I love the Love Inspired suspense line and I have to say this one was a recent favorite. Because the heroine is a Forensic Anthropologist which I don't see enough in suspense and the hero is a police Detective. I have to say I loved the banter between the hero and heroine. And this book gave me Bones vibes, the TV show not the actually book series. As it's one of the few cases I prefer the TV show over the books.

This is one of the best Love Inspired Suspense books that I have read. I adore the Harlequin category romances and these fast paced mysteries are my favorite. And Abrams blew me away with what a compelling mystery she created that didn’t rely too heavily on the romance. In fact, for a Harlequin, the romance almost felt secondary to the story.

Buried Cold Case Secrets is about the traumatic kidnapping our heroine, Melanie, endured as a teenager. Melanie has lost her memories of the ordeal but the fact that she made it out while her best friend, who was kidnapped with her, has never been found but is believed to have died is something that she has never been able to get over. Because of her past, Melanie has become a forensic anthropologist and can’t turn down the chance to return to her hometown when she is offered a job there. One of the cops she has to work with is Jason, her best friend’s brother, who has never stopped blaming her for his sister not coming back with her.

This book starts off with a thrilling moment and it doesn’t stop from there. Jason and Melanie are forced to work together on a case and Abrams perfectly balanced their growing feelings and issues from their past with the action and mystery of the story. So many people in this small town seems suspicious and I loved the elements of threat that were seemingly coming from all sides. Especially since I couldn’t quite pinpoint who exactly was the bad guy and the twists and turns this story took were surprising.

Like all category romances this book is only about 220 pages and it is a real testament to Abrams talent that she told such a well rounded and thrilling tale within in those confines. I know not everyone reads Harelquin’s category romances but I think Buried Cold Case Secrets is one that a fan of thrillers would enjoy. And people like myself whose favorite genres are mystery and romance.

Eu amo um bom romance policial com muito suspensee quando eu vi essa série da Harlequin Us chamada Love Inspired Suspense eu fiquei super animada para começar a ler. E eu não poderia estar mais satisfeita por ter começado por Buried Cold Case Secrets.



Melanie é uma antropóloga forense que conduz seu trabalho com muita seriedade e ética. Há dois dias ela voltou a sua cidade natal para assumir um novo cargo no departamento de polícia e para encontrar paz com seu passado. Quinze anos atrás Melanie e sua melhor amiga foram sequestradas, ela conseguiu fugir, mas sua amiga segue desaparecida. Tudo que Melanie queria era trazer o corpo da amiga para casa, encontrar quem as atacou e começar de novo. Porém, logo que chegou Melanie começou a ser perseguida novamente e apenas Jason, o irmão de sua melhor amiga que a odeia, pode protegê-la. Jason guardou rancor de Melanie todos aqueles anos, para ele é totalmente injusto que ela tenha deixado sua irmã para morrer e tenha simplesmente sobrevivido. Ao mesmo tempo que os dois sentem mais do que amizade e ressentimento um pelo outro, eles conseguirão deixar o passado de lado?



Primeiro eu preciso dizer que a autora conseguiu me manter interessada nesse mistério até às últimas páginas. Sua escrita é bastante fluida e estruturada. Porém, o aspecto religioso da obra me incomodou um pouco, eu não sou uma pessoa nada religiosa então ver os personagens orando a Deus, em vários momentos do livro, por ajuda para mim foi estranho.



Melanie é uma mocinha que viveu uma vida muito ruim, ela tem sérios problemas resultantes do ataque que sofreu quando ela adolescente. Ela fez terapia por anos e nunca conseguiu recuperar as memórias dos dias que ficou cativa e nem o rosto do seu sequestrador. Desde então ela virou antropóloga forense, e eu confesso que amei que ela tivesse essa profissão por que sou fã da série Bones. Quando ela volta para sua cidade natal, confrontar Jason faz com que ela reviva o que sente por ele. Um amor que deveria ter ficado no passado.



Jason, por sua vez, nunca quis ouvir o que Melanie tinha a dizer. Por anos ele viveu com a sensação de fracasso por não ter podido salvar a irmã. E o fato de começar a descobrir que Melanie sofreu por anos pelo mesmo motivo faz com que ele não tenha paz. Anos atrás ele era apaixonado pela melhor amiga da irmã, muito mais nova que ele. Agora seu senso de dever e seus sentimentos o levam a fazer de tudo para protegê-la.



