BOOK REVIEW - "A DANGEROUS PAST" BY SUSAN GEE HEINO

 

Should Gabe Elliot respond like the hospital chaplain he is and keep a 50 year old secret shared by a patient? Or should he as the police officer he is investigate this possible murder in spite of the ghosts and skeletons he'll dig up? And should Brinna Jenson trust the man who promised to marry her but didn't to keep from stirring up accusations against her grandfather that were currently in the distant past?

"A Dangerous Past" is the first story I've had the honor of reading by Susan Gee Heino, and I have no intention of it being the last. She did an excellent job developing Gabe and Brinna, and the plot kept me guessing how it would turn out.

Would you permit me to pretend to be a literary critic here? Having read 85 Love Inspired Suspense prior to this, I'm used to having a car chase, an attempted abduction, or someone taking target practice at one of the main characters before the first chapter's halfway done. With those earned expectations, "A Dangerous Past" might seem slow-moving. My opinion? This book has more of a mystery story arc than a suspense one. If you seem to think this book might be dragging - as I did early on - don't give up on it! It is an inspiring read, and as I implied above, it's a first class mystery, with plenty of suspects and surprises.