Deadly Secrets

Love Inspired Cold Case

by Cathy McDavid

A rancher searching for answers…uncovers a town’s sinister secrets.


Rancher Ridge Burnham unearths a gun and a strongbox of cash on his property — possible leads in his father’s unsolved murder. The sheriff’s department has ignored the case for years, but rookie deputy Elena Tomes is determined to prove herself by helping him find the truth. Faced with the town’s sordid history of drug running, Elena and Ridge must work together and trust each other. Now this decades-old cold case will expose the rot in their small ranching community…and the secrets that someone will kill for.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2024

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Cathy McDavid has written over 55 titles, many for Harlequin. She spends her days penning stories about handsome cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give them a run for their money.

Reviews

[Sheila]

2.5 I thought this book was ok.

[Ethelann]

Excellent story.

[Katt Hansen]

An old mystery, a strongbox full of cash and a lot of people holding a lot of secrets make up this novel by Cathy David. This was a fun read, with lots of twists and turns, the perfect book for relaxing during the busy holiday season. I also liked Elena and Ridge as a couple and the cold case aspect made this a puzzle which was fun to figure out.

[Valri Western]

I enjoyed the dynamic between Elena and Ridge. This was a good romantic suspense story. There was enough tenseness going on to keep me turning the pages and wondering who the villain would be! I have to admit, it took me a while to figure out who it was! Elena was a good law enforcement officer and it was hard for her to fit in with the "good ol' boys" in the small Southwest town. I admired her tenacity and desire to do her job no matter what without worry about whether her the community accepts her or not. Ridge wanted to know how his father died and who killed him even after so many years. When he unearths a gun on his property and turns it over to Elena, will this finally be the clue that jump starts the cold case?

[Julia David]

The town is full of deadly secrets. Elena responds to a call that Ridge found a gun buried on his property. There is also a box of cash with it. Ridge's father had been murdered years before and he vowed to find the killer. Is this a new lead? Elena can't resist a puzzle, and this is a giant puzzle. The more they dig into the murder, the murkier it gets. Someone is trying to stop their investigation, and they aren't afraid to do maximum damage. Elena and Ridge become closer and want to explore a relationship, but will they survive? Someone is playing for keeps and they don't know who they can trust.

[Mary]

Excellent story

This book was a real page turner. Ridge looking for closure from his dad's death years ago and possible cartel ties to that. Elena coming in as a new deputy to the area with a possibility of cartel spies in high places still waiting to resume their work in full force. It had a lot of tension and suspense with a great attraction between Ridge and Elena. Very well done.

[SARAH TAYLOR]

Deadly Secrets by Cathy McDavid! Such an amazing book with wonderful characters！ One that will keep you reading and turning the pages to see who done It! I highly recommend this book! It is such a great suspense story! This is a 5 star book !

[Sheri Jesse]

Great read! I loved the characters and the mystery was well written; it kept me guessing.

[Arlyn Strodtbeck]

A great story