Review: WHERE SECRETS LIE by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

On June 5, 2025 By vickleaIn Book Promo, Book ReviewLeave a comment

About the Book

ISBN-13:9781400345694

Publication date:06/03/2025

Pages:352

College professor Savannah Webster is ready to give her ex-husband, Hez, another chance, and she believes he’s finally ready for them to face their many past trials as a team. But when Savannah finds evidence that points to Hez’s old demons resurfacing, the fragile trust they’ve built begins to crumble. And it’s not just their relationship that hanging in the balance—the survival of the university Savannah’s family poured their lives into is also under threat.

Hez is determined to put his past mistakes behind him with his new role mentoring law students at Tupelo Grove University’s legal clinic. His primary focus with the clinic is to help Savannah pull the university out of a pit of debt and bad decisions made by the previous leadership, including her father. But their quest for stability takes a dark turn as they try to root out the dangerous smuggling ring the university is entangled in, and their investigation puts them in the crosshairs of criminals who will stop at nothing to eliminate any obstacle in their path.

The twists continue until the final page as a dangerous world of smuggling and financial instability collides with the complex dynamics of legacy and family.

My Thoughts

In this second book in the Tupelo Grove series, the authors captivated me immediately with the romance between Hez and Savannah, Jess’s duplicity and precocious young Simon. The action is non-stop as Savannah tries to save her beloved university and Jess works behind the scenes to thwart her. Hex, a lawyer with a plan and a purpose, begins his Justice Chamber project, investigating corruption and cases that involve the university. In all of their interactions, there are a lot of secretes and twists along with red herrings. The action is riveting as there are more murders and subterfuge, along with the stolen artifacts that are tied to the university. Danger runs rampant through the pages and it was hard to put the book down. I enjoyed learning more of the back story about the characters and the reason they behave the way they do, especially Jess. I found the characters to be mostly likable and totally dynamic, with realistic flaws that made me like them even more. I especially enjoyed how well the threads of the complicated plot were all interwoven and came together perfectly at the conclusion. This book may be read as a standalone, but I think readers would find it more enjoyable if they read the series in order as characters introduced in the first book are the same ones in this one, only with additional details and a few new characters added to the mix. The mystery drew me into the story and kept me reading to try to solve the murders and understand the dynamics of the families involved in the legacy of the university. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series since the setting, the characters and the plot have captured my imagination and my desire to know all of the secrets.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

About Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

Other Book in the Series

Purchase Links for Where Secrets Lie

Review: Ambush by Colleen Coble

On March 5, 2025 By vickleaIn Book Review2 Comments

About the Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:9780840714220 Publisher:Nelson, Thomas, Inc. Publication date:03/04/2025. Series:A Sanctuary Novel , #1 Pages:352

Paradise Alden’s childhood in Nova Cambridge, Alabama, was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. Since then, life has left her scarred. The abuse she suffered in the foster care system, her first love’s betrayal, and the jaguar attack that nearly destroyed her career have led to an unshakable distrust—in men, in God, and maybe in even in herself.

After fifteen years, returning to her hometown is a last resort to finding her life again. She’s hoping the wildlife refuge where she’s accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place to heal from her recent traumas and unlock her memories about the night her parents died. But the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered on the grounds. And soon, a series of deadly events threatens not only her future, but the man who, despite all odds, still makes her pulse stutter. Arson, a shooting, a break-in, and multiple instances of animals being freed from their enclosures all point back to him, but Paradise knows Blake Lawson isn’t responsible. Not the man who has been helping his mother manage The Sanctuary these past six months and care for his stepbrothers in the wake of their father’s death . . . even if his betrayal years ago cost her everything.

Someone dangerous is lurking beneath the town’s moss-draped trees, and Paradise refuses to let another murderer disappear into the shadows.

My Thoughts

This novel is a wild ride in a wild animal sanctuary where the owner is being threatened and is in constant danger of being killed. That’s the scenario when Paradise comes back to Alabama to accept a job as a vet at the sanctuary and finds more than she bargained for. The layers in this book are numerous and all are equally memorable. Paradise is dealing with trauma in her childhood, betrayal by her best friend Blake (who happens to be the son of the sanctuary’s owner), and new trauma from being mauled by a big cat. Blake has his own issues to deal with as he takes seriously his commitment to his mom Jenna and his two half-brothers. All of the characters popped off the page and right into my imagination. I could picture Paradise with her “mane” of hair and the two precocious little boys who loved adventure. The mystery is in who is targeting the sanctuary and why. There are many twists and red herrings before the culprit is ultimately revealed, making the book absorbing and totally captivating. I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness, restoration, seeking truth, sacrifice, and family issues. I especially enjoyed seeing characters from a previous book who live in Tupelo Grove, from another series by Coble and Acker. The truth is I really enjoyed my journey through this fascinating book in which I learned a lot about wild animals and even more about human nature and how to make wiser choices. The faith foundation is obvious but not overwhelming to the storyline, but rather adding to the overall tale. I cannot wait for more in this series and to discover who will be featured next from the sanctuary or its environs!
Disclaimer
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are completely my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Christian Fiction with Suspense, Rated PG

About the Author

Best-selling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 5 million books in print and her books have been on the USAToday bestseller list, the ECPA, CBA, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon bestseller lists. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com.

