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.
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.
Title: Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies
Author: Jenny Elder Moke
Publisher: St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Review:
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC and audio ARC of this title to read/listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I fell in love with Elder Moke's writing when I had a chance to listen to She Hasn't Got a Clue (the first book in this connected world). I loved the narrator. I was so happy to see the narrator continued on with this installment. Sarah Moll0-Christensen has the perfect voice for all these characters. Not only does she do a great job with voicing each character individually, but her tone and cadence are really perfect for the story. She kept me engaged and definitely had me laughing many times throughout the story.
This book is slightly connected to the one written pervious. You will see cross over characters. And this takes place after the events of the first book. A few times in this story the other story is mentioned and that may spoil things if you have not read it. If you are a stickler for reading books in order in a series, I suggest reading that one first. But this one can definitely be read as a stand alone if you choose to do so.
This book follows Juliette Winters, who we have met previously. She's trying hard to save Simon Says, an indie publisher that is struggling to stay afloat. She has the chance to acquire the memoir of a famous mogul and her hope is to take that story and save the company. But murder ensues and things take a turn for the worse with the manuscript going missing and Juliette being accused of potential murder. She must do everything in her power to clear her name and get that manuscript back. I really loved Juliette. She is totally no nonsense, Not afraid to speak her truth and stay true to what she believes. But she's also carrying a bit of baggage from her past that weighs her down and has her keeping her friends at arms length. She doesn't like to take help and she doesn't like to get emotionally involved. Of course this doesn't work well for her friends, and potential love interest. Throughout the story we see her struggle with feelings she doesn't really want to allow herself to have. She has a fair amount of growth in the book both professionally and personally.
I really loved all the side characters in this book. Not only do they offer lots of comic relief, but they also offer great support to Juliette. They don't let her shut down, they call her out on what she is and how she handles things, and most of all they are just there for her throughout the story. And the love interest was fun. I really enjoyed the romance being a part of this story. While the mystery is truly the main part of everything that happens, getting to know Charlie and seeing his care for Juliette really pulled at my heart strings.
Elder Moke knows pacing. It took me no time to read this installment. The mystery was interesting and had enough nuance to keep you guessing who the culprit truly is. I did have my feelings but wasn't truly sure and I loved that I really coudln't actually guess.
If you're looking for a cozy and fun murder mystery with diverse side characters and a bit of romance, give this series a try!
Author:
Jenny Elder Moke is the award-winning author of children's and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. CROSS YOUR HEART AND HOPE HE DIES, a mystery rom-com mash-up, available January 20, 2026.
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