Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies: A Novel
Mystery/Romance/Comedy
Setting – Washington State
Publisher : Minotaur Books
Publication date : January 20, 2026
Print length : 368 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 : 125035501X
ISBN-13 : 978-1250355010
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 978-1250355003
ASIN : B0F5PF53GJ
Hobnobbing with Seattle’s elite on a super-yacht, Juliette Winters is about to land the deal of the century – if she doesn’t get arrested first. She Doesn’t Have A Clue author Jenny Elder Moke returns with another riotous mystery rom-com that delights in rich people behaving badly.
Juliette Winters is used to taking care of business alone. She has no time for petty things like romance, friendships, or emotional commitments. Love is for people who believe in reality TV dating and holding hands in public. She’s too busy dominating the publishing world by single-handedly saving her company from financial ruin with the book deal of the century.
Business magnate Warren Ellingham has guaranteed Juliette exclusive rights to his explosive memoir that promises to expose the secrets of his ultra-exclusive country club, Pacific Pines. But when Warren drops dead of an apparent heart attack and the memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone was willing to resort to murder to keep their secrets from being exposed.
Enlisting the help of Charlie Hawkins, a doctor with a heart of gold and abs of steel, Juliette dives into the glamorous and messy world of Pacific Pines Country Club. As the investigation heats up, so does the tension between Juliette and Charlie. But Juliette can’t afford any distractions because the bodies keep dropping, and Juliette is tee-d up to take the blame. If she doesn’t uncover Warren’s killer soon, the thing that was supposed to secure her future might just be the thing that ends it.
Jenny Elder Moke’s twisty mystery rom-com blend will delight readers with its outrageous characters, laugh-out-loud jokes, and opposites attract romance.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Juliette Winters feels it is up to her to save the small publishing company where she works. She is hoping that business magnate Warren Ellingham’s tell-all memoir will be the book deal needed to do just that.
In a shocking moment, Warren dies at his birthday party on a super yacht in front of his family, friends, and business associates. In all the chaos, the mogul’s memoir is stolen. Juliette is freaking out. She needs to find that manuscript as soon as possible. She asks the yummy, Dr. Charlie Hawkings, to help her. Not totally on board, but unable to say no, he agrees. Then another Ellingham meets his demise, foul play was definitely involved. Questions arise regarding the earlier death, with Juliette on the hot seat.
Can Juliette catch the killer? Will she find the manuscript? Or has the boat sailed on Juliette’s future?
In this sequel to She Doesn’t Have A Clue, the focus shifts to Juliette Winters, head of marketing at Simon Says, with mystery author Kate Valentine being the supportive friend. Juliette is determined to have a successful career in publishing and pushes everything else aside. Kate is doing her best to help her find a balance that includes friends, fun, a little romance, and her career goals. She thinks her boyfriend, Jake’s brother, Charlie, is perfect for Juliette, but with Juliette already calling him “Dr. Dud”, she may need some convincing. Kennedy, Veeta, and Simon also return to round out the staff of Simon Says Publishing. Readers are also introduced to several members of the country club sect. All the characters are distinct and well-crafted. The relationship between Juliette and Charlie evolves as they work together. Thick with romantic tension, an amazing kiss or two leads to a steamy interlude, which takes this cozy-ish mystery way out of the cozy realm, but I was fine with that.
The mystery was well-plotted. The antics of Juliette, Kate, Kennedy, and Veeta had me laughing out loud. Juliette really takes some risks. When the clues started to come together, she needed to check just one more thing. That one more thing put the band of amateur sleuths in a dire situation. It was quite a reveal and scary excursion before all was said and done. I was happy to see I had the right culprit pegged for the murders and all the drama.
Juliette grew a lot over the course of this story and learned some valuable lessons. She also has a brilliant idea.
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies is another wonderful mystery, romance, and comedy mashup from Jenny Elder Moke. Funny and entertaining, fantastic characters take readers on quite an adventure. Cross my heart, it is not necessary to read She Doesn’t Have A Clue to enjoy this story, but why miss out on the fun? I look forward to what the author pens next; she has clearly found her groove.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
*Explicit language and scenes.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
JENNY ELDER MOKE is the author of award-winning children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. When she’s not writing, you can find her knitting, puzzling, or fighting imaginary crime as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She Doesn’t Have a Clue is her adult debut. Jenny lives in Denver, CO. Visit her website HERE.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
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