I received a free copy from NetGalley. Interesting well developed characters, good mystery. I look forward to reading others in the series.

The discovery of skeletal remains on a construction site unites a small-town police chief and a county detective in a search for justice. Lisa Grant and Mac MacGregor have both stepped into lower-stress roles to find balance in their lives… and maybe to carve out enough time to find someone to settle down with. Romantic sparks fly at their first meeting, but the case must come first.

Thanks to the opening scene, readers know how the body arrived where it did – and who’s to blame. This is the only part of the book written in the first person, and since it wasn’t to disguise the identity of the character, I’d have preferred to see it in third-person he/she like the rest of the story.

Lisa was working impossible hours as a homicide detective on a big-city force, trying to keep ahead of certain male officers whose jealousy made them want sabotage her career. She loves her new job and still struggles to avoid the trap of over-work. Her diabetes makes it even more vital that she take proper care of her health. Mac is a former Navy SEAL who saw one too many of his friends die. He got out while he still had the chance to build a life and start a family. He still worries about his younger brothers, both in high-danger military roles.

They work well together professionally, and they’re both longing to see what might happen personally when this case wraps up. The main question for the moment is, can they identify the victim – and the killer – and find proof before the past drags danger into the present?

Fast-paced, tense but not traumatic, Buried Secrets is a satisfying read.

A great page turner - looking forward to more books in this series!

Lisa Grant, former Chicago Homicide Detective, and Mac McGregor, former-Navy-SEAL-turned-detective, have quite a bit in common. Both are used to defusing stressful situations, both are fearless in the face of danger . . . and both are professionally offended when lives are in danger.

And right now . . . lives are in danger. Theirs.

A human skeleton, recently unearthed by construction workers at the edge of town, taxes the resources of the small town of Carson. Mac McGregor is assigned to assist Lisa in what they hope will be an open-and-shut case. But there are some secrets better off left buried.

Don’t open this book. Unless you have plenty of coffee or tea, plenty of time, and a well-lit reading area. Irene Hannon has done it again.

Weaving fully developed characters that one is immediately drawn to, attention to detail that doesn’t bog the story down, and edge-of the seat suspense that will keep you guessing until the last beat of the climax, Irene Hannon, “The Queen Of Inspirational Romantic Suspense,” lives up to her legend.

5 stars for sizzling inspirational romantic suspense

Award-winning author Irene Hannon pens a new romantic suspense series featuring the McGregor brothers settling into civilian life after their stint in the military.

In Buried Secrets, Mac McGregor – a former Navy SEAL — is a county detective sent to assist a small-town police chief, Lisa Grant. She honed her investigative skills as a Chicago homicide detective. They meet when a construction crew finds human skeleton remains outside town. Though attracted to one another, their first priority is to solve the mystery and find the killer.

Mac’s brothers, Finn and Lance, are introduced when they visit Mac, and the ground is laid for the remaining books (book 2 is expected in Spring 2016). One of the main characters has a medical condition that plays into the killer’s plans. It is refreshing to find individuals who aren’t perfect.

As Mac and Lisa begin to uncover the truth, the killer has too much at stake to risk exposure and starts eliminating the other suspects with deadly accidents. Will the killer be desperate enough to create another deadly accident to end their investigation?

Hannon writes edge-of-your seat inspirational romantic suspense that will keep the reader engaged until the final page. Unexpected plot twists will keep the reader on their toes as the truth surrounding the fifteen-year-old crime is revealed. The faith element is light, not heavy-handed. Her books are filled with suspense, sigh-worthy romance, appropriate violence, and clean language. Although written for adults, the books would be acceptable for high school students as well.