Her Cold Heart
Detective Delaney Pace Book 6
Bookouture Publisher
October 2025
Her Cold Heart by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a tense atmospheric read where snow appears everywhere.
The plot opens with Delaney and Leo on the ski slopes. As they are about to get on the ski lift a shot rings out and a young woman is shot and killed. Delaney and Leo know they must pursue whatever leads there are and jump on snowmobiles, hoping to catch the shooter. After they find out that there is more than one person involved, they decide to separate. As she pursues one of the people of interest, she loses him and decides to find Leo to assist. In tracing his tracks, she realizes he has been in an accident and has been taken by the suspects. The suspects have ulterior motives to kidnapping Leo. They want Delaney to do their dirty work, which she does, after getting a proof of life video. It is this part of the story where readers are treated to Delaney returning to her old roots as she must become a rig driver again.
The author commented, “I wanted to put Delaney back on the road and Sherrif Leo in the crosshairs. This was her one last great ride with the rig Gabrielle. In the future it will be her adopted daughter Carrie’s turn. She will mentor Carrie as she moves into that world. Although she is a rugged individualist it is not something she wants to see come out in her daughters.”
Delaney will do anything to find Leo. This part of the plot highlights the difference in the way Leo and Delaney pursue a case. For the author, “Delaney is more of a risk taker, more physical, more likely to push rules to their limits, and will mold rules to make sure she gets the right result. Leo is more reluctant to stretch the structure. He seems to always be trying to keep her out of trouble, which is what happened in this book. Leo is more likely to feel his emotions, handle them, and have an appropriate outlet. Delaney fears her emotions, so she pushes them away. She believes in pursuing what is right, while he believes in pursuing justice within the structure of the system. I will continue to push/pull them in future books.”
To complicate matters one of her adopted daughters, Kat, is sent a cell phone message that appears to be from Delaney’s mother. Now Delaney must wonder if there are those from her family that are involved in this plan to have her follow orders. She plays along to try to rescue Leo and to catch the killers.
Readers know that Delaney’s brother, Liam is evil. Hutchins noted she wanted to write a character similar to “how the author Kathy Reichs created this super villain who always seems to come back. For me Delaney’s brother is the super villain who they must battle wits with. Their mother does love him and will not always be fair in the sibling’s relationship. There will be a lot of fun angles to play with so readers should expect to see more of him.”
This story is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that is full of action and twists.