Eu amei tanto como a autora construiu a tensão entre Jason e Melanie e como os ataques aos dois só solidificaram o fato de que eles precisavam se perdoar, afinal a vida é curta.



Enfim, espero conseguir ler mais livros dessa autora em breve.

Buried Cold Case Secrets has a lot going on, but it all comes together wonderfully. The story has plenty of suspense to keep you on your toes, which makes for an entertaining read. Then we have the main characters who were both likable. They certainly have some things to work through, and I loved the inspirational tone of this book. The story is fast paced and engaging from start to finish, and we get a forensic anthropologist heroine! It's been some time since Ive seen that in a main character, and I'm thinking I need more of it. This is Sami A Abrams's debut, and I have to say that she's set the bar pretty high for whatever comes next. I know that I'll definitely be watching for it.

Melanie Hutton is a forensic anthropoligist who has been thrown together with detective Jason Cooper due to difficult circumstances. In their quest for love they have quite a bit to overcome. Not only is Melanie's struggling memory a huge hurdle, but as things start to work out both of them must navigate feelings of hurt, anger and resentment. Can they let those feelings go long enough in order to develop a foundation of forgiveness and love?

As Melanie struggles to settle into Valley Springs after being away for many years, she is determined to solve the cold case of her best friend's murder. However, there are a lot of things about the events of those times that Melanie simply cannot remember. What she does remember is the grief, the pain, the loss. As Melanie tries digging into the case, an attempt on her life is made, leaving Jason responsible for protecting her. However, he was also the brother of Melanie's best friend and Jason still blames Melanie for his sister's death.

The clash between Jason and Melanie has a lot of ebbs and falls. On the one hand, the killer is quite bold and refuses to let Melanie out of his crosshairs. Thus Jason is forced to stick even closer to her, all while dealing with feelings of resentment. However, the quandary is that Jason and Melanie are drawn to one another even despite the ever-present danger and long ago feelings of mistrust.

What is Melanie missing and will she be able to remember enough details in time to help the killer be caught before it is too late for her? Will Jason be able to remove the negative feelings he is fighting and allow himself to accept his tender feelings for Melanie?

What a riveting book! Utterly impossible to put down. Action, suspense and romance make for a wonderful blend in this exciting story.

Many thanks to and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Buried Cold Case Secrets is the first book that I have read by Sami A. Abrams and I really enjoyed it. It is about Melanie a forensic anthropologist, who has come back home after after over a decade away to solve her best friend’s murder and also her her own abduction that she survived. She is also hoping to get her memory back from that horrible time. Enter Jason her best friend’s brother and a detective, who hasn’t been able to accept how Mel could leave his sister behind. Will Jason and Mel be able to work together to solve the mystery of the abductions and the murder of Allison and figure out who the person responsible is or will the killer stop them before they get the answers that they seek and justice for Allison? This book was the perfect blend of mystery, romance, and faith and I couldn’t put it down.

This is a Romantic Suspense. I really enjoyed that this book follows a forensic anthropologist, and I wish more books has a forensic anthropologist as a character. I loved the characters in this book, and I loved seeing them both forgiving each other and getting over the past. This book kept me guessing, and I thought I guess who did it. I did not guess all the twist, and I really felt the ending was really good. This book had a ton of suspense and action, but I did feel the romance was a little cheesy. The storyline will pull you in. I did not want to put this book down, and I ended up staying up very last night to finish reading this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Love Inspired Suspense) or author (Sami A. Abrams) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

"Buried Cold Case Secrets" is a Christian romantic suspense. Melanie and her best friend were kidnapped as teenagers. She escaped and went for help, but her friend was gone when they returned and was presumed dead. Melanie can't remember whodunit or many details about the kidnapping but has returned to work her friend's cold case. Someone's determined to kill her before she remembers or uncovers the truth. Jason blamed her for abandoning his sister to die but he still cares for Melanie. As he protects her, he soon realizes he jumped to conclusions and never gave her a chance to explain.

The main characters reacted realistically to events, and I cared about what happened to them. Melanie and Jason worked well together and supported each other. The suspense came from someone repeatedly attacking them (and others) in an effort to prevent them from discovering the truth. There was some prayer for God's help and Melanie and Jason forgave each other. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense novel.

