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Evie Blackwell Cold Case #1
Traces of Guilt
Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police Detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job.
Gabriel Thane is a lifetime resident of Carin County and now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have. . . .
When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes across the state. Spearheading this trial run, Evie will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she reexamines old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths a surprising connection . . . possibly to a third cold case. Evie's determined to solve the cases before she leaves Carin County, and Sheriff Thane, along with his family, will be key to those answers.
Gabriel Thane is a lifetime resident of Carin County and now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have. . . .
When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes across the state. Spearheading this trial run, Evie will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she reexamines old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths a surprising connection . . . possibly to a third cold case. Evie's determined to solve the cases before she leaves Carin County, and Sheriff Thane, along with his family, will be key to those answers.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2016
872 people are currently reading
4584 people want to read
About the author
Dee Henderson
71 books4,177 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Dee Henderson is the author of 27 non-fiction and fiction titles, including Jesus our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Truth and the Life, The Good News Project, Taken and the acclaimed O’MALLEY series. Several titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestseller list; Full Disclosure has also appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. For details visit: DeeHenderson.com
Dee Henderson is the author of 27 non-fiction and fiction titles, including Jesus our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Truth and the Life, The Good News Project, Taken and the acclaimed O’MALLEY series. Several titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestseller list; Full Disclosure has also appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. For details visit: DeeHenderson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 755 reviews
December 15, 2016
I would almost give this book 3 stars because I did enjoy the mysteries of the cold cases. However... that's about the only thing I enjoyed about it.
Though there are some romantic elements in the story, I would definitely not consider it a romantic mystery novel. But I actually rather liked that about it. Even I, who like romantic books, find it rather nice to read a non-romantic mystery occasionally because it allows the focus to be more on the mystery elements and the process of solving the cases.
Some reviewers have mentioned how "heavy" of a read this is. That is nothing but the truth. There are some very difficult topics covered in this story . That being the case, this book definitely has it's sad, even rather depressing, parts. I can handle that, though (at least, to the extent it was dealt with in this book).
What did I dislike? There were a few things, actually. At the top of my list, is the dialogue. There is a lot of it-- a lot. And so much of it felt stiff and unrealistic and..... and just so very fake. I simply found it unbelievable how many of the conversations went. I have never heard anyone converse the way most of the characters in this story do. They're all so blatantly honest and straightforward and factual and..... Does anyone ever actually talk like that?! Anyway, that nearly drove me crazy.
Unfortunately, I think this has become a trend in Dee Henderson's newer books. (Henderson Fans, correct me if I'm wrong about that!)
Also, I never felt like I could truly connect with any of the characters. I think this was mostly due to there being so much going on with so many stories combined and pov's from several different characters. I was never able to focus on one character long enough or delve deeply enough into them to get that connection that I wanted. I don't usually have any difficulty with multiple storylines or pov's, but combine that with the rather choppy-feeling of the writing and it's not good. Add to that, the reading style of the narrator (Johanna Parker) and I really started to struggle with finishing this book.
The last thing I'll mention is a spoiler--
To sum it up:
The best part of this book was the process of solving the rather interesting cold cases. I don't require a lot of suspense or thrill in order to enjoy a mystery so I did like this aspect of the story the most. That being said, due to the choppy writing, stilted dialogue, and annoying narrator... I probably would not have finished this book if I hadn't been nearly desperate for something to listen to at work and this was the only audiobook I currently had that I hadn't listened to recently.
Will I read the rest of this series? Perhaps. If my library purchases the audiobooks and I'm in need of something to listen to at work, I may go ahead and try the next book. It's not on my to-read list, though.
Though there are some romantic elements in the story, I would definitely not consider it a romantic mystery novel. But I actually rather liked that about it. Even I, who like romantic books, find it rather nice to read a non-romantic mystery occasionally because it allows the focus to be more on the mystery elements and the process of solving the cases.
Some reviewers have mentioned how "heavy" of a read this is. That is nothing but the truth. There are some very difficult topics covered in this story . That being the case, this book definitely has it's sad, even rather depressing, parts. I can handle that, though (at least, to the extent it was dealt with in this book).
What did I dislike? There were a few things, actually. At the top of my list, is the dialogue. There is a lot of it-- a lot. And so much of it felt stiff and unrealistic and..... and just so very fake. I simply found it unbelievable how many of the conversations went. I have never heard anyone converse the way most of the characters in this story do. They're all so blatantly honest and straightforward and factual and..... Does anyone ever actually talk like that?! Anyway, that nearly drove me crazy.
Unfortunately, I think this has become a trend in Dee Henderson's newer books. (Henderson Fans, correct me if I'm wrong about that!)
Also, I never felt like I could truly connect with any of the characters. I think this was mostly due to there being so much going on with so many stories combined and pov's from several different characters. I was never able to focus on one character long enough or delve deeply enough into them to get that connection that I wanted. I don't usually have any difficulty with multiple storylines or pov's, but combine that with the rather choppy-feeling of the writing and it's not good. Add to that, the reading style of the narrator (Johanna Parker) and I really started to struggle with finishing this book.
The last thing I'll mention is a spoiler--
To sum it up:
The best part of this book was the process of solving the rather interesting cold cases. I don't require a lot of suspense or thrill in order to enjoy a mystery so I did like this aspect of the story the most. That being said, due to the choppy writing, stilted dialogue, and annoying narrator... I probably would not have finished this book if I hadn't been nearly desperate for something to listen to at work and this was the only audiobook I currently had that I hadn't listened to recently.
Will I read the rest of this series? Perhaps. If my library purchases the audiobooks and I'm in need of something to listen to at work, I may go ahead and try the next book. It's not on my to-read list, though.
Read
July 10, 2018DNF at page 190
I honestly just couldn’t get into this book. Cold cases have never been my favorite as I enjoy more of the “there’s a killer on the loose and everyone’s lives are in danger” type suspense.
I probably would have at least finished it but it’s a library book and I have other books that I really want to read before they have to go back. It wasn’t grabbing my attention at all, so I decided to just set it down. I probably won’t pick it up again, but I would have definitely finished it if I owned the book.
I honestly just couldn’t get into this book. Cold cases have never been my favorite as I enjoy more of the “there’s a killer on the loose and everyone’s lives are in danger” type suspense.
I probably would have at least finished it but it’s a library book and I have other books that I really want to read before they have to go back. It wasn’t grabbing my attention at all, so I decided to just set it down. I probably won’t pick it up again, but I would have definitely finished it if I owned the book.
February 11, 2016
Ten billion stars out of five (because one billion stars just wouldn't be enough). I'm always ecstatic when I start a new Dee Henderson book, but also a little apprehensive because how can she possibly continue to improve on what is already out-of-the-park brilliance. How can you improve perfection? Well, I don't know how, but Dee Henderson obviously does because her books just keep getting better and better. And Traces of Guilt is simply amazing.
The world Henderson creates is completely absorbing. I love getting to know the characters. I love the way crimes are worked, the nitty-gritty details, the long hours, the pain and emotional toll. And I love the humour and family and faith that is mixed into the serious topics. I wanted to savour this story, wanted to know all the answers, wanted to see the journeys of each of the characters and wanted to read this book every moment that I could.
