend with them. Just days away from a long, undercover assignment, they considered this passionate affair to be an ideal way to spend their last days of freedom. They never expected to fall in love. Leaving her behind was the hardest decision of their lives.
An unexpected reunion
Six years later, Callie is preparing to break in a new sheriff after Rye Harper walked out on the job. Her heart skips a few beats when the man walking through the door is none other than Nate Wright. Nate and Zane have come to Bliss, but their time undercover has left them broken and scarred. The boys are determined to win back Callie’s heart. But when the criminals they took down come seeking revenge, Nate and Zane may have to save the strange little town of Bliss before they can reclaim the woman they love.
TWO TO LOVE (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book #2) by Lexi Blake is a suspenseful, sexy, and humorous erotic romantic suspense with a great cast of characters that had me laughing out loud, turning the pages to make sure the good guys win, and sweatin’ to hot and sexy throuple sex. This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone, but I suggest you read book #1 first for more fun info and backstory on all the town folk of Bliss.
Callie Sheppard loves her hometown of Bliss, but the dating pool is limited. She finally decides to treat herself to a set up by one of her best friends with two men in Dallas. After a wonderful weekend, they leave her a note that leaves her heartbroken. Nate and Zane are DEA agents and agreed to the sexual set-up for a fun night before they have to go undercover. They did not expect to fall in love.
Six years later, Zane is almost killed in the DEA operation when he is outed to the motorcycle gang. He is having a hard time recovering with PTSD and a knife slashed face and body. Nate feels obligated to help his best friend and accepts the open sheriff position in Bliss, Colorado where he is shocked to find Callie as the sheriff department admin. As both men attempt to win back Callie’s love, they are still under threat when a hit is put out on Zane from the incarcerated motorcycle gang leader.
These books are so much fun, but they also are well written romantic suspense stories. The main characters go through all the angst of a one-on-one couple, there just happen to be two heroes and one heroine, or a throuple. The men have been friends their entire lives, but they are not bi-sexual, they share Callie and are a committed threesome. The romantic suspense kept me reading, the town folk kept me entertained, and the sex scenes are smokin’ hot and steamy. The town of Bliss is full of wonderful secondary characters that make me laugh out loud as well as cheer them on as they protect those, they consider their own.
I highly recommend this exciting erotic romantic suspense, and I cannot wait to get the next book in the series.
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About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HOME THIS CHRISTMAS by Sue Roberts on this Bookouture blog tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Ruby hasn’t been back home since she made the heart-wrenching decision to leave her childhood sweetheart, Nathan, for a career in London. But when she’s invited to judge the charity gingerbread competition, she decides it’s time. And it seems there’s Christmas mischief at work. Because Nathan is joining her as a gingerbread judge.
But it’s clear he would rather she’d stayed away, from his icy silence when they are alone, to the snarky comments and his accusing glare as they prepare for the event with other members of the community. And all Ruby wants to do is get back to London.
Then bad weather leaves her snowed in the village until after Christmas, with nowhere to stay. And things go from bad to worse when she slips on the ice… And falls straight into the arms of Nathan.
The pain of her injured ankle is nothing when, her heart aflutter, Nathan surprises her. As he scoops her up and sweeps her off to the hospital, it seems like the frost between them is finally thawing. But could the magic of Christmas mean a second chance is possible? Or is it too little too late?
HOME THIS CHRISTMAS by Sue Roberts is a heartwarming Christmas women’s fiction/second chance romance mash-up featuring a young woman named Ruby who left her small village and first love behind to chase her dreams of success in London. Now she has attained many of her dreams, a beautiful flat in London and successful career as a food and restaurant critic and another Christmas is just around the corner.
Ruby is happy with her London life, but she is just out of a relationship and at loose ends. She has made plans with her girlfriend for Christmas but then receives a note from her hometown to be a judge for the charity gingerbread competition. She decides to accept and be in and out of the village in one day. When she shows up at the competition, she is surprised to discover her first love, Nathan, is the other judge.
Nathan is even more handsome than Ruby remembered, and she is surprised that their attraction is still strong. As Ruby gets involved in village affairs and makes new friends, she ends up staying longer and the attraction between them only grows. Ruby is afraid that she will have to leave Nathan behind again or can this second chance at romance be strong enough to keep her in the village?
This is an enchanting holiday read. The first half of the story is more focused on Ruby and her career and life in London, while the second half has her in her old hometown and the second chance romance begins to bloom with Nathan. The romance plot is sweet, charming, and believable. We get to see the village through Ruby’s eyes from her memories of her youth and how things have changed in the present. Ms. Roberts does a wonderful job of making the village and all its Christmas activities come to life on the page. This is a wonderful story to escape into over the holidays.
I recommend this delightful holiday HEA genre mash-up.
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Author Bio
Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.
She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.
