#colleencoble

Book Review: Three Missing Days by Colleen Coble

Three Missing Days
by Colleen Coble
Book 3 in the Pelican Harbor series
Rating: 4/5
Release date: April 6, 2021

Yes! The thrilling conclusion to this riveting series from Colleen Coble. I was excited to read what happened next and get some closure. There’s been mystery after mystery involving Chief Jane, Reid and their son, Will, but I was really hoping for some resolutions and the author did not disappoint. I highly recommend reading the first two books before reading this one or else you may be a bit lost. (Warning: since this is a continuing story, there are some spoilers if you have not read the previous books.)

When Chief of Police Jane Hardy begins to investigate the deaths of two people in a house fire, something smells of foul play. But as she digs deeper to find the truth, Jane’s personal life becomes even more complicated with the reappearance of Lauren, Reid’s wife who abandoned the family. Jane’s heart can’t take too much more with her uncertain relationship with Reid until Will is accused of a horrific murder. Jane and Reid must race to gather evidence to clear their fifteen-year-old’s name and get him released.

When confronted with her past, Jane realizes she is missing three days in her memory that are just blank. Can Jane figure out what happened during those missing days? Are those missing days somehow connected to something even worse? In the midst of it all, can Jane and Reid’s relationship survive all this stress?

Ahhh! Can you handle it? For me, this book was very good and helped tie up loose ends, but I also had a harder time getting into the story (since I had to remember what had happened before). However, once I was a few chapters in, I could not stop reading because the story started moving faster. I could feel Jane’s pain at feeling helpless to defend her son who she only recently reconnected with. I could feel Reid’s agony at not being able to be there for his son who was being set up for a crime he didn’t commit. I always love how real the author’s characters are – their real doubts and fears about God’s faithfulness in the darkest of times. The rollercoaster of emotions is something we all go through when our lives don’t turn out the way we think they should.

This book was good, but I do not think it was the best of the three; hence, the 4 stars. However, I loved the closure I got at the end and I loved to see the character growth. You will still definitely want to read this book after reading the first two to find out what happens.

Highly recommend this Christian suspense with romance, action, and mystery.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

March 30, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble

Two Reasons to Run
by Colleen Coble
Book 2 in the Pelican Harbor series
Rating: 4.5/5
Release date: September 8, 2020

The story continues with Chief Jane and Reid and their son, Will. I was excited to dive back into the Pelican Harbor series and it did not disappoint. The story will make more sense if you read the first book, One Little Lie, but the background info is summarized fairly well, so I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. However, One Little Lie was also an excellent read so I’d still recommend starting from the beginning of the series.

Jane is still reeling from all the lies her father told her. She continues to feel betrayed by her father and even Reid, the father of their son. As chief, she starts investigating the disappearance of a local on an oil rig and suspects foul play. Homeland Security won’t listen to her, so she must continue to investigate on her own to stop a possible terrorist attack. Reid is willing to help her since the man who disappeared had also asked him to help. Together they move from clue to clue to figure out who’s behind the threat all while trying to protect their son, Will, whose life has been threatened in an effort to get Jane to drop the investigation. Meanwhile, Jane and Reid go on a journey trying to find relatives, which brings up a lot of baggage from their pasts. Can these two continue to work together and protect their son while trying to prevent a terrorist attack?

I love Colleen Coble’s stories. They just keep on getting better. I really like continuing with these main characters and how they need to deal with real life challenges. The situations they are in really do require the inner strength that only comes from faith. I also wasn’t able to guess the ending, which I was pleasantly surprised by. I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this series, Three Missing Days.

I highly recommend this book and series if you enjoy contemporary Christian stories with romance, action, mystery and suspense.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

September 3, 2020 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

One Little Lie
by Colleen Coble
Book 1 in the Pelican Harbor series
Release date: March 3, 2020
Rating: 4/5

With layers upon layers of good storytelling, Colleen Coble weaves quite the mystery. Did I happen to guess the truth? Maybe, but I wasn’t absolutely sure until the truth came out. One little lie can do so much damage and have a ripple effect. Masterful storytelling and imperfect characters make this story something you need to pick up and read now.

As the newly appointed chief of police, Jane is not sure she is the right person for the job but she has always been a competent and thorough investigator and pursuer of justice and truth. Though her past still haunts her, she finds ways to work with her team and discover the truth. With two homocides occurring back to back, Jane is unsure what is happening in her small town of Pelican Harbor. And when another crisis hits closer to home, she’s unsure where her focus should be.

Reid requests the mayor’s help in giving him access to Jane, a female chief of police, that he wants to do a documentary on. Despite his reputation, Jane is hesitant to have him tag-a-long, especially when Reid enlists his 15-year-old son, Will, to be his camera crew. As they follow Jane around, they observe her intuitive investigative skills and strive to help her solve the mysteries surrounding so many deaths and strange occurrences.

Is Colleen Coble one of my favorite authors? Absolutely.
Why? She knows how to pen a mystery that is both suspenseful and nuanced.
What makes this book different? You’ll have to read it to find out. LOL. I would say that the tone is different than previous books. Although there is a lot that happens in this first installment, I did not realize that this story was only the beginning. The entire series will revolve around Jane, so I was not quite as satisfied by the ending.
Is this book a romance? Not really. It has some romantic parts, but they are slow burning. Now that I know the rest of the series will still be focused on Jane, this makes more sense.
Is there stuff about God in this book? Yes. As a Christian, it’s one of the things I love about the author’s work. She seamlessly incorporates her faith into the writing. These characters are dealing with real trauma and sometimes, only God is the answer to bring hope, healing and forgiveness.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a good suspenseful mystery with a dash of romance.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.