Sam is a reporter. She views everything in life with that reporter’s careful, analytical eye. She seeks the truth, the depth of the story, the heart of the story, but ultimately, she seeks the answers that others struggle to understand. When visiting her sister's grave, Sam notices another tombstone with the name Baby Hope. The name leads to an unsolved murder, a cold case from twelve years past. It’s a challenge Sam can’t resist. And she’s always up to a challenge. While she’s fighting her own battles against alcoholism and a court battle to regain custody of her own daughter, Sam dives into this murder mystery with vigor and finds herself in some pretty precarious situations. As the truth about Baby Hope unravels, so do the truths about her own struggles and hopes, as a parent, primarily, but also as a good reporter.

Betta Ferrendelli’s mystery novel, Cold Case No. 99-5219: A Samantha Church Mystery Series Book 4, doesn’t have a very auspicious title, but the power of her writing draws the reader in from the very beginning. There are references in the novel to previous Samantha Church mysteries, but this story certainly stands well enough on its own. The characterization is constructed with distinctive insight into real life people. Both good and evil, the reader easily distinguishes between the protagonists and the antagonists. The plot develops at a steady pace, allowing the reader to digest each character’s role as the story unfolds. The author makes powerful use of descriptive passages and the fast-paced, action-filled scenes carry the story along effectively. A very enjoyable mystery.

The grave of an unknown baby lies in a Denver cemetery with an eight-hundred number engraved on its headstone, asking for information on the interred infant's murder in the thrilling sleuth murder mystery, Cold Case 99-5219 (A Samantha Church Mysteries Series Book 4) by Betta Ferrendelli. Sam is a journalist and a recovering alcoholic who is fighting to retain her rights to raise her daughter. Despite the challenges of life after her sister's murder, her husband's suicide, and her daughter's absence, Sam is an extraordinary reporter. While visiting her sister's grave, Sam came across the burial site of Baby Hope, a victim of a twelve-year-old unsolved murder. Intrigued, Sam convinces a police detective to reopen the case, even though they only have the dubious witness statement of a psychic. Together Sam and Wilson, the newspaper's owner, collaborate with Detective Page to bring Baby Hope's story before the public in the hopes of jogging long forgotten memories that will help to bring the murderer to justice. Can they make a difference, or will the unidentified infant's murder remain a mystery?

Cold Case 99-5219 (A Samantha Church Mysteries Series Book 4) by Betta Ferrendelli is a riveting sleuth mystery that delves into a twelve-year-old murder of an abandoned baby. It is a gripping story with an intricate plot containing several strands of subplots, each one touching the heart. With all the exciting subplots, the reader is kept on tenterhooks until all the threads are brought together and complete the story line in a brilliant finish. Sam is a complicated protagonist with a lot of personal issues, giving her a persona that is real and genuine, making her character relatable. This is the fourth novel in a fascinating mystery series, and with compelling plots and engaging characters, it will delight anyone and everyone who has a penchant for sleuthing.