The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for CANYON OF DECEIT by DiAnn Mills on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my mini book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Promoamp giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
When wilderness survival expert Therese Palmer receives a frantic phone call from former colleague Professor Rurik Ivanov, she is shocked by the news that his young daughter, Alina, is missing—and that Rurik wants Therese’s help finding her. She’s sure Rurik hasn’t given her the whole story . . . especially since he refuses to report the kidnapping to the police. Yet with a child’s life hanging in the balance, Therese can’t turn down this mission. She knows the clock is ticking and she can’t do this alone.
Therese reaches out to Texas Ranger Blane Gardner, whom she met seven months ago during one of her training courses in wilderness survival skills. Blane’s specialized training and background with the Crisis Negotiation Unit make him uniquely prepared for this search-and-rescue mission. He agrees to help Therese and to accept Rurik’s terms to keep Alina’s disappearance quiet, and as the two begin working together, Therese is determined the spark growing between them won’t distract from their mission to save Alina.
Traversing deep into the desert of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Alina’s last known location, Therese and Blane struggle to separate truth from lies within the mix of intel they’re receiving. As they close in on answers that suggest the involvement of Russian organized crime and a high-profile international assassination attempt, they must fight to rescue Alina before she becomes an innocent casualty of a much bigger plot—no matter the risk to their own lives.
Genre: Romantic Suspense Published by: Tyndale House Publishers Publication Date: September 9, 2025 Number of Pages: 352 (pbk) ISBN: 9781496485151 (ISBN10: 1496485157) pbk
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My Mini Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
CANYON OF DECEIT by Diann Mills is a suspenseful and intricately plotted Christian romantic suspense/mystery/thriller set in the beautiful and rugged Guadalupe Mountain National Park of New Mexico. The protagonists are Therese Palmer, a wilderness survival expert and Blane Gardner, a Texas Ranger on the hunt for a kidnapped child. This is a standalone story that is tension filled with many surprising twists that kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages.
This romantic suspense plot is well paced with physical struggles and obstacles as well as struggles with their faith. What starts as a kidnapping soon turns into a complex web of assassination, murders, and military espionage. Therese and Blane both have traumas in their pasts that lead to their beliefs, but heartfelt, honest conversations occur between the action as both come to care for each other. Therese lives her faith, and she is clear with Blane that she will not compromise her beliefs even for a relationship, but she is not preaching at him. Blane is the protagonist on a spiritual journey in this story. This is a Christian romantic suspense so there are no sex scenes.
I recommend this exciting, well written Christian romantic suspense.
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Excerpt
Chapter One
New Caney, Texas
October, Thursday, Current Day
Therese
The shrill ring of my mobile phone jolted me awake at 2:00 a.m., a haunting prompt that emergencies seldom emerged in daylight. Someone had ventured into the wilderness and needed me to lead a rescue mission. My skills of trekking over precarious terrain to find victims who suffered from physical injuries, dehydration, starvation, or all three, kept me on alert. At times I viewed my life like a Star Trek tagline, “Where no man has gone before.”
I grabbed the phone off my nightstand. Unidentified caller. “Hello?”
“Ms. Palmer, this is Professor Rurik Ivanov from Houston Leonard University. We met nearly a year ago. You taught a course in wilderness survival as an adjunct professor.”
I captured a mental image of the Russian man—gray-blue eyes, stone-gray hair, angular face. “Yes, sir. How can I help you?”
“I apologize for the hour, but I’m in a desperate situation.”
The angst in his voice zapped me into guarded mode, especially when I barely knew the man. I snapped on my bedside lamp. “Are you all right?”
“No, ma’am, which is why I’m calling you. Do you remember my wife and daughter?”
“I met them both at a faculty dinner last Christmas. A lovely family.”
“My wife was murdered today, and kidnappers have taken my daughter.”
I inhaled sharply, and alarm for the professor’s family fired hot from the soles of my feet. “Daria? Alina? What happened?”
“A man called me late this afternoon while I prepared to leave for home. He said he’d taken Alina. Then he sent a link to a video showing my wife’s execution—”
He stopped abruptly, his final words drumming into my senses. The seconds ticked by, and I waited.
“I watched Daria grab her chest and struggle . . . The blood rushed from her precious body—my dear Daria’s life gone forever.” He grappled again to control his tear-filled voice. “He said they would release Alina unharmed if I paid three million dollars. They’d call with instructions. When the man hung up, I hurried home thinking it had to be a terrible mistake or someone had used AI to generate the video. On the way, I phoned Daria and the call went to voice mail. I also redialed the man who’d contacted me. The phone rang repeatedly, but the number offered no way to leave a message. I contacted Alina’s school and learned Daria had picked her up before noon.
“At home, reality rooted. A lamp and a table in the living room lay in pieces. Daria would have fought hard, but there were no signs of blood. I didn’t recognize the place in the video where they killed her. I even checked for geotag information on the clip, but it had been stripped. I later clicked on the link . . . the video had disappeared.”
I ached for his loss. “What do the police say?”
Silence answered me, then Rurik finally said, “Contacting them is impossible. The man warned me against telling anyone who works in law enforcement, or I’d never see Alina again.” He sobbed into the phone. “Please, give me a moment.”
