Kindle Edition Amazon Kindle Amazon Paperback Category:  Mystery/Suspense ISBN-10:  1530752132 Type: Fiction Pages: 177 Copyright: March 6, 2016 ISBN-13: 9781530752133 Price: $2.99 (eBook) In a world of lies, Ryan Donatelli and Natalie Southard search for a truth that forces them to run for their lives. Can they beat the odds? Can their love withstand the betrayal between them? Ryan Donatelli is determined to avenge the death of his sister, an FBI agent, who stuck her nose into the wrong case. Going undercover as Thomas Randolph, he assumes a position in Southard's firm, biding his time until he can get the evidence he needs. Natalie Southard is suspicious of her father's business dealings with known crime boss, Nick DeMarco. To save the family business, she goes off in search of clues of DeMarco's involvement. Two more bodies are found, and Natalie and Tom are forced on the run where she discover's his true identity and motives. Sparks start to fly. Will they emerge with their lives--their love--in tact?   Excerpt Prologue "Is that her?" Detective Walsh asked, talking around the wad of gum in his mouth. Ryan Donatelli tugged at the neck of his old football jersey while he looked everywhere but at the body on the steel examination table. The morgue walls were closing in on him. "I don't know." Even to him, his voice sounded tinny and far off. "Shelley's small, but this woman seems much smaller. It's hard to say." The obvious resemblance struck him, but he looked for any reason he could to deny it. "Dehydration from the burns," the gray-haired coroner said. "It changes the facial appearance." Cox writes a thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages until "The End." Ryan glanced up and noticed the older man's immense nose and his astonishing resemblance to the comedian and singer, Jimmy Durante. The detective shrugged. "Well, if you can't be sure, I guess we'll just have to— Wait a minute! What about this?" Walsh removed a small envelope from his jacket pocket and extracted a plastic bag containing a necklace that had been tagged for evidence. Ryan's stomach spasmed. Acid scorched his throat. Every conscious thought screamed denial, yet his trembling hand reached for the bag. Under the fluorescent lights, the ruby pendant glowed like a hot ember. He squeezed it in his palm, trying to feel its pulsing warmth—like the warmth of Shelley's smile. Oh, God! It was as cold as the body on the table. "You okay?" The detective's voice was muffled. Ryan wanted to laugh at the stupidity of the question, but at this moment, mirth was a foreign emotion to him. With his index finger, he traced the outline of the small stone before turning it over to read the inscription he knew he would find. Unshed tears blurred his vision, but there it was. Happy B-day, Love, R. Suspicious Minds is an intriguing read, providing the reader with several plots, which add to the complexity of the story. "It's Shelley," he said and turned away. He could no longer deny the evident truth, or hang onto the tiniest thread of hope that this was a terrible mistake. Sweet, stubborn Shelley, his baby sister. She'd never argue politics, movies or anything mundane as the weather again. Shelley loved to challenge him. She'd made him think in new ways and consider new options. What would he do without her?

Suspicious Minds
"SUSPICIOUS MINDS is exciting down to the last word. A wonderful, suspenseful read."

Faith V. Smith at Romantic Times Magazine

Suspicious Minds
"SUSPICIOUS MINDS is filled with interesting characters and a few twists. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat wondering what is coming next. Natalie and Ryan are great characters that have to trust each other, including their attraction for each other. The action is fast-paced giving the reader a conclusion that is not expected."

Reviewed by Hattie Boyd at Writers ClubRomance Group on AOL

Suspicious Minds
"SUSPICIOUS MINDS is an apt title for this fast-paced romantic suspense. Natalie is a smart and ambitious heroine who seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place. She yearns for the love she is experiencing with Tom, but can her trust survive when she learns his true identity and motive? Ryan is a tough hero who is similarly conflicted between avenging his sister's killer and his growing attraction to Natalie. The secondary characters are, for the most part, either good or evil and are both interesting and well-crafted, with sufficient dimension to provide entertainment but not detract from the main story line.


Ms. Cox has created a highly suspenseful, action-packed tale with plenty of romance to satisfy those of us who like well-written and enjoyable reads. Give SUSPICIOUS MINDS a try."


Reviewed by Astrid Kinn at Romance Reviews Today (www.romrevtoday.com)