I've been a big fan of Irene Hannon for a couple years now and I really enjoyed this book. When does the next one come out, again? :)
Description:
After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales--and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than forty-five novels, including the Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, and Private Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, two HOLT Medallions, a Daphne du Maurier Award, two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers' Choice Award, and a National Readers' Choice Award. In addition, she is a Christy Award finalist, and Booklist included one of her novels in its "Top 10 Inspirational Fiction" list for 2011. She lives in Missouri. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.
My Review: 4 stars
I’m a big fan of Irene Hannon’s, so I was super excited to be able to review Buried Secrets for Revell. This is the first book in her new series, Men of Valor, which is also set in St. Louis and the surrounding area. I really enjoyed the premise of the story, as it’s a bit different from her other books. Keeping with her style, this book is very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I stayed up way too late reading, then picked it right back up the next morning, determined to find out what happened next.
Irene’s books are always very well researched and the details are wonderful, too. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of another area of St. Louis and meeting new characters, while also revisiting some old friends. I love how she incorporates characters from her previous books and series, bringing them to life again and letting us see what’s become of their lives. The suspense was very engrossing, as I’ve already noted. I enjoyed the unique take on the story, as Lisa and Mac search to find answers to a cold case and work to capture the culprit. While this story is something like a typical cold case you might hear about on the news, somehow Ms. Hannon managed to bring new life to it.
One thing I noted and that actually bothered me a bit the further I read, is how perfect the characters seem. Yes, they make a couple mistakes and flub up here and there, but overall they are close to perfect. Almost to the point of being unrealistic. I did like the characters, they are very interesting and I enjoyed meeting Mac and Lisa, but I wasn’t able to really connect with them the way I had hoped. Though I can’t say much, because after giving it more thought, I realized that most of her books are this way and I still really liked them. I probably would have enjoyed it a bit more had I been better able to relate to them, but it didn‘t do much more that irritate me now and them. It certainly didn’t put me off from finishing it or anticipating the next book. I do appreciate that she is changing her style a smidge and making the mystery seem a little more realistic.
The romance was great, as expected. Irene does subtle sparks very well, along with some blatant flirting. Mac became more real to me when we’re shown him struggling to keep his thoughts in line, though they never reach inappropriate. I liked their decision to keep their relationship professional while working together, which kept the romance to the background a bit and it didn’t seem rushed or overdone.
I loved the story coming from the view point of the villain, as it upped the suspense several times and gave us another perspective on everything that was happening. I was given just enough information to keep me guessing and trying to connect the pieces. Each chapter is left to keep you wanting more and trying to solve the case right along with them.
Overall, I would say that I really enjoyed this book and will most likely be reading it again, when the next one releases. Though I am rather disgruntled that we have to wait a year for the next McGregor book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed edge-of-your-seat suspense.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! I hope you enjoyed it!
If you'd like to check into the book further, here are some links to get you started! :)
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book
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