Partnered with her air-scent dog and Sheriff Dennis Monroe, marriage and family therapist Charlotte Bradley is desperate to put an end to a black-market baby smuggling ring in Anderson County. Who is kidnapping the pregnant girls she counsels and taking their babies? As Charlotte searches for answers, she and Dennis must dodge gunfire and deadly attacks. But the sinister agenda they uncover just might include her.
From Love Inspired Courage. Danger. Faith.
Deputies of Anderson County
Book 1: Buried Cold Case Secrets Book 2: Twin Murder Mix-Up Book 3: Detecting Secrets
Award-winning, bestselling author Sami Abrams grew up hating to read. It wasn’t until her 30’s that she found authors that captured her attention. Now, most evenings, you can find her engrossed in a Romantic Suspense. In her opinion, a crime and a little romance is the recipe for a great story.
She lives in Northern California, but she will always be a Kansas girl at heart. She has a love of sports, family, and travel. However, a cabin at Lake Tahoe writing her next story is definitely at the top of her list.
If you love romantic suspense, go to Sami's website and sign up for her newsletter to get the inside scoop at samiaabrams.com
'When was the last time God answered her prayers?'
I was drawn in immediately with this story and it held my interest throughout. I love it when this happens. Abrams has a great plot, believable characters, and great action throughout. For a suspense lover like myself, this is wonderful! I love how her characters relate between each other, too. And I was thoroughly surprised by the identity of the culprit. I never once even expected it to be who it was. Very well done!
My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinion here is my own.
You will be burning the midnight oil reading this one! I started reading it, and I could not stop until I saw "The End". Charlotte Bradley is a family therapist who works with and counsels unwed mothers. She is still mourning the loss of her own baby, and I think this gives her an outlet for her own grief by helping others. When a pregnant teenager from the center is missing, Charlotte and her air-scent dog, Theo, are called to the scene to assist with the search. Sheriff Dennis Monroe is on the scene as well. Dennis is a great man and loyal to his job, but he is conflicted right now about spending more time on the job rather than at home. He has just found out he has a daughter, Amelia. Amelia's first five years of life with her drug addled mother were not easy ones. He wants Amelia to know she is loved and will never be abandoned by him, but the babies of Anderson County need him. There is definitely something sinister going on in Anderson County. They soon discover there is black market baby smuggling ring working in their county. It also soon becomes apparent that someone wants Charlotte dead. Sheriff Monroe is determined to protect her. The action is at a breakneck pace as they continue to search for the missing teenager and keep Charlotte alive. There were several twists that I did not see coming that left me with mouth agape. The character of Amelia was my favorite character. She is a little girl in a woman's body because she had to be a grownup to survive living with her mother. She is highly intelligent and funny. I just wanted to squeeze her cute little cheeks. The character of Amelia shows that children are more resilient than we give them credit for when they are placed in bad situations. I love anything that Sami Abrams writes. She knows how to write a great suspense-filled mystery with a sweet romance mixed in as well. The ending made my heart swell and almost made me cry. This another winner for Sami Abrams! I would love to see a sequel to this story!
Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
While this is the third book in the Deputies of Anderson County series, it can be read as a standalone story.
I haven't read many books that involve a family therapist or searching for missing pregnant teens, so I enjoyed those unique angles. And, once again, I'm amazed at how SAR dogs are utilized in such circumstances. Not only must the characters face dangerous people, but they are up against a storm, as well. This adds to the tension and action. The story gets more suspenseful as it unfolds, and the twists will keep readers guessing and turning the pages to see what happens next. Themes of faith and hope are woven throughout. The author's writing style makes the scenes easy to visualize and quickly pulls the reader in.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.
This is the second book I've read by Sami Abrams, and it's just as good as her last one!
This book features Charlotte Bradley, a therapist who counsels families, helps out at her local pregnancy center and also works part time as a search and rescue handler with her sweet dog Theo.
She works together with the local sheriff Dennis Monroe (who's pretty sweet himself lol) on a case involving the disappearance of a young pregnant mother that she counseled.
The suspense and unpredictability of this story was awesome, as was the camaraderie and humor of the local law enforcement agencies.
This book was clean, and a great addition to my suspense reads collection. I highly recommend it!
I received this e-book as part of the review team for JustRead Tours, and was not required to give a positive review. The thoughts and opinions above are my own.
Detecting Secrets starts out with one heart-pounding adventure after the next. Be ready to be on the edge of your seat with this romantic suspense by Sami A. Abrams! Missing pregnant girls, search and rescue, blizzards, shots fired, kidnapping, plot twists and the sweet dog Theo, who is an excellent search and rescue dog. "The dog has come to her four years ago as a gift that had more than likely saved her life."
A few favorite quotes: "Is there a problem?" He turned to face her. "Other than someone trying to kill us?" "He didn't want to scare her? Too late for that. Charlotte wasn't scared, she was terrified."
I loved the camaraderie of the sheriff and his deputies and friends, the sheriff and his sweet daughter, Charlotte and her sweet dog, and the developing relationship between the sheriff and Charlotte amidst danger and chaos. Completely engaging romantic suspense! I highly recommend Detecting Secrets for fans of romantic suspense.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.
Detecting Secrets has a wonderful storyline full of suspense, drama, playful banter, intrigue, and a touch of romance. Everything a good book needs to make it great.
Charlotte and her "air scent" dog, Theo, look for missing pregnant teenagers. A body is found and it sets up the story which evolved much bigger than I expected. Charlotte's past comes back to haunt her. Lots of twists to the plot, non-stop action, and a stream of suspects that kept growing.
The ending was surprising. A hard to put down read. Highly recommended.
I received an early ARC from the publisher and voluntarily choose to review it. All opinions are my own.
DETECTING SECRETS by Sami A. Abrams is the third book in the Deputies of Anderson County series. It’s the wonderful, page turning story of Charlotte Bradley and Sheriff Dennis Monroe as they work to put an end to the black-market baby smuggling in Anderson County.
Charlotte Bradley, a marriage and family therapist, is the proud owner of Theo, an English Shephard air scent dog. Theo saved her life a few years earlier. when as a pregnant teen herself, her baby died shortly after birth. They are often called upon to the help the police for search and rescue to find missing persons. When they were called out this time, it’s to find Hannah Davies, 17 and missing from Sadie’s Place, a home for pregnant teens in need of help and where Charlotte often counsels young pregnant woman just like she had with Hannah. Charlotte feels the great need to find her fast due to the impending storm approaching. Although some think she’s ran away, through her counsel sessions, Charlotte hadn’t seen any signs or reasons of why she would have run away. Charlotte and Theo found someone after Theo found Hannah’s scarf through scent. Knowing the person was dead and not wanting to contaminate the crime scene, they hadn’t went close enough to see who it was.
Sheriff Dennis Monroe is the proud father of 5 year old Amelia, who he didn’t know existed until 6 months ago. That knowledge came when the woman who he had dating 6 years earlier, who had told him she had miscarried their baby, died and the police notified him he was the only living kin. Amelia had had to grow up faster than her years due to her drug addicted mother. Dennis loves her dearly and is determined to give her back her childhood while showing her how very much she is loved.
Dennis is called out also for the missing teen and arrived on site shortly after Charlotte and Theo found the crime scene. What he found was very gruesome. The dead girl’s baby was missing. It ended up being one of the pregnant girls form Sadie’s Place, but not Hannah, which was a relief as well as a sadness for Charlotte as this was also one of the girl’s she’d counseled too.
Before the weather makes a scent search impossible, Dennis, Charlotte and Theo take off again trying to find Hannah once someone arrives to secure the crime scene. However, during the search they are shot at and take refuge in a cave Dennis knows about. Although Dennis was able to make a call for help, they knew they would have to weather the storm first before a search party would come out to get them. While Charlotte sleeps, hearing what sounds like more shots, Dennis goes to investigate. Soon it’s Theo that goes out - alone – on a search and rescue for Dennis.
It soon becomes apparent that someone is targeting the pregnant women Charlotte’s counseled, but why? Is it the pregnant teens that are changing their minds about signing over their babies for adoption that link them all? Can Charlotte and Denise find out who is behind the black market baby ring? As it becomes more and more apparent that Charlotte plays a big threat to them and more attempts are made on her life, will they be able to figure out why and how to stop them? During it all, that attraction between Dennis and Charlotte grows. With Dennis determination to love and protect his daughter and Charlotte’s aloofness around his daughter because of her past, can it lead to anything? Will Charlotte cling to her past pain or begin to see the sweet innocence of one little 5 year old girl?
