Christmas Cover-Up

Family Reunions #2

by Lynette Eason, Laura Scott

Lives in the balance…Christmas Cover-Up by Lynette EasonFourteen years ago, Detective Katie Randall’s sister Lucy was kidnapped, and now she’s determined to solve the case. Her only option is to team up with the man whose family hates her. Former FBI agent Jordan Grey knows Katie isn’t to blame for his brother’s death, but he can’t risk hurting his parents by falling for Katie. He’ll have to focus on finding Lucy. But when the two uncover the truth, will the kidnapper turn killer?FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!Her Mistletoe Protector by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Laura ScottPinned inside her wrecked car, Rachel Simon is powerless to stop her son’s abduction. Desperate, Rachel turns to Detective Nick Butler for help. Burdened by his own painful past, Nick is determined not to fail. But the lawman will have to put all his investigative skills to the test to reunite mother and son and get his own chance at redemption—and love.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Christian Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Love Inspired Suspense, Christian

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Lynette Eason grew up in Greenville, SC. She graduated from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and then obtained her masters in education from Converse College. Author of twenty inspirational romantic suspense books, she is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In 1996, Lynette married "the boy next door" and now she and her husband and their two children make their home in Simpsonville, South Carolina."

Series:
. Amazon Adventure
. High Stakes
. Women of Justice

Reviews

[Staci · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some mystery/suspense books (Lee Child's Jack Reacher comes to mind) where the most improbable things become believable. Then there are books where the events that happen seem so unreal. Christmas Cover-Up struck me as unrealistic much of the time. The main character was a bit like a cat with nine lives and I began to wonder what else could happen to her and what other insurance policy could be tapped during the course of the book.

I also found the quick relationship that built between Katie and Jordan to be stilted and hard to grasp. Katie's frequent lip biting was distracting as well.

On the plus side, I did like the happy ending.

This book has a very high rating on Amazon (between 4 and 5 stars on average) so it must appeal to many readers out there, but was not for me. I have another Lynette Eason book on my Kindle and do look forward to giving her another try.

[Joy Crain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fourteen years ago, 7 year old Lucy Randall was kidnapped. From that day since, her older sister Kate has been looking for her. And as much as Kate doesn't want to admit it, she needs help. Help in the form of Jordan Grey. But how can they work together? After all, isn't she responsible for his younger brother's death?

This was a fast paced, interesting mystery that I couldn't wait to finish. Filled with a lot of action and intrigue, this one is definitely something that you should pick up if you like cozy romantic mysteries.

This book is appropriate for ages 13 and up for some mature content (non-sexual) and some violence.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just another delightful Eason mystery! This one really kept me guessing and I had a very hard time figuring out who was the bad guy in the story. Lots of twists and lots of great action in this one.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Seven-year-old Lucy Randall had been kidnapped in broad daylight fourteen years ago, and now Detective Katie Randall is determined to solve her sister's case. Her only option is to team up with the man whose family hates her. Former FBI agent Jordan Grey knows the beautiful cop isn't to blame for his brother's death, but he can't risk causing his parents more pain by falling for Katie. He'll have to focus on finding Lucy. But when Katie and Jordan uncover the truth, will this kidnapper turn killer?

REVIEW: Another good mystery from Lynette Eason. I enjoyed both the main characters as they dealt with past problems that affected their relationships with the parents. As they solved the mystery, they were also able to resolve the relationship issues through faith. Filled with love, mystery, and God's work in their lives, this was a good mystery read.

[Sarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romantic suspense, but not as much as Lynette's other novels. In her other novels, the romance is secondary to the suspense, whereas in this book the suspense was almost secondary to the mystery/suspense. The actual suspense was only about 20% of the final pages.

But as always, Lynette had me guessing on who the kidnapper was right till the end. She is one of the few who can keep me guessing. I enjoyed the suspense/mystery part of the book, though I let the book sit a few days which won't normally happen with one of her books.

The relationship between Jordan and Katie developed to fast for my liking, but I enjoyed how they challenged each other in dealing with past hurts.

The themes of forgiveness and how bitterness can affect family and loved ones was a strong theme in this story.

Recommended to fans of romantic mysteries/suspense.

[Dorel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 2nd book's story line was okay. This book's story line was slow but had more action in it than HIDE AND SEEK. I liked Katie's character. My heart broke 💔 for Katie. I liked Jordan's character. I liked the ending. This story didn't feel Christmas🎄 to me.

[Angie Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable and suspenseful read. Plenty of life-threatening situations to go around, as Katie discovers that someone is desperate to stop her investigation of her sister's disappearance. I'd figured out the villain and his motivation before the reveal, but not too far before, and it was certainly an unusual solution!

I appreciated the fact that Katie and Jordan didn't try to deny their attraction to each other through the whole book, even if they did fight against it for quite a while. And at least their backstory gave a plausible reason for the "I can't have him/her" argument that took them so long to get over. It did seem like more than the usual number of people carrying around loads of unnecessary guilt, though...