Evie Blackwell and Gabriel Thane are our main characters. Evie is starting work with the new cold case task force and is using her vacation time to get started on two cold cases in Carin County, Illinois. Gabriel is Sheriff of Carin County and works with Evie on the cold cases that have rocked their community. Ann Falcon (from Full Disclosure) brings these two together, but it quickly becomes obvious that there is more at stake than two isolated cold cases.
Ann and her husband Paul Falcon play a fairly large role in this story, as do Gabriel's brothers Josh and Will, and their parents. A chapter from Josh's perspective opens the book, and there are follow-up chapters from him, Ann, Will and even Grace and Karen, two women who also play important parts in the story and unfolding mysteries. These chapters are spread in between the majority of the sections that are from Gabriel and Evie. As a result, we get a great insight into all the characters, particularly the new ones. There are also mentions of a whole range of favourite characters, from the Bishops to Quinn and Lisa.
I love Dee Henderson's heroes. Solid and steady, these men are men of faith and justice. Her heroines are equally impressive in their capacity and strength. There are some shattering reveals in this book. The cases are very personal to the characters and seeing their distress is heartbreaking. There are a number of mysteries in this book, some of which are solved more easily than others, but each is the perfect blend of intrigue, emotion and case details.
There is a lovely mix of romance in this story, despite the cases being the focus of the book. There are the continuation of old romances, Ann and Paul's for example, that are a delight to read as continuing love stories. There are a few insights into ongoing romances, take Will Thane and his love interest Karen, who each get a chapter and have a few secrets of their own. And then there are the romances that are just beginning. Gabriel and Evie first meet in this book and they have a connection but if there is to be a continuing story it will progress in future books.
This book has all the makings of a new series. And yet, I could also see it being a standalone, with tie-ins to future but separate books, much like how Full Disclosure, Unspoken and Taken all have various mentions and connections in this book but have distinct story lines. Personally, I would love to continue Evie's story, see her uncover more cold cases and work on the new cold case task force and I would really, really love more of the Thane brothers. But whatever Dee Henderson writes next I'm sure it will be every bit as wonderful, intriguing and perfect as Traces of Guilt.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find more reviews on my blog Madison's Library.
The world Henderson creates is completely absorbing. I love getting to know the characters. I love the way crimes are worked, the nitty-gritty details, the long hours, the pain and emotional toll. And I love the humour and family and faith that is mixed into the serious topics. I wanted to savour this story, wanted to know all the answers, wanted to see the journeys of each of the characters and wanted to read this book every moment that I could.
Evie Blackwell and Gabriel Thane are our main characters. Evie is starting work with the new cold case task force and is using her vacation time to get started on two cold cases in Carin County, Illinois. Gabriel is Sheriff of Carin County and works with Evie on the cold cases that have rocked their community. Ann Falcon (from Full Disclosure) brings these two together, but it quickly becomes obvious that there is more at stake than two isolated cold cases.
Ann and her husband Paul Falcon play a fairly large role in this story, as do Gabriel's brothers Josh and Will, and their parents. A chapter from Josh's perspective opens the book, and there are follow-up chapters from him, Ann, Will and even Grace and Karen, two women who also play important parts in the story and unfolding mysteries. These chapters are spread in between the majority of the sections that are from Gabriel and Evie. As a result, we get a great insight into all the characters, particularly the new ones. There are also mentions of a whole range of favourite characters, from the Bishops to Quinn and Lisa.
I love Dee Henderson's heroes. Solid and steady, these men are men of faith and justice. Her heroines are equally impressive in their capacity and strength. There are some shattering reveals in this book. The cases are very personal to the characters and seeing their distress is heartbreaking. There are a number of mysteries in this book, some of which are solved more easily than others, but each is the perfect blend of intrigue, emotion and case details.
There is a lovely mix of romance in this story, despite the cases being the focus of the book. There are the continuation of old romances, Ann and Paul's for example, that are a delight to read as continuing love stories. There are a few insights into ongoing romances, take Will Thane and his love interest Karen, who each get a chapter and have a few secrets of their own. And then there are the romances that are just beginning. Gabriel and Evie first meet in this book and they have a connection but if there is to be a continuing story it will progress in future books.
This book has all the makings of a new series. And yet, I could also see it being a standalone, with tie-ins to future but separate books, much like how Full Disclosure, Unspoken and Taken all have various mentions and connections in this book but have distinct story lines. Personally, I would love to continue Evie's story, see her uncover more cold cases and work on the new cold case task force and I would really, really love more of the Thane brothers. But whatever Dee Henderson writes next I'm sure it will be every bit as wonderful, intriguing and perfect as Traces of Guilt.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Find more reviews on my blog Madison's Library.
September 2, 2020
1.5 stars
Well, I made it to the end. I feel worn out and rather depressed.
The book is billed as romantic suspense, but there is no romance and no suspense. I was never worried for the characters at any point. It was a slow and boring read.
The town is Carin, in the county of Carin, and a character is named Karen. Audiobook fail. It's difficult to know which is being referred to when they are all pronounced the same, so sometimes I'd think one was meant and another was actually the case.
Evie is supposedly the MC but we don't get much time in her head. She shares quite a lot by telling other folks things about herself, but we don't even know her well enough to know what is going on in her head. She's a driven workaholic, but loves her dogs...when does she actually spend time with her dogs? She's been a state officer for years but she prefers solving riddles and doing detective work. I didn't get a real sense of why she would stick with state police work when she really doesn't like it and why she wouldn't go into business as a private detective instead.
And then the weird inconsistencies:
First it jarred me that she admitted she disliked her gun and that she feared she would hesitate to use it. She had never really been in the line of fire and yet was a career Chicago-area officer. Does this mean she's mostly been on desk duty? Any officer that ever hesitates to use their tools may not even make it out of the rookie phase, and she would definitely have seen street action at some point and might have easily had to use her weapon just in researching a case while being a detective. This didn't add up with her being of such high reputation that she would be considered for a task force of this one's magnitude.
Second, the EVIDENCE! She's working one case and then wants to look at another few facets of a whole pile of other cases. The sheriff goes "Oh, that's fine, just pull anything you need. The boxes are all right there." Uh, what? Protecting the chain of custody is the FIRST rule of forensic evidence. You can't just have free rein in the evidence locker to pull here and there from different cases. Every single case has to be checked out, signed for, and put back in its place. No wonder the task force because no evidence is protected if no one is filling out proper paperwork and is just digging through boxes willy-nilly!
I won't continue ranting about some of the other major inconsistencies, but one thing that's worth mentioning is that Henderson in the past has written heavily evangelical novels which have touched on the heart of what faith is and offered the hope of that faith to many different folks in the course of the story. In contrast, Ann (a major character in this novel) has known many victims for a matter of years and they are still miserable and without belief...I kept wanting Jennifer to show up and start passing Bibles around to all the folks she cares about. The sheer number of folks in the book who don't believe, and the ones who do making only passing, quick mentions of faith/prayer to each other and not to the hurting unbelievers, ends up leaving the novel on a downer note and doesn't portray faith in the same way that Henderson has done in the past (as a gift to be shared in the past vs. a personal aid that isn't life-absorbing in this one).
Trigger warnings:
-child molestation (not detailed)
-animals involved in car crashes
-manipulative, controlling character
I may read the second book since I own the hardcover, but I'm not excited about it.
Well, I made it to the end. I feel worn out and rather depressed.
