When The Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson--and a handsome detective.



But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.


Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension you've come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series.

My review:
There are certain authors who are synonymous with great suspense, and Lynnette Eason is one of those authors. I loved her Women of Justice Series, and if this book is any indication, she is only getting better.

This book, as all of her books so far, is romantic Christian suspense. I am not much into romance novels, but mixed with suspense, it is doable for me. And this book was very doable. A lot happens in this book, and it is very fast paced. I was left guessing for most of the book as to the identity of the villain, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading it.

In addition to the suspense and romantic elements, the issue of forgiveness is dealt with rather extensively. I like it when an author weaves a topic like that into the story and more or less preaches a message on that all the while entertaining the reader with an exciting suspense story.

I was a bit disappointed at the ending, but am guessing it will be taken up in the next book, which I am looking forward to reading. I did read this book in one evening, which means I really enjoyed it. If you enjoy a good suspense novel, check this one out. It is the first in a new series, and would be a great introduction to Lynnett's books.

About the author:


Lynette Eason is the author of several romantic suspense novels, including Too Close to Home, Don't Look Back, and A Killer Among Us. She is a member of American Fiction Christian Writers and Romance Writers of America. A homeschooling mother of two, she has a master's degree in education from Converse College. She lives in South Carolina

 
Available February 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
 
Thanks to Donna at Revell for the review copy.