Unveiling The Past by Kim Vogel Sawyer // Revell Reads Review

Mysteries, family secrets, and learning to love and trust again rest at the heart of this contemporary novel from the best-selling author of Bringing Maggie Home .

Newlyweds and cold case detectives Sean and Meghan Eagle have been given the task of investigating the twenty-years-past the disappearance of a husband and father, Anson Menke. A judge ruled that the missing man chose to leave the country and abandon his family, but his wife wouldn't concede that he left his family nor declare him dead. Their mother now gone, his children want answers.

As Sean and Meghan follow the man's last known steps, they also involve themselves in a more personal inquiry: locating Meghan's biological father. But as Meghan struggles to balance her work and her new role as a wife, she becomes terrified of failure. She doesn't want to hurt Sean or jeopardize the Menke investigation by falling short of his expectations.

When her mother, Diane DeFord, sees Meghan's turmoil, she decides to take action, potentially reuniting father and daughter. As the two searches intertwine, Meghan must become vulnerable with Sean, letting him into her life and being a true partner, while letting her heart be tender to God, the One who truly knows the journey each disrupted life needed to take to Him.

My Review

I have not read book one and normally that really bugs me, but I got this book through Revell and needed to have it read and posted on my blog by a certain date. The libraries are closed and it is not available digitally. So I just read it. Thankfully, I did not feel confused or like I was missing information. I'm sure it would have been better had I read book one but regardless, I really enjoyed it. More than I would have imagined, actually.

I loved how the past was interspersed with the present. It was very well done. We see back into Diane's life that gives us insights into her and Kevin's lives as well as Shelia's that help us understand the case. Many books I like to read are more police/detective type stories so I loved that element here. Then to have Sean and Meghan working with different partners... it was cool to see how God used it to grow and shape them. Sean learned compassion for a difficult coworker and Meghan was able to see that she is more than her parents.

This book was very heartfelt. Despite them being investigators, the crimes were a means for the plot and actually were kind of anti-climatic. There was a lot of emotion and you could really feel for everyone. I think a lot of people learned that we cannot let our past define our future and our fears of what may be based on what has been are likely unfounded.

Many thanks to Revell and Netgalley for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.