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Kelly Brakenhoff – Author

Cozy Mysteries and Children's Picture Books

February Online Book Club: Deadly Recall by Donnell Ann Bell

Deadly Recall by Donnell Ann Bell

Heart-pounding action mixed with a love story.

When nine-year-old Eden Moran witnesses an unthinkable tragedy, her whole life turns upside down. We meet up with her seventeen years later when she’s a successful attorney living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and police detective Kevin Dancer unearths clues in a cold case that lead back to Eden’s family.

One part thriller, one part romance, the action centers around what really happened years ago at St. Patrick’s school and church. How are the school and church personnel involved in past and current crimes? Can Eden and Kevin overcome their emotional baggage to begin a relationship together?

Having never been to Albuquerque, I enjoyed the details the author included about the culture and customs of the area. I easily pictured the town and people from her descriptions. Eden is strong and independent, yet clearly hurt by her experiences growing up. Kevin is a funny, likable match for her with his own faults and problems. I liked how he was protective, but not too much. 

As a practicing Catholic, I usually cringe when I see priests and religious sisters depicted in books or on TV. Often the creators get the details wrong or impose their own worldview about the church onto the story. In Deadly Recall, the religious characters are imperfect, but depictions of the faith and church teachings are accurate, which I appreciated. 

Deadly Recall is a good February choice if you’re in the mood for page-turning suspense with romance. I look forward to reading more of Donnell Bell’s books.

Bell has five suspense novels published and four of them are standalones. Deadly Recall is available to borrow on Hoopla, or you can buy it at any retailer. Deadly Recall and The Past Came Hunting are available in audiobook, too.

Kelly Brakenhoff is an author of eleven books and an ASL interpreter. She divides her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

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