The book is billed as romantic suspense, but there is no romance and no suspense. I was never worried for the characters at any point. It was a slow and boring read.
The town is Carin, in the county of Carin, and a character is named Karen. Audiobook fail. It's difficult to know which is being referred to when they are all pronounced the same, so sometimes I'd think one was meant and another was actually the case.
Evie is supposedly the MC but we don't get much time in her head. She shares quite a lot by telling other folks things about herself, but we don't even know her well enough to know what is going on in her head. She's a driven workaholic, but loves her dogs...when does she actually spend time with her dogs? She's been a state officer for years but she prefers solving riddles and doing detective work. I didn't get a real sense of why she would stick with state police work when she really doesn't like it and why she wouldn't go into business as a private detective instead.
And then the weird inconsistencies:
First it jarred me that she admitted she disliked her gun and that she feared she would hesitate to use it. She had never really been in the line of fire and yet was a career Chicago-area officer. Does this mean she's mostly been on desk duty? Any officer that ever hesitates to use their tools may not even make it out of the rookie phase, and she would definitely have seen street action at some point and might have easily had to use her weapon just in researching a case while being a detective. This didn't add up with her being of such high reputation that she would be considered for a task force of this one's magnitude.
Second, the EVIDENCE! She's working one case and then wants to look at another few facets of a whole pile of other cases. The sheriff goes "Oh, that's fine, just pull anything you need. The boxes are all right there." Uh, what? Protecting the chain of custody is the FIRST rule of forensic evidence. You can't just have free rein in the evidence locker to pull here and there from different cases. Every single case has to be checked out, signed for, and put back in its place. No wonder the task force because no evidence is protected if no one is filling out proper paperwork and is just digging through boxes willy-nilly!
I won't continue ranting about some of the other major inconsistencies, but one thing that's worth mentioning is that Henderson in the past has written heavily evangelical novels which have touched on the heart of what faith is and offered the hope of that faith to many different folks in the course of the story. In contrast, Ann (a major character in this novel) has known many victims for a matter of years and they are still miserable and without belief...I kept wanting Jennifer to show up and start passing Bibles around to all the folks she cares about. The sheer number of folks in the book who don't believe, and the ones who do making only passing, quick mentions of faith/prayer to each other and not to the hurting unbelievers, ends up leaving the novel on a downer note and doesn't portray faith in the same way that Henderson has done in the past (as a gift to be shared in the past vs. a personal aid that isn't life-absorbing in this one).
Trigger warnings:
-child molestation (not detailed)
-animals involved in car crashes
-manipulative, controlling character
I may read the second book since I own the hardcover, but I'm not excited about it.
April 23, 2016
"Traces of Guilt" is general fiction, not a romantic suspense. Evie is happy as a single woman (by which she means she's happy dating a man who wants to marry her but whom she doesn't intend to marry). This doesn't change, but we don't meet her boyfriend.
The task force was looking at a bunch of cold cases, so there's no suspense. They talk about what might have happened and possible leads. They talk about what they did and what they discovered. They think and talk about how they feel very sad and how heartbreaking and painful it is to work these cases. We're rarely allowed to be "in on the action" with an actual scene of an interview or finding physical evidence.
There were plenty of cases--a missing girl, a missing family, missing parents, two murdered pedophiles, and a woman in hiding from a killer--yet it's not a mystery genre. In two of the missing cases, they know whodunit. It's just a matter of finding the bodies, and they know where to look. There was no justice in those cases, just providing resolution. Gab and Evie also worked the missing family case, which got nowhere and Evie went home. Then, in the last chapter, a new, chance clue allowed Gab to solve the case, and Gab provided Evie (and the reader) with a brief summary of his investigation. We don't even know whodunit exists before this point. Again, no justice. And, for all her work, Evie didn't solve any of the mysteries.
Frankly, what we had were six viewpoint characters struggling emotionally with what happened in the past and what they want in the future. That was the focus of the story. The Thane family was nice, but I didn't really connect with the women characters. The Christian element was a few prayers and the fact that they go to church. There was no sex or bad language.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
The task force was looking at a bunch of cold cases, so there's no suspense. They talk about what might have happened and possible leads. They talk about what they did and what they discovered. They think and talk about how they feel very sad and how heartbreaking and painful it is to work these cases. We're rarely allowed to be "in on the action" with an actual scene of an interview or finding physical evidence.
There were plenty of cases--a missing girl, a missing family, missing parents, two murdered pedophiles, and a woman in hiding from a killer--yet it's not a mystery genre. In two of the missing cases, they know whodunit. It's just a matter of finding the bodies, and they know where to look. There was no justice in those cases, just providing resolution. Gab and Evie also worked the missing family case, which got nowhere and Evie went home. Then, in the last chapter, a new, chance clue allowed Gab to solve the case, and Gab provided Evie (and the reader) with a brief summary of his investigation. We don't even know whodunit exists before this point. Again, no justice. And, for all her work, Evie didn't solve any of the mysteries.
Frankly, what we had were six viewpoint characters struggling emotionally with what happened in the past and what they want in the future. That was the focus of the story. The Thane family was nice, but I didn't really connect with the women characters. The Christian element was a few prayers and the fact that they go to church. There was no sex or bad language.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 26, 2016
Dee Henderson is the popular and award-winning author of many bestselling series, but honestly, after reading her latest novel, I don’t see what all the hype for her writing is about. “Traces of Guilt: An Evie Blackwell Cold Case”, was published by Bethany House late in 2016. It is presumably the first of a new series, but is somehow connected to many of Henderson’s previous books as well. In any case, I was excited to dive into what I hoped would be a fascinating mystery filled with twists and turns as a years-old mystery is finally solved. That’s what a cold case mystery novel is, right? Unfortunately, not so much...
“Traces of Guilt” was disappointing for several primary reasons.
#1. The dialogue! Constant conversing caused me to close the book in disgust numerous times. The characters talked and talked and talked, but rarely in realistic-sounding conversations. The majority of the story, including character development and mystery solving, was revealed through dialogue. It was truly annoying.
#2. The mystery element was unsatisfactory. There were too many cold case mysteries vying for the reader’s attention, yet several of them were solved before they even really had a chance to be opened. It was strange. Even stranger was the fact that a couple of the mysteries were not solved at all, and the primary case was extremely anticlimactic.
#3. It was depressing. “Traces of Guilt” was no lift-your-spirits, justice-is-found, the-families-finally-have-closure story. No, it was more like a haunting walk through the past, which happened to be filled with numerous, ugly, troubling secrets. The darkness of this book often overshadowed everything else, and was perhaps the biggest reason for my dislike.
#4. It was boring. I had to strive not to fall asleep! In a book labelled as Romantic Suspense, wouldn’t you expect a little, say, romance and suspense? Well, “Traces of Guilt” had very little of either. It was more focused on introspection, mostly through dialogue (see Reason #1).
As is probably crystal clear by now, I had very little patience for the first book in the “Evie Blackwell Cold Case” series, and do not plan on reading the next title. If you are an ardent fan of Dee Henderson who reads and enjoys each one of her books, perhaps you will find this one to your liking. But if you aren’t an ardent fan, well, I don’t recommend it... There are so many other Christian Romantic Suspense novels available that are exponentially better.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”
“Traces of Guilt” was disappointing for several primary reasons.
