Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Twenty-four years ago four college students, high on marijuana, found themselves in a life-changing predicament. One of them died, and the other three, with an eye on their future lives, removed her clothing, took all identification, and buried the young woman by a tree on barren land. Everything about her would be history and incident would their secret. Or so they thought … in Buried Secrets, the first in a new series featuring former Special Forces operatives working in civilian life.

Ex-Navy SEAL, now detective Mac McGregor, the eldest of three brothers — his two younger brothers are still Special Forces operatives — is assigned to work with Lisa Grant, the Police Chief of a small village suburb of St. Louis, investigating a cold case dating back over twenty years. Seeking a less hectic life, Lisa Grant had left her job as a detective in Chicago to return to her hometown village in Missouri. However, finding human bones in an unmarked grave is not exactly an everyday case for a small police force so she requested help. From the moment they met, Mac and Lisa felt a bond between them; their attraction was instant. They decided to keep their relationship on a professional level — at least until after the case was closed. After much searching for the truth and following leads that led nowhere, they believed they knew who had buried the body in the grave. The three involved knew the police were getting close to the truth. But neither side was prepared for the stakes to be raised when more bodies are found.

Buried Secrets features a winning combination of credible and relatable characters (namely Lisa Grant and Mac McGregor) and a suspenseful storyline, not quite predictable but familiar (in a good way). The first half is a little slow at times, but the action picks up in the second. Mac's two brothers have cameo roles, and it seems that one of them will be the lead in the next book of the series. A solid effort overall, and one that readers who look for cleanly written, faith-based crime fiction will much appreciate.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Buried Secrets.

Deadly Pursuit
Revell (Trade Paperback), September 2011
ISBN-13: 9780800734572; ISBN-10: 0800734572

Thin Ice
Revell (Trade Paperback), January 2016
ISBN-13: 9780800724535; ISBN-10: 0800724534

Buried Secrets

A Men of Valor Novel of Suspense by Irene Hannon