One small thing that bothered me out of proportion to its importance in the story--whatever your view on eternal security, I'm not sure how someone can be certain his brother who was running drugs at the time of his death is in heaven based on a profession he made at church camp as a teenager. Hope, yes, but certainty seemed a little much. :S

3.5 stars

Content--attempted murder including snipers, arson, and running a car off the road; references to murders (not seen) and kidnapping; mentions of blood and wounds (not detailed); a few kisses; references to drugs and drinking

[Rebecca "Rebaka" Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting to read this 2nd book of Family Reunions. This story reintroduced us to Katie Randall and the loss of her younger sister, Lucy. Can Jordan Grey help find the truth before things get out of hand?

Thank you Loraine for letting me read this story. It was a traveling book that has gone to several states and have been read by good and wonderful people.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. I’ve read books by Lynette Eason before and this was as good as I expected. I hadn’t read a book by Laura Scott before and this wasn’t my favorite of this genre, that being said I enjoyed Christmas Cover-Up more than Her Mistletoe Protector. But even so they were both enjoyable reads.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story about a cold-case missing person! A chivalrous hero and a lady cop who likes chivalry in her man? Yes please! The complexity of the plot was spectacular. My heart went out to the characters struggling to overcome their grief. This novel was definitely another winner by Lynette Eason.

[Tera Lewandowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell off the reading wagon for a while, but this was a good one to jump back on! Fun and quick read. Kept me guessing until the end!

[Miranda Rzezz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites: so clean and fun!!

[Kalyn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It captivated my attention and another addition to my Christmas books to read.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review: Christmas Cover-Up

5 STARS

This story if full of drama, action, danger, prayer. Things seem to calm and then ratchet back into more danger. It is exciting book. Did not like putting it down.

I would have chosen a different title because it gives a little too much away and you figure out the suspense early on.

I enjoyed the characters. Katie decided to be a cop to help find out what happened to her sister so many years ago. She wants to be loved by her parents but feels she has to earn their love after letting her sister be kidnapped. Katie is not going to let anything stop her from looking for her sister.

Jordan has a lot of guilt over not finding a kidnapper soon enough to rescue a child. He only will work cold cases or adult cases. He is also keeping secrets from his parents. He is willing to work with Katie and cares about her pretty fast. He wants to keep her safe.

Katie was only a teenager when she left her seven year old sister alone in the front yard to help carry groceries into her neighbors house. She feels guilty over her sister Lucy. She has decided to get more help to look into her sister's disappearance.

Someone is determined to stop Katie and Jordan from finding what happened so long ago. They are not afraid to murder anyone to stop from the truth coming out.

I definitely will look for more books by Lynette Eason to read in the future.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it in exchange by NetGalley and Harlequin.
publication: December 3rd 2013 by Love Inspired Suspense 224 pages ISBN:0373445741

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R38SHRS1...
Review on my blog (to be posted 12/20): http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...

Christmas Cover-Up was a good Love Inspired Suspense book. While not everything seemed believable and that did take away some of the enjoyment for me, I did still like the book. I thought the cold-case kidnapping was intriguing and I was somewhat surprised to find out what exactly had happened. Overall, a good read. Not great, but not bad either.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[Wendy Sparkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

#2 Family Reunions

A break-in, murders, attempted murder, shootings...someone doesn't want Detective Katie Randall looking into her sister's kidnapping that happened 14 years ago.

I loved the romance in this story. Jordan Gray with the agancy Finding the Lost was the perfect partner to help her in this cold case, and the perfect hero for her!

I also enjoyed the fact that it was set during Christmas, a favourite season of mine!

I'm looking forward to reading Brandon's story in #3.

#1 #3

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Cover up is an inspirational romantic suspense. Although the book has Christmas in the title there is very little Christmas theme to it. However it is an excellent suspense...
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

[Dawn ♥ romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced story with lots of exciting action but was kind of light on romance with only a touch of holiday ending on Christmas day and I guessed who-done-it pretty early on. Detective Lucy is still looking for her sister kidnapped 14 years ago and works with former FBI Jordan whose family hates Lucy.

[Mary-Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story but with a very improbable series of events. The book strikes me as a grown-up's version of a Nancy Drew mystery.

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book by Lynette Eason. I liked seeing how the characters continued to develop through this series and I look forward to reading the last book soon.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excellent and another tear jerker ending!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven year old Lucy Randall disappear 14 years ago and her sister Katie, a detective is still looking for her. Fourteen year old Katie was watching Lucy when she was asked by a neighbor to help with her groceries. Her mother has never forgiven her though her father seems to have moved on. When Katie asks Jordan Grey, a former FBI Agent, to help her look for Katie she seems to have bitten off more than she can chew. Jordan and Katie are very attracted to each other but Jordan's parents hate Katie because they feel it was her fault that his younger brother was murdered.

