Ms. Sawyer has done it again! She has written another book that the reader just can't put down! This is such a great story with great character development and a storyline to die for!

I highly recommend this book for lovers of Christian fiction, mystery and intrigue, and a great story!!

I totally found myself immersed in this book. There were many threads to this story, but they were woven expertly together. The characters were very real and very relatable! Not many authors can pull off such a story that is graced with mystery, love, compassion and conviction. It is a story that has faith embedded in it and is not stilted when it is shared. Would highly recommend!!

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This seems like a departure from gentle love stories into a cozy type mystery for Kim Vogel Sawyer. The action moves from Arkansas to the Southwest and also back into the early 1990s as teams investigate cold cases from Little Rock HQ. Reading an obituary stirs some unanswered family heartaches and possibly ties to murder, for our female main character, Meghan, who works in law enforcement with her husband, Sean. Also working in Meghan's life is the complicated feelings of abandonment, rejection, and a life driven by work for affirmation. Adding in the relationships with Meghan's family, the book delves into those relationships and tensions surrounding abandonment and self-worth. Another character, Sheila, is drawn in since she has her own high stakes involved with the outcome of one investigation. Reading this, a person knows that from Sawyer, it's a moral tale, but it is also a tale with relatable human failings and frailties. The book starts very strong and held my interest. Everyone has things in their lives we would prefer to keep behind the veil, and here, Sawyer assures the reader that Jesus Christ can provide the grace for you to unveil your own unkempt stack of baggage. You won't be disappointed in the read, and it is an easy read.

An offering of the Mosaic Collection, Unveiling the Past was a great book escape. This is my first book by Kim Vogel Sawyer, and I felt as though I should have read her book Bringing Maggie Home before reading this second book in that continuing saga. I didn't have the connection with the characters that other reviewers did. BUT, I did enjoy the book. I found the family relationships and the mystery compelling. I will now go back and read Bringing Maggie Home. I loved watching God work in the lives of these characters. I will read more by this author.

I received this book through Net Galley and the publisher, WaterBrook & Multnomah. I was not required to give a positive review. But... it was a really great book.

If you want to read a really lovely book, you can never go wrong with Kim Vogel Sawyer. I read her book Bringing Maggie Home a couple of years ago and it was just wonderful. 

I didn't realize Unveiling the Past was a sequel until I started reading it. It turned out to be just as good!

I love Kim's historical fiction/romances. They're just sweet and fun. But it turns out that her modern fiction is just as good!

In Unveiling the Past Meghan DeFord is now married to Sean Eagle, and they work together as cold-case detectives. 

Meghan gets called to work on the case of father who never came home from work year ago. He was accused of of embezzlement from the bank where he worked. The money was never found, and neither was his body. Everyone assumed he was guilty.

As Meghan investigates, she begins to think more about her own father, who she never knew. She also begins to truly understand the love of God as her Father.

Meanwhile, Meghan's biological father has reconnected with her mother--and grandmother. And it's not going how anyone expected.

This book was so incredible. Such a great reminder of God's love for us, and His redemptive power. I love that nearly all of Kim's books include a clear plan of salvation, and this one was no different. 

This is a book that I truly recommend. Bringing Maggie Home is an excellent read, too. You don't necessarily have to read it to enjoy this one, though.

I have read several of Kim Vogel Sawyer's books, but I have to say I could not put this one down.

Unveiling the Past by Kim Vogel Sawyer has Sean and Meghan Eagle, cold case detective partners in Little Rock Arkansas. As a new case develops, Meghan is asked to take the lead in finding Sheila Menke’s father. He went missing in 2002, when he did not return from work. He was found guilty of embezzlement, and thought to have left the country. Sheila never believed it, and wants to know what happened to her father.

Meghan and Sean have a difficult decision to make. They have always worked together, but the current case they are working on is about to break. Sean makes the decision to stay with the case, as Meghan is assigned to work with an efficient yet angry co-worker, Tom Farber.

The case becomes personal for Meghan, never knowing own her father, yet wanting to make a contact with him. As the story unfolds, Meghan's mother, Diane, runs interference between Meghan and her father, a man who has had four wives and cannot seem to find happiness or fulfillment.

Sawyer has a way of drawing you into the story. Her characters share their lives in an open way, imperfections and all. Unanswered questions and reflections from a painful past, are addressed in forgiveness and building of family in a clear spiritual message. Clean Christian fiction and a touch of mystery. Very well written.

I received a copy of the book from WaterBrook & Multnomah via Net Galley. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

I have not read book one and normally that really bugs me, but I got this book through Revell and needed to have it read and posted on my blog by a certain date. The libraries are closed and it is not available digitally. So I just read it. Thankfully, I did not feel confused or like I was missing information. I'm sure it would have been better had I read book one but regardless, I really enjoyed it. More than I would have imagined, actually.

I loved how the past was interspersed with the present. It was very well done. We see back into Diane's life that gives us insights into her and Kevin's lives as well as Shelia's that help us understand the case. Many books I like to read are more police/detective type stories so I loved that element here. Then to have Sean and Meghan working with different partners... it was cool to see how God used it to grow and shape them. Sean learned compassion for a difficult coworker and Meghan was able to see that she is more than her parents.

This book was very heartfelt. Despite them being investigators, the crimes were a means for the plot and actually were kind of anti-climatic. There was a lot of emotion and you could really feel for everyone. I think a lot of people learned that we cannot let our past define our future and our fears of what may be based on what has been are likely unfounded.

“Unveiling the Past” by Kim Vogel Sawyer, book review

Sam and Meghan are a couple, married, and work together as cold case detectives. They make a really good team, at home and on the job. But when a new case comes along that the boss assigns to Meghan, the team is broken up. Can they work separately? How will it affect their lives at home? They are about to find out.

Working cold cases is one of the most difficult and emotional detective jobs because there are so many dead ends. But for these detectives, it is their mission to solve the case and bring closure to the families affected.

In this story, both Sam and Meghan have to deal with personal as well as professional issues while working hard to find the criminals who have escaped capture until now. It is an interesting story of love, hate, cover up and forgiveness.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader’s e-book from the publisher, Waterbrook press. All opinions expressed are my own.

Awesome Sequel

OK, I say this every time, but I just can't help saying it again -- if a book has the name Kim Vogel Sawyer on it, I know it's going to be a great one. Unveiling the Past was a great read.

This book is a sequel to Bringing Maggie Home and continues the stories of Meghan, Sean, Diane and Hazel. You could read Unveiling the Past on its own, but it certainly makes it more interesting if you know the backstories of those characters.

As always, one of the strengths of Kim Vogel Sawyer's writing is her character development. The people in this story are far from perfect; they are struggling with various issues, some of them pretty big ones. But through hope, faith, forgiveness, and family, they keep moving. Deep hurts, fears, and unanswered questions from the past are faced, and relationships come together in unexpected ways. It is a beautiful story with friends I didn't want to leave after the last page.

This story also includes an element of mystery as detectives Sean and Meghan actively pursue cold cases that help direct Meghan into family secrets of her own.

Fans of great contemporary inspirational fiction should love Unveiling the Past.

Thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for providing a digital copy of the book. I was happy to share my thoughts in this review.

This was a hard book to put down!

I had not read the previous book in the series, but Unveiling the Past stood perfectly on its own. Excellent character development; I felt comfortably acquainted with the characters. The story line was spot on: Sean and Meghan are a loving Christian husband and wife who solve cold case investigations. They generally work as a team, but we are fortunate in that they got assigned to different cases this time. That allowed us to see the development of two very different investigations. Pacing was well timed and transitions were smooth. The ribbon of faith that is woven throughout the lives of the main characters was the icing on the cake!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. The opinions are my own.

Unveiling the Past is another great book by this author! I wanted to read what happens, yet didn't want it to end!

