Review: Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron

Well-written Romantic Suspense

Tess Villanova is a Detective with the St Augustine police force, and has just been assigned a new partner, Chicago import Logan McMillan. I really liked both Tess and Logan as characters. They are both competent professionals, both Christians, and have both been forced to confront the age-old question of why bad things happen. Tess’s questions began in her final year of high school, when her best friend was murdered at the prom. Samantha was the first victim of a serial killer, and when another body is found, Tess and Logan are assigned to lead the investigation.

As they pursue the mystery of the latest death, they also discover a mutual attraction—a complication, as they work together. So Scraps of Evidence is a mystery combined with a romance, and although the book is shorter (only 240 pages), it is an exciting and satisfying plot. My only complaint was that I began to suspect the identity of the serial killer around a quarter of the way through the book, and that kind of spoiled the mystery. On the other hand, it did add an additional layer of suspense which kept me turning the pages.

Scraps of Evidence is a departure from Cameron’s normal genre of Amish fiction. There are similarities: Tess and her Aunty Kathy are both keen quilters, and Tess has lived almost her whole life in the community of St Augustine, so Scraps of Evidence has that community feel that often typifies Amish fiction. There are also differences: the Christian aspect of Scraps of Evidence was present but understated, and the characters are intelligent and likeable (as you can tell, I’m not a fan of Amish fiction).

Scraps of Evidence is part of the Quilts of Love series of books, featuring titles by a range of different authors. Each novel is a stand-alone romance with uniting theme of quilts or quilting. I’ve read several and enjoyed them, and I very much enjoyed Scraps of Evidence. I might even be persuaded to give some of Cameron’s Amish fiction a try.

Thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Barbara Cameron at her website.