DETECTING SECRETS is the amazingly well-crafted suspense story that has you walk beside Charlotte and Denise as they trying to survive events as they happen while examining crimes of both the past and the present. You’ll watch a romance bloom that seems to have everything stacked against it and watch as the past and present blend with a promise of a bright future. Sami A. Abrams did a superb job of weaving it with a thread of faith as she makes you feel all your emotions while reading this story while having you hoping for a happily ever after. Although part of a series, DETECTING SECRETS can most definitely be read as a standalone book. FIVE STAR reading!
I receive an ARC of this book with no requirement or expectations of a review. All opinions are completely my own
A blend of strong characters and an intricate plot add up to a good read . . .
Search and rescue air-scent dog handler, Charlotte Bradley, and her amazing canine, Theo, are desperately searching for a missing teen. The young woman has vanished from the home for pregnant teens where Charlotte, a marriage and family therapist, counsels the residents. During their search, the partners discover a gruesome crime scene.
Sheriff Dennis Monroe takes charge of the case involving the missing teen and works closely with Charlotte to get to the bottom of why someone is tracking down the young women. To make matters worse, someone is after Charlotte. There are several bold attempts to scare her away from working on the case.
Readers are treated to a complex plot which takes them on a twisting, turning path with lots of ups and downs and several possible villains and villainesses. No one can be trusted.
The emotional aspects of the case leave the lead characters and the law enforcement team members stressed, drained, exhausted, and frustrated. With courage and good old-fashioned teamwork, they diligently dissect the crimes piece by piece until they figure out what is happening and why. The clock is running, and they need to solve the case before another tragedy occurs.
This book is completely clean in language and content. The faith thread is subtle, but it is present throughout the story.
I received a copy of this book from the author through JustRead Publicity Tours. All of my thoughts and opinions shared here are solely my own.
Sami Abrams is a fantastic author. Detecting Secrets is part of a series "deputies of Anderson County" It is also a stand alone read. Charlotte is a family therapist with a wonderful dog named Theo who is air-scent trained SAR dog. They volunteer when needed to help find missing people. This book starts off fast with them looking for a missing pregnant teenager who is also a client of Charlotte's. Theo picks up her scent quickly but they are in race to find her because a winter storm is fast approaching the search area. Charlotte and Theo come up on a pink scarf caught on a branch but no girl. Charlotte keeps looking and finds a bloody leg in the brush and a body. She radios in and Dennis, the local Sheriff comes in to investigate. They determine the body is another teenage girl who had been pregnant, however, her baby is missing. Hannah the teen they had been looking for is still missing. The weather is getting worse and to top that off someone starts shooting at Charlotte and Sheriff Dennis. They take cover and await help. This all was just from the early stages of reading this book. It gets more intense, more suspenseful, and has so many twists and plots you gotta read it to take it all in. I got this book to read because I am on Sami Abrams street team but it was a gift with no expectations of a review good or bad. This review is my own opinion and given after completing this book. WOW. Preorder, get it, read it and the other 2 books in the series. You will enjoy them all.
Another great installment of the Deputies of Anderson County. This is book 3 in the series and just as gripping as the other two. I was excited for Dennis' story! You definitely will want to read the story of Sheriff Dennis Monroe and Charlotte Bradley, a family therapist and her air scent dog, Theo. Charlotte is desperately searching for her pregnant girls that she has come to know and deeply care for at her counseling center that have now gone missing. Her dog, Theo is trying to help her follow their tracks. However, in the meantime she becomes a target herself and with Sheriff Monroe's help they must dodge gunfire and deadly attacks and uncover the bad guys before it's too late. I loved seeing these two open up from past hurts with one another and start healing. It was also great to still read about the previous characters in the series as well and how they all come together to help one another like one big family. Amazing job Sami! Highly recommend!
Blown away! Do you struggle with books losing their momentum and you losing interest? You won’t find that a problem with this book or any other by Sami Abrams! As a sheriff and a social worker deal with betrayal and grief in that order they are also on a mission to find missing girls and missing babies. Can they overcome the pain of the past and find a happily ever after? Read this book and find out. This is book 3 in the series but does fine as a standalone book. I did enjoy revisiting characters from previous books in the series. I can’t wait to read whatever book she writes next. She is one of my authors I automatically purchase their books!
Charlotte and Dennis race against the clock as they search for a pregnant teen who has gone missing. Especially because someone doesn't want them to find Hannah and will kill to prevent it.
Though Detecting Secrets was relatively fast-paced, I felt that there was some information that was repeated unnecessarily, like the fact that Theo was an air-scent dog and he was the best. Yet, when the time came to apply this information, the characters didn't.
I enjoyed the camaraderie between Dennis and his partners. Their friendship was a key element of the story as was Dennis' relationship with his daughter.
