For raw, suspenseful, and romantic tales, author Lorhainne Eckhart always delivers. The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author has written over 120 novels that delve into family sagas with a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and suspense to keep readers at the edge of their seats. Eckhart’s work has been highly praised, earning her the Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance multiple times, and her novels have been translated into 6 different languages.
If you’re searching for books that revolve around relatable family themes and the real emotions of love, suspicion, and angst, we highly recommend starting with these excellent Eckhart novels:
Keep Me In Your Heart
Days before Sara Friessen is supposed to get married, her family’s life is flipped upside down when Chelsea and Alaric, her older sister and her sister’s husband, suddenly go missing. Sara’s father, Andy, struggles to get to the truth, despite being blocked at every turn by police enforcement. Eventually, he ends up seeking help from his cousins to dig deeper into the case of the missing couple. As the Friessens begin to investigate, they uncover a dark secret that may have put Chelsea in terrible danger, and the family fears they might already be too late to save her.
The Cold Case
Detective Mark Friessen uncovers a strange open and shut case that convicted a father of murdering his young daughter, but there was no body found, and no evidence that he committed a crime. Friessen is disturbed, fearing that an innocent man is in prison and that the toddler had been kidnapped by someone else. As Friessen digs deeper into this case, new discoveries convince him that this case never should have been closed.
Hiding in Plain Sight
25-year-old Billy Jo was born to a meth addict and faced 15 difficult years of being bounced around the foster care system until she was finally adopted by Chase McCabe. Now that she’s older, she’s determined to find out the truth about her biological mother and begins to play amateur detective to track her down. When Detective Mark Friessen shows up at Billy Jo’s home to warn her to stop, Billy Jo just grows more suspicious. She has no idea that trying to find a woman who has no desire to be found could be a treacherous game.
The Neighbor
Park ranger Ryan O’Connell is shocked, but somewhat intrigued, when a woman he had met up with for a one-night stand several years ago suddenly moves into a house in his small Montana town. Jenny Sweetgrass and her daughter, Alison, seem kind and ready to start a new chapter in their lives. When Alison suddenly goes missing, Jenny needs to rely on Ryan to help her find her missing daughter. But a surprising truth is still left to be uncovered, which could change Ryan’s life forever.
The Third Call
Marcus O’Connell is the head deputy for the Livingston sheriff’s office, and he prides himself at being great at his job. He knows all the locals, knows how to handle intense situations with cool confidence, and can easily tell when he’s being lied to. However, his world suddenly changes when a little girl calls his office not once, not twice, but three times in a row. She keeps hanging up, sounding terrified, and Marcus suspects that there is someone in her house who she’s hiding from. Where is this child calling from, where are her parents, and how is Marcus supposed to help when he knows nothing about this situation?