I haven’t read a book by Kim Sawyer since Bringing Maggie Home, but I loved that one so much I knew I had to read the sequel, Unveiling the Past. This book lived up to all my expectations. What I love most about Kim Sawyer’s books is the depth of faith-based message wrapped into the fabric of the story. I loved how she blended the family drama, cold-case murders, and the redemption of a character all together.
This book will touch your heart. My favorite conversation is about children and potato chips. Children love to eat crispy potato chips, but they’ll eat soggy ones if that’s all they’re given. Children long for attention. They want positive attention, but they’ll take negative attention if that’s all they’re given.
Unveiling the Past deals with letting go of the past and not letting bitterness hinder your current and future happiness. I loved learning more about Diane’s past than we did in Bringing Maggie Home. The book jumps between characters and between the past and present giving the reader a wide variety of perspective. Personally, I’m a fan of this writing style.
I highly recommend this book for those who love family dramas and redemption stories. This book touches the reader on a Spiritual level, with so much to learn about our relationship with God as our Heavenly Father, especially for those with absent fathers.

• Unveiling the Past deals with difficult topics such as alcoholism and abortion. Parental Discretion advised.

This was a wonderful read. I loved the detective/cold case aspect of the story. Kim does a wonderful job of portraying multiple characters dealing with issues from their past and figuring out how to move on to new seasons in life and reconcile with the past.

Husband and wife, Sean and Meghan are cold case detectives in Arkansas who work on cases together. Until...their boss assigns another case that needs attention, pronto before they have completed their current case. The new case touches a spot in Meghan's heart as it involves a man who went missing years earlier, leaving behind a wife and three now-grown children. Meghan's own father didn't even want her to be born, and was never in her life. Her mother had given her his information a few years earlier, but she hasn't been ready to contact him. Meghan wants to take on the new case and hand over their current one to another team. Sean wishes to finish the current case. This leads to the couple being split up for the first time to each work with a different partner.
The new case involves former banker, Anson Menke. His daughter, Sheila is desperate to know what happened to her father. After his disappearance, he was convicted of embezzlement. Sheila cannot believe that her father stole and then ran off, leaving his family behind. Meghan wants to find answers for Sheila.
Sean is ready to begin a family with Meghan. Meghan was raised in a single-parent household and feels she would not make a good mother. She also feels inadequate as a wife. She compares herself to Sean's mother, and comes u p lacking.
Meghan finally decides to contact her father. He has been very successful in business, but not so much in his relationships. He's had four wives, and four ex-wives. He adopted the young son of his first wife, but resented the boy and has a terrible relationship with him, even though he is now grown.
Meghan's mother, Diane, contacts Kevin to see if he has interest in meeting Meghan. What happens from there is unpredictable.
I think my favorite part of the story is when Meghan's grandmother took the opportunity to witness to Kevin, and what an amazing job she did! She did it in such a way that was right on Kevin's level. I love stories that give a salvation message. So many Christian fiction books just have a teeny sprinkling of Christianity in them. Not so with this one. Kudos to Kim Vogel Sawyer for being bold with her faith!
I was given a complimentary copy of this by the publisher, Waterbrook and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to give a positive review, but was so happy to do so.

I enjoy contemporary Christian women’s fiction, but had yet to read any of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s novels. During the Coronavirus of 2020, I found myself slightly desperate to read a novel to escape the social media and news coverage. NetGalley must have read my thoughts because I received an invite for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While my eagerness to escape with a good book may have been extraordinarily heightened, this book is still a good read during the busyness of non-pandemic life.

I liked following the stories and journeys of Meghan and Diane. In different areas, both were deeply affected by a past hurt. (I don’t want to give away the good details.) I loved the supporting characters of Sean, Meghan’s husband, and Hazel, Diane’s mother. Both were positive examples and strong in their Christian faith. I enjoyed the blend of mystery and Christian fiction. I found this book heart-warming, entertaining, and inspiring. If you are a fan of contemporary Christian women’s fiction, then is one that you will be glad you read!

Side note: I’ve never seen the word “chortle” used in contemporary Christian fiction, but there it was staring at me several times throughout this book. As often as it was used, I felt odd for not being familiar with it so off to Google I went. I realized I had read it before. It’s from the Jabberwocky poem in Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. During my googling, I noticed that this is a word the author uses in numerous novels so it is part of her style. Oh, the things you research in a pandemic! Enjoy this book!