'At one time in his life, he would've prayed for help, but God hadn't listened then, so why would He listen now?'

I had been hearing a lot about this book and I do enjoy finding new authors, so I decided to take a chance. It was really good! Sami A. Abrams has done a great job with this plot, done well indeed. It broke my heart at times. Her characters are also well developed, even secondary ones. This was a wonderful debut novel!

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via the Net Galley platform. The review here is my own opinion.

I love Harlequin for their quick reads and easy HEA, this is the first suspense one I’ve read.

What did I like! I love cold cases, I watch these on the a bunch so it intrigues me. In this one Melanie returns to her hometown where she was abducted with her childhood friend. She was separated from her friend and was the sole survivor. Multiple attempts have been made on her life as she teams up with Jason to solve this puzzle.

Would I recommend or buy? There’s a ton of action in this book and not the romantic kind. The book follows a Christian faith and it was a pleasant read. Three stars for entertainment!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

a 2.5 stars read.

Melanie Hutton back to her hometown to find her best friend’s remains and to regain her memories of when they were both kidnapped. Yup this is sounds good, but unfortunately I don't really like it. The beginning is kinda confusing and then I kinda hate the characters, especially Detective Jason, it's like he didn't think like a cop, he's judging without checking the facts or proofs, well I know he lost his sister, but it's like he forgot that he's a cop and he's pull and push give me a whiplash. I don't like Melanie too, I know she's trying to overcome her trauma, but her behaviour is giving me a whiplash too, one minute she's so strong, the next one she's so weak and complaining and whining. I really can't connect with these characters.

As for the suspense story, even though it's predictable (I guessed correctly who's the bad guy is) and there's police's procedural that a bit unbelievable and weird and got me questioning everything, I still enjoy it, especially the action in the last few chapters, also I like how the author throwing a lot of suspects to keep the story more interesting.

So overall an okay read for me.

Fast paced, danger, secrets, fractured relationships and unforgiveness make this story stand out. The characters are flawed with emotional baggage that keeps them from trusting each other. I like how the author gave us a glimpse at what Melanie had been through years ago. Readers will understand how traumatic it was for Melanie as she relives it everyday. Coming back to where it happened may not be a wise decision but Melanie is determined to find closure.

Jason is not happy to see Melanie since he still is angry at her after all these years. In his mind she abandoned her best friend that fateful day to save herself. The person she left behind was his sister. How can he forgive Melanie for not helping his sister escape with her? His pain can be seen in his eyes every time he thinks of what his sister went through.

I loved the mystery of the man who was after Melanie. He was determined to stop her, but from what? Was he the person who had kidnapped and tortured her and her best friend? Why is this person so violent each time he gets near Melanie? The story is very intense and at times I caught myself holding my breath.

As the story progresses the author uses faith to help Melanie and Jason start to open up to each other. The ending is filled with surprises and sadness as the truth is finally revealed. I liked how the author showed how forgiveness can heal relationships as she wraps up the story with secrets that will shake the town and restore trust to those who held bitterness for so long.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

I'm not a huge fan of Christian fiction but the romantic suspense in this series are quite good and the blurb was interesting.
It's a compelling and entertaining story, the romance is sweet and the mystery part well developed and gripping.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Amateurish but better than expected

I would like to thank Sami A. Abrams, Harlequin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Lisa Wray for inviting me on the blog tour.

This book was a solid piece of work and better than I expected, though still amateurish. The writing style lacked personality but wasn’t off-putting or bad by any means. Just felt rather cookie-cutter. A few odd choices were made, such as when it said Jason’s wood-slab coffee table took Melanie’s breath away. Really? The coffee table, of all things, was such a beauty to behold it took her breath away?

Also, more than once a character was startled—which in itself happened a lot—and scattered papers all over, even if they weren’t holding papers. Definitely gives a sense of over-acting, as it were, or perhaps cartoonishness.

Another thing—burying the body in the rose garden was totally cliche. So was Melanie’s memory loss, for that matter, but that one I’ll forgive.

