Unveiling the Past

Written by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Narrated by Barbara McCulloh

Mysteries, family secrets, and the love of a true Father are found at the heart of this gripping novel from the bestselling author of Bringing Maggie Home

Newlyweds Sean Eagle and Meghan DeFord are no strangers to pain and loss. As cold-case detectives, they know intimately the anguish family members endure after the murder or disappearance of a loved one. But when a new case hits too close to home, it threatens to pull loose the fragile cords of their young marriage.

Sheila Menke was just a girl when her father left for work and never returned. An investigation revealed he had embezzled enough to start a new life elsewhere, but Sheila could never accept the court’s criminalization of her father. Meghan reluctantly takes the case, secretly fearing it will stir up buried feelings about her own biological father. And while Sean investigates the mysterious death of two young brothers, he longs to start a family. But Meghan worries that with a negligent mother and an absentee father as her parenting examples, she might never be fit for motherhood.

As they delve deeper into the past, both Meghan and Sheila must choose to either stumble along the road of bitterness and resentment or walk the difficult path toward forgiveness and healing. When the cases begin to break wide open, these young women are poised to discover that while earthly fathers may fail, there is one in heaven who is a father to the fatherless.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705005811

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Bestselling, award-winning author Kim Vogel Sawyer wears many hats besides “writer.” As a wife, mother, grandmother, and active participant in her church, her life is happily full. But Kim’s passion lies in writing stories of hope that encourage her readers to place their lives in God’s capable hands. An active speaking ministry assists her with her desire. Kim and her husband make their home on the beautiful plains of Kansas, the setting for many of Kim’s novels.

Reviews for Unveiling the Past

[Rozann Lamberto · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful intertwining of several sub plots into one marvelous story!

[eccl-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unveiling the Past, by Kim Vogel Sawyer, is book two in the Bringing Maggie Home series. This story does reference characters and situations from the first book, so I would recommend reading them in order. However, the author does a great job of introducing the characters and does give a little background.This is a very good, well written story that deals with topics of unwed motherhood, fatherless child, divorce and alcoholism. This story shows how the way a person grows up affects how they feel about being a parent as well as the way they pursue their career and relationships in adulthood. It also does a great job of showing how money does not buy happiness.I really liked Meghan's grandmother. She is a very strong Christian and knows how to witness to people who are struggling. I like how she helped Meghan to understand how to know when God is telling you something. I also like how she helps Meghan's mom understand her mixed feelings towards Meghan's father and helps her realize it is compassion and she is now seeing him through God's eyes.This is a very good modern day book that I would strongly recommend. I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[robbyefaye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kim Vogel Sawyer’s newest book, Unveiling the Past, is a multi-layered, multifaceted book. However, even though there is more than one story woven throughout the pages, it is not overly complex or complicated.I’ve never read a mystery/suspense storyline by Sawyer and did not realize this was a sequel. I still enjoyed it very much.The protagonists are determined to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding their own lives and the lives of those who need their help. Their persistence is admirable.Sawyer also introduces a spiritual element that is hard to resist. She doesn’t browbeat you or use hellfire and brimstone to get her message across. She just gently introduces it as a vital element in the lives of the main characters, then lets their lives speak for their faith. The degree to which she weaves it seamlessly and effortlessly into the story is creditable.Unveiling the Past has a few unsettling scenes for anyone who has difficulty reading such occurrences or events. (I have PTSD and a few scenes were slightly disturbing to me, but I was able to read the entire book.)I am now looking forward to purchasing and reading the first book in the series, Bringing Maggie Home.I received the book from Waterbrook. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

[sbmc-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"The past can knock on the door all it wants to. You don't have to answer."This book has quite a few pasts that come knocking on the door and multiple subplots make for an interesting story with themes of forgiveness, coming to terms with the past, and restoration that can only be found through faith in God. There are several third person point of view voices in the story - Sean and Meghan who are a cold case detective couple, Diane who is Meghan's mother, Kevin who is Meghan's father whom she never knew, and Sheila who has a personal cold case that approaches Sean and Meghan's team for help. Each character has a subplot, some more shrouded in cold case mystery than others, and all the characters and their stories converge as Sean and Meghan live out their lives dedicated to God. The author addresses some tough emotional issues like abandonment, alcoholism, and dysfunctional parent-child relationship with tenderness and understanding. There are flashbacks to fill in the gaps of the past and the transition between the past and the present is fluid and well-connected. The characters and their emotions are real, the plot moves at a good pace to unveil the details needed for the big finales of the two cold case pursuits, and the faith element provided by Sean and Meghan's grandmother Hazel is phenomenal. If you enjoy a well-written contemporary women's fiction with a dash of mystery, you will enjoy this book. It is book 2 in Bringing Maggie Home series but can be read as a stand-alone.I received a copy of the book from WaterBrook & Multnomah and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This read had several stories that we follow, and yes, answers are forthcoming on all, but we take it day by day until the end.The author gives us a young Christian woman who is living her faith, but has stumbled as far as having children with her husband, and why? That is part of what this book contains, and we journey here for reasons and answers.What an interesting job Meghan has along with her husband, she looks at Arkansas's cold cases, and some that become personal to their supervisor. How many lives are changed here, and I loved that the author gave us some chance meetings!From beginning to the end, I loved this book, and saw how God worked in the lives of believers.I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Waterbrook, and was not required to give a positive review.