Title: Every Skull Tells a StoryAuthor: Anne Patrick
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Publish America
Rating: 4.5 of 5
Page count 198
Heat Rating: Sweet
ISBN-10: 1424190037
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Reviewed by: MarthaE
Blurb: When the skeletal remains of three young women are discovered on the vacation estate of a U.S. Senator, the local sheriff enlists the help of Special Agent Galen Schroeder and a local forensic sketch artist, to help him solve the murders. A profiler for seventeen years, Galen knows his skills are useless until they discover the identity of the victims. That's where the beautiful and talented Mackayla Kensingtom comes in.
Mackayla knows all too well the heartache of not knowing the fate of a loved one. The brutal murder of her own daughter is the driving force behind her determination to bring closure to families missing loved ones.
Using her artistry skills, Mackayla works frantically to put faces to the skulls so that their identities can be revealed and the killer can be caught. When the killer realizes how good she is, it appears she may be the next to die.
Review: If you are looking for solid suspense with sweet romance this book nails it!
Mackayla is a beautiful woman with a tragic loss in her past. She is driven to help uncover the identities of skeletons, either from natural disasters like the Tsunami in Sri Lanka or from crime sites. While helping the victims in Sri Lanka she has found a little girl whom she is trying to adopt. Although the national government does not allow single parent adoption, Mackayla is trusting God to make a way.
Mackayla has flown back home to help determine the identities of three women discovered on a Senator’s property not too far from her own home. Here she meets the mature and dedicated FBI profiler, Galen. He too lost his wife and child a number of years before and has lived for his job since. Now he meets the lovely and smart Mackayla and his heart begins to stir!
These two characters make a great match. Their mutual respect creates a great foundation for a developing relationship. They are both solid and strong on their own and have to learn to recognize that they can complement each other and find new love if they are willing to risk it!
As Mackayla uses her skills to shape the faces of the dead girls her own life is threatened as it is clear the murderer wants to keep his secrets hidden. The story flows non-stop. When you aren’t racing along in action with Mackayla or Galen, separately or together, you are following their developing courtship. The author does a great job of weaving Mackayla’s strong Christian faith and church family support into the story. It fits very naturally with Mackayla’s character. The author has an excellent grasp of the details of the forensic artist and presents the process in an easily understood manner. The plot is believable and has good twists to keep you reading to find out how they are going to get the proof necessary to pin down the murder. The only weak spot for me was the setting for the final run-in with the murderer as that did not seem so likely and the show down was not a completely clear picture for me. But that was a minor point that did not ruin the enjoyment of the chase and romance.
This is a good book to grab for a suspenseful read, grounded in firm Christian values and faith - a refreshing change. Well done! I will look forward to more good mystery suspense from Ms. Patrick!
Author's blog: Suspense by Anne
