Unveiling The Past By Kim Vogel Sawyer

Unveiling the Past
by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 9780525653660

I haven't read one of Kim's books for a while so when I saw it come through from WaterBrook Multnomah for review, it sounded like a book right up my alley!

Summary:

Mysteries, family secrets, and the love of a true Father are found at the heart of this gripping novel from the bestselling author of Bringing Maggie Home

Newlyweds Sean Eagle and Meghan DeFord are no strangers to pain and loss. As cold-case detectives, they know intimately the anguish family members endure after the murder or disappearance of a loved one. But when a new case hits too close to home, it threatens to pull loose the fragile cords of their young marriage. 
  
Sheila Menke was just a girl when her father left for work and never returned. An investigation revealed he had embezzled enough to start a new life elsewhere, but Sheila could never accept the court’s criminalization of her father. Meghan reluctantly takes the case, secretly fearing it will stir up buried feelings about her own biological father. And while Sean investigates the mysterious death of two young brothers, he longs to start a family. But Meghan worries that with a negligent mother and an absentee father as her parenting examples, she might never be fit for motherhood. 
  
As they delve deeper into the past, both Meghan and Sheila must choose to either stumble along the road of bitterness and resentment or walk the difficult path toward forgiveness and healing. When the cases begin to break wide open, these young women are poised to discover that while earthly fathers may fail, there is one in heaven who is a father to the fatherless.

My Review:

This was a fantastic story! I had actually thought I'd read all of Unveiling the Past, but must've gotten distracted and never did. So, I picked the ebook back up to dive back in and the chapters I'd already read came flooding back. I really liked having so many viewpoints. I know it could've been confusing, but the author's writing makes it easy to keep track of whose POV we're reading from.

The mother/daughter relationships really play such a vital role across the entire storyline. Just for my own wishes, it would've been great to have known Diane's relationship with her mom as she grew up. Her relationship with her as an adult seemed to be one of caring. It was a great testament to the power of prayer and the fact that people can change.

Actually that seemed to be the overall theme of the story.

I liked the mystery surrounding Sheila's father which gave us readers something to propel the story forward and keep us on our toes. I also appreciated that it helped Meghan see that she could care for others and that someone other than her husband could care for her in a reliable way.

One of the "negatives" I had with the story is the work relationship between Sean and Meghan. They seem to be these intense cold case detectives, but also very codependent. I can completely understand loving working with a specific person, especially your spouse, but it seemed on the unhealthy side in that they could barely stand the thought of doing a single, possibly short cold case with someone else. Even not having their desks touching seemed to make it so they weren't sure how to even function. In that respect I was incredibly glad they were forced to work with someone else. lol

Kevin's storyline was probably my favorite aspect of the whole story. His relationship with his father dictating how he responded to Diane's pregnancy, to his numerous wives, to his brokenness, all came together in a way that made him out to be a guy who was relying on everything BUT God for his life. I thoroughly enjoyed the roles Diane and Hazel played to help soften his rough edges and see past himself.

About the Author:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed bestselling author with more than one million books in print in seven different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband, Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and her grandchildren.