Suspenseful Historical Mystery That Kept Me Guessing

After the Shadows (Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing Book #1) by Amanda Cabot

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Genre: Christian Historical Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Inspirational Romance

Location: Sweetwater Crossing, Texas

Time Period: 1882

Romance: Very clean. Light kissing.

Faith: Solid message of faith

Amanda Cabot delivered a suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing longer than most. Early in the novel she set the stage for a perplexing number of unusual deaths in the small town of Sweetwater Crossing, the most devastating was Emily’s father. As Emily struggles to recover from grief, she is convinced that her father’s death was not all that it appeared to be, yet no one believes her.

As Craig and his young son start over in a new town, they end up living in Emily’s boardinghouse. While he and Emily start a friendship quickly, the romance played out much slower. The way the author handled the romance felt very true to the characters and their heartbreaking pasts.

The suspenseful mystery part of the story kept me hooked, eagerly trying to solve it along with the characters. There were a few chapters about a third of the way through the book that seemed to meander but then the story picked up pace again.

I liked how Cabot wove real-life questions about faith and how to process a loved one’s suicide. It’s a difficult topic that Cabot handled delicately and lovingly from a Biblical perspective. While some readers may have a different view of suicide, I don’t think you will find Cabot’s approach offensive.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this first book in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing and look forward to more works by this author. I strongly recommend it for fans of murder mystery with a touch of romance in a historical setting.

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Disclaimer: I requested and received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of Revell through NetGalley. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.