Sleeping in Eden By Nicole Baart

I received this book from Howard Books for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description:

On a chilly morning in the Northwest Iowa town of Blackhawk, Dr. Lucas Hudson is filling in for the vacationing coroner on a seemingly open-and-shut suicide case. His own life is crumbling around him, but when he unearths the body of a woman buried in the barn floor beneath the hanging corpse, he realizes this terrible discovery could change everything. Lucas is almost certain the remains belong to Angela Sparks, the missing daughter of the man whose lifeless body dangles from a rope above.  When Angela went missing years earlier, he and his wife never really believed she was just another teenage runaway.  Fueled by passion, Lucas resolves to uncover the details of Angela’s suspected death, to bring some closure to their small community and to his wife. But his obsession may not be able to fix what is broken, and Lucas may be chasing shadows…

Years before Lucas ever set foot in Blackhawk, Meg Painter met Dylan Reid. It was the summer before high school and the two quickly became inseparable. Although Jess, Meg’s older neighbor, was the safe choice, she couldn’t let go of Dylan and the history they shared no matter how hard she tried. Caught in a web of jealousy and deceit that spiraled out of control, Meg’s choices in the past ultimately collide with Lucas’s investigation in the present, weaving together a taut story of unspoken secrets and the raw, complex passions of innocence lost.


My Thoughts:


Sleeping in Eden is the first book by Nicole Baart I have read and what can I say? WOW!! When I read the synopsis before requesting it, I HAD to request it, definitely sounded like a book for me.  And WOW it was.  Sleeping in Eden is told from two different perspectives in two different times. We read from Lucas Hudson's standpoint in the present dealing with a suicide and a murder.  We also read from Meg Painter's standpoint from over a decade ago in a different town. Nicole Baart transports readers seamlessly through the different time periods and in one moment, BOOM, both worlds collide in a way that is hard to believe.

Nicole Baart weaves a haunting story of mystery and love.  As I read Sleeping in Eden I truly felt like I was there watching the events unfold. The characters are well written and real people with imperfect lives.  I could not put this book down, it grabbed me from the first chapter and kept a hold of me until the end. This book took many twists and turns, and kept me guessing until the end. Sleeping in Eden is one of those stories that will stay with me, the storyline truly touched me and held on. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Christian Fiction/Mystery/Suspense. You will not be disappointed. I have found a new author to read! Nicole Baart's books are in my HAVE TO READ pile. I look forward to reading her other books.  I give this book 5 Stars.