The pace was quick and steady, the tension high as Jason fought his feelings for Melanie and as attempt after attempt was made on Melanie’s life. Actually—and I don’t think I’ve ever had this complaint before—there was almost too much action. By which I mean Melanie got attacked several times—hold on, let me count, I’m curious . . . Four stalking incidents and eight attacks within 84%, in a rather short book. The trips to the hospital got tiresome, though I honestly started to look forward to seeing Brent and Ethan, the EMTs who always responded to the attacks (Were they the only EMTs in Valley Springs?). I wonder if we hadn’t had to go through the hospital routine every time if the attacks wouldn’t have become tedious.

I am impressed, though, that Abrams accomplished as much character development between attacks as she did; like I said, it wasn’t a very long book. Both Melanie and Jason were likeable. Maybe not quite endearing, but definitely well-developed and sympathetic characters. Melanie could have had more of an arc than just finding the courage to confront the memories of her abduction, but it did well enough. Jason had a bit more to do, given the trouble with his father.

Some small gaps might exist in the story, or I could have just missed some information. For instance, did we ever find out how Melanie got poisoned with antifreeze? How in the world did the perp accomplish that? How could Melanie mistake antifreeze for water? One, wouldn’t it taste awful? Two, antifreeze comes in bright colors for a reason. Mine happens to be bright radioactive green/yellow, no way I’m mistaking that for water.

Also, why was Sheriff Monroe made to appear so suspicious? As far as I could tell, he had nothing to do with the mystery at all and was just a complete red herring. Speaking of, the scene after the fire when he explains why his clothes are soaked in gasoline had to be the most blatant and obvious attempt at a misdirection I’ve ever witnessed. He was not a well-written red herring; Ben, on the other hand, was an excellent one.

And why in the world did the bones discovered by the hikers in the beginning have nothing to do with the central plot? Their only purpose was . . . I honestly don’t know. We can’t call them a subplot because they had no story; Melanie just dug them up, maybe studied them for a minute, then in the resolution we’re told they belonged to some random girl who hadn’t even lived in the area. Just a random crime, completely unrelated. Nope, sorry, that’s not how good plotting works. Why couldn’t they have belonged to one of Randy’s victims? Or been a plot in their own right? Melanie spent way more time getting attacked and taken to the hospital than she did studying bones and doing forensic work. She’s definitely no Tempe Brennan.

I did get confused about the police departments and which was doing what, who worked for which. It’s one small town but there seemed to be two different police departments? County and town? Is that a thing? Really not sure. I have no idea how jurisdictions work, and the book didn’t do a good job explaining.

Lastly, I failed to realize the story would have inspirational—aka religious—themes, which was a bummer but easy enough to ignore. That’s on me.

So overall, again, this was solid work, but could use some improvements. Abrams wrote pretty good characters, and her pacing was excellent, but she could work on closing the gaps in her story and building subplots rather than spending so much time in the hospital. (That’s not to say she shouldn’t be realistic, but no one likes sitting in the hospital in real life, so why would we want to do it in our escapism?)

Forensic anthropologist Melanie Hutton had been kidnapped along with her best friend, but can't remember anything about it or why her friend died. The killer might be after her still, so Melanie must work with Detective Jason Cooper, who still blames her for his sister’s death. Can Jason solve the murder and save Melanie?

From the start, Melanie is followed and attacked multiple times. It feels like she spends more time in the ER than in her own home or office! She is serious about her job, and her guilt about leaving her friend behind had pushed her into being a good forensic anthropologist. Jason had never wanted to hear her side of the story before and is forced to see that Melanie isn't the heartless woman he had thought she was. Her trauma is still very much on the surface, and each attack that Jason is sorry he couldn't prevent just reactivates her old trauma. Eventually, we find out who had been responsible for the deaths, and there is finally justice for Allison.

In addition to the suspense thread of the story is that of Jason and Melanie meeting and dealing with their former secret crushes on each other. Ten years later and those feelings are still there, coupled with the added drama of trying to stay alive. The heightened emotions intensify the connection, and I really liked how the two of them were able to rekindle their old relationship. Together, they're able to move past the trauma of Allison's disappearance and learn to trust again. I enjoyed reading this very much.

