Cascade Mountains Manhunt

by Janice Kay Johnson

A mission to save a child…

Is endangered by armed killers.

A plane crash in rugged mountain terrain triggers a rescue mission headed by FBI Agent Cameron Frasier. He’d been investigating the pilot for drug trafficking, and Mara Dawson’s niece Brianna was a passenger. Mara had dated Cam, believing he was a deputy, so she suspects he had just used her as cover. But the urgency of rescuing Brianna forces Mara to set aside her mistrust…and her attraction to Cam. Because, presuming Bri survived, she’s in danger from armed gunmen searching for something hidden in the plane. And Mara needs Cam’s skills to save her before time runs out.

From Harlequin  Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published June 30, 2026

About the author

Janice Kay Johnson is the author of over a hundred books for children and adults. Her first four published romance novels were coauthored with her mother, also a writer who has since published mysteries and children's books on her own. These were "sweet" romance novels, the author hastens to add; she isn't sure they'd have felt comfortable coauthoring passionate love scenes!

Janice graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. in history and then received a master's degree in library science from the University of Washington. She was a branch librarian for a public library system until she began selling her own writing.

She has written six novels for young adults and one picture book for the read-aloud crowd. Rosamund was the outgrowth of all those hours spent reading to her own daughters, and of her passion for growing old roses. Two more of her favorite books were historical novels she wrote for Tor/Forge. The research was pure indulgence for someone who set out intending to be a historian!

Janice is divorced and has raised her two daughters in a small, rural town north of Seattle, Washington. She's an active volunteer and board member for Purrfect Pals, a no-kill cat shelter, and foster kittens often enliven a household that already includes a few more cats than she wants to admit to!

Janice loves writing books about both love and family — about the way generations connect and the power our earliest experiences have on us throughout life. Her Superromance novels are frequent finalists for Romance Writers of America RITA® awards. Along with her books for Harlequin, Janice has written the Cape Trouble series of romantic suspense novels, and is about to launch a new series, Desperation Creek, set in rural eastern Oregon.

Reviews

[Candice Watson]

I actually really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the action, the emotions, the process of weighing out truth behind secrets and knowing when its okay to trust, and the love you find in the midst of hard things. Definitely a good read if you like action, adventure, and romance packed into one book. Good job Janice K Johnson.

[Teri-K]

I love lost in the wilderness books, especially if there's mountains and snow. So I hoped to enjoy this book, but I was worried about the eleven year old girl. Writers often get kids wrong, and they're either too sophisticated or too babyish for their age. Happily, I believed in Bri and quite enjoyed her POV. I also liked that both MCs were good at their jobs and capable of tackling the tough terrain. It was a suspenseful story that moved well and kept me entertained. 4.5 stars

[Karen Jones]

This book totally kept my interest. I’m not sure an 11 year old could do what Bri did but she was amazing. This is more of an action book than a mystery but the suspense is in the search for Bri. The character development was better in this book than previous books I’ve read by the author.

[Sheri Jesse]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very realistic and likeable, there was plenty of action and suspense and I was deeply invested in everything turning out ok. I would love tovread more about this family.