#1. The dialogue! Constant conversing caused me to close the book in disgust numerous times. The characters talked and talked and talked, but rarely in realistic-sounding conversations. The majority of the story, including character development and mystery solving, was revealed through dialogue. It was truly annoying.
#2. The mystery element was unsatisfactory. There were too many cold case mysteries vying for the reader’s attention, yet several of them were solved before they even really had a chance to be opened. It was strange. Even stranger was the fact that a couple of the mysteries were not solved at all, and the primary case was extremely anticlimactic.
#3. It was depressing. “Traces of Guilt” was no lift-your-spirits, justice-is-found, the-families-finally-have-closure story. No, it was more like a haunting walk through the past, which happened to be filled with numerous, ugly, troubling secrets. The darkness of this book often overshadowed everything else, and was perhaps the biggest reason for my dislike.
#4. It was boring. I had to strive not to fall asleep! In a book labelled as Romantic Suspense, wouldn’t you expect a little, say, romance and suspense? Well, “Traces of Guilt” had very little of either. It was more focused on introspection, mostly through dialogue (see Reason #1).
As is probably crystal clear by now, I had very little patience for the first book in the “Evie Blackwell Cold Case” series, and do not plan on reading the next title. If you are an ardent fan of Dee Henderson who reads and enjoys each one of her books, perhaps you will find this one to your liking. But if you aren’t an ardent fan, well, I don’t recommend it... There are so many other Christian Romantic Suspense novels available that are exponentially better.
“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”
July 22, 2016
Sigh. I miss the Dee Henderson I once knew. I wish we could go back to the interim between True Honor 2011 and Unspoken in 2015 and undo whatever happened to change her writing. I honestly think if she hadn't set the bar so high with The O'Malley's and the Uncommon Heroes books I would really like her new books. There are interesting characters and great story lines, they just don't the have the action they used to and the writing is so stilted, it just doesn't seem real.
For instance, do you know anyone who talks this way?
"She's there. As soon as Ann put up that photo, I knew she would be." Caleb leaned over to pour more coffee. "Invite Grace to dinner tomorrow, let's start putting comfortable friends around her. I don't want her brooding out there, alone and back in Carin where the memories are the strongest."
There's an element of realism there, but not quite, it's just too formal. Comfortable people? Who says that? It's not just that paragraph, I got so hung up on so many.
And the relationships are SO unreal and I don't mean the kind we know are fiction, but wish they could still happen. Or fiction so we know this can't happen. More so made to be believable, but they so aren't. Sorry, in my world no guy and girl are that close of friends without something happening. And the spouse is not going to be that comfortable with it. Just radical relationships. Possible? Maybe. Probable? Nope.
Don't get me wrong, The O'Malley's were not real either, 7 orphans who grow up remarkably well adjusted in a orphanage and make their own family? We know that is fiction from the outset and take it as such. There is just something about her writing now that almost seems.....autobiographical, maybe? Like we are supposed to believe these people really exist out there in the world. If they do, they aren't people I want to hang with. I'll go hang with The O'Malley's.
That sounds so harsh. I used to be one of Dee Henderson't biggest supporters and recommended her to everyone. Now, I'm guess I'm just disappointed.
For instance, do you know anyone who talks this way?
"She's there. As soon as Ann put up that photo, I knew she would be." Caleb leaned over to pour more coffee. "Invite Grace to dinner tomorrow, let's start putting comfortable friends around her. I don't want her brooding out there, alone and back in Carin where the memories are the strongest."
There's an element of realism there, but not quite, it's just too formal. Comfortable people? Who says that? It's not just that paragraph, I got so hung up on so many.
And the relationships are SO unreal and I don't mean the kind we know are fiction, but wish they could still happen. Or fiction so we know this can't happen. More so made to be believable, but they so aren't. Sorry, in my world no guy and girl are that close of friends without something happening. And the spouse is not going to be that comfortable with it. Just radical relationships. Possible? Maybe. Probable? Nope.
Don't get me wrong, The O'Malley's were not real either, 7 orphans who grow up remarkably well adjusted in a orphanage and make their own family? We know that is fiction from the outset and take it as such. There is just something about her writing now that almost seems.....autobiographical, maybe? Like we are supposed to believe these people really exist out there in the world. If they do, they aren't people I want to hang with. I'll go hang with The O'Malley's.
That sounds so harsh. I used to be one of Dee Henderson't biggest supporters and recommended her to everyone. Now, I'm guess I'm just disappointed.
June 26, 2016
This book was a wonderful thrill ride! The main character, Evie Blackwell, has come to a small Illinois town to launch a statewide cold crimes task force. She is charged with looking at two unsolved crimes that have lingered in Carin County's memory for many years - the disappearance of a tourist couple's young daughter from their hotel and the disappearance of a local sheriff's deputy and his entire family.
As she gets into her detective work, Evie works closely with local sheriff Gabriel Thane. The two quickly fall into a good working relationship and there are some clear hints of attraction from the beginning. However, this book is definitely more about the mysteries and the relationships between Evie, Gabriel, and their closest family and friend rather than simply an Evie-Gabriel story. And it works. I get the sense that Evie and Gabriel's story is one that will unfold as a larger story arc throughout the series.
I liked all of the main characters in this book, and I loved the plot action. Even though it's not high action, thrill-a-minute kind of stuff, watching Evie and Gabriel chase leads and piece together what had happened to their missing persons kept me highly engaged with the book. I already can't wait for the next book in the series!
As she gets into her detective work, Evie works closely with local sheriff Gabriel Thane. The two quickly fall into a good working relationship and there are some clear hints of attraction from the beginning. However, this book is definitely more about the mysteries and the relationships between Evie, Gabriel, and their closest family and friend rather than simply an Evie-Gabriel story. And it works. I get the sense that Evie and Gabriel's story is one that will unfold as a larger story arc throughout the series.
I liked all of the main characters in this book, and I loved the plot action. Even though it's not high action, thrill-a-minute kind of stuff, watching Evie and Gabriel chase leads and piece together what had happened to their missing persons kept me highly engaged with the book. I already can't wait for the next book in the series!
February 24, 2016
This book is another complex mystery going in several directions. Like her last book, this one does not have a complete romance. There are romantic threads, but the focus is on the community of characters and solving the cold cases. Those who have read prior books will enjoy seeing some of those characters come back, while still being wrapped in a story filled with wonderful new characters. I enjoyed it!
August 25, 2020
I’m very close to being completely done with Mrs. Henderson’s books (other than rereads of the O’Malleys and a selected few other books I already know I love). I still have copies of two more of her books that I haven’t yet read, but hope is running super thin about whether or not I’ll enjoy them. So sad, because they have beautiful covers and great blurbs.
There are spoilers ahead.
I wanted so much to love this book. Forensic Files is one of my favorite true-life shows on TV, because I love it when science is used to solve cold cases. I was hoping that this cold case series would be enjoyable and a throwback to an O’Malley style of story.
It wasn’t.
The character of Ann Falcon has returned to ruin yet another book with her completely controlling personality. I cannot imagine how she was such a “great cop” in the past, because any beat cop knows you can’t control outcomes of searches for dead bodies or the reactions of family members of crime victims or anything else really. All you can do is control yourself. But this character tries in this book to control what her friends say or do to each other, whether or not a body will be found on a piece of property because it will be “the better outcome” for the owner if a body isn’t found, and what information is given to a particular character by more than one person outside of herself because Ann assumes the person can’t handle the truth all at once or at all. I’m just so done with Ann Falcon.
