Tag Archives: Colleen Coble

Audiobook Mini-Review: A Stranger’s Game

28 Nov

My book club chose A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble as our selection this month. I have to be honest and say this romantic suspense was just okay. I did like main characters Torie and Joe (and Joe’s daughter was a delight), and they made a good couple as they sought to discover the source of a number of threats. I guess the author believed that stalkers, attacks, and a couple of murders, etc. — all seemingly unconnected — would prove hard for them and the reader to discover just whodunit. I figured out a couple early into the novel. I wanted to shout “check out so-and-so”! 😉 The Jekyll Island setting was wonderful as it is one of my favorite places to visit. It was easy to visualize all the places the characters went, since I’ve been there too. While the suspense was too easy to solve (in my opinion), the romance was good. I genuinely liked Torie and Joe, and liked how they overcame obstacles and doubts to choose a future together. Specific to the audiobook: I think the narrator did a good job with accents, pacing, and expression.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Wealthy hotel heiress Torie Bergstrom comes to Jekyll Island certain her friend Lisbeth’s death wasn’t an accident—but Torie gets more than she bargained for when the killer begins to play mind games with her in this gripping new novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble.

Even though Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, she was happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island. But when Torie learns that Lisbeth has drowned, she knows it is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, desperate to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter while they are rescuing baby sea turtles, she can only hope they are as trustworthy as they seem. And when someone begins to play mind games with her, proving they know her real identity, Torie couldn’t be more grateful to have an ally.

The more Torie and Joe dig, the more elusive the truth seems. But one thing is clear: someone will risk anything—even another murder—to keep their secrets buried.

Best-selling 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 4 million books in print and 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 http://colleencoble.com.

November Book Club Pick — A Stranger’s Game

1 Nov

This month finds my book club reading its favorite genre — suspense. I love the twists and turns of a puzzling whodunit. Add in some threat of danger to life and limb and I am in! November’s selection is A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble, one of my favorite authors. Find out all about it below. Have you read it? We would love to know your thoughts.

Wealthy hotel heiress Torie Bergstrom comes to Jekyll Island certain her friend Lisbeth’s death wasn’t an accident—but Torie gets more than she bargained for when the killer begins to play mind games with her in this gripping new novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble.

Even though Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, she was happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island. But when Torie learns that Lisbeth has drowned, she knows it is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, desperate to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter while they are rescuing baby sea turtles, she can only hope they are as trustworthy as they seem. And when someone begins to play mind games with her, proving they know her real identity, Torie couldn’t be more grateful to have an ally.

The more Torie and Joe dig, the more elusive the truth seems. But one thing is clear: someone will risk anything—even another murder—to keep their secrets buried.

Best-selling 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 4 million books in print and 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 http://colleencoble.com.

Top 10 Tuesday — Vacation Reading

11 Oct

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is books read on vacation. While I make sure my Kindle is loaded and the audiobook queue is full on my Audible app, the actual amount of time reading while I am on vacation is rather low. My husband is not one to sit around, so our vacations never include soaking up the sun around a pool or on a beach, or sitting on a porch swing gazing at the mountains. My vacation reading time is usually confined to the few minutes between the time I fall into bed exhausted and falling asleep. 😉 I did manage to read one book front to back on our 10 day trip to the UK last month. I finished False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert and then set my alarm for a very early rising to make a 6am flight home.

*****

False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert

Tess has her work cut out for her—from her day job at the police station to her nights on the campaign trail with her husband, she’s stretched thin. Her two young children also keep her busy, but thankfully she has a supportive mother-in-law who lives just next door.

When the legendary Mothman makes a terrifying appearance and a local librarian goes missing, Tess feels compelled to get involved, convinced something evil has been unleashed on her little town. Then another woman disappears—this one bearing an eerie resemblance to Tess—and the police receive a cryptic message hinting that a serial killer is on the prowl.

After a nightmarish turn of events completely upends the Spencer family, Tess musters her courage to hunt for the monstrous murderer in the woods…even if she has to walk straight into the Mothman’s lair to do it.

False Pretense brings a stunning and memorable conclusion to the award-winning Murder in the Mountains series.

*****

One thing I do is read about the places I will be visiting before I leave for a trip. My husband does the itinerary research and I soak up the setting with novels. Here are a few books that I read prior to our trips to Alaska and Yellowstone.

