When the Smoke Clears

When the Smoke Clears
Lynette Eason
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800720070
February 2011/352 pages/February 2012

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.

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. Visit her website to learn more.

MY THOUGHTS
I became a Lynette Eason fan with her first Women of Justice novel, and I've been grabbing her books ever since! Her website's greeting "Welcome. . . to the edge of your seat!" is an apt characterization of the response her writing generates. When the Smoke Clears captivated me on page one and I could hardly put it down. She so vividly depicts a scene, ever so slowly ratcheting up the suspense, that my heart pounded and the pages fairly crackled with the tension. Fast-paced action and quickly changing scenes heighten the sense of urgency, and periodic insertions of conversations between the villain and his hirelings provide a chilling glimpse into the mind of one who is determined to let no one stand in the way of his goals. Beyond the suspenseful elements, threads woven into this multi-layered story include a daughter returning home a decade after fleeing a dangerous and dysfunctional environment, long-buried memories, forgiveness and reconciliation, and the life-changing impact of faith. The resolution tied up enough loose ends satisfy me while at the same time leaving some dangling questions that already have me eagerly anticipating the second book in this series, coming in October. Don't miss this riveting novel!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”