For security reasons I don’t usually give out my full name. There are people who would be paid well to do me harm, you see. You can call me Zee, if you’d like. My life is dangerous because I’m after a dangerous man…a drug kingpin named Bullseye who took my brother Aaron’s life. I’m going to use my crime solving podcast to bring him down. My network of followers helps me monitor my information web, collecting data that will aid my cause. Unfortunately, that means I have to crawl through some pretty slimy cyber alleys and constantly watch my back because Bullseye has people everywhere. It’s okay. It’s a price I’m willing to pay and I’ll sacrifice even more than that if it brings justice for my brother. Aaron wasn’t perfect and he caused my family a tremendous amount of pain, but he was loved and his murderer will pay. That’s my purpose now, and my mission.
Along those lines, I’ve gotten a tip from a contact who might be able to give me some crucial information and I’m going to rendezvous with her in a remote town in Northern Washington near the Cotton Flower Dam. It’s bad timing. The torrential spring rains have pushed the dam to its breaking point and there’s talk of evacuations. I’ll have to be quick. A moment with my contact is all I’ll need. Of course it would have been easier if I could have convinced Gideon Landry, my brother Aaron’s best friend, to join my work with the podcast. He refused. He has guilt over my brother’s death, just as much as I do, but I resent him for turning his back on me. I’ll do this alone and I’ll succeed because Bullseye is going to continue ruining lives unless he’s stopped.
So here I am in this nowhere town with the clock ticking down and I’ve just learned that my contact has been arrested. I believe Bullseye has arranged for this to keep her from contacting me. Think, Zee. Figure out what to do.
And that’s when I realize that there’s someone in the area who’s going to help me, none other than Gideon Landry. He’s a SERE survival specialist, trying to finish teaching a class before the weather implodes. He’s on leave from the Air Force and he has no idea I’m nearby. Gideon refused to help me once but he’s going to assist now, whether he knows it or not.
Because I’m not leaving here without what I came for, no matter how bad things get.
RAGING WATERS
Series Name: An Elements of Danger Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release: March 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
As the dam crumbles and water sweeps across the terrain, their battle for justice and survival is just beginning.
When Mackenzie Bardine’s brother Aaron was murdered in a drug deal gone wrong, she started a true crime podcast dedicated to exposing “Bullseye,” the drug kingpin responsible. But her protective heart has never let go of the blame she places on herself and Aaron’s best friend, Gideon Landry. On the run to the wilds of Washington to chase a recent lead, she meets none other than Gideon himself.
While conducting a wilderness survival class in remote Washington, Gideon never expected to cross paths with Mackenzie, and he’s certainly not interested in helping her after he’s already declined to participate in her vigilante podcasting. He carries a mountain of guilt about Aaron’s fatal choices, but not for the reasons Mackenzie suspects.
As killers begin to circle Mackenzie like sharks, it’s clear to Gideon she’s in over her head, and in light of his troubled past with her brother, he can’t bring himself to ignore her perilous situation. Then a flood threatens the town, turning their investigation into a race to escape the raging waters and the wrath of a powerful kingpin who wants to sink them both.
About the author
Dana Mentink is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. She was honored to receive the Author of the Year award from West Coast Christian Writers. A California native, she’s written over sixty titles for the general and Christian markets in the suspense, lighthearted romance, and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, and Poisoned Pen Press. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com if you’d like to learn more.