Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble has become one of my favorites from the author. Colleen writes suspense mixed with romance and family drama – and this family has plenty of secrets to keep suspense fans up all night.

Carly Harris is a widow. Her husband was murdered, leaving Carly and their son Noah behind. But the mystery behind the murder remains…until Carly discovers what the killer was after – a rare and priceless find in Carly’s possession. The only person she can trust with the secret find is Lucas Bennett, her not-so-friendly neighbor and police detective. But as danger escalates, colossal secrets are revealed and the couple fights to the end to protect Carly’s family.

I loved this book from start to finish. Just when you think you’ve figured it all out – BAM – another twist knocks you over or a crazy secret changes the whole story. I love a good family drama, and this has a host of crazy family members, relationship drama, and tension woven throughout. I’ve always been a fan of Colleen Coble, but this one is going down as one of my favorites.

Definitely check out Fragile Designs. For audiobook fans: I thought the narrator really brought the story to life. I recommend the audio version, and I’m picky about my narrators so this was a win for me. Karen Peakes did a great job with it!

The post Fragile Designs appeared first on Best In Suspense.

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble takes readers back to Rock Harbor for a whole new series. Readers will love seeing some of the original characters pop in, as well as meet new ones. Annie Pederson is a resident of Rock Harbor with a tumultuous past. After losing her husband and parents in a boating accident, Annie struggles to raise her eight-year-old daughter, manage her families’ campsite and work as a Ranger. But all she wants to do is solve the mystery of finding her sister that was kidnapped when they were children. But when her ex-fiancé shows up in town, old feelings ignite. But Jon Dustan brings up way too many memories from the past for the small town to handle.

If it’s mysteries you want, Colleen Coble always brings complicated and intriguing storylines to life. There are plenty of plot twists, secrets, lies, and drama to delight any suspense fan.  I love how the author creates complicated twists and turns that keep readers guessing. Just a warning, the ending is definitely a cliffhanger and I felt like things were unresolved. I guess that means I’ll just have to wait for the sequel.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post Edge of Dusk appeared first on Best In Suspense.

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble brings danger and suspense to Jekyll Island. Torie Bergstrom is an heiress to a hotel empire, but decides to go on her own undercover mission, returning to her hometown of Jekyll Island to find out what happened with her best friend’s death. She doesn’t buy that her friend committed suicide and hopes people will open up to her if she keeps her identity hidden. She meets Joe Abbott, and the two tackle the unfolding mysteries together. But danger hits them from all sides because someone knows who Torie really is and sends threatening messages for her to leave.

This story has the perfect balance of suspense and romance. I like how both Joe and Torie struggle to reconcile their pasts to move forward to a future relationship. Torie relates to Joe’s daughter, as they both lost their mothers in tragic circumstances. But the suspenseful elements make this a fast-paced story (I think any story with sharks in it is a must-read!) There’s danger practically on every page. Colleen Coble always has fantastic and intricate plot twists coupled with super-unique settings that leave readers breathless.

I love how the mystery in this story unfolds. This is a great story to kick off the new year for all suspense fans!

Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)

Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post A Stranger’s Game appeared first on Best In Suspense.

Three Missing Days is the conclusion in the Pelican Harbor series. You’ll need to start with book one as all the books follow the same characters. Jane Hardy is the police chief of Pelican Harbor, and things take a bad turn for her and Reid Dixon when their son is implicated in a murder. Someone is out to destroy Jane’s family, and she and Reid try to track down a killer.

Three Missing Days is my favorite out of the series. This story has quite a bit of suspense and drama. What’s a mother to do when her fifteen-year-old son is being framed for murder? Jane finally gets to resolve some of her issues with her family and her past. Plus, Jane and Reid develop their romance. While this is a great series, I had a few issues with believability in the plot line (as in would that really happen?) But overall, I quite enjoyed all three books and recommend them for anyone looking for a good romantic suspense series.

4 stars (I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend)
4 stars (lots of action and suspense to keep me intrigued)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post Three Missing Days appeared first on Best In Suspense.

For fans of drama, secrets, and small town suspense

Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble brings readers back to Pelican Harbor. Note: It helps to read One Little Lie first, as Two Reasons to Run picks up a few weeks later. Jane and Reed’s relationship is on shaky ground, while Jane tries to get to know her son. But naturally Jane finds herself smack in the middle of another mystery.

While the story brings drama and intrigue, much of the plot centers around the characters trying to figure out their ever-changing circumstances. Jane now becomes a mother after fifteen years. Reed deals with his son, his feelings for Jane, discovering his long lost relatives, and his ex-wife. Jane is a great character – her credits include being police chief and having escaped a cult. She’s strong, yet comes to grips with her need to let others into her life – especially Reed. She struggles to forgive both her father and Reed for past lies.

The plot is complex and I like that it follows the same characters as the prior novel – but don’t think things will be wrapped up when you read this story. It definitely leads into the next novel in the series.

As far as suspense, the small-town-murder-mystery vibe continues from One Little Lie. Jane investigates in the midst of death threats and multiple murder. Things get intense when Jane’s son becomes a target. Not too many plot twists, but the story is fast paced with enough intrigue to keep suspense fans happy.

You can’t go wrong with a Colleen Coble novel. She always brings readers great characters and edgy, intense story lines. Definitely check out this series.

**********Audio Book Review**********
I am such a fan of audiobooks, so I was excited to receive my first review copy for an audio version! I thought the narrator (Devon O’Day) was fantastic and kept up the suspense level throughout the story. I find fast-paced novels work best on audio, and the pacing and story line mixed well together. There is only one narrator, which I prefer over a variety for each character. This is very enjoyable and entertaining novel as an audiobook.
.
Overall Rating: 4 stars (I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend)
Suspense Rating: 4 stars (lots of action and suspense to keep me intrigued)

I received an ebook and audiobook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own

The post Two Reasons To Run appeared first on Best In Suspense.

For fans of complex mysteries, drama, and small town settings

One Little Lie plops readers down into the middle of more than a decade old mystery. Jane Harper escapes from a cult with her father and manages to turn her life around and bury her past. She becomes police chief of Pelican Harbor, AL, but everything derails as several murders happen her first day on the job. To make matters worse, her father is the chief suspect, and she’s stuck with reporter Reid Betchol shadowing her for a documentary.

I’d classify this novel as a mystery. The plot is complex, with lots of characters that intertwine throughout the story. I didn’t see the ending coming and enjoyed the process of trying to piece the evidence together along side Jane. The “secret” is pretty obvious early on, and it’s interesting to see Reid deal with lies of omission and coming clean about what he knows and who he is. Also, Colleen Coble always has the best settings, and I loved the New Orleans style vibe of Pelican Harbor.

There was plenty of action and suspense to keep the story fast-paced. My only issue was the believability at times. The contrast of Jane from beginning to end didn’t resonate with me. I couldn’t figure out how she went from the past she had in the cult to become the police chief. It seemed like a stretch. The conflict from her past and present didn’t come out as much as I would have wanted. But overall, this is a great mystery and an intriguing read. I definitely recommend to suspense fans.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Overall Rating: 4 stars (I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend)
Suspense Rating: 4 stars (lots of action and suspense to keep me intrigued)

The post One Little Lie appeared first on Best In Suspense.

For fans of twisted plot lines, drama, and coastal settings

Strands of Truth is a fast-pace dramatic story, with a plot as unique as its characters and setting. Set in three time periods, the story connects past murders to the present in a way that only Colleen Coble could pull off. I’m convinced that if other authors attempted this complex multi-level plot line the story would be convoluted. But Strands of Truth weaves an intricate story spanning 30 years that hooks the reader from start to finish.

The story starts with Harper Taylor who is researching marine life (the author goes into in-depth on lots of subjects like mollusks and shells, which you’d think would be an overwhelming subject as a reader, but the author breaks it down until it’s facilitating.) Harper’s life has been spent trying to find her birth father and figure out how her mother died. She finds out she has a half sister whose mother was murdered and teams up with Ridge, a man who hates her, to connect the pieces of a very fragmented puzzle. Then to add to the complexity of the plot someone tries to abduct her and her newly discovered sister and murders her mentor. Harper and Ridge spend the novel trying to stay alive while solving three murders, decades apart.

The setting made the story. Set in the gulf coast of FL, Harper lived on a boat and the maritime setting made me nostalgic for old FL. Part of the story takes readers to FL landmarks like Weekie Wachee. I’m a FL girl, so of course I loved it!

Strands of Truth start off with the author throwing a lot of details at the readers, but then once you wrap your mind around the characters and the setting plus the unusual circumstances, you are sucked into the mystery of it all. I also couldn’t guess the ending, so I give five stars to this suspense novel that kept me guessing until the very end.

I received a complementary ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post Strands of Truth appeared first on Best In Suspense.