Why does she keep popping up in these books as a very significant character when the standalones and even this series are not mentioned to be interconnected anywhere on any of their Goodreads pages?
Honestly, the best thing about Ann Falcon is her dog, Black. Love that critter.
Let’s talk about Evie for a sec. When we first meet her, she’s just been in a car wreck because a huge deer jumped in front of her car. So she has a concussion on top of a headache. (By the way, the headache is likely a symptom of the concussion, not a separate thing as indicated. I’ve had a concussion with a headache symptom before and researched concussions and their symptoms a few times, so this did not ring true to me.) She whines and talks about nonexistent ice cream a few times as if she were a two-year-old child who got a boo-boo. Once she realizes that she made a horrible first impression, she still comes off as quite immature. Yet somehow this lady has made it all the way to detective. Okay. Setting aside the maturity issues, because maybe she’s different when she’s on the job, let’s look at current evidence of her skills. She hesitates to use her gun, doesn’t even like carrying one, even though that’s a job requirement. Any cop who hesitates to use their weapon when it’s needed (but not to be trigger-happy, because that’s a whole different beast to tackle) would immediately be put on leave because they’d be a danger to themselves and the people they’re supposed to protect and serve. Also, she spooks easily, and a different character makes note of that. What kind of police detective spooks easily? Isn’t that trained out of them? Haven’t they seen so much trauma and crime that they’d stop jumping at shadows and being shocked to death when someone comes into the room behind them, especially if it’s someone they already know? I just did not believe that someone with these kinds of issues would be a police detective on good standing with her bosses and coworkers.
I liked that there was more action, more character interaction, more clues and actual police work than what was present in a couple of previous books in which people just sat around talking the cases to death or, worse, stared at each other for hours on Skype or something while the other was working. So this book was not 100% boring like those other ones. But the controlling factor was atrocious and not something I liked reading.
Needless to say, but I will anyway: I’m not looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Unfortunately, I have a copy and will be reading it this week. Yippee.
There are spoilers ahead.
I wanted so much to love this book. Forensic Files is one of my favorite true-life shows on TV, because I love it when science is used to solve cold cases. I was hoping that this cold case series would be enjoyable and a throwback to an O’Malley style of story.
It wasn’t.
The character of Ann Falcon has returned to ruin yet another book with her completely controlling personality. I cannot imagine how she was such a “great cop” in the past, because any beat cop knows you can’t control outcomes of searches for dead bodies or the reactions of family members of crime victims or anything else really. All you can do is control yourself. But this character tries in this book to control what her friends say or do to each other, whether or not a body will be found on a piece of property because it will be “the better outcome” for the owner if a body isn’t found, and what information is given to a particular character by more than one person outside of herself because Ann assumes the person can’t handle the truth all at once or at all. I’m just so done with Ann Falcon.
Why does she keep popping up in these books as a very significant character when the standalones and even this series are not mentioned to be interconnected anywhere on any of their Goodreads pages?
Honestly, the best thing about Ann Falcon is her dog, Black. Love that critter.
Let’s talk about Evie for a sec. When we first meet her, she’s just been in a car wreck because a huge deer jumped in front of her car. So she has a concussion on top of a headache. (By the way, the headache is likely a symptom of the concussion, not a separate thing as indicated. I’ve had a concussion with a headache symptom before and researched concussions and their symptoms a few times, so this did not ring true to me.) She whines and talks about nonexistent ice cream a few times as if she were a two-year-old child who got a boo-boo. Once she realizes that she made a horrible first impression, she still comes off as quite immature. Yet somehow this lady has made it all the way to detective. Okay. Setting aside the maturity issues, because maybe she’s different when she’s on the job, let’s look at current evidence of her skills. She hesitates to use her gun, doesn’t even like carrying one, even though that’s a job requirement. Any cop who hesitates to use their weapon when it’s needed (but not to be trigger-happy, because that’s a whole different beast to tackle) would immediately be put on leave because they’d be a danger to themselves and the people they’re supposed to protect and serve. Also, she spooks easily, and a different character makes note of that. What kind of police detective spooks easily? Isn’t that trained out of them? Haven’t they seen so much trauma and crime that they’d stop jumping at shadows and being shocked to death when someone comes into the room behind them, especially if it’s someone they already know? I just did not believe that someone with these kinds of issues would be a police detective on good standing with her bosses and coworkers.
I liked that there was more action, more character interaction, more clues and actual police work than what was present in a couple of previous books in which people just sat around talking the cases to death or, worse, stared at each other for hours on Skype or something while the other was working. So this book was not 100% boring like those other ones. But the controlling factor was atrocious and not something I liked reading.
Needless to say, but I will anyway: I’m not looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Unfortunately, I have a copy and will be reading it this week. Yippee.
October 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, though it doesn't have the same 'feel' that Dee Henderson's earliest work has. Those books were focused more on the suspense and the romance, and this book (as with her most recent books) focus less on romance and more on relationships in general (in this case friendships) and on the procedures of solving the mysteries. While it's different for sure, I find that I like them equally.
I liked that there were some aspects about each of the cases in this book that could be inferred from previous information we'd gained about the cases, but that there were also some twists and turns. I felt Evie's frustration when a few leads she'd looked into didn't play out the way she'd expected. I also felt the heartbreak of the Thane family, especially, when things were revealed about their little corner of Illinois and what had happened there a decade ago. I really hope we'll see more of the Thane family in the next Evie book!
I liked that there were some aspects about each of the cases in this book that could be inferred from previous information we'd gained about the cases, but that there were also some twists and turns. I felt Evie's frustration when a few leads she'd looked into didn't play out the way she'd expected. I also felt the heartbreak of the Thane family, especially, when things were revealed about their little corner of Illinois and what had happened there a decade ago. I really hope we'll see more of the Thane family in the next Evie book!
May 31, 2017
Working title: The Agnostic Book Club read Christian fiction
First impression: Hmm... Really not my cup of tea. Too many characters, which means most are very superficial. Everyone-must-have-a-deep-and-dark-secret trope. Tension building is a bit so-so. In short, the sections about faith and Christianity are surprisingly the least irritating ones, because they kinda work whereas the story itself doesn't. I know that it's hard to build suspense when the cases studied are over 10 years old, but this book just had identity issues. The framework and plot are based on the book being a crime novel, but the writing focuses more on the relationships and world views of individual characters. Had it been one over the other, the setup might have worked, but now it just felt messy. Hopefully the book club discussion will help me understand this one better.
Post-bookclub meeting: TBC
First impression: Hmm... Really not my cup of tea. Too many characters, which means most are very superficial. Everyone-must-have-a-deep-and-dark-secret trope. Tension building is a bit so-so. In short, the sections about faith and Christianity are surprisingly the least irritating ones, because they kinda work whereas the story itself doesn't. I know that it's hard to build suspense when the cases studied are over 10 years old, but this book just had identity issues. The framework and plot are based on the book being a crime novel, but the writing focuses more on the relationships and world views of individual characters. Had it been one over the other, the setup might have worked, but now it just felt messy. Hopefully the book club discussion will help me understand this one better.
Post-bookclub meeting: TBC
October 20, 2018
That was a looooooong book, but very good, as per usual with Dee Henderson!