If you only read one book this summer, read Unveiling the Past.

A skillful blend of an edge-of-the-seat whodunit, a clean romance, and a family in search of ties, Unveiling grabs the reader by the throat in chapter 1 and doesn’t let go until the final page. Clever and inspiring, this story of loss, betrayal, forgiveness and reconciliation is built on a firm faith foundation without being preachy. It’s a delicious read.

Single mom Diane DeFord’s life is turned upside down when she reads an obituary that includes the name of the man who fathered her only child and abandoned them both.

Fast-forward 25 years. Diane’s daughter Meghan and her husband Sean are detectives at Arkansas’s Cold Case Investigations Department. They usually work as a team. But when a case comes in requiring a woman’s touch, Meghan and Sean are split into two different investigations: She’s the lead agent in a 15 year-old disappearance and embezzlement case that doesn’t smell right. Sean is up-to-his-eyeballs in an unsolved case involving the death of two young twins. They’re both teamed with partners they can’t stand.

Meghan has never met her biological father and doesn’t really want to. Sean would like to start a family. But Meghan balks. She’s uncertain about motherhood partly because of her uncertainty about the man who abandoned her mother in college after Diane told him she was pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, in another part of Arkansas, a certain self-centric real-estate mogul is about to get the shock of his life via email…

Besides developing a strong, engaging plot and solid, well-rounded characters, the author has a keen eye for family tensions and dynamics that are chronicled realistically. The faith message shines through without being preachy or overbearing.

The story spans three decades but the timeline is clearly labeled so readers don’t get lost. And yes, stubbornness can indeed be “determination on steroids.” Additionally, the author’s descriptions are so rich and vibrant, you can almost feel the prickly summer heat and dank humidity of summer in Arkansas.

Saturated with the old, old story of grace, forgiveness, and the unrelenting, unending love of an Abba Father, Unveiling shows readers how all of the above can result in a “family in Sonlight.” Ditto how a person can’t change their past. But Someone else can change their future. A Reader’s Guide is included.

I read Unveiling cover-to-cover in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down! Two thumbs up!


#UnveilingThePast
#NetGalley

I enjoyed reading this book, but there were so many threads! There was a faith aspect that I appreciated, definitely more than most Christian books these days, and I really liked the story line that included Meghan and her biological father. All in all I would say this was a good read and one I would highly recommend.

Unveiling the Past by Kim Vogel Sawyer has Detective Meghan DeFord-Eagle with the Arkansas Cold Case Investigations Department working on a case that hits a little close to home. Sheila Menke’s father, Anson never arrived home from work back in 2002, and then was found guilty of embezzling funds from the bank where he worked. Sheila took care of her sick mother while raising her two brothers. Her mother did not want to find out the truth while she was alive, but, since she has passed away, Sheila wants answers. Meghan was raised by a single mother and never knew the identity of her father until recently. She wants to find her birth father in the hopes of learning more about herself. Meghan feels she cannot start a family with her husband, Sean until then. Can Meghan get the resolution she needs while helping Sheila? Unveiling the Past is a story of forgiveness, redemption and second chances. I like that we get to see three generations of Meghan’s family. I liked Meghan’s mother, Diane who teaches Honors English in Las Vegas and lives with her mother, Hazel. I just loved Hazel and enjoyed the humor she added to the story. Sean Eagle is Meghan’s husband and a detective with the Arkansas Cold Case Investigations Department as well. They have been married three years and Sean is ready to start a family. The thought of having a child fills Meghan with fear. The couple has a few issues they must deal with which will test their marriage. I thought Unveiling the Past contained good writing and it moved along at a nice pace. I did, though, have trouble with the switching point-of-view. It took me a while to get into the story with the POV going between Diane, Meghan, Sean, and Kevin. Christian elements were nicely incorporated into the story, but I did feel it was a little heavy handed (felt preachy at times). Forgiveness and having a relationship with God were two of the prevalent themes. I like how Unveiling the Past ended. I did wonder, though, if there was a previous book featuring these characters. There is mention of a previous case involving Meghan and Sean when they searched for Hazel’s sister. Unveiling the Past is an uplifting story about acquiring forgiveness, a missing father, family, new beginnings and forging new paths.

