Unspoken by Dee Henderson

Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history.

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life.

She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years.

A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years.

Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with.

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

My Review:
Charlotte is a fragile character. She remains tortured because of her horrible experience. At age sixteen, she was kidnapped and held for four years. She has not been able to speak about it. She never says much in this novel, but the reader is able to perceive some of her horrors. Turns out, Charlotte has a secret that she must keep. This twist keeps the reader turning pages.

Charlotte wrestles with the question: how can she trust in a God who allowed this? The novel doesn't fully answer this question.

Bryce is a bored coin collector. He and Charlotte meet when she sells him coins she's inherited from her Grandfather's estate. A good bit of the tale is a study of unbelievable wealth. What would you do with a ton of money? It's interesting to see how Charlotte and Bryce settle this problem.

The romance is as fragile as Charlotte. Bryce is a master at the art of gentling. I can say no more without spoiling your read.

Thank you to Amy Green at Bethany House Publishers for my copy.

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

Ann Silver is a cop's cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region's most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI's top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn't expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is...

My Review:
I found this book hard to get into at first, but I pressed on. Perhaps part of the problem is that I received an ARC copy rather than a finished product. It seemed a bit choppy.

Both of the lead characters, Paul Falcon and Ann Silver are rather flat without flaws. They are sharp problem solvers at the top of their fields. Everyone admires them. When characters are too perfect, it is difficult for readers to connect.

Paul and Ann's romance moves slowly and is told with Skyte-type internet visits. For instance, most evenings, Paul connects to Ann as she writes her book. After greeting each other, to avoid interrupting her work,  he just watches his monitor--for hours at a time. One evening, he watches as she naps on the couch! That smacks of stalking, I think! Somehow Ann is not turned off by his observing. I feel that the plot unnecessarily drags during these times.

Both Paul and Ann are Christian, but only once is grace offered before a meal. They don't seem to attend church. However, they both think about and/or talk to God on a daily basis. There is one serious discussion about their future together, and it is during this conversation that their faith shines. It's interesting to see how well they work on compromises.

The solution to the murder-puzzle will surprise most readers. Fans of Dee Henderson will also enjoy reading a bit about the O'Malleys, characters from earlier Henderson novels.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Bethany House Publishers for my copy.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.