Purchase Links

With great appreciation to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publisher, Inc. for the advanced review copy!

Review: I THINK I WAS MURDERED by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

On November 14, 2024 By vickleaIn Book Review2 Comments

About the Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:9780840712578 Publisher:Nelson, Thomas, Inc. Publication date:11/12/2024 Pages:352

Just a year ago, Katrina Berg was at the pinnacle of her career. She was a rising star in the AI chatbot start-up everyone was talking about, married with an adoring husband, and had more money than she knew how to spend. Then her world combusted. Her husband, Jason, was killed in a fiery car crash. Her CEO was indicted, and, as the company’s legal counsel, Katrina faces tough questions as the Feds take over and lock her out of her office. The final blow is the passing of her beloved grandmother.

Her most prized possession is the beta prototype for a new, ultra-sophisticated chatbot loaded onto her phone. The contents of Jason’s email, social media backups, pictures, and every bit of data she could find were loaded into the bot, and Katrina has “talked” to him every day for the past six months. She has been amazed at how well it works. Even the syntax and words the bot uses sound like Jason. Sometimes, she imagines he isn’t really dead and is right there beside her. She knows it’s slowing her grief recovery, but she can’t stop pretending.

On a particularly bad day, she taps out: Tell me something I don’t know. The cursor blinks for several moments and seems frozen before the reply flashes quickly onto the screen: I think I was murdered.

Distraught, Katrina returns to her cozy Norwegian-flavored hometown in the Northern California redwoods and enlists the help of Seb Wallace, local restaurateur and longtime acquaintance, to try to parse out the truth of what really happened. They must navigate the complicated paths of grief, family dynamics, and second chances, as well as the complex questions of how much control technology has. And staying alive long enough to do that is far more difficult than either of them dreamed.

My Thoughts

I loved the complexity of this book, with its multiple layers and how the protagonist dealt with her grief by using a Chatbot with AI. Katrina’s loss of her husband Jason, followed by the death of her beloved grandmother, seems to get her to focus on finding out what really happened to Jason. When he “messages” her on the AI chat that he thinks he was murdered, Katrina is intrigued enough that she continues to pursue clues to find out if he was murdered and if so, who did it and why. The mystery is totally intriguing and the relationships between the characters are as complex as the plot. Katrina meets Seb when she goes back to North Haven for her grandmother’s funeral, the same Seb from high school who carried a torch for her but was too shy to act on his attraction. Now he is a famous restauranteur and wants to help Katrina unravel the mystery of Jason’s death. Meanwhile, back in Katrina’s life in CA, she and her company are being investigated by the FBI, her friend and co-worker Liv is pregnant and has no place to go since they are both unemployed now. So Katrina invites Liv to stay with her in North Haven. The plot gets more and more complicated and the clues are abundant. I enjoyed following the clues, getting to know all of the places Katrina visited as she searched out a hidden message from Jason as well as getting acquainted with a multitude of possible suspects and motives. This is romantic suspense with an edge since grief is added in as well as current technology. I found the story fascinating and the characters realistic. This book offers a great read that made me think as I sought to solve the mystery alongside Katrina and Seb. The romance element simmers under the surface, breaking through with a few kisses and a lot of questioning looks. It took second place to the mystery but added to the intrigue as I guessed whether the couples would truly get together and stay that way or not. I highly recommend this novel as it held me captivated for days as I tried to figure out whodunit and how Katrina would be able to deduce the truth from the AI messages that Jason sent her. Fans of romantic suspense books that are original and believable will definitely want to read this book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Thomas Nelson Publishing via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG-Christian Romantic Suspense with Intense Suspense

Purchase Links

Review of FRAGILE DESIGNS by Colleen Coble

On December 30, 2023 By vickleaIn Book Review1 Comment

ABOUT THE BOOK

ISBN-13:9780785253822

Publisher:Nelson, Thomas, Inc.

Publication date:01/02/2024

Pages:352

There’s only one thing more dangerous than family secrets.

Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family’s large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn’t hesitate to kill for.

Homicide detective Lucas Bennett isn’t his neighbor’s biggest fan, not since she broke his brother’s heart years ago. But when Carly turns to Lucas for help, believing she’s found a lost Fabergé egg that would be worth millions and that could put her family’s lives in danger, he can’t help but get involved. Soon, they’re entangled in a mystery with threads that lead all the way to the Russian mafia. Lucas has gotten in deep, and while he trusts his ability to keep Carly and her family safe, he begins to realize he’s vulnerable to an unexpected kind of danger. And he’s helpless to stop the freefall. As they continue working closely together, Carly and Lucas realize they may have found something more precious than gold. Yet it’s only a matter of time before Carly—or, worse, someone she loves—gets hurt.

My Thoughts

This book was amazing in every way! It’s a propulsive thriller along with a twisted mystery and a family drama that is expertly woven into the story of a missing Faberge egg. Carly’s husband was killed in a home invasion and she is left to raise their son Noah alone. Her grandmother has a plan to turn her large mansion into a bed and breakfast, something that will support Carly and Noah long after she is gone. In perusing the contents of the attic, Carly makes a remarkable discovery that will change the entire family’s life, if they can survive it, that is. I really enjoyed the characterization; all of the characters were well-rounded and dynamic. Even the bad guys were so well portrayed that I really hated them and their nefarious and deadly deeds. The plot is complicated with family issues, a missing twin and treasures that need to be discovered and protected. The complicated plot was written brilliantly with a sense of intense and edgy suspense that kept me totally engrossed in the story. I really enjoyed getting to know Carly and how giving and loving she was, in spite of how people took advantage of her. I also liked Lucas, the swoonworthy neighbor who doesn’t want to have any kind of relationship outside of protecting Carly and her family. Add to all of this the Russian mob, a swindling family member and so much more! This is a fast-moving book that is captivating, multi-layered and insightful into personalities of the characters and their motivations. I loved this book so much that I was sad when it ended…I just wanted more of the remarkable Tucker family and their head-spinning history.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Clean Christian Fiction with intense suspense

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-selling romantic suspense author **Colleen Coble’s** novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 5 million books in print and her books have been on the USAToday bestseller list, the ECPA, CBA, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon bestseller lists. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com.

AVAILABLE 1-02-24. PURCHASE LINKS:

Review of A STRANGER’S GAME by Colleen Coble

On January 9, 2022 By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

The story of Torie Bergstrom’s determination to discover the truth about what happened to her best friend Lisbeth was a compelling read, with a sub-plot of a romance developing between Torie and sea lion trainer Joe. Torie is an heiress to a hotel empire and takes her responsibilities seriously, including solving the mystery of her friend’s death. With the help of Joe and local state trooper Craig, Torie follows the clues and inevitably winds up endangered herself. The plot is somewhat complicated because the resort on Jekyll Island is the site for an important meeting with the Federal Reserve and someone nefarious seems to be targeting the participants. I thoroughly enjoyed the details of the setting and the behind-the scenes look at the resort. It was obvious that the author had done her research! The romance between Joe and Torie was well-paced and realistic, with Joe’s concern for his daughter Hailey overriding any romantic feelings he might have for Torie. With three-dimensional characterization and a storyline that was original and absorbing, this book held me enthralled and even giving advice to the characters. The ending seemed rushed to me, but I think that was because I did not want the story to end. I could continue reading about Torie’s adventures and her quest for truth and justice for a long time to come. The story was just that good and the characters were just that likable. Of course, there were villains who were despicable, portrayed just as they should have been. All in all, this is a winning book in the romantic suspense genre and fans of good, clean Christian fiction will cheer at the ending and applaud a well-written book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

*Image and Bio from the author’s website at* http://www.colleencoble.com

Released on January 4th, so you can buy a copy today by following one of these links:

Review of TWO REASONS TO RUN by Colleen Coble

On October 17, 2020 By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This is the second book in the Pelican Bay series, and although I had no difficulty understanding the plot or the relationships between the characters, I wish that I had read the first book already in order to get the back story in Jane and Reid’s relationship. That being said, this book definitely left me wanting more of their story, especially the interference that Lauren is threatening to their discovery of each other. I enjoyed how the plot was complicated and woven around various characters. My favorite character was Will, a young man with a practical head on his shoulders who wants the best for both of his parents, regardless of whether they stay together or not. Jane is a strong and fierce heroine while Reid is not as strong but is a real brainiac who figures things out and has passed this trait on to his son. All of the characters work together to attempt to stop an attack on an oil platform that will also threaten the Gulf. This is a winning series, with an intense and intriguing plot and characters that are realistic and relatable.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”