September 30, 2016
This book was so much better than I expected. It kept guessing and thinking from the begging to the end.
October 11, 2018
Audible version
Cons:
Wasn’t a fan of the dialogue. Tons of unnaturally stiff dialogue.
No basic character background. Who are these people? How do they know each other? Etc.
Force fed religious propaganda throughout the book. This is not a romance mystery or otherwise. What chemistry? The relationships are minor subplots to the mystery. Btw it’s solved but no HEA/resolution etc. Just closure.
Trigger ⚠️ pedophilia, molestation, child abuse
Did I mention this book is heavy on religion? Well it is. Idk anyone who has friends to pray over them. I kept picturing those evangelical programs... “laying hands”
Positive
The mystery wasn’t awful.
The narrator did a good enough job.
1 never again stars
Cons:
Wasn’t a fan of the dialogue. Tons of unnaturally stiff dialogue.
No basic character background. Who are these people? How do they know each other? Etc.
Force fed religious propaganda throughout the book. This is not a romance mystery or otherwise. What chemistry? The relationships are minor subplots to the mystery. Btw it’s solved but no HEA/resolution etc. Just closure.
Trigger ⚠️ pedophilia, molestation, child abuse
Did I mention this book is heavy on religion? Well it is. Idk anyone who has friends to pray over them. I kept picturing those evangelical programs... “laying hands”
Positive
The mystery wasn’t awful.
The narrator did a good enough job.
1 never again stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2023
3.75⭐️
June 1, 2016
Dee Henderson is such an experienced and engaging writer. I was really looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint!
There are many dynamics and threads running through this book and also characters and mentions of characters from previous books. So even though this can be read as a stand alone and, I believe, is the start of a new series, it does help if you are familiar with and have read her previous books (especially the more recent ones).
I enjoyed getting to know the Thane brothers. Each one had their own personality and situations in life. You get a look into each one in this small town story - enough to get invested and hope to hear more about them in the future books! I think I probably liked Gabriel the best. He seemed to have the most character of the three. Josh is quieter and more in the background and Will is a little on the solemn side due to his stint in the military. Although Will's reaction to Karen's past is probably the most romantic part of the story. :)
Like I said, there were several threads running through this book. Not only are you introduced to Evie, who is working 2 cold cases (with the help of Ann Falcon - a character from other Dee Henderson books) that end up running into a couple of other crimes, you also get introduced to Karen and her past. I'm not really sure that whole thing with Karen's past even fit in this book except to just give Will a romantic interest. Maybe it will be featured in a future book but I just didn't think it fit here. Then there is Grace, whose heartbreaking past is just being made known to the Thane family, who are all stricken by what they learn. Her story also includes a cold case that will affect the lives of the Thanes.
This book is a well written police procedural with a solid mystery that was intriguing to follow. Romantic suspense it was not. More of a family drama. I can only hope that the small small sparks of attraction between Gabriel and Evie will move forward in the next book. :D Also, this is not a light story. The cold cases and mysteries bring to light sexual abuse and murder as well as mention of a violent stalker and dead bodies. A clean read with no details just the facts of the cases. Reminded me of watching a cop TV show or movie.
*Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*
There are many dynamics and threads running through this book and also characters and mentions of characters from previous books. So even though this can be read as a stand alone and, I believe, is the start of a new series, it does help if you are familiar with and have read her previous books (especially the more recent ones).
I enjoyed getting to know the Thane brothers. Each one had their own personality and situations in life. You get a look into each one in this small town story - enough to get invested and hope to hear more about them in the future books! I think I probably liked Gabriel the best. He seemed to have the most character of the three. Josh is quieter and more in the background and Will is a little on the solemn side due to his stint in the military. Although Will's reaction to Karen's past is probably the most romantic part of the story. :)
Like I said, there were several threads running through this book. Not only are you introduced to Evie, who is working 2 cold cases (with the help of Ann Falcon - a character from other Dee Henderson books) that end up running into a couple of other crimes, you also get introduced to Karen and her past. I'm not really sure that whole thing with Karen's past even fit in this book except to just give Will a romantic interest. Maybe it will be featured in a future book but I just didn't think it fit here. Then there is Grace, whose heartbreaking past is just being made known to the Thane family, who are all stricken by what they learn. Her story also includes a cold case that will affect the lives of the Thanes.
This book is a well written police procedural with a solid mystery that was intriguing to follow. Romantic suspense it was not. More of a family drama. I can only hope that the small small sparks of attraction between Gabriel and Evie will move forward in the next book. :D Also, this is not a light story. The cold cases and mysteries bring to light sexual abuse and murder as well as mention of a violent stalker and dead bodies. A clean read with no details just the facts of the cases. Reminded me of watching a cop TV show or movie.
*Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*
May 18, 2016
This is yet another well-written crime investigation novel by the dependable Dee Henderson. This introduction to her new series has her tried and true formula at play: a group of like-minded 30-and-40-somethings that are connected by mutual friends, similar professions, and tragedy. Evie Blackwell seems like she will be an interesting character, but she really didn't get much playing time here; much of this story actually involves side characters Grace and Josh. Actually, that probably is my main complaint: the book tries for an ensemble, but because of this I never really felt truly invested or immersed in any of the characters and their back stories. Even Grace's story barely skates beyond the surface of the tragedy and her resulting emotional and psychological fallout (the trauma is more discussed by her friends, rather than shown). It gave me as a reader the sense that Henderson is holding her cards close to the chest, which is fine, until the book ends with not much of a reveal at all. I was left still waiting to feel that connection. Another personal pet peeve: all of the characters share a very similar voice. It's as though they are all related to each other and share all of the same communication styles, idioms, conversational styles and basic personalities. I'd love to "hear" a unique character every once in awhile.
* A review copy was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
* A review copy was provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
May 17, 2019
I initially added this book to my TBR when I saw it is about solving cold cases - I just love that series "Cold Case" and enjoyed this dramatic mystery (probably more because I listed to an audiobook version than reading, because it is quite long).
Dee Henderson delivered a story with very intriguing cold cases which kept me interested since I did not know what the ending will be and at one point thought that one might remain unsolved. Which I would have hated, but in real life there is a lot of cold cases still to be resolved, or even those who gets resolved but no justice because there is no one to prosecute. Then, she also provided characters with some very heartbreaking pasts (Grace), 3 brothers who I adored and hope will continue in this series, or even a series of their own, a sweet Angel girl who was just a ray of sunshine in the cloudy days and some past characters I've come to know and love (Ann, Paul and Rachel).
Do not expect fast pacing suspense like her O'Malley series, but rather a story focused on family and friends (much like the O'Malley tight-knit group), with some detective work as you follow Evie's search for the truth. There is also no romance, so if you prefer a story focused more on mystery than romance, this should be your kind of book.
There was a lot of unresolved threads still at the end, which I hope will be resolved in the next book, or if more books are planned, in the series.
I can totally see this series as a great TV-series.
Dee Henderson delivered a story with very intriguing cold cases which kept me interested since I did not know what the ending will be and at one point thought that one might remain unsolved. Which I would have hated, but in real life there is a lot of cold cases still to be resolved, or even those who gets resolved but no justice because there is no one to prosecute. Then, she also provided characters with some very heartbreaking pasts (Grace), 3 brothers who I adored and hope will continue in this series, or even a series of their own, a sweet Angel girl who was just a ray of sunshine in the cloudy days and some past characters I've come to know and love (Ann, Paul and Rachel).
Do not expect fast pacing suspense like her O'Malley series, but rather a story focused on family and friends (much like the O'Malley tight-knit group), with some detective work as you follow Evie's search for the truth. There is also no romance, so if you prefer a story focused more on mystery than romance, this should be your kind of book.
There was a lot of unresolved threads still at the end, which I hope will be resolved in the next book, or if more books are planned, in the series.
I can totally see this series as a great TV-series.
January 22, 2022
I was actually quite surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. It followed several different characters but never became confusing. I like that the author had a number of different POVs. The system in which Evie processed cases was interesting. The romance was very low-key, it was more friendship-based than romantic.
Most of the characters were believers and prayed on a regular basis. I found that refreshing. I loved the relationship that all of the characters had with each other. It felt real and honest.
I did get lost a little in the change of time and scenery. The details surrounding the sensitive subjects were handled well and with minimal description. It was enough to get the point across.
Rating: PG-13 - some violence, murder, child abuse
Language: clean read
Recommend: yes
Most of the characters were believers and prayed on a regular basis. I found that refreshing. I loved the relationship that all of the characters had with each other. It felt real and honest.
I did get lost a little in the change of time and scenery. The details surrounding the sensitive subjects were handled well and with minimal description. It was enough to get the point across.
Rating: PG-13 - some violence, murder, child abuse
Language: clean read
Recommend: yes
April 28, 2017
I love Dee Henderson's books. They are beautifully written. Most are mysteries that keep me up late, reading past when I should be asleep. Her characters are real. They have real struggles, real pain. I am so glad Ms. Henderson is still writing.
This book is about Evie who is trying to solve two cold cases while on vacation. Ann and Paul from Full Disclosure are in this book. This is a great stand alone book, but is somewhat tied to her series that is not a series- Full Disclosure, Unspoken, Undetected, & Taken, as Ann and Paul make appearances in all of these books. I love a good series, and I love repeated characters, and these books fulfill that.
Dee Henderson's characters are "real" enough that they will stay with you for weeks. Thank you for using your God-given talents, Ms Henderson, and writing beautiful, fascinating, smart, page-turner books.
This book is about Evie who is trying to solve two cold cases while on vacation. Ann and Paul from Full Disclosure are in this book. This is a great stand alone book, but is somewhat tied to her series that is not a series- Full Disclosure, Unspoken, Undetected, & Taken, as Ann and Paul make appearances in all of these books. I love a good series, and I love repeated characters, and these books fulfill that.
Dee Henderson's characters are "real" enough that they will stay with you for weeks. Thank you for using your God-given talents, Ms Henderson, and writing beautiful, fascinating, smart, page-turner books.
August 24, 2016
I think in order to enjoy Dee Henderson's new storytelling style you have to let go of the O'Malleys. Yes cherish them and reread them and display those books on your keeper shelves, but opening a current Henderson novel and expecting an O'Malley type of story isn't doing the author or the reader any favours.
No matter what style she's writing in, Henderson is still the best at showing the slow but steady journey towards relationship. At the beginning of Traces of Guilt, Evie and Gabriel don't even know each other -- they have a bang up first meet that develops into a professional respect and then friendship over the course of the story. I like Evie and I like Gabriel and I'd like to see them romantically linked. That hasn't happened in this book but since this is labeled as An Evie Blackwell Cold Case, I'm hoping there's another book which will lead to the resolution I long for.
This isn't a nail-biting-edge-of-your-seat kind of read. Instead the author has chosen to highlight the methodical, painstaking process of police work. It's a fascinating look into the thought process of a detective. And when they talk shop it's full of realistic dialogue which isn't always riveting and is sometimes repetitive.
In a broader sense, this is a Thane family story. We're introduced to brothers, Josh, Will and Gabe. Given enough meat to whet our appetite for further books. Each brother has a complicated relationship with a woman they are interested in and Ann Turner (a recurring character from previous books) seems to know the secrets of all these women. She's as cryptic as ever -- warning without explaining, throwing out hints until your mind runs in a thousand gruesome directions but rarely coming out with something substantial when you think she should. But that's Ann -- keeper of secrets. And she does reveal all eventually.
Not your typical suspense since it highlights methodology rather than action. I can usually read a book in a day -- especially when it's an edge-of-your-seater -- but it took me three days to finish Traces of Guilt. Not because I wasn't intrigued...but I didn't feel the kind of sense of urgency that would keep me up at night turning pages. A good, steady, enjoyable read with promise of more to come.
No matter what style she's writing in, Henderson is still the best at showing the slow but steady journey towards relationship. At the beginning of Traces of Guilt, Evie and Gabriel don't even know each other -- they have a bang up first meet that develops into a professional respect and then friendship over the course of the story. I like Evie and I like Gabriel and I'd like to see them romantically linked. That hasn't happened in this book but since this is labeled as An Evie Blackwell Cold Case, I'm hoping there's another book which will lead to the resolution I long for.
This isn't a nail-biting-edge-of-your-seat kind of read. Instead the author has chosen to highlight the methodical, painstaking process of police work. It's a fascinating look into the thought process of a detective. And when they talk shop it's full of realistic dialogue which isn't always riveting and is sometimes repetitive.
In a broader sense, this is a Thane family story. We're introduced to brothers, Josh, Will and Gabe. Given enough meat to whet our appetite for further books. Each brother has a complicated relationship with a woman they are interested in and Ann Turner (a recurring character from previous books) seems to know the secrets of all these women. She's as cryptic as ever -- warning without explaining, throwing out hints until your mind runs in a thousand gruesome directions but rarely coming out with something substantial when you think she should. But that's Ann -- keeper of secrets. And she does reveal all eventually.
Not your typical suspense since it highlights methodology rather than action. I can usually read a book in a day -- especially when it's an edge-of-your-seater -- but it took me three days to finish Traces of Guilt. Not because I wasn't intrigued...but I didn't feel the kind of sense of urgency that would keep me up at night turning pages. A good, steady, enjoyable read with promise of more to come.
February 26, 2017
Dee Henderson is one of my favorite authors, and this book only confirms that statement. It was fast-paced and interesting, and I loved reading it.
Spoiler alert:
What I liked: As in all of her books, Dee Henderson’s attention to detail in her research and the way she handles the logical steps of the investigative process is awesome. The brainstorming of the characters while trying to solve several cold case files is outstanding and moved the story along quickly. I also love the way the characters interact with each other. Even though Evie Blackwell and Gabriel Thane meet for the first time in the book, they treat each other as if they were old friends. This is a strong and pleasing trait in all of Ms. Henderson’s novels…the easy interaction between characters. I also liked the twist at the end of the book. One of the cold cases the investigative team was trying to resolve seemed to be unsolvable, but at the end of the story, all the loose ends of every case tied up neatly.
What I didn’t like: Even though the last cold case file was finally solved, there was a gap between when Evie packed up her research material for that case to go home and when the case was finally solved. During those few pages, I found myself skimming uninteresting paragraphs to get back to the main plot.
Over all, I give this book five stars. It was a fantastic story, and even though there was no heart-pounding suspense in the story, the combination of a motivating plot, believable characters, and an all-around good story made it a fun book to read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book!
