This book was surprisingly good. I picked it up from a thrift store a couple days ago and just read it all in one sitting. It's definitely not my usual type of read, but I'm glad I did!
While the romance between Lisa and Mac is predictable from their first meeting, it doesn't overpower the plot of the story at all.
The actual crime story is quite compelling and the progress of the case develops smoothly. Without spoiling too much, we know the culprit from pretty early on and it seems impossible that our detectives will ever catch their extremely intelligent villain.
4 stars for being a quick read I couldn't put down, albeit being a bit predictable
While the romance between Lisa and Mac is predictable from their first meeting, it doesn't overpower the plot of the story at all.
The actual crime story is quite compelling and the progress of the case develops smoothly. Without spoiling too much, we know the culprit from pretty early on and it seems impossible that our detectives will ever catch their extremely intelligent villain.
4 stars for being a quick read I couldn't put down, albeit being a bit predictable
Reviewed at The Power of Words: http://tinyurl.com/meyatt5
Although I'm not naturally a suspense fan, there's a small group of authors in this genre that I really do enjoy, and Irene Hannon is one of those authors. The themes of her stories, at least the ones I've read so far, are police-type dramas that could easily be found in today's headlines. Buried Secrets is book #1 in Irene's new Men of Valor series featuring the three McGregor brothers, and let me just say that romance fans have much to look forward to.
I love cold-case themes and was intrigued by this 24-year-old case, especially seeing guilt's affects on the involved parties over the years. It was the villain - a psychopath who was intelligent, driven, and ruthless - who captured my attention the most, and I appreciated glimpses into her background that showed contributing causes to her behavior.
If I had a minor complaint, it would be that Buried Secrets was a little heavy on romance, especially physical attraction, and that the romance between Mac and Lisa didn't always seem to flow naturally out of the story. Also, the use of descriptive terms like "babe" and "hottie" make me uncomfortable - but that's just me. About a third of the way through, however, the mystery becomes front and center, and this was written really well. The logical, step-by-step gathering of evidence and questioning of suspects was my favorite part.
Mac and Lisa have a godly faith at the center of their lives, which I appreciated. And the physical attraction between them quickly grows into something much more meaningful. Readers of Irene's previous novels will enjoy the appearance of Mitch as he works with Mac. I also enjoyed meeting Mac's brothers, Lance and Finn, and look forward to their future stories.
Irene's novels have yet to disappoint and I enjoyed Buried Secrets very much overall. Recommended.
Thank you to Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Although I'm not naturally a suspense fan, there's a small group of authors in this genre that I really do enjoy, and Irene Hannon is one of those authors. The themes of her stories, at least the ones I've read so far, are police-type dramas that could easily be found in today's headlines. Buried Secrets is book #1 in Irene's new Men of Valor series featuring the three McGregor brothers, and let me just say that romance fans have much to look forward to.
I love cold-case themes and was intrigued by this 24-year-old case, especially seeing guilt's affects on the involved parties over the years. It was the villain - a psychopath who was intelligent, driven, and ruthless - who captured my attention the most, and I appreciated glimpses into her background that showed contributing causes to her behavior.
If I had a minor complaint, it would be that Buried Secrets was a little heavy on romance, especially physical attraction, and that the romance between Mac and Lisa didn't always seem to flow naturally out of the story. Also, the use of descriptive terms like "babe" and "hottie" make me uncomfortable - but that's just me. About a third of the way through, however, the mystery becomes front and center, and this was written really well. The logical, step-by-step gathering of evidence and questioning of suspects was my favorite part.
Mac and Lisa have a godly faith at the center of their lives, which I appreciated. And the physical attraction between them quickly grows into something much more meaningful. Readers of Irene's previous novels will enjoy the appearance of Mitch as he works with Mac. I also enjoyed meeting Mac's brothers, Lance and Finn, and look forward to their future stories.
Irene's novels have yet to disappoint and I enjoyed Buried Secrets very much overall. Recommended.
Thank you to Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
