Could his unsolved murder case reveal all of her family’s past secrets?

When James Colt decides to solve his late father’s final murder case, he has no idea of the danger he’s unleashing.

And Lorelei Wilkins can’t believe that her high school crush is implicating her stepmother!

Now James and Lorelei are embroiled in unraveling a cover-up involving some of Lonesome, Montana’s finest citizens…including a killer determined to keep the truth hidden.

Titles in the A Colt Brothers Investigation series include:  Murder Gone Cold* ~ Sticking to Her Guns* ~ Christmas Ransom* ~ Set Up in the City* ~ Her Brand of Justice* ~ Dead Man’s Hand* ~

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

Title:  Murder Gone Cold
Series:  A Colt Brothers Investigation #1
Author:  B. J. Daniels
Published:  March 29, 2022
Publisher:  Harlequin Intrigue
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Murder Gone Cold is an intriguing beginning to the A Colt Brothers Investigation series by an author who has become an automatic one-click author for me over the years.  I know I can always count on an interesting romantic suspense with characters that come alive on the page.  James and Lorelei’s (Lori) often chilling story kept me on edge throughout, and, frankly, I didn’t see that ending coming.

James has returned home, temporarily, to Lonesome, Montana, to recuperate once again from injuries sustained in his dedication to his rodeo career.  Upon returning home, he’ll discover that the double-wide that he and his three brothers (also all in the rodeo business) crash in occasionally has burned to the ground.  Good thing they still own the building where his deceased father had his private-investigation offices, with a cot to crash on in the back room.  The circumstances surrounding his father’s death never made any sense to him (or his brothers), and to see the office frozen in time, even down to the file his dad was working on, open on the desk, brings back memories… and a touch of curiosity as well.  That curiosity is about to toss James headlong into the past, with a cold case that someone in town doesn’t want solved… and just might change the direction of several parts of his life.

The worldbuilding and the tensions in Murder Gone Cold build slowly, brick by brick, clue by clue.  Lori (James’ nickname for Lorelei) would really like to buy the building next to her sandwich shop, but that would mean facing James, a man she’s had a crush on since their high school days.  She’s got a bit of a chip on her shoulder toward James, and I never really figured out why aside from him not obviously returning that high school crush feeling. *shrugs*  I do have to admit that I loved the prank she pulled on James the first time he ate at her sandwich shop… and kudos to James for not reacting to it, just remained calm even if his mouth was on fire.

There are a lot of possible suspects in this story, along with some red herrings.  As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t figure out whodunit (though I kinda suspected it just before the reveal)… and a lot of small-town drama helped intensify the feeling of looking at everyone we encounter as a possible suspect.  James and Lori’s romance is slow-burning in the background, always there but waiting to be fully recognized by this couple.  I enjoyed this introductory story very much.  It’s well-written, full of danger, suspects, emotions, and questions, some that I think might run through the series (or at least a couple of books).  If you love a good Romantic Suspense that will keep you fully engaged and guessing until the reveal, then you’d love Murder Gone Cold.  I’d not hesitate to recommend this story or the entire series.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

I’m adding this title to a few “Challenges” I’m taking part in, mainly to clear up some of my TBR leaning tower.  Those can be found under the Challenges tab at the top of the page if you’re interested.  Finishing the Series ~ TBR 26 in ’26 ~ 2026 Beat the Backlist ~ and perhaps others, who knows?  

This title is available at Amazon