The Jade Stone Sleuth

Jade Valley Romance Adventures #1

by Cami Checketts

A security operative navigating his first job. A charitable angel accused of murder. Can Brex discover the truth about the jade stones or will he be the next victim?

Brexten Cabella, a suave but insecure detective trying hard to prove himself, has been hired for his first big job as a security op for the elite Aiden Porter. The case is intriguing--get close to seemingly innocent Clara Gem and prove that she is responsible for the "accidental" death of her three boyfriends with no clues other than a mysterious jade stone at the site of each fatality. Despite Brexten's impressive resume, he's worried he'll fail at this new task and lose his first million dollar bonus, the ticket to rewriting his future and proving he does have what it takes to succeed. Yet, as Brex gets to know Clara, he begins to rethink not only his initial suspicions, but his beliefs about life and love and what matters most.

Clara Gem, a carefree and optimistic youth pastor, has lost three boyfriends in the past decade to suspicious fatal accidents. Her heart has broken for their families and she’s determined to not date anymore and put another man at risk. When Clara meets the charming detective Brexten Cabella, her resolve to guard her heart flies out the window. He’s like something off the movie screen, but warm, caring, and fun--and he may be the ticket to finally unraveling the mystery of the jade stone and the accidents. Clara finds herself quickly falling for Brex, but is love worth the risk of him dying?

Don't miss USA Today Bestselling Author Cami Checketts newest Christian romance series, cozy contemporary romance, Jade Valley Adventure Romances.

#1 - The Jade Stone Sleuth
#2 - The Cupcake Conflict
#3 - The Library Heist
#4 - The Wedding Fiasco
#5 - The Bike Shop Secret
#6 - The Fitness Retreat Sanctuary
#7 - The Treasure Hoax
#8 - The Cafe Catastrophe

Fans of Jo Grafford, Robin Patchen, Christy Barritt, Colleen Coble, Lisa Phillips and Susan May Warren will love Cami Checketts’ clean romantic suspense with a side of comedy.



Coleville Ranch Romances
1 - The Recluse & The Fugitive
2 - The Bodyguard & The Billionaire
3 - The Soldier & The Actress
4 - The Pilot & The Athlete
5 - The Sheriff & The Nurse
6 - The Roper & The Author
7 - The Female Warrior & The Charming Gentleman
8 - The Bull Rider & The Wedding Planner
9 - The Contractor & The Entrepreneur
10 - The Doctor & The Caregiver

A Chance for Charity
Impossible Treasure
Impossible Escape
Impossible Sail
Impossible Climb
Impossible Crusade
Impossible Thrills
Impossible Chase
Impossible Rapids

Christmas in Augustine
The Royal Captain and the Designer
The Wounded Guard and the Royal Stylist
The Impulsive Princess and the Soldier

Sweet Royal Romance Suspense
The General Prince and the Nerd
The Brave Prince and the Teacher
The Doctor Prince and the Outsider
The Ninja Prince and the Investigator
The Charming Prince and the Single Mum
The Crown Prince and the Traitor
The Police Chief and the Musician
The Royal Major and the Executive
The Grieving King and the Emissary

Billionaire Protection Romances
Matchmaking the Singer and the Warrior
Matchmaking the Duchess and the Commander
Matchmaking the Entertainer and the Firefighter
Matchmaking the Model and the Beast
Matchmaking the Spy and the Heiress
Matchmaking the Bodyguard and the Philanth

Genres: Mystery

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 19, 2025

About the author

Cami Checketts is a USA Today Bestselling author of over a hundred clean romance novels. Her journey began on an Idaho dairy farm daydreaming book ideas on her bike or tractor and landing herself in the hospital numerous times for head wounds. She settled down after college (retired the bike at least) to raise four crazy boys and write down all those fabulous ideas. Cami's life is busy but she thoroughly enjoys rarely living in reality.

Cami loves the Savior, her husband, her boys, her daughter-in-law, her grandson, traveling, chocolate, and exercise.

Get a free book when you sign up for Cami's VAP (Very Awesome People) list - www.camichecketts.com

Reviews

[Adrianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! An epic start to a new series. Fast paced and intense with surprising plot twists along the way. Clara and Brexten are a dynamic duo, and their relationship is one of my all time favorites. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

[Julia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story and a wonderful beginning to a new series. I'm already waiting for the next one as this one was so interesting. I loved Clara. I aspire to be more like her in my faith in God and my ability to forgive. Brex was a challenge to like at first but as he grew and stepped away from materialistic things, his personality and trustworthiness grew on me. The story was great. I finished it in one day as I needed to find out how it was going to play out. About half way through I had a pretty good idea who the killer was but thought it was two people working together instead of just one.
Great read. Highly recommend

[Allyson Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to another new fantastic series. Brex, who is on Aiden Porter's security company, has been hired by one of Clara's boyfriend's family to prove whether Clara is responsible for the deaths of her last 3 boyfriends. How will Clara react when she finds out the truth? Brex has to determine what matters in life: materialistic things and climbing the social ladder or finding a relationship with Christ and a life with Clara. This story has danger and a mystery. Great read. Looking forward to the next installment.

[Marilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun start to a series!

This small-town romance has a side of mystery and suspense as security operative Brexten is assigned to go undercover and investigate Clara Gem, who some believe may have murdered her last three boyfriends….

What you'll love
hidden identity
dual pov💞
instant attraction
hiking and outdoors⛰️
light themes of faith
found family🤍
character growth
swoony kisses🤔

This was an enjoyable and fun read from beginning to end with a plot twist I definitely did NOT see coming! Loved the sweet romance between Brex and Clara (hello swoony waterfall kisses! 🔥) and the book also sets up the rest of the Jade Valley Romance Adventures and introduces a host of fantastic characters!

Can't wait to see where the series goes next!

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

[Karen Brasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jade Stone Sleuth

A marvelous start to a new series, this book has the mystery, romance and danger most readers enjoy. Brexton Cabella is a retired detective who has signed up with Aiden Porter’s security company. He has been tasked with proving Clara Gem has been killing off her boyfriends. Clara is a lighthearted young woman who spends summers on mission trips to Angola. She has vowed not to have another boyfriend since the three she has had died in what the police have deemed “accidental “. Meeting the refined security expert in town has made her question her decision.

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new series called Jade Valley by Cami Checketts.
Brex is working for a private security company with his goal being respect and acceptance in the wealthy community. He’s a former police detective and has been well trained by Aiden Porter.
His first assignment is to get close to a wealthy woman (Clara) in who has been involved with three men who died and a piece of jade was left at each accident location.
Clara is the beautiful daughter of a well known preacher and works with mission groups that send young people out to help less fortunate people.
Is she as genuinely innocent as she seems or is she a murderer?
*I received this as an ARC reader and am leaving my unbiased review.

[Debbie Knisleu · Rating 5 out of 5]

guilty or innocent

What a dilemma! Brexten discovered the life he was living was not what he wanted when he fell in love with the woman believed to have killed 3 boyfriends. He didn’t believe she could’ve done it after meeting her, but then had to try to prove it and find the real killer. He came to believe that God had his hand on him and brought him to Clara, that he answered her prayer when his life was spared and Jane was captured. It took time and the grand gesture for Clara to decide to forgive and decide her love for him was stronger than the hurt.

[Lucia Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this first book in a new series. The chemistry between Brex and Clara is sizzling right from the start. The characters are well developed and the storyline has some surprising twists. I adored Lincoln. Can’t wait to see more of this series.
I received this book from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brex and Clara

This story is exciting and intriguing. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their friends and family. I liked the mystery and suspense. The romance was perfect. I liked the growth of the characters. And I loved the exciting ending. This is an interesting book that’s worth reading. Try it.

[Norma Gorrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jade Stone Sleuth

This story is about a young Christian woman who meets and falls for a young man who has been hired to find out who had killed the three young men who she had had as boyfriends but no evidence could be found before. This is my review and mine along. Norma Gorrill

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting

A nice sweet and clean cold case mystery with romance.
An enjoyable and interesting read.
I found myself skipping a lot of the ‘thinking’ about the relationship or not relationship, as it was a little tedious and didn’t add to the overall story.
But it was nice enough for getting away from real life for a few hours.

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I really loved this story of a warrior and a beautiful innocent preacher's daughter. I loved the emotion as they both hid parts of themselves from each other while trying to grow their strong connection. I enjoyed the surprise twist as they solved the mystery.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brex is a complex character. At first I didn't like him at all. However, I loved the growth of his character as the story progressed. Clara Gem is a wonderful angel of a woman. Their story is filled with suspense and romance. A great start to a new series!

[Mary Riggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jade Stone Sleuth

WOW. What a beginning to such great series. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Watching the two characters and their interactions was amazing. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Great job Cami Checketts

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Romance

There’s a little suspense, but not much. Brex is supposed to find a killer, but finds Clara instead. I’m surprised that it took so long to reveal the murderer, but excited to read the next book!

[Charline Romine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brex ❤️ Clara

A passionate story. Brex was hired to prove that Clara was the one who murdered her boyfriends. Brex found no proof of that. My evaluation: Brex by his own admission was not a Christian. That alone should have made Clara stop seeing him. (1Cor 7:39 and 2Cor 6:14)

[Judith Seale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story.

Brex had a job to do to find a murderer. Clara is the person he is investigating. After meeting her he is instantly attracted to her. That causes problems for him with his investigation. This story is exciting and suspenseful.

[Donna Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Clara and Brex lives literally crash into each other, neither is quite the same. This is a high energy pair trying to solve several murder mysteries. This is a sweet, clean romance.

[Melanie Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good story

This was a good story. I liked the romance, there was a lot of kissing. But I also like the mystery and how everything played out.

[Lisa Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

She did it again!

I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read the next one. You can't go wrong with any of Cami's books.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting suspense adventure. Bret is Working for Aiden Porter and his first job is finding out if Clara Gem is responsible for the deaths of three boyfriends.