Review: Unspoken

Unspoken

By Dee Henderson

Bethany House November 2013

441 pages

From my shelves

Charlotte Graham was kidnapped and held for four years before the police found and rescued her. Now she has a new identity and an unanticipated fortune after the death of her grandfather. When she decides to sell off a rare coin collection, she meets Bryce Bishop. Bryce is intrigued by Charlotte and her story, but she has decided to stay alone and keep quiet about her past in order to protect her family. When a reporter starts writing a book about the kidnapping, Charlotte will have to decide who she can trust and whether keeping silent will save her loved ones or put them into the path of danger all over again.

I've mentioned my adoration of Dee Henderson's O'Malley series, so I regret that this book didn't work for me on several levels. The first problem is that the story is bogged down in wealth, both in broad and specific ways. The two protagonists meet because Charlotte is looking to sell a massive collection of coins that her grandfather accumulated during his lifetime. Bryce is in the rare coins business (at least for the moment) and he takes on the job of evaluating and selling this treasure trove. If you want to read a novel that will simultaneously teach you about rare coins, this would be the one to choose. Otherwise, talking about the value of rare coins takes up a lot of space in this story. There is also some cognitive dissonance in this book, simply because Charlotte has come into so much money from her grandfather. Reading page after page about Charlotte and Bryce deciding to give away millions and millions of dollars is difficult to relate to, especially with the current economy looking the way that it does.

As the story progresses, Charlotte and Bryce have to make a major decision about their relationship. Without giving away too much of the plot, I will just say that the decision that they make never felt authentic to me. Instead of the ridiculous "love at first sight" plot that seems to mar many stories, Henderson's relationships seem to take too long to go anywhere. I certainly believe in relationships that put others first and being patient and gentle with the people that you love, but Bryce's actions take this concept to new, perhaps unbelievable, levels. It was even more difficult because despite almost 500 pages with him, I never really felt like I knew Bryce.  We just don't get much of his backstory among all of this coin talk.

Unspoken is a low tension story. While Charlotte's kidnapping is a constant shadow over her life, she is not in current danger from the kidnappers. This book shows readers the slow evolution of a friendship as Bryce and Charlotte get to know each other and decide how far to take their relationship. Dee Henderson will always be one of my favorite authors, but the characters in Unspoken are not among my favorites. 

Review: Full Disclosure

Full Disclosure

By Dee Henderson

Bethany House Publishers October 2012

473 pages

From my shelves

FBI Agent Paul Falcon has been stymied by "The Lady Killer," a murderer who has no discernible pattern and the ability to never get caught. When Ann Silver brings him evidence that could crack his case wide open, he is intrigued by the small town cop with so many secrets. She seems to be a contradiction in terms - a small town sheriff and the Midwest Homicide Investigator, a confident cop and a quiet author, and someone who values time to be alone but knows vice presidents and US marshals. As the case becomes bigger and more complicated than Paul could have ever imagined, will he and Ann find room for each other in their lives? 

Ms. Henderson's O'Malley series is one of my favorites. I've read each book multiple times and shared them with lots of friends and family members. I was thrilled to discover that she was writing a new book after several years of publishing silence. Full Disclosure is a great read and I'm really intrigued by the ways she uses characters from her previous novels in this new one. I don't want to give it away but suffice it to say that if you have loved her other characters, you will be interested in reading this one. 

One of the things that I appreciated in this novel was the maturity of the characters and their views on relationships. Both characters are older and established in their careers and their routines. They have each had relationships that did not work out and wonder if they will ever find someone that will fit in their life without completely changing it. In an age where we are constantly reading about characters that 'fall in love at first sight,' it was refreshing to read about characters who felt an interest and started talking to people who they trusted. Ann and Paul both consult people who know the other in an effort to discover whether they can  overcome some significant relationship hurdles before they get their hearts broken. 

I will admit that I felt, at times, that the relationship was drawn out for too long. I liked that they recognized potential problems and worked to fix them before they got hurt. I also thought it made a lot of sense for them to get to know each other from a distance before becoming romantically involved. But this is the longest book of Henderson's that I have read and I wished  that some scenes had been cut because they started to grow repetitive. 

The mystery that Paul and Ann are investigating is a thrilling one. Since I've read many of Henderson's other suspense novels, I know that the lady can write some tension. There are a lot of twists and turns to be discovered and while I guessed some of them before the big reveal, it didn't mean that I wasn't quickly flipping pages to find out how they would affect Paul and Ann. 

Full Disclosure is a great read for anyone who is looking to read a story about a more mature relationship that doesn't involve love triangles or love at first sight. It's also a great pick for anyone who likes a good mystery that will keep you eagerly turning pages. While I would have loved a shorter incarnation of this story,  I was excited to meet Ann and Paul and I am glad to add their book to my shelf of Henderson novels.


P.S. I really don't like the cover. I don't talk about covers very often, but this one makes both Paul and Ann look mean and sketchy.