At a glance
The Dark Reckoning
Christian romantic suspense
The Dark Reckoning
Book 3 of the The Cold War Legacy series
358 pages · First published 2023
When museum employee Isana Thomas discovers a ringing smartphone beneath the cherry trees near Washington, D.C.'s Tidal Basin, a simple act of kindness thrusts her into danger. The phone belongs to Lillian Hillam, the missing mother of Isana's colleague Cyrus "Cy" Hillam. Still haunted by his father's suicide years earlier, Cy fears the worst when kidnappers contact him and demand a mysterious list of names in exchange for his mother's life. Determined to help, Isana joins Cy in a desperate search that leads into his family's past and the closely guarded secrets of Cold War-era East Berlin. But someone is willing to kill to keep those secrets buried. As the danger intensifies, Isana and Cy must learn to trust each other—and the God who offers hope beyond past mistakes. This Christian romantic suspense novel will appeal to readers who enjoy Cold War mysteries, dangerous secrets, developing romance, and faith-tested characters racing to save someone they love.
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Jump to the pours ↓Manderley Mist + Smoked Old Fashioned
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No surprises at chapter twelve
Content notes
Kidnapping, hostage threats, physical assault, and life-threatening danger during a criminal investigation. A woman's disappearance and threats against those trying to rescue her. References to a father's death by suicide and its lasting effects on his family. Grief, fear, emotional distress, and family secrets. Historical themes involving Cold War-era East Berlin, secret-police surveillance, and political repression. Romantic attraction and a developing relationship.
Alcohol-Free Pour
Manderley Mist
Dark blackberries and rosemary mingle with sparkling tea, recalling the fog over Washington's Tidal Basin, where a lost phone draws Isana into a dangerous mystery.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.How to mix it
- Muddle the blackberries lightly with chilled tea. Add ice, top with soda water, stir gently, and garnish with rosemary.
- Garnish: Blackberries and rosemary sprig.
- Glassware: Highball glass.
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Highball glass ↗Muddler ↗Cocktail Pour · 21+
Smoked Old Fashioned
For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
A smoky bourbon Old Fashioned evokes the Cold War secrets still smoldering beneath the surface as Isana and Cy race to uncover a dangerous family mystery.
What you'll need
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1/4 oz demerara syrup ↗
- 2–3 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Food-safe oak or cherry wood chips for smoking ↗
Shop the spirits 21+Search Total Wine for Bourbon · 21+ ↗
How to mix it
- Stir bourbon, demerara syrup, and bitters with ice and strain over one large cube. Express an orange peel over the drink. Use a cocktail smoker with food-safe oak or cherry chips to fill the covered glass with smoke for 20–30 seconds, then uncover and serve.
- Garnish: Orange peel.
- Glassware: Rocks glass.
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