Buried Secrets Reviewed By Rick and A Giveaway!

I reluctantly agreed to review this book as a favor to my wife. While I enjoy mystery and suspense, the reluctance came from the fact that this is a romantic suspense novel by a prolific author in that genre, which is usually aiming for a female reader. Still, if a Baptist can enjoy William X. Kienzle's Father Koesler mysteries and Harry Kemelman's Rabbi Small mysteries, which explore Catholic and Jewish doctrine and tradition while serving up tense, thrilling mysteries, I figured I could survive this book.

I enjoyed the experience.

While I cannot give an informed opinion on the romantic elements of Buried Secrets, the many awards and honors received by Irene Hannon during her thirty year writing career [producing nearly four dozen romantic novels] make me think she has mastered this aspect of her craft.

The suspense aspect of the book is superb. The “villain” of the tale is not a mystery, the motive for crimes past and present is plain. This is not a “whodunit.” The tension is in how far someone will go to keep a crime hidden as meticulous police work slowly unravels a decades-old mystery. The suspense is not in who did the crime, but in what will be done next.

Fans of strong female characters will be pleased with both the protagonist and antagonist.

Fans of romance will be fascinated by the growing attraction between two professional law enforcement officials who sought out Missouri to live more peaceful lives, only to find more than one brand of excitement when they work together to find a clever and calculating killer.

Frankly, I'd still prefer to have my crime stories interlaced with discussions of theology. But if budding romance is more to your liking, be sure to read Buried Secrets.

By the way, this is the first in Hannon's new “Men of Valor” series. While the books in each of her series can be read individually, a character introduced in this novel is featured in the second book, to be released next year. And if my wife thinks I should review that one, I won't be reluctant to agree.

You can purchase a copy of the book, Buried Secret HERE!

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We received samples of the products for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed here are those of the author.