Coincidences? I don’t believe in them.

Aunt Kendra was killed during an apparent break-in at her home almost a year ago to the day. Her death hit me hard. Could I have prevented it?

It also devastated my younger siblings, Amber and Jade. The fact her killer—or killers—hasn’t been caught makes it worse. Her case has been allowed to grow cold. Why? In part because documents from her homicide investigation have been misplaced.

And now my partner, homicide detective Vic Hanson, has been murdered in the same way; a gunshot to his chest during an apparent break-in at his house. Coincidence? I might have been able to give you an answer if my aunt’s murder had been investigated.

My sisters and I are done with waiting for the department to take up our aunt’s cold case. We’re doing our own investigation. Amber, my middle sibling, is a prosecutor. She’s a rising star with the Columbus City Attorney’s Office.

Jade, the youngest, was a crime beat reporter with a daily newspaper. Her job was recently eliminated, though, due to budget cuts. But J doesn’t buy that story. Am and I know J has trust issues but this time, she might be right. Before she was downsized, the paper hired its first-ever executive editor. If the company was struggling financially, why did it create a new, expensive management position and eliminate its award-winning investigative journalist who was doing an expose on one of its advertisers? Another coincidence?

J’s launching a true crime podcast. Her first season will focus on finding our aunt’s killer. We’re investigating the case during our off hours.

At work, I’ve been assigned to solve what appears to be connected homicides; two people stabbed in the back with a similar knife and their bodies left at the Griggs Reservoir Park. But before he was murdered, Vic and I couldn’t find any links between the victims. They were different ages, backgrounds, genders, ethnicities and social circles.

As a rookie homicide detective, I feel like all eyes are on me. Maybe I’m putting the pressure on myself, but I need to solve this case without committing forced errors. I’m not too proud to ask for help.

That’s why I sent copies of my case files to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. I’m hoping they can help me build a criminal profile; something that will help me catch the killer before anyone else is hurt.

J may not be the only Rashaad sister with trust issues, though. I’m getting heavy vibes that Special Agent Luke Gilchrist has an ulterior motive for inviting himself into my investigation. Before I try to figure out Luke’s issue, I’m going to open this package my late partner asked his daughter to give me. It’s pretty heavy.

BEHIND THE BADGE
Series Name: A Justice Hunters Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release: February 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

She’s investigating a series of murders.

He’s investigating her.

When rookie homicide detective Crystal Rashaad’s partner is murdered, it’s a chilling echo of a cold case that’s personal for her. This is her first big investigation, so she seeks guidance in profiling the killer from Special Agent Lucas Gilchrist. He’s eager to get close to Crys—because he’s trying to prove she’s a corrupt cop. Even as he searches for proof of her guilt, though, he’s drawn to her brilliance and boldness. Solving a string of homicides may be easier than winning Crys’s forgiveness when she learns Luke’s secret.

About the author
Best-selling author Patricia Sargeant writes romantic suspense as Patricia Sargeant and mysteries as Olivia Matthews. Her work has been reviewed in Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and BookRiot. For more information about Patricia and her work, visit PatriciaSargeant.com.