A stranger with no name. A family with too much to hide. And a storm that could bury the truth forever.

Private investigator Samantha Price thought winter in Marietta, Montana, might slow things down. But with the high-profile trial of Benjamin Bennet dominating headlines, and her agency, Honor’s Edge Investigations, busier than ever, there’s no rest in sight. Especially when a rugged John Doe—who looks alarmingly like Nate Bennet—walks in seeking help to uncover his past.

DNA says he’s family. But there’s no record of who he was before. No name. No past. No trail to follow.

The deeper Sam and Nate dig into the tangled branches of the Bennet family tree, the more disturbing the picture becomes. As long-buried secrets come to light, their search for answers draws unwanted attention—and someone will do anything to keep those answers hidden.

When a dangerous storm descends on the mountains, Marietta is cut off—and so are Sam and Nate. Now, the clock is ticking. Can they uncover the truth in time to give a man back his name…without losing their lives in the process?

Titles in the Western Edge Mystery series include: Double-Edged Reckoning ~ Dark Mountain Ambush ~ Long Lost Winter ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Long Lost Winter
Series:  Western Edge Mystery #3
Author:  Nicole Helm
Published:  December 3, 2025
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Long Lost Winter is the third title in the Western Edge Mystery series.  This is a series that I recommend reading in order because while each book is complete within itself, the overarching storyline builds and adds information to the previous ones.  We return to the darker side of Marietta, Montana, as the trial of a prominent, evil man is underway… and a stranger comes to town looking for answers.  The undeniable fact that he bears a remarkable resemblance to the Bennet family has Sam and Nate on edge.  Bo Lake has no clue as to who he is or was.  Adopted as a young child, the results of a DNA test point him to the area of Marietta as a possible connection.  He’s willing to work small jobs around Sam’s investigation agency in exchange for their help in discovering who this familiar stranger really is.

Someone doesn’t want that information to come to light, and will do anything to prevent Bo from learning what his connection to this town, this family, really is.  Life just got complicated.

Long Lost Winter by Nicole Helm is intense; there’s no other way to describe the tension and the danger facing Sam and Nate as they investigate Bo’s past.  No spoilers here, simply a well-written, emotional, and intense story that had me glued to the Kindle until the final page.  Nicole Helm is a favorite author, and she shines with this darker side of this Marietta, Montana series.  Excellent story, one I’d not hesitate to recommend to readers who enjoy an involved mystery, putting puzzle pieces together, and following a couple that are exploring their own relationship.

*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.*

Do you love anything (any story) that’s even slightly connected to Marietta, Montana?  Yeah, me too.  Be sure to visit our Marietta, Montana pages (this link to where this series is located – there are three pages :)) to catch up on the series that you might have missed over time.  It’s quite an amazing and diverse community, with happily ever after endings guaranteed.

This title is available at Amazon