Amelia was a precocious child whose enthusiasm and sweetness will warm your heart.
Readers will be reminded that God is trustworthy--even if He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to.
I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through Just Read Tours; a positive review was not required.
I received this book as an ARC with no expectation of a positive review.
Ms. Abrams had me on the edge of my seat by the first page. This book is such a fabulous, suspense filled book. I love Theo, the air sniffing search and rescue dog. Charlotte is his handler as well as a Marriage and Family therapist is working with Sheriff Dennis Monroe to find a missing pregnant teen. Will they be able to find her?
Merged review:
I received this book as an ARC with no expectation of a positive review.
Ms. Abrams had me on the edge of my seat by the first page. This book is such a fabulous, suspense filled book. I love Theo, the air sniffing search and rescue dog. Charlotte is his handler as well as a Marriage and Family therapist is working with Sheriff Dennis Monroe to find a missing pregnant teen. Will they be able to find her?
Detecting Secrets is the third book in the Deputies of Anderson County series by Sami A. Abrams.
You'll join Sheriff Dennis Monroe, marriage and family therapist Charlotte Bradley, and her air-scent dog Theo on a dangerous adventure to find a missing pregnant teen. As they search for answers Charlotte is targeted as well. Can they find the missing teen and figure out what is really going on before it's too late?
I highly recommend this book and the others in the series.
My thanks to the author/publisher for the ARC of this book. I was only asked to write an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sami A. Abrams Detecting Secrets The third book in Deputies of Anderson County series. Charlotte, a family therapist with an air scent dog, meets Sheriff Dennis while looking for a pregnant single girl. As they discover a black market smuggling ring the drama continues. Another fantastic, can’t put down book! Releasing in March you will want to put this on your list to get!
Detecting Secrets by Sami A. Abrams is the third book in her Deputies of Anderson County series.
I’ve been looking forward to this story since I learned it was about Sheriff Dennis Monroe. I have loved the interaction between him and his deputies in past books, and in this one we get to see that all the more.
This book also has a K-9! Charlotte is a teen pregnancy counselor, but also does search and rescue with her air-scent dog. She’s a strong, practical woman and I loved seeing her and her dog in action, especially in those first few chapters.
There is a challenging thread in this book in that babies and teen mothers are being targeted. But it makes you root for Charlotte and Dennis to find and help the missing kids.
If you enjoy romantic suspense, then definitely grab a copy of Detecting Secrets.
--- I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.
Detecting Secrets is the third book in the Deputies of Anderson County series, but can easily be read as a stand alone novel. From the very first moment, readers are dropped into a tense situation as Charlotte and her SAR dog search for a missing, pregnant teenager. The danger builds from the very beginning and continues at a fast pace throughout the novel.
This was a book that was almost impossible for me to set down. The author kept me guessing about who was behind all of the mayhem. Although it was fairly easy to determine the “why” behind the missing babies and pregnant teens, the “who” was a much more complicated answer.
I enjoyed the way the attraction built between the two main characters and how important Dennis’ daughter, Amelia, was to him. The way Charlotte and Dennis worked together and quickly began to form a friendship that could possibly turn into more was believable to me.
I have enjoyed each story in this series. All of them have had a good mixture of romance, suspense, and growth in the faith journeys of the main characters.
(4.5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Detecting Secrets is written by Sami A. Abrams. This book is part of the Anderson County Deputies series. However it can be read as a stand alone. I loved returning to Anderson County and catching up with a great cast of characters.
Sheriff Dennis Monroe has had a lot happen over the last several months. He took custody of a child he didn’t know he had, he’s watched several of his deputies find love and now he’s on the tail of a case that appears to be targeting pregnant girls. Therapist Charlotte and her scent detection dog Theo are called out when a pregnant girl that Charlotte had worked with goes missing. During her search she stumbles upon the body of another pregnant girl, whose baby has been removed.
Suddenly Dennis and Charlotte find themselves in a game of cat and mouse. Someone is trying to eliminate Charlotte. Charlotte is forced to deal with some painful reminders of her past to try and sort out who is behind the infant abductions.
This book starts out with heart pounding action and suspense. The author has created such a memorable cast of characters with her series. I loved seeing the interaction between them. Amelia, the daughter that Dennis did not know he had steals the show. She had a rough last before being brought to her father and she handles it so well.