Buried cold case secret by Sami A. Abrams.
Recovering her missing memories
could be the key to solving a murder Searching for her best friend’s remains could help forensic anthropologist Melanie Hutton regain her memories of when they were both kidnapped—unless the killer gets to Melanie first. For her safety, Melanie must rely on Detective Jason Cooper, who still blames her for his sister’s death. Can Jason set the past aside to solve the cold-case murder…and shield Melanie from the same fate?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read In 2 days. Did not want this book to end. I loved the story plot and most of the characters. I sort of guessed who it was. 5*.

Buried Cold Case Secrets is part of the Love Inspired Suspense line, is a different tone than what I'm used to. It's a refreshing change. Written by Sami A. Abrams, Buried Cold Case Secrets has a little bit of something for everyone. Well, at least all thriller lovers.

When she was younger, Melanie Hutton and her best friend were kidnapped. Melanie survived; her friend did not. Now Melanie is in a race to find her friend's remains – and her memories. Doing so might just help solve the murder case at hand.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the killer will just let Melanie investigate on her own. That is where Detective Jason Cooper comes into play, as he still holds out hope for solving his late sister's case.

Buried Cold Case Secrets is a Christian suspense novel, meaning that it is overall fairly light on the worst parts that can come with an intense thriller. Sometimes it is nice to take that break, so I was happy to give Sami A. Abrams' work a chance.

Melanie's story is compelling and heartbreaking. It is so easy to feel for a woman who has been through so much trauma, including losing her memory and her best friend. It's impossible not to root for her.

Jason's appearance was a surprise complication, but one that worked well in terms of fleshing out the whole story. There is something so real and human about the characters, and I really loved that.

I'll admit that I was a bit surprised to see that Buried Cold Case Secrets was a Christian fiction novel. I'll have to make note that 'Inspired' is the term for that nowadays. This is good to know – either to help you find more, or steer clear of. This is why I love finding new industry terms!

Melanie and her bestfriend were kidnapped and only she made it out alive with some memory loss. Its been years since then and now she is a forensic anthropologist back home hoping to find the remain and figure out who was behind it. Hopefully her bestfriends brother Jason can help her out but it seems he still blames her for his sister not coming back. On top of that it seems that the person behind it all is back and clearly wants to finish what he started.

I love a good mystery suspense novel and this was perfect for me. I loved that there was plenty going on and if it wasn't one thing it was another and clearly someone was after her. Then there was the whole thing between Melanie and Jason they both kinda had a thing for eachother then the whole kidnapping and Jason's sister dying and blaming her situation happened that made things complicated. I felt so bad for Melanie she was dealing with so much blame with something she couldn't even control. There is so much to enjoy about his book and if you love mystery suspense books with a bit of romance you'll enjoy this book.

Buried Cold Case Secrets by Sami Abrams is a fast-paced Christian suspense novel. Once you start reading, you will not want to put this one down. Buried Cold Case Secrets is well-written with developed, realistic characters. The main characters go on an emotional roller coaster ride as they set out to uncover the truth. A story full of action and suspense that is sure to send chills down your spine. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Buried Cold Case Secrets by Sami Abrams is a fast-paced Christian suspense novel. I should give you fair warning that this book will have you staying up late to finish it (you will need extra caffeine in the morning). I started reading this book and was quickly immersed in the tale. I thought Buried Cold Case Secrets was well-written with developed, realistic characters. The main characters go on an emotional roller coaster ride as the set out to uncover the truth. I loved all the action and suspense. The plot was well thought out. Melanie Hutton was abducted fifteen years prior with her best friend. Melanie made it out alive, but her best friend did not. The victim’s brother, Jason Cooper blames Melanie for his sister’s death. Melanie has amnesia regarding the events. She has decided it is time to return to her hometown and search for her best friend’s remains. Someone is not happy with Melanie’s homecoming and sets out to stop her from uncovering the truth. Jason Cooper, the best friend’s brother, is now a detective. He must put aside his feelings to keep Melanie safe. The pair must work together to learn who is behind the attacks and what happened fifteen years ago. I loved the mystery in the story. In the beginning, I was wondering who abducted Melanie and her best friend fifteen years ago. Then the suspense and action start with the various attacks. I read as quickly as I could because I wanted to see how Buried Cold Case Secrets would turn out. I appreciated that this was a Christian story. It is a clean read (no intimacy or foul language) for which I was grateful. I cannot wait to read this author’s next novel. Buried Cold Case Secrets is an action-packed suspenseful adventure from beginning to end.