Spoiler alert:
What I liked: As in all of her books, Dee Henderson’s attention to detail in her research and the way she handles the logical steps of the investigative process is awesome. The brainstorming of the characters while trying to solve several cold case files is outstanding and moved the story along quickly. I also love the way the characters interact with each other. Even though Evie Blackwell and Gabriel Thane meet for the first time in the book, they treat each other as if they were old friends. This is a strong and pleasing trait in all of Ms. Henderson’s novels…the easy interaction between characters. I also liked the twist at the end of the book. One of the cold cases the investigative team was trying to resolve seemed to be unsolvable, but at the end of the story, all the loose ends of every case tied up neatly.
What I didn’t like: Even though the last cold case file was finally solved, there was a gap between when Evie packed up her research material for that case to go home and when the case was finally solved. During those few pages, I found myself skimming uninteresting paragraphs to get back to the main plot.
Over all, I give this book five stars. It was a fantastic story, and even though there was no heart-pounding suspense in the story, the combination of a motivating plot, believable characters, and an all-around good story made it a fun book to read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book!
June 13, 2016
Meh. This didn't fall to the level of some of Dee's later books that made me want to throw something (I'm looking at you, "Undetected"!), but it was still far from the level of the O'Malleys or even Uncommon Heroes series.
Too much. That's how I would sum up this book. Just too much going on. Too many mysteries, too many people with tragic back stories--just slightly over-the-top on most things. I realize a good, tragic back story can add a lot to a book, but pretty much EVERY ONE of the female characters have some sort of tragedy either in their past or even slightly ongoing. Add that to the fact that pretty much everything was wrapped up neatly, and one of them felt like it was just rushed to finish the book up, and you get a somewhat disappointing book.
I liked Evie okay, and I really enjoyed the three brothers (and I fell more than a little in love with the brothers' parents!!). I'm so over Ann it's ridiculous, though. She is my least favorite character Dee has ever written and now she won't go away!! The "Christian" side of the book is sadly lacking as it has been in several of her later books.
Will I read the next book? Probably. I've come to the conclusion that the Dee of old is gone, however, and that is a very sad thing.
Too much. That's how I would sum up this book. Just too much going on. Too many mysteries, too many people with tragic back stories--just slightly over-the-top on most things. I realize a good, tragic back story can add a lot to a book, but pretty much EVERY ONE of the female characters have some sort of tragedy either in their past or even slightly ongoing. Add that to the fact that pretty much everything was wrapped up neatly, and one of them felt like it was just rushed to finish the book up, and you get a somewhat disappointing book.
I liked Evie okay, and I really enjoyed the three brothers (and I fell more than a little in love with the brothers' parents!!). I'm so over Ann it's ridiculous, though. She is my least favorite character Dee has ever written and now she won't go away!! The "Christian" side of the book is sadly lacking as it has been in several of her later books.
Will I read the next book? Probably. I've come to the conclusion that the Dee of old is gone, however, and that is a very sad thing.
March 11, 2020
What do I like about Dee Henderson's writing?
— Intelligent dialog
— Multiple Christian characters
— Faith messages throughout, always organic
— Good who-done-it stories
— Wisdom
All of these items were in Traces of Guilt. However, this book was unlike most of her stories.
No one came to the Lord, no romance or people falling in love, not just one current case but several cold cases, seemingly connected, but as the build-up toward solutions is on the horizon there are, of course, surprises.
This one didn’t have the same level of suspense, but as in Dee's other books, the characters really make this book. Solid friendships and gentle cooperation from each person as they combine their efforts to find the answers.
Different, but still very good.
Characters:
Grace Arnette - assaulted for years by her pedophile uncle
Gabriel Thane - Carin County Sheriff
Josh Thane - Owns cadaver dogs, looking for remains of Grace's parents and a child from a cold case
Will Thane - retired combat medic, now mechanic
Caleb Thane - their dad
Evie Blackwell - Lieutenant, Illinois State Police
Ann Falcon - retired state cop
Karen Lewis - Chef, hiding from a killer, Will's girlfriend
— Intelligent dialog
— Multiple Christian characters
— Faith messages throughout, always organic
— Good who-done-it stories
— Wisdom
All of these items were in Traces of Guilt. However, this book was unlike most of her stories.
No one came to the Lord, no romance or people falling in love, not just one current case but several cold cases, seemingly connected, but as the build-up toward solutions is on the horizon there are, of course, surprises.
This one didn’t have the same level of suspense, but as in Dee's other books, the characters really make this book. Solid friendships and gentle cooperation from each person as they combine their efforts to find the answers.
Different, but still very good.
Characters:
Grace Arnette - assaulted for years by her pedophile uncle
Gabriel Thane - Carin County Sheriff
Josh Thane - Owns cadaver dogs, looking for remains of Grace's parents and a child from a cold case
Will Thane - retired combat medic, now mechanic
Caleb Thane - their dad
Evie Blackwell - Lieutenant, Illinois State Police
Ann Falcon - retired state cop
Karen Lewis - Chef, hiding from a killer, Will's girlfriend
dnf
July 23, 2020DNF 12%.
After trying it, I checked on amazon, and it’s categorised as “Christian fiction”.
It’s a particular sort of Christianity: here is a direct quote from the book, from one of the MCs talking to another:
“You’ll figure this out Ann. There’s a reason God brought the two of you together to be friends”.
This sort of thing will either encourage you or discourage you from reading it.
After trying it, I checked on amazon, and it’s categorised as “Christian fiction”.
It’s a particular sort of Christianity: here is a direct quote from the book, from one of the MCs talking to another:
“You’ll figure this out Ann. There’s a reason God brought the two of you together to be friends”.
This sort of thing will either encourage you or discourage you from reading it.
March 5, 2022
Absorbing tale. Meanders a bit.
Setting: Illinois (S of Chicago .. probably S’n part of the state) Carin (Clair ?) County
Ann & Paul, Will & Karen = solid couples
Josh & Grace, Gabriel Thane (Sheriff) & Evie B = working on solid frndshps
I sure did wonder about what happened to the deputy & his family so was glad the truth was discovered .. though it was very sad.
Setting: Illinois (S of Chicago .. probably S’n part of the state) Carin (Clair ?) County
Ann & Paul, Will & Karen = solid couples
Josh & Grace, Gabriel Thane (Sheriff) & Evie B = working on solid frndshps
I sure did wonder about what happened to the deputy & his family so was glad the truth was discovered .. though it was very sad.
March 17, 2020
Another reviewer summed it up rather well:
"The combination of a motivating plot, believable characters, and an all-around good story made it a fun book to read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book!"
"The combination of a motivating plot, believable characters, and an all-around good story made it a fun book to read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book!"
December 29, 2023
This book surprised me. If was different than Dee Henderson’s other books. I like the cold case approach, it was still a mystery but yet so different. I rlly liked the different POVS from all the characters. Ahhh I’m so happy that Ann and Paul were in so much of the book!! And other past characters were mentioned; it made me soooo happy ;) loved the different angles of the three brothers and how the romance/attraction was more subtle.
August 8, 2018
I had almost given up on Dee Henderson, but my sister told me this series was a little better, and showed some improvement over other recent books. I'm glad I listened to her, because this book was definitely worth the read. Character development has improved greatly. Plots were less manicured, and more believable. Still far from her best work, but I'm hopeful she will continue to improve!
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