Publication Date: January 20, 2026
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.
Jenny Elder Moke’s twisty mystery rom-com blend will delight readers with its outrageous characters, laugh-out-loud jokes, and opposites attract romance.
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke is the follow-up to her debut adult novel, She Doesn’t Have a Clue, which was also an enjoyable read. This is a mystery rom-com with amateur sleuths, lots of clues, and red herrings as we figure out whodunnit.
There were many laugh-out-loud moments as Juliette tries to solve two murders, one of which the police have said the victim died of natural causes. But that doesn’t stop her from telling the detective who the murderer could be and why.
Juliette’s life is going down the tubes since she can’t save the publishing company she works for from folding, and she has a vested interest in finding the murderer. But she and her friends are doing their best to solve the crimes, even if she prefers to work alone. Multiple stories are being told, and a few loose ends remain, even after we conclude the story in a way totally different from what was expected.
There are love interests and significant others, but Juliette and Charlie epitomize that “opposites attract.” We were taken on a rollercoaster ride both on the sea and on land. There are vivid descriptions and wonderful imagery. The whodunnit reveal was a hoot. The epilogue gives a glimpse of the future, but I would have liked it to go on a little longer.
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies has a group of friends trying to help Juliette figure out whodunnit and maybe save her job and the company she works for.
JENNY ELDER MOKE is the author of award-winning children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. When she’s not writing, you can find her knitting, puzzling, or fighting imaginary crime as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She Doesn’t Have a Clue is her adult debut.
Jenny lives in Denver, CO.
