Interview with Rhea Reilly and Jackson Whitaker from Cold Case Reopened Romantic Suspense from NY Times Bestseller Caridad Pineiro and Harlequin Intrigue

CTR: Coffee Time Romance is so excited to have with us today Rhea Reilly and Detective Jackson Whitaker whose amazing story was just released in Cold Case Reopened from Caridad Pineiro and Harlequin Intrigue. Welcome! It must have been both scary and exciting to find yourselves in the middle of an unsolved mystery. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Rhea: Of course. Thank you so much for having us here! It all started when my twin sister disappeared six months ago in Regina, Colorado. The police in Regina and her hometown of Avalon investigated and closed the case as a suicide, but I was sure there was more to it.

CTR: Her disappearance must have been very very difficult for you. Why were you so sure about your sister?

Rhea: We’re twins. We always had a strong connection and I just knew Selene would never hurt herself. That’s why I had to get to the truth.

CTR: What about you Detective Whitaker? You were one of the original investigators on the case, weren’t you?

Jackson: Yes, I was, and please call me Jax. All my friends do.

CTR: Thank you, Jax. It must have bothered you that Rhea was insisting on opening this case again, especially since the police chief didn’t want you to do that. He even told you that it might affect your career, right?

Jackson: He did, but I could see how hard it was for Rhea. Plus she had gotten a lot of information on her own and she convinced me to reopen the case.

CTR: Oh my, readers! You can’t see this, but there’s definitely more there between Rhea and Jax. Am I right?

Rhea (blushing): There is. It was unexpected, but Jax was just so supportive. I mean, what kind of man risks his career for someone he’s only just met?

Jackson (smiling lovingly at Rhea): I had to do it, Rhea. I could see how much it meant to you.

CTR: That’s amazing, Jax. Especially considering that there was someone besides your boss who didn’t want you to investigate. How dangerous was it for the two of you?

Jackson: There were a number of incidents, but that only confirmed to me that Rhea was right and that we had to get to the truth about what happened to her sister. Rhea needed closure and I needed to make sure her sister got justice.

Rhea: Even though I was right that there was more to Selene’s disappearancen I didn’t realize just how dangerous it would be to get to the truth.

CTR: But you did get to the truth, didn’t you? And you found each other along the way.

Rhea & Jackson (share an intimate look)

Rhea: We did although in unexpected ways. And before we finish, I just want to say that if you truly believe something in your heart, don’t be afraid to follow your heart. You never know where it will lead. (Another loving glance at Jackson.)

Jackson: And I want to say that there was justice in this case. That was very important to both Rhea and me, and to your readers. I think they will really enjoy finding out how we solved the mystery, managed to avoid the lethal traps set for us, and got justice for Selene.

CTR: I’m sure they will enjoy your story and Selene’s of course. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us about Cold Case Reopened. We so hope that you two have found your happily-ever-after despite the overwhelming odds. But before you go, here’s a little excerpt for our readers from Cold Case Reopened.

It grabbed me and I hope it will grab all you readers as well!

Excerpt:

It was hard to believe that such beauty possibly held unspeakable evil.

Rhea Reilly stood on the shore of the mountain lake where six months earlier her twin sister, Selene, had disappeared on a cold fall night.

Her artist’s eye took in the scene before her. The waters of the lake sparkled like diamonds beneath a sunny cerulean sky. At the farthest end of the lake, the waters tumbled over a spillway for the dam that held back a rush of water during a spring thaw or heavy rain. In the distance, ragged mountains leaped into the sky, still frosted with the remnants of winter snow at the highest elevations.

Normally she would have savored painting such a lovely sight, but not today, when it might be her sister’s watery tomb.

Rhea hugged her arms tight around herself, closed her eyes and listened to the soft lap of the water against the rocky shores of the lake. Imagined Selene standing there that fateful night, tapping out the message she’d sent to Rhea.

I can’t take it anymore. I can’t. I’m finally going to do something about it.