As the investigation begins Katie and Jordan learn that the detectives on the original investigation dropped the ball in many ways and they seem to have an excuse for everything they did or didn't do. Very shortly Katie's life is in danger as someone is trying to kill her. Is she getting too close to the truth? Can Jordan keep her safe as he wrestles with attraction and his parents hatred?do

An interesting story with a slight twist at the end though it is not totally unexpected. A good read if you like police procedurals.

[Sonya Wasden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Randall feels guilty about her younger sister's kidnapping when she was only 7 years old. Now, fourteen years later, she is determined to reopen her sister's missing person case and finally find out what happened to her sister. When she is teamed with Jordan Grey, a former FBI agent, she has even more guilt. She feels responsible for Jordan's brother's death, even though it wasn't her fault. His parents can't believe she wasn't responsible and won't ever let her forget it.

Jordan doesn't want to cause more pain for his parents but he has a secret and knows for certain that Katie isn't responsible for his brother's death. As they spend more time together and try to stay safe from someone who doesn't want this mystery solved and determined to keep them from the truth even if it means they don't survive to find the truth.

I enjoy reading suspenseful stories with a romantic element and a happy ending. This story was another winner and one I really enjoyed reading. The story was a clean story with lots of twists and turns keeping you guessing who might have been the kidnapper and what happened to Katie's sister.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Christmas Cover-Up" is a Christian romantic suspense. Katie's sister was kidnapped when they were kids, and her parents blame her. She became a detective and has tried to solve her sister's cold case in hopes of earning back her parent's love. She comes to realize that God's love isn't earned and maybe she was wrong about her parents not loving her after all...

FBI consultant Jordan has been hired to help solve the case, but his parents blame Katie for his brother's death, even though they shouldn't. While Katie and Jordan quickly were attracted to each other, his parent's blame and rejection of Katie made any relationship problematic.

The main characters were engaging and reacted realistically to events. Jordan and Katie worked well together and came to care for each other as they got to know each other. The suspense came from threats and whodunit's willingness to kill to keep the truth hidden.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting romantic suspense.

[Ann Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good basic mystery that includes a romantic tension between two detectives that ultimately develops into a romance. An underlying sadness permeates the story as Detective Katie Randal is immersed in finding her sister who was kidnapped 14 years ago. The relationship with her family is strained since her mother blames Katie for her sister’s disappearance. Katie’s romantic liaison begins to form with another detective whose brother died after Katie arrested him for a DUI. Their relationship is put to the test when Katie meets the parents who blame her for their sons death. Wow, a lot of hatred permeated the story on a personal level while someone targets Katie’s life repeatedly. A lot for one person to endure so much hatred but somehow overcomes with a nice happy family ending. A bit much but overall a good mystery.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie’s sister, Lucy, was kidnapped when she was 14. Katie was watching her and there are no clues to where she disappeared to. Katie decides when she gets older to join the police force so one day she can find her sister. She searches and then her boss told her she needed to give it up, because she can’t concentrate on her other work. Katie gives up and after a year decides to hire an agency o help her find her sister. She meets up with Jordan (his brother was arrested by her and died in a jail cell, a killer was in the same cell, unbeknownst to Katie.). Jordan doesn’t blame her as he knows all about his brother and what he was doing. Although, his parents totally blame Katie for his brothers death. Can Jordan find Lucy?

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Randall and her sister, Lucy, were playing in the yard and Katie helped the neighbor carry in groceries. When she came back outside Lucy was missing. Her family has been searching for Lucy for 14 years. Now that Katie has grown up, she thinks her parents still blame her for the loss of Lucy but Katie has become a Police Officer so she has been searching for her sister.

She has decided to hire a company called Finding the Lost to help her locate her sister. She hasn't been having any luck finding her on her own. As it so happens, as they get closer to finding out answers someone thinks they are getting to close for comfort and Katie becomes a target.

I thought I had the book figured out halfway through but I did not. Read the story and see if you can solve the mystery

[Courtney Wasser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I totally judged this book by the cover if I’m being honest. Mostly because it looks like something straight out of a Lifetime movie, but I read it for my book club. It was an easy read and at times it made me want to keep listening, but I think the narrator wasn’t great and that affected the book for me. There were some parts in the book too that I just thought were a little over the top and unnecessary, so that made it a little cringy. I also guessed who the kidnapper was early on, but they finished the book well with explaining why the person did it.

[Jennie Pendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two police officers find love with the women they are protecting.

Enjoyed being with both authors again. Each story was exciting from start to finish. Jordan and Katie story was one of reconciliation and bringing a lost one home. Both had things to work through before love came into the picture. Nick and Rachel story was one of finding one lost before Christmas. Nick became Rachel and Joey hero and protector. He also was a good candidate to be Joey dad. Will read more by these authors.

[Ashley Snider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This is a thrilling book! Keeps you on your toes and turning the pages. Can you figure out the kidnapper before Katie succumbs to the hands of whoever is trying to kill her? Will Katie get scared and give up the search for Lucy to keep herself alive?

Can FBI agent Jordan Gray don ice his family of Katie’s innocence in his brothers death? Will his parents accept the details surrounding d his brothers death? Can they get help and come out stronger or is it to late?