Review: Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

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.
Master storyteller Irene Hannon is back with an exciting new series featuring former special forces operatives now in the thick of the action in civilian life. Hannon is at the top of her game in this can't-put-it-down thriller that will have readers up until the wee hours devouring every page.

My Review

If you're looking for a book to help you fall asleep at night, don't pick this one up! I finished Buried Secrets at 2 am since I could not put it down. We read about the accident in the prologue, in first person perspective from the one who masterminded the cover-up. So the who-done-it is not a mystery, but rather the suspense comes from how the people involved are going to prevent the truth from coming to light. Lisa's character reminds me of Teresa Lisbon from the TV show The Mentalist- tough, professional, dedicated, and tenacious. Mac offers some assistance and insights but she clearly has a handle on the investigation. They are attracted to each other from the start, and Mac repeatedly admires her auburn hair with highlights. He's obviously a hair guy. We see his vulnerable side as he worries over his two brothers who are active duty special ops overseas. The softer side of Lisa is for the stray dog she adopted and became the department mascot. The viewpoint of the villain was chilling but also interesting to know the motivations for behavior. The investigation isn't fast-paced at first but the different viewpoints prevent stagnancy. Things speed up as evidence is discovered and more pressure is put upon the villain, which leads to a nail-biting climax.

(Thank you to Revell Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)