Too Deep to Cross - by Kerri Hakoda

Book Synopsis

Homicide Detective DeHavilland Beans is back in his hometown with a case much more dangerous-and personal-than it seems.

Told through multiple points of view, this thrilling sequel to Cold to the Touch is perfect for fans of Alice Henderson and Dana Stabenow.

A shocking discovery on a remote beach brings Detective DeHavilland Beans back to his Yukon River hometown-and a missing person's case turns into a murder investigation. On administrative leave after an unsettling officer-involved shooting, Beans comes to the aid of his childhood friend and sole police officer in the village, Felicia Gunnerson, who is leading the case.

The new evidence suggests the missing man, Lloyd Paul, the overindulged scion of a prominent family, was murdered. Lloyd had a contentious relationship with many of the locals, especially with Beans and his mother, Mari.

As Beans and Felicia dig deeper, events that neither of them could have predicted are set in motion. Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Bay area, Mari uncovers secrets that threaten to rewrite the Beans family's history.

Spanning a sprawling time frame ranging from World War II to the present day, the danger has never felt closer to home.

Review Quotes

Praise for Too Deep to Cross
"With eloquent prose and vivid details, Kerri Hakoda weaves a multilayered tale of mystery that spans decades and family generations. Too Deep to Cross immerses the reader in the Alaskan bush and its diverse cultures through powerfully drawn characters and plot. Outstanding!"
--Margaret Mizushima, author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries, including Dying Cry

"Hakoda skillfully weaves an intricate web of family secrets and well-hidden local crimes in this gripping Alaskan mystery."
--Pamela Beason, The Sam Westin Mysteries

Praise for Cold to the Touch

2025 EDGAR BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD NOMINEE!

"[An] excellent, fast-paced police procedural . . . For fans of Harlan Coben or Lissa Marie Redmond."
--Library Journal, starred review

"[An] immersive debut . . . A memorable leading man . . . [And] a diverse, fascinating landscape readers will want to get lost in."
--Publishers Weekly

"An excellent debut novel--a very well written police procedural with some dark and chilling undertones in the atmospheric Alaskan winter."
--Mystery & Suspense Magazine

"Young women murdered. Bodies buried in the Alaska winter snow where animals eat their entrails. Who is the savage human beast doing this? And why? From the crime scene to the suspect interviews to Beans, a multi-racial detective with a lot on his mind, Cold to the Touch zings with the elements of the procedural detective story mixed with the unexpected complexities of family relationships. Hard hitting and plotted with high craft, Hakoda's novel is a joy to read . . . and a fast one, too."
--Jack Remick, author of Blood and Man Alone; co-author of The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery

"Murder in the snow just outside Anchorage, Alaska. A frantic call to the cops--but the crime is nastier when the cop knows the victim--all that responsibility--all that remorse crashing down onto the shoulders of Detective DeHavilland Beans, Kerri Hakoda's bi-racial sleuth, the hero of Cold to the Touch, who joins the ranks of intrepid crime-fighters--Holmes and Poirot, Marple and Marlowe, Spade and Warshawski--for a good fast police procedural, from an author who has a tight grip on her own prose."
--Robert J. Ray, author of the Matt Murdock mystery series and The Weekend Novelist

About the Author

Kerri Hakoda was born in Hawaii but calls the Pacific Northwest her home and Alaska her inspiration. Her debut novel, Cold To The Touch, was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for a 2025 Edgar Award for Best First Novel; Too Deep To Cross is its sequel. She lives with her husband in northwest Washington, where she writes mystery, historical, and young adult science fiction.