Sins of the Past by Henderson, Pettrey, and Eason

This is a collection of three romantic suspense novellas. As is often the case with a variety of authors, I found that the quality of writing and plot varies. I'll give a short synopsis and evaluation of each novella.

Missing is by Henderson. John Graham is the police chief for Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was raised in Chicago and returns to the city when he is notified that his mother is missing from her retirement home. He joins forces with Lieutenant Sharon Noble to solve the case. I really liked Henderson's style of writing in this novella. I did feel the plot was weak, however, and I did not like the resolution. There is a great deal of very quick romance an no suspense.

Shadowed is by Pettrey. This story takes place in Alaska back in 1979 when the Cold War is still in full force. The plot involves a women's cold water swimming meet where Russians and Americans will be competing side by side. The top Russian swimmer is murdered and an American swimmer and a local boat captain try to solve the mystery. There is a pretty quick romance but it does involve character development I appreciated. There is also some good suspense. The plot is a bit dated with the Cold War and I wonder how many contemporary readers will understand the situation as well as older readers will.

Blackout is by Eason. This plot involves a current situation where a woman's life is in danger because of returning memories of an accident years ago. I felt the plot was a bit too complicated for this length of work. There is a mix of people from the past that influence the present. I think a longer work would have better set up all the relationships for a greater understanding of the current suspense. There is suspense and a quick romance and a resolution I thought a little unrealistic.

None of these novellas stood out as particularly excellent nor were they mediocre. Each one is a decent read of an evening. I would recommend this collection to readers who are not familiar with the authors as it is a good way to be introduced to them.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Dee Henderson is the author of numerous novels. Her books have won or been nominated for a number of awards, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and the ECPA Gold Medallion. She is a lifelong resident of Illinois. You can find out more at www.deehenderson.com.

Dani Pettrey is the author of the Alaskan Courage romantic suspense series. Her books have been honored with the Daphne du Maurier award, two HOLT Medallions, Christian Retailing's Best Award, and others. She and her husband live in Maryland. You can find out more at www.danipettrey.com.

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of several novel series. She has a master's degree in education from Converse College and lives in South Carolina. You can find out more at www.lynetteeason.com.

Bethany House Publishers, 384 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.