Thank you to the author, publisher and JustRead Publicity Tours for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own
This gets 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads. This book is all kinds of exciting! I read it in one setting because I had to see how it was all going to end. My favorite things about the story were Amelia and Theo-when you have a sweet little girl and an adorable and super smart dog, they will always steal the story. The case Charlotte and Dennis are working is a bit brutal, and there was one element of the wrap up that I would have liked more detail on but otherwise this was a fun read that really kept me guessing throughout. Sami’s stories are always ones that I enjoy. Looking forward to the next one!
I received a copy of this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
Detecting Secrets by Sami A. Abrams gives readers plenty of secrets to uncover. Charlotte Bradley and her search and rescue dog Theo go on a search for a missing pregnant woman. Sherriff Dennis Monroe gets involved in the investigation when they uncover a different missing pregnant woman. Someone doesn’t want Charlotte to find out the truth and she becomes a target. But Dennis steps in to protect her and starts to fall for Charlotte, who has plenty of secrets of her own.
This is a fast-paced story, but you have plenty of time to fall in love with the characters. Dennis and Charlotte’s chemistry is flammable. Dennis is the one person that can get Charlotte to open up about her past and the secrets she holds tight. Of course, with Sami A Abrams you get danger on top of danger. She’s the best at writing suspenseful, action-packed plots.
Definitely move Detecting Secrets to the top of your TBR list and make sure to check out the rest of the Deputies of Anderson County series!
I received an ebook review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Detecting Secrets is book 3 in author Sami Abrams’ Deputies of Anderson County series, and oh my stars…is the title perfect! Get ready for some heart-stopping moments in this faith-filled suspense. Charlotte Bradley is a marriage and family therapist, but she’s also a part-time Search and Rescue agent along with her air scent canine partner, Theo. While Charlotte has spent the last five years counseling and helping countless people, she’s also spent them in constant emotional anguish due to events in her own life. Sheriff Dennis Monroe was shocked to recently learn about the existence of a five year old little girl, Amelia, and that she is his daughter. But he has her now and loves her as much - or more - as if he’d known her from birth. Pregnant teenaged girls are going missing - or worse - and now Charlotte and Dennis are teaming up to race against the clock and find them before it’s too late. But why are these girls being targeted? As they quickly grow closer, can Charlotte release her anger towards the Lord, and can Dennis work on his feelings of distrust for them to have a chance at a future? You’ll find it all out, and more, when you read Detecting Secrets! Plus, if you’ve read any of my reviews before, you know I LOVE an epilogue! I received a complimentary copy of this book, but my opinion is entirely my own.
Detecting Secrets Deputies of Anderson County #3 By Sami A. Abrams Charlotte Bradley is a therapist who has made helping pregnant teens a priority, she wants to be there for the ones who have no one. But when one of the girls she's been helping disappears, something more sinister is revealed. But the question is, what.
Sheriff Dennis Monroe wants answers too, and he's convinced Charlotte and her SAR K-9 partner Theo can help him find them. Hopefully before it is too late and before more girls go missing.
Detecting Secrets opens with the suspense already in full action, and it doesn't let up as the story progresses. Sheriff Monroe is busy fulfilling his duties as both sheriff and dad, and now he has to keep Charlotte safe too. Charlotte is doing her best to hold it all together, but this case is bringing back old memories. Memories that are more than a little uncomfortable as they are from a low point in her life.
Overall this is a fairly good read. Charlotte and Dennis have a few issues that they seem to get hung up on, and until they can work their way through them, they'll be obstacles getting in their way. So in some ways, this book has two aspects - a mental one and the case. And the conclusion is definitely unexpected, so whatever you do, don't skip ahead to the end!
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations, but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts provided are my own.
Thank you to JustRead Tours and the author for my gifted copy. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. This was a really sweet story that I enjoyed from the start. I absolutely loved reading about the rescue dogs and seeing how the story unfolded. I was deeply touched by the hardships, grief and tragedy affecting the characters and was highly invested in what happened to them as well as the side characters. The ending was so sweet and absolutely perfect! I highly recommend this one!
As with all Love Inspired books, this one was short and enjoyable.
I loved how it started. The pace of the book was great for it genre.
I admired how Dennis was protective of those around him. It was sweet to read. I also enjoyed the easy banter between the characters. A lot of love in there! I felt sorry for Charlotte after all she has gone through but she's a survivor that turned her pain into a passion. Theo, the sweet dog was the star of the show for me. I want want dog like him.
This is one action filled, touching and sweet read with a healthy dose of suspense and romance.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.