Also by this author: Labyrinth of Lies, Into the Fire
Series: Triple Threat #3
Published by Revell on October 4, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Romance, Suspense
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Forensic pathologist Grace Reilly has seen her share of unusual deaths in rural Missouri. But when she begins to notice a curious pattern in autopsies of elderly residents whose demise appears to be natural, she takes her concerns to Sheriff Nate Cox.
Nate is skeptical about the link Grace is seeing between the deaths--and her suspicions of foul play. But her persistence is compelling. Once she finally convinces him her theory is credible and they join forces to investigate, danger follows. Because exposing the truth could destroy several lives--including Grace's.
Queen of inspirational romantic suspense Irene Hannon closes out her bestselling Triple Threat series with this gripping tale of secrets revealed and romance sparked.
Before I read Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon, it had been over a year since I’d picked up a novel by this particular author. I did not enjoy Labyrinth of Lies as much as I hoped I would when I read it, and the tale continues with Body of Evidence. I liked Grace Reilly and Nate Cox just fine. Hannon developed them both well, but the novel lacked the spark it really needed. It kept my attention, and Body of Evidence was easy to read. It mixed in humor when appropriate, and it had some twists to it. But nothing made it stand out against the myriad novels in the genre.
I went back and read my review of Labyrinth of Lies, and Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon suffered from similar ailments. Firstly, the book’s innuendos bothered me. They are not frequent, but still—they are present. Nate’s mind sometimes wanders to…unsafe territories. I will say the same thing about this book that I did about Labyrinth of Lies: If I wanted to read about how certain things affected the male character’s libido, I would read a non-Christian romance novel. Irene Hannon is the only Christian romance author I have ever read who so bluntly expresses a character’s unclean thoughts. They were not explicit. Not R-rated. But for a Christian novel, I would rather they not be included at all.
Secondly, Nate was in a relationship prior to meeting Grace. She turns his eye, and everything changes for him. He can no longer settle for the ordinary or mediocre. As the novel is about Grace and Nate’s romance, saying his former relationship ended is no spoiler. Since reading Body of Evidence, I have finished two other novels. But Nate’s prior relationship still bothers me, because I do not know why this was included in the first place. Added drama, I suppose? It added nothing to Nate’s character for me. It’s like Hannon needed one more element. He and his girlfriend break up, and he moves on with Grace immediately afterward. If I were Grace, I would be worried I was nothing but a rebound. Or that he would pull the same stunt again and leave me for a “better” woman.
Irene Hannon did set up the “big reveal” of the antagonist very well. She dropped hints throughout the novel until the pieces click together. I think I actually gasped aloud when I figured it out. There is little doubt that Irene Hannon is a skilled author with a knack for the romantic suspense genre. Her particular style, however, just is not mine. Everyone has different tastes—some people like cookies and cream ice cream best; others like fruit sorbet. Unfortunately for Hannon, I’m a big fan of the latter, and Hannon’s the cookies and cream.