Title: Unveiling the Past by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Bringing Maggie Home Series Book Two
Publisher: WaterBrook
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Women’s Fiction, Mystery
Length: 343 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Mysteries, family secrets, and the love of a true Father are found at the heart of this gripping novel from the bestselling author of Bringing Maggie Home
Newlyweds Sean Eagle and Meghan DeFord are no strangers to pain and loss. As cold-case detectives, they know intimately the anguish family members endure after the murder or disappearance of a loved one. But when a new case hits too close to home, it threatens to pull loose the fragile cords of their young marriage.
Sheila Menke was just a girl when her father left for work and never returned. An investigation revealed he had embezzled enough to start a new life elsewhere, but Sheila could never accept the court’s criminalization of her father. Meghan reluctantly takes the case, secretly fearing it will stir up buried feelings about her own biological father. And while Sean investigates the mysterious death of two young brothers, he longs to start a family. But Meghan worries that with a negligent mother and an absentee father as her parenting examples, she might never be fit for motherhood.
As they delve deeper into the past, both Meghan and Sheila must choose to either stumble along the road of bitterness and resentment or walk the difficult path toward forgiveness and healing. When the cases begin to break wide open, these young women are poised to discover that while earthly fathers may fail, there is one in heaven who is a father to the fatherless.
Review:
Unveiling the Past by Kim Vogel Sawyer is an engaging Christian novel with a mystery element.
Sean and Meghan Eagle work together at the Cold Case Investigation Department in Little Rock, AR. They are also partners on cases and they cannot imagine working with anyone else. But when their boss assigns a new case before they finished with their current case, Sean elects to remain on the old one.
Meghan and fellow detective Greg Dane travel to Ft. Smith to begin their investigation into the long unsolved disappearance of banker Anson Menke. His now adult daughter Sheila never believed her father abandoned the family or embezzled funds from the bank. Already uneasy with working with someone other than Sean, Meghan has reservations about Sheila tagging along on the case but she does feel protective of the younger woman. Sheila provides helpful details and Greg and Meghan are beginning to get a sense for a suspect in the case. Will they uncover the truth about what happened to Anson? And will Sheila and her brothers be relieved once the truth is revealed?
Sean is paired with Tom Farber who is more antagonistic than usual during their investigation into the unsolved deaths of twin brothers. Sean feels like he is getting close to unraveling the mystery but he is a little frustrated when he hits a bit of a dead end. Despite his abrasive attitude, Tom is a tenacious investigator whose fresh eyes on the case prove to be invaluable. Unfortunately Sean is struggling to maintain his patience with Tom’s angry outbursts. He is also troubled by his temporary partner’s after work activities. Will these problems interfere with their ability to solve the case?
Meghan and Sean have been married for three years and since both are in their thirties, Sean is ready to start a family. Due to her childhood, Meghan is not sure that she is mother material. Deciding the time is finally right, she is ready to look up the father she has never met. Talking over her decision with her mother, Diane, Meghan gladly allows her mom to run interference with the man who left before she was born. Diane is surprised by her ex-boyfriend Kevin’s next move. Will Diane finally forgive Kevin for abandoning her when she needed him most? Will Meghan finally meet Kevin?
Unveiling the Past is a touching novel of healing, forgiveness and redemption. The storyline is well-developed with a strong Christian element. The two cold case investigations are interesting and the resolution of both cases is quite satisfying. The subplot with Diane and Kevin is fascinating and the outcome is a little predictable but uplifting. The main characters have a strong faith and they are not shy about discussing their respective relationships with God with others. Kim Vogel Sawyer brings this engrossing novel to a heartwarming conclusion.
Although this newest release features characters from Bringing Maggie Home, it can be as a standalone.