The police had taken that text to mean that Selene had decided to end her life that night, right there on the shores of those stunningly beautiful mountain waters. But Rhea wasn’t convinced.

Although her sister had been troubled the last few months, Rhea was certain that Selene would never take her life.

If anything, it was more likely that Selene’s husband had killed her sister, but the police in Selene’s hometown had been unable to find enough evidence to charge him. No-body homicides were apparently very difficult to prosecute.

The police here in Regina, Colorado, where Selene’s car had been found by the lake, were convinced that her sister had committed suicide, even though they also hadn’t been able to find Selene’s body.

But Rhea was sure her sister wasn’t dead. There was something inside her, that special twin connection they had always shared, that had been saying from the very beginning that Selene was alive and hurting.

That was why she’d undertaken her own investigation once her sister’s case had become inactive because the police had run out of leads.

Rhea dashed away the tears that had leaked from beneath eyes screwed shut.

Her sister was alive and, if she wasn’t, her husband was responsible. She intended for the police to do something about it based on the information she had collected over the last six months. But for the truth to come out, she needed more corroborating evidence and only the police could provide the resources to accomplish that.

She whirled, stumbled a bit on the rough rocks beneath her feet. Righting herself, she marched to her car which she had parked on the street near where Selene’s sedan had been found. The street would have been deserted when Selene had texted her that night.

Rhea stopped to look around, examining the scene. Along the edges of the lake, a marina spread out across the shore. Dozens of boats were parked at the docks behind a large building that held a restaurant, a marina office and a shop that sold supplies for boaters, as well as tourists, partaking of the lake’s many summer activities.

Across the way were a few homes and in one of those homes was a witness who had seen Selene park and walk toward the lake. The older woman hadn’t thought much of it because people often stopped, even at night, to take in the splendor of the lake.

Rhea intended to speak to her, but hopefully with the police to back her up and add their own expertise to the interrogation.

The police.

It all kept circling around to needing their assistance, so it was time she got going and spoke to them about Selene’s case.

She got in her car and headed to Main Street and the Regina Police Station. As she cruised down Main Street, she was once again struck by the loveliness of the town. It was postcard-perfect with its charming downtown filled with an eclectic mix of shops that catered to locals as well as the tourists who would visit for skiing and water sports.

Rhea found a spot just a block shy of the police station, parked and grabbed the thick folder bulging with the information she had gathered over the many months. With it tucked under her arm, cradled as securely as a newborn baby, she walked to the police station and paused at the base of the steps.

Like everything else about this town, the police station looked like something off a movie set. The building blended harmoniously with the other structures along Main Street. On either side of the wide steps leading to the door, spring flowers in a riot of colors cascaded over the edges of the terraced garden. Bright pink, purple and blue blossoms waved at her in welcome as a slight breeze swept across the street, still a bit cold despite it being early spring.

The chill settled in her bones as if warning her that she might not be happy with what she found inside.

She dragged in air through her nostrils and then expelled it with a harsh breath.

Time to get going. She stomped up the stairs and to the reception desk.

Order

You can order Cold Case Reopened at:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3iGCbKr
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3kAloKb
Amazon Kindle Box Set: https://amzn.to/2PSVRyn
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/coldcasereopened
Apple Box Set: https://bit.ly/applecoldcaseboxset
B&N: https://bit.ly/BNColdCase
B&N Box Set: https://bit.ly/BNColdCaseBoxset
Harlequin: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCase
Harlequin Box Set: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCaseBoxset
Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCase
Kobo Box Set: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCaseBoxSet

About and Video Trailer

About the Author: Caridad Pineiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with the Jersey Shore. When Caridad isn’t taking long strolls along the boardwalk, she’s also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million romance novels sold worldwide. Cold Case Reopened is Caridad’s debut novel for Harlequin Intrigue. For more information, please visit www.caridad.com.

Last but not least, you can check out the video trailer for Cold Case Reopened at https://youtu.be/G7VRItNkD1c.

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