“Take all the time you need.”
The professor taught Russian language and literature at Leonard University and was highly respected and liked among faculty and students. I’d enjoyed our occasional chats, and he’d observed some of my classes. What had he done to upset the wrong people?
“Thank you. I can talk now,” he said. “I have no idea where the killers have taken Daria’s body or how to find Alina. Neither do I suspect anyone.”
I willed my pulse to slow. “Professor, the police are trained in handling confidential matters and how to find who is responsible. They have families and understand what you’re going through.”
“And endanger my daughter?” Panic throbbed in his ragged voice.
“I’m sorry.” My grief over losing Kate many years ago surfaced raw and bleeding. “Are you alone?”
“Yes. At home.”
“Are there family or friends who can stay with you?”
“My family is in Russia, and I do not trust anyone.”
“You could very well be in danger too.”
“My welfare is unimportant.”
“Who are these people, and why has your family been victimized?”
“I have no idea. The man refused to identify himself, but he did say ‘we.’ Maybe he thinks I have money or believes I have done something criminal to my country or to the US.”
What was he not telling me? I tossed off my blanket and stood in my bedroom, shivering, not from the cold but the horror of this unfolding story. “Professor Ivanov, I’m confused. Why call me? This is a job for the police or the FBI.”
“I cannot risk my daughter’s life. You are my only hope to find Alina. You have the skills to get her back.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m a wilderness-survival specialist, nothing more. I’m not equipped to carry out a hostage negotiation without backup, which is another reason you need to involve the authorities.” More questions bolted into my mental space like a landslide. “How would I find her?”
“That’s where I can help you. Alina has GPS trackers hidden in her shoes. Not even Daria knew about them.”
“Why would you track your young daughter?”
“Alina’s biological mother died when she was a baby, and I’ve been consumed with protecting my daughter ever since. I checked my phone app and learned at one thirty this afternoon, Alina was taken to a private landing strip west of Houston. I called there, and a woman who worked in the small office said no one had filed a flight plan. But she made a mistake. The tracker had stopped registering.” He coughed and asked me to wait while he got a glass of water.
A connection at Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management popped into my consciousness. They had the technology to confirm the date and time a plane took to the skies and where it landed.
“I’m better. I apologize for my lack of control,” the professor said. “My app showed tracking again near an abandoned airstrip in a remote area south of Hobbs, New Mexico. The tracking indicated ground-speed movement for two and a half hours to a section on the north side of Guadalupe Mountains National Park called Dog Canyon. That’s where the tracking ended, and I’ve detected nothing since. I assume the kidnappers parked the vehicle and proceeded on foot with Alina. Research shows the area is off-grid. Ms. Palmer, did they remove her shoes? How would they expect her to walk in bare feet?”
My thoughts trailed to the worst possible scenario. Why take Alina to a remote location unless they planned to dispose of her body there? Another argument lay with logic. Why go to the expense of transporting a kidnap victim there when they had the ability to dispose of her body in their backyard? A morbid idea, except true. Whatever the reason, they risked exposure from security cameras until they reached an off-grid area.
“I can’t stress enough how the authorities have technology and skills to find Alina. They can unravel valid threats and comprehend the danger of taking your story to the media.”
“The man who called me said they’d be watching my every move. I bought a burner phone tonight to call you.”
His anguish rippled through me, interfering with my ability to think clearly. “What about the ransom?”
“I can liquidate assets here and in Russia to meet their demands, but the statistics on kidnappers returning my Alina alive are not good. Perhaps they would accept what I can put together now. I’m sorry . . . I wish I had an answer. Why harm an eight-year-old little girl?”
“I have empathy for your grief.” Daria’s lovely face and the white-blonde-haired little girl refused to leave me alone. “Although I could lead you into Dog Canyon, I have no idea how to pull her out of the clutches of dangerous men. You’d need armed law enforcement and possibly a negotiator.”
“That would draw attention. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”
“Money is not the issue, Professor—”
“Alina means more to me than anything else in this world. What is love but to take ownership of a problem and do all I can to stop those men?”
“What if I fail?” The terror of not finding his daughter alive resurrected an echo from the past that had shaped my career.
“Can you live with yourself if you don’t try?”
Unaware, he’d pressed my weakest button. “I’ll hear you out. But I don’t believe you’ve given me the whole story, and I need the truth before I risk my life.”
“I’ve . . . I’ve given you all of it.”“You’ve stated what you want me to know. What have you done or not done in this tragedy that Daria is dead, Alina is missing, and you can’t go to the police?
***
Author Bio
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites her readers to step into stories where suspense meets adventure and romance warms the heart. Known for crafting unforgettable characters tangled in unpredictable plots, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling?
Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards.
DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers. She actively participates in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller Writers, DiAnn passionately invests in helping fellow authors succeed through mentoring, book coaching, and editing. She travels nationwide speaking and teaching engaging writing workshops.
A proud coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn also enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband make their home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.
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