Unveiling the Past rings of redemption, forgiveness, and grace. There are a couple of things I especially enjoyed. The author set the book up in short segments featuring the various points of view, which made the story easy to read. And the story focuses on women who no longer have fathers, but depend on their heavenly Father. Following the cold case detectives as they solved old crimes was interesting and fun. One thing I noticed in this story is Kim Vogel Sawyer used her writing to teach of Jesus' love without being preachy. The reader got to glimpse the way these characters might witness to their co-workers and friends. I also loved Sean and Meghan's relationship with each other. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is my favorite author and I am always very excited to have an opportunity to review her books. In 2017 she released an outstanding novel called Bringing Maggie Home. I said in my review that if you enjoy Christian fiction, Bringing Maggie Home was a must read. I also said, "Bringing Maggie Home is a stand alone novel (although I would love to see some kind of sequel featuring Meghan and Sean.)" I received my wish! Today (May 15th) is release day for the sequel to Bringing Maggie Home, Unveiling the Past.



Although Unveiling the Past is a sequel it will work as a stand alone novel. The author weaves the story in such a way that you do not have to read Bringing Maggie Home to understand and appreciate the story. The story line is independent and the characters are well developed in this story even without previous knowledge of them, but I highly recommend Bringing Maggie Home because it is such an amazing story.



In Unveiling the Past we are reintroduced to the main characters of Bringing Maggie Home; Hazel, Margaret Diane, Meghan, and Sean. We also learn more about the detectives that Sean and Megan work with: Captain Ratzlaff, Tom Farber, and Greg Dane and are introduced to two new main characters Sheila Menke and Kevin Harrison.



Sean and Meghan are newlywed cold case detective partners in Little Rock Arkansas. A new case if brought to their unit and Meghan is the requested detective to work on the case. Sheila Menke's father went to work when she was a little girl and never returned. He was accused of embezzling a large amount of money from a bank and it was believed that he took it ans started a new life, but Sheila did not believe that to be true. Meghan takes the case with a new partner at the same time she decides to try and search for her own absentee biological father. While Sean investigates the death of two young brothers also with a new partner, he very much longs to start a family with Meghan. But Meghan is afraid that she is not fit for motherhood. As Meghan and Sheila learn more and more about the case, they have to choose to stumble on the road of bitterness and resentment or walk the path of forgiveness and healing. They learn that while earthly fathers can and do fail, there is one in heaven who is a father to the fatherless.



Ms. Sawyer has an amazing writing style that draws the reader in and brings her characters to life. I was excited to learn more about Sean and Meghan and their loves together and revisit Hazel (I love that spunky lady!) and Margaret Diane. I really loved the mystery element of this story. Following the clues to solve the cases added excitement to the story and kept me turning pages because I needed to see how it all was resolved! There were many life lessons and messages throughout the book. Diane was very hurt (and understandably so!) when Kevin left her to raise Meghan alone. She knew of her life and experiences but never really thought about his side. Even then she could've have stayed bitter and resentful but through a lot of prayer and counsel from her mother is able to rise above all of that. Kevin struggles in his relationship with Kip and doesn't understand why. He is powerful and wealthy, a successful business man but not successful at life. He doesn't think his son can ever change. But Diane says, : If habits can be learned they can be unlearned."An important message for us all along with ," It's never too late to begin a relationship with God the Father though His Son, and it's never too late to fix a human relationship that's gone wrong."



I loved the relationship that developed between Meghan and Sheila. Things that happened in their past had made them bitter and resentful, but they chose to overcome it and hold on to the happiness. Reminding Sheila that there is a loving Father in heaven who never leaves us and never lets us down, reminded Meghan of that as well and is a good message for all who are reading.



I loved how everything was resolved in the story. Unveiling the Past is on the list of my favorite books and is highly recommended. I cannot wait to read what Kim Vogel Sawyer writes next!



Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own. I received no other compensation.