Excitement, evil antagonists, action, and romance are a few of the items that stand out in Break of Day by Colleen Coble. This is the third and fiExcitement, evil antagonists, action, and romance are a few of the items that stand out in Break of Day by Colleen Coble. This is the third and final book in the Annie Pederson romantic suspense series with a Christian fiction tone set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in and around the village of Rock Harbor.
Annie is a law enforcement officer with the park service who works closely with the local sheriff’s office. Her relationship is going well with Jon Dunston, the love of her life and the biological father of her daughter, Kylie. Her relationship with her sister Sarah is still shaky. However, when a man escapes custody and Sarah’s safety is up in the air, Annie’s professional and personal lives collide. This happens while her investigation into missing hikers is not going well.
The author does a great job of characterization. Annie is likeable with grit, persistence, compassion, and determination. However, she hates to ask for help from others. Jon is an orthopedic surgeon who is strong and kind. However, he deeply hurt Annie when they were younger. Kylie played a much smaller role in this novel. Many of the other characters have depth and either put readers on guard or drew them deeper into their lives. The characters feel authentic and have believable relationships despite some of them being quite disturbing. There are a lot of characters in the story, so it helps to have read the previous books. That way, the number of new characters is significantly less.
As usual there are multiple professional and personal threads woven seamlessly throughout the story. This gritty and intriguing story is filled with action, suspense, and violence as well as some sweet romantic moments. It has several layers, and is dark at times. It’s is a terrific ending to the trilogy. The world-building is excellent. From the woods to the small town to Lake Superior, readers are enveloped in the atmosphere of the Upper Peninsula. The pacing is fast throughout the book and the plot is twisty. Themes include romance, murder, fear, faith, disappearances, actions having consequences, forgiveness, family drama, trust, and much more.
Overall, I loved the tension and the intensity of the story. It was engaging, atmospheric, and suspenseful with some chilling scenes. It did a great job of keeping me hooked and having compassion for the characters through their struggles. Those who enjoy gritty romantic suspense novels will likely enjoy this trilogy. I recommend reading them in order. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thomas Nelson—FICTION and Colleen Coble provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for July 04, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine. --------------------------------------- My 4.45 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
Duty to Defend by Jill Elizabeth Nelson is the first book I’ve read by this author. It is an inspirational romantic suspense novel largely set in Duty to Defend by Jill Elizabeth Nelson is the first book I’ve read by this author. It is an inspirational romantic suspense novel largely set in Springfield, Massachusetts. It features Deputy Marshal Daci Marlowe and child advocate attorney Jax Williams. Daci goes undercover at a day care to protect a mother and her infant son from the woman’s fugitive ex-boyfriend. However, it seems someone is also intent on killing Daci. Daci and Jax need to determine who that is while protecting the woman and child. At the same time, they’re drawn to each other.
The author does a great job of characterization for the two main characters, but I wanted a little more depth to some of the secondary characters. Daci and Jax are easy to like and root for, and were credible and relatable. The author does a good job of giving them depth including flaws and virtues. They’re determined and intelligent, but also exhibit frustration and vulnerability. Both have also walled off their hearts due to past relationships and losses and have complicated feelings affecting their personal lives.
This story has a multi-layered plot with several mysteries and some twists and turns as well as a few surprises along the way. I would have liked to learn a little more about the US Marshall Service and their fugitive investigations. The ending was impactful. Themes include family, romance, friendship, helping others, grief, death, and much more.
Overall, this engaging and action-filled novel kept me entertained. If you enjoy inspirational romantic suspense, then I recommend that you check out this book.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was January 1, 2018.
----------------------------------------- My 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
To Save Her Child by Margaret Daley is the second book in the Alaskan Search and Rescue series. This inspirational romantic suspense novel is a faTo Save Her Child by Margaret Daley is the second book in the Alaskan Search and Rescue series. This inspirational romantic suspense novel is a fast read that depicts the effects people’s pasts can have on relationships.
Ella Jackson’s eight-year-old son and two friends go missing from a wilderness day camp. Northern Frontier Search and Rescue, where Ella is the office manager, is called in to help locate them. Ex-marine Josiah Witherspoon and his canine Buddy are one of the teams searching for them. He promises Ella that he will find Robbie. Both Ella and Josiah have secrets and fears from their past. Can they learn to trust one another? Will the past catch up with them?
Ella, Josiah, and Robbie are likeable characters with enough flaws to keep them relatable. However, Buddy steals the limelight. This is a disturbing story that realistically depicts the devastating effects of missing children on parents.
The writing flows well and the world-building is great. Overall, the story is entertaining with a well-written plot, a wonderful setting, and extraordinary characters. While unsettling at times and having several heart-wrenching moments, it was a little too predictable for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.
This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was February 3, 2015. ...more
Colleen Coble brings excitement, anxiousness, and action to the first book in the Annie Pederson series, Edge of Dusk. This is a romantic suspenseColleen Coble brings excitement, anxiousness, and action to the first book in the Annie Pederson series, Edge of Dusk. This is a romantic suspense novel with a subtle Christian fiction tone set in in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in and around the village of Rock Harbor.
Annie’s five-year-old sister Laura was kidnapped when Annie was nine. Annie has never forgiven herself for letting it happen and neither did her father. Annie is now 33 and has an eight-year-old daughter, Kylie. Her husband and parents were killed in a boating accident two years ago. She is now a law enforcement ranger. Additionally, she runs the Tremolo Resort and Marina. When she finds a dead body floating in Lake Superior, she begins working with the sheriff’s office to solve the crime. At the same time, her old boyfriend, Jon Dustan, returns after being away for nine years. His presence inflames some of the locals. He was linked to a cold case before he left for his orthopedic residency. Can things get any more complex? Absolutely!
The author does a great job of characterization. Annie Pederson is a likeable character with grit and determination. However, her grief and self-recrimination over Laura’s kidnapping and Jon leaving her have had a deep effect on her spirit. Kylie is usually sweet but seems to have an unnatural dislike of Jon the minute she meets him. Many of the other characters have depth and either put readers on guard or invite them to learn more about them. Others needed a little more development, especially Taylor Moore.
This story has a multi-layered plot with several mysteries and some twists and turns as well as a few surprises along the way. It starts with a prologue set twenty-four years ago when Laura was kidnapped and then jumps to current times and a multitude of investigations and current case follow-ups. Additionally, Jon asks Annie to help him clear his name on the cold case. With the investigations heating up, Annie starts getting threats. Which case is causing someone to feel threatened and can Annie solve it before she winds up dead or injured?
The world-building is excellent. From the woods to the small towns to Lake Superior, readers are enveloped in the atmosphere of the Upper Peninsula. With lies, secrets, mysteries, and action, I couldn’t wait to read what was going to happen next. Themes include jealousy, friendship, misunderstanding, family, grief, anger management, murder, romance, kidnapping, and much more. While the main mysteries are wrapped up, there are several loose threads at the end of the novel that will make for excellent storylines in future novels.
Overall, this book was engaging, atmospheric, and suspenseful. It did a great job of keeping me hooked and having compassion for the characters through their struggles. This was an excellent start to what I hope will be a long series. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thomas Nelson—FICTION and Colleen Coble provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for July 12, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine. ...more
THE ESCAPE by Lisa Harris is the first book in the US Marshall series. It is a Christian action adventure suspense novel that moves quickly between thTHE ESCAPE by Lisa Harris is the first book in the US Marshall series. It is a Christian action adventure suspense novel that moves quickly between the states of Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas. Two US Marshalls are assigned to a prisoner transport from Seattle to Denver when their plane crashes. What follows is a week of non-stop suspense, stress, and action. Madison James and Jonas Quinn are the protagonists in this novel. Both are US Marshalls and the point of view switches seamlessly back and forth between them. They are easy to like and root for, and were credible and relatable. The author does a good job of giving them depth including flaws and virtues. While Madison was a strong protagonist in a lot of ways, there were occasions when I felt she should have been portrayed more strongly and less in need of help. The secondary characters are not as well-developed in this first novel, but they enhanced the story. Hopefully, some of them will get more depth in the next book in the series. The world-building was great and ranged from rugged and remote backcountry to busy airports. The internal and external conflicts were well defined and were organic and believable; arising out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling forced or contrived.
I also learned about the US Marshall Service and their fugitive investigations and how they work with other law enforcement agencies. The author weaved this into the story line without detracting from the flow and action.
Overall, this was an action-packed and entertaining novel with the hint of a future romance that kept me fully engaged. The story was compelling and a great start to a new series. I highly recommend this to those that enjoy action-packed suspense stories. The expected publication date is November 3, 2020. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Revell and Lisa Harris provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way....more
THE WARSAW PROTOCOL by Steve Berry is the fifteenth book in the Cotton Malone series. While it works well as a standalone, you will get better insightTHE WARSAW PROTOCOL by Steve Berry is the fifteenth book in the Cotton Malone series. While it works well as a standalone, you will get better insight into Cotton’s character if you have read prior books in the series.
Cotton Malone is a former Justice Department intelligence agent who now owns a rare book shop in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is in Belgium to attend Europe’s largest antiquarian book fair. While there, he decides to go to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, a 12th-century building that is more to one of Europe’s most sacred reliquaries, the Holy Blood, one of the relics comprising the Arma Christi. When three men steal the relic, the thriller accelerates in pace and Cotton is pulled into another adventure.
This is a well written novel with action taking place in Belgium, Poland, and Slovakia. As a reader we learn about history, religion and politics at the same time as we experience lots of thrills, action, adventure and suspense. The characters and situation are memorable and the story line is exciting and entertaining. Berry’s descriptions bring the places and characters to life better than most writers today without detracting or slowing down the action.
He always does a great job at the end of each book sharing what was fiction versus reality for events, places and people. The amount of research that went into this book is extraordinary. This was my fifth book by this author that I have read in 2019 and I can’t seem to get enough of the series. I am looking forward to reading more of them. I highly recommend this book and the series to those that like political and historical thrillers.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Steve Berry for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. ...more
Miranda Warning is the first book in the A Murder in the Mountains series. Tess Spencer had a tough childhood, but is now married to a lawyer, ThoMiranda Warning is the first book in the A Murder in the Mountains series. Tess Spencer had a tough childhood, but is now married to a lawyer, Thomas, who is trying to build his client base. When her friend Miranda gets an anonymous warning note written in a dead woman’s hand, Tess starts to investigate. Set in Buckneck, West Virginia and nearby Point Pleasant, the story has a hint of the supernatural, a mystery, and a Christian fiction tone at times.
Tess is currently a housewife, doesn’t take most things at face value, and doesn’t believe what’s sail until she backs it up with facts. She’s observant, approachable, intuitive, and has a gift for reading people. She also occasionally carries a gun or a knife for protection. However, she wasn’t as strong a main character as I was expecting based on the synopsis for the book.
While the characterization and world-building are good, the pacing was off for me. This was affected by the flashback scenes at the beginning of the chapters that depicted the dead woman’s life (Rose) from her perspective. After a short look at her life, the story jumps to current times and Tess’s investigation. This happens for most chapters. I enjoyed the humor that was sprinkled throughout the storyline as well as the interactions with Thomas’s family. Loyalty to Tess’s friend and the family relationships were high points in this story for me.
Overall, this is a suspenseful mystery that captured my interest. While this one didn’t quite work for me, it had its moments and many other readers thoroughly enjoyed it.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was May 27, 2014. ---------------------------------------- My 3.48 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon....more
This is a kindle e-book that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you Lime Pie Publishers, Linda Heavner Gerald and Goodreads for this gem. I wasn't sThis is a kindle e-book that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you Lime Pie Publishers, Linda Heavner Gerald and Goodreads for this gem. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it seems it was just what I wanted to read. The book is largely set in Macon, Georgia and near Destin, Florida; both places that I am familiar with. The main character divorced her husband when she found him cheating on her. While a large part of the book is a romance, there is more going on. Every now and then, we get a chapter from a different POV and this one is quite sinister in tone. The suspense grows as the story progresses.
The novel deals with romance, depression, overwork, faith, stress, stalking, pranks, hope, philanthropy, loneliness, trust, family, friends, mental health, and attempted assault. The main character is well developed and you feel for Rosemary as she goes through her ups and downs. If you are looking for a character driven novel with romance and suspense then I recommend that you enter Rosemary's life and see how it turns out....more
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