She vows to stay impersonal… But for him, the case is anything but.

When a body with the name of a cold-case victim written on it is discovered, FBI Agent Sophia Bennett teams up with Agent Noah Thunderhawk, Bureau of Indian Affairs, to investigate the crime.

The evidence—and Sophia—challenge Noah’s faith in the reservation elders. How could one of his own be complicit?

But as tension and undeniable attraction rise, dangerous patterns emerge. Missing girls…a trafficking network…the wall of silence they keep hitting… Someone high up is murdering to keep their secrets. And Noah and Sophia are in their crosshairs.

Titles in the Big Sky Justice series include: Danger in Big Sky Country ~ Her K-9 Protector ~ Cold Case Secrets ~ Cold Case Kidnapping ~ Cold Case Reckoning ~ Sacred Secrets ~ Lethal Betrayal ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Lethal Betrayal
Series:  Big Sky Justice #7
Author:  Kimberly Van Meter
Published:  May 26, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin Romantic Suspense
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Lethal Betrayal is the seventh title in the Big Sky Justice series, bringing Sophia, an FBI agent, and Noah, a BIU agent, together to work on an insidious murder of a young woman, with the victim’s name, Noah’s first case, written on her arm.  Reopening that cold case challenges Noah in ways he never expected.  To know that he never found the killer of that young victim has haunted him, and now to discover a connection with the most recently discovered murdered woman has him more determined than ever to find answers.  Add to that self-directed promise, Noah must find a way to reconcile the fact that one of his own people, an elder he has trusted, might be involved in both cases, which is a heavy load to carry.  Sophia and Noah’s clashes over different agencies’ protocols and cultural differences, along with their underlying attraction to each other, add tension to their story.  They’re going to find roadblock after roadblock in their attempt to discover the truth and solve both cases.

I enjoyed Lethal Betrayal so much.  Although it is part of a series, you could jump in with this title since it reads as a standalone (one that tempts you to go back to the earlier titles).  I always believe in reading a series in order if at all possible, yet sometimes that’s not realistic.  So, yes, Sophia and Noah’s story could stand on its own quite easily.  The tension is high as Noah must deal with the evidence that a tribal elder (or more) is somehow involved in both crimes.  Their search for the truth will be both dangerous and emotional.  I liked several of the secondary characters as they added another level to this story.  Lethal Betrayal is well-written, intense, passionate, and emotional as two dedicated people rush to find justice for two murdered victims, and find a lifetime love for each other that neither expected.  I would not hesitate to recommend this story and series to any reader who loves a good whodunit and a romantic discovery.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

 

This title is available at Amazon