*****

Alaska Twilight by Colleen Coble

For some people, Alaska is a breathtaking wilderness adventure, full of light and beauty. For Haley, it is a dangerous world of dark dreams and tortured memories. On the surface, she’s here to document wildlife activist Kipp Nowak’s bear encounters. But her real reason is to unearth the truth about a past murder. The suspense mounts when another body turns up, and Haley begins to wonder if the tragedies she experienced in the past are connected to the dangers and mysterious incidents of the present.

From behind her camera, Haley observes it all, including Tank Lassiter, the wildlife biologist who has been forced to lead Kipp and his team into the Alaskan backcountry. As she watches him with his work, she feels a growing attraction. It will take great courage and faith to confront the truth she once ran away from. Before it’s over, Haley may be viewing herself from an entirely new angle.

In The Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse

Cassidy Ivanoff and her father, John, work at the new and prestigious Curry Hotel outside Mt. McKinley. While John will be expedition and wilderness exploration guide for the wealthy tourists, Cassidy has signed on as a cook’s assistant. Both are busy as the hotel prepares to welcome the president of the United States on his way to drive in the golden spike to officially complete the railroad.

Allan Brennan travels to the Curry Hotel to be an apprentice of a seasoned Alaska mountain guide. Ever since his father’s death climbing Mt. McKinley, he’s worked to earn enough money to make the trek to the Alaska territory himself. His father’s partner blames their guide for the death of his father, but Allan wants to find the truth for himself. He finds an unlikely ally in Cassidy, and as the two begin to look into the mystery, they suddenly find that things are much less clear, and much more dangerous, than either could ever imagine.

A Noble Calling by Rhona Weaver

A Southern farm boy who loves God and family, college football and America, rookie FBI agent Win Tyler lives in pursuit of making the world a better place. But when he becomes embroiled in a major political corruption case on the East Coast that takes a bad turn, he is exiled by the Bureau to a do-nothing post in Yellowstone National Park. Dejected by the demotion, and with his heart heavy from the sting of a bad breakup, Win arrives in Yellowstone deeply conflicted as to his true calling in life.

Win quickly finds himself confronting pure evil when anti-government militiamen attempt to violently disrupt the park’s dedication of a Jewish monument. The militia leader, a self-styled prophet, exploits the day’s mayhem to advance an even more sinister agenda. The demands of Win’s job test his courage and faith as he is faced with hazardous river rescues, dangerous wildlife, and hostile terrain. Feeling desperate and alone, he strives to build partnerships with park rangers and with one of the most enigmatic and dangerous militiamen, who may or may not be an ally in the Bureau’s fight against domestic terrorism. But within this increasingly tangled web of deceit, violence, and revenge, everyone’s motives are questioned.

Set amid the stunning landscape of Yellowstone National Park, A Noble Calling is a story of suspense and intrigue about a young man seeking redemption and his true identity. It is the first book in the FBI Yellowstone Adventure series.

Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett

A man who can’t read will never amount to anything–or so Nate Webber believes. But he takes a chance to help his family by signing up for the new Civilian Conservation Corps, skirting the truth about certain “requirements.” Nate exchanges the harsh Brooklyn streets for the wilds of Yellowstone National Park, curious if the Eden-like wonderland can transform him as well.

 Elsie Brookes was proud to grow up as a ranger’s daughter, but she longs for a future of her own. After four years serving as a maid in the park’s hotels, she still hasn’t saved enough money for her college tuition. A second job, teaching a crowd of rowdy men in the CCC camp, might be the answer, but when Elsie discovers Nate’s secret, it puts his job as camp foreman in jeopardy. Tutoring leads to friendship and romance, until a string of suspicious fires casts a dark shadow over their relationship. Can they find answers before all of their dreams go up in smoke?

*****

Two books on my TBR shelf (The Cottage and The Legacy by Michael Phillips) did not get read before we headed to the Shetland Islands a month ago. I regret not reading them, but my trip has inspired me to move them closer to the top of the pile of the have-to-reads. They are part of a series, and if you haven’t read book 1, The Inheritance, I urge you to do so.

*****

The Inheritance by Michael Phillips

The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whales Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch’s heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David’s grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island’s land. And while Hardy doesn’t enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate’s assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island–and its traditional way of life–hangs in the balance.

Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Phillips’s dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace, and of the dreams of men and women everywhere.

*****

I’m not sure where our next adventure will take us. There’s been some talk about Iceland in the late winter to see the northern lights and maybe a return to Alaska next summer. We do have a shorter, less ambitious trip planned in a few days. We are headed to Kentucky for a football game and a visit to The Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. I’m glad I did some advance reading years ago! 😉

*****

The Heavens Before by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow

Marginalized by society and mistreated by her own family, Annah befriends a young man she’s never seen before. Shem is captivated by Annah’s courage, and he risks everything to help her gain her freedom. Trusting in the Most High, Annah marries Shem and joins her strange new family in their solitary faith that will ultimately separate them from an ancient world of amazing beauty and appalling violence–a world fast approaching the unimaginable catastrophe of the Great Flood. Out of this chaos, only eight people will survive. Their world is our world. Their future is our own. 

For more great vacation reading, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Tuesday — Fall TBR

20 Sep

I can’t wait until it is Fall here in the sunny South. High temperatures are still in the mid-80s where I live, but we have had a hint of cool-ish air in the mornings. Not enough to declare it is sweater weather, but it’s promising. 😉 I have a lot of great books on my TBR list spanning a number of genres. There should be something on my list to pique everyone’s interest!

For more Fall TBR Lists, head to That Artsy Reader Girl.

Fall TBR List

Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills

Crossfire by Lynette Eason

Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin

Deception by Patricia Bradley

The Lady’s Mine by Francine Rivers

A Night to Remember by Danny and Wanda Pelfrey

The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble

Turn to Me by Becky Wade

Where The Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner

Top Ten Tuesday — 2010 Was A Very Good Year For Reading

16 Aug

This week’s TTT topic is favorite books written over ten years ago. I decided to revisit bookclub selections from 2010. I was pleasantly surprised that our picks that year would still be on a recommended list. I’ve included all twelve — there’s plenty to choose from.

For more nostalgic reading recs, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Book Club Picks from 2010

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin

Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble

Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl and April Henry

Greater Love by Robert Whitlow

Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers

Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall

Listen by Rene Gutteridge

The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir

Predator by Terri Blackstock (now free with Amazon Prime)

Red Ink by Kathi Macias

If You Liked … Sunrise

29 Jul

My book club members liked Sunrise by Susan May Warren. They liked the Alaskan setting, the emphasis on bear research, and the action/adventure. The romance was also a contributing factor. 😉 If you liked it too, I have a couple of reading recommendations for you.

Adventure/Suspense in Old Alaska

In The Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse

Cassidy Ivanoff and her father, John, work at the new and prestigious Curry Hotel outside Mt. McKinley. While John will be expedition and wilderness exploration guide for the wealthy tourists, Cassidy has signed on as a cook’s assistant. Both are busy as the hotel prepares to welcome the president of the United States on his way to drive in the golden spike to officially complete the railroad.

Allan Brennan travels to the Curry Hotel to be an apprentice of a seasoned Alaska mountain guide. Ever since his father’s death climbing Mt. McKinley, he’s worked to earn enough money to make the trek to the Alaska territory himself. His father’s partner blames their guide for the death of his father, but Allan wants to find the truth for himself. He finds an unlikely ally in Cassidy, and as the two begin to look into the mystery, they suddenly find that things are much less clear, and much more dangerous, than either could ever imagine.

Bears!

“You hide behind your camera instead of stepping out and engaging life with both hands. You’re so afraid you’ll fail at something, you won’t even try.”

For some people, Alaska is a breathtaking wilderness adventure, full of light and beauty. For Haley, it is a dangerous world of dark dreams and tortured memories. On the surface, she’s here to document wildlife activist Kipp Nowak’s bear encounters. But her real reason is to unearth the truth about a past murder. The suspense mounts when another body turns up, and Haley begins to wonder if the tragedies she experienced in the past are connected to the dangers and mysterious incidents of the present.

From behind her camera, Haley observes it all, including Tank Lassiter, the wildlife biologist who has been forced to lead Kipp and his team into the Alaskan backcountry. As she watches him with his work, she feels a growing attraction. It will take great courage and faith to confront the truth she once ran away from. Before it’s over, Haley may be viewing herself from an entirely new angle.

Alaska Twilight is the story of a young woman’s emergence from the shadows of past sorrow into the light of forgiveness and grace.

Sled Dog Races!

Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey

Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now, working together as search-and-rescue for Alaska’s arduous Iditarod race, a growing attraction seems to be forcing aside old arguments. Then Reef catches Kirra sneaking from camp in the middle of the night. 

Kirra’s uncle, a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing: Frank’s daughter has been kidnapped. Kirra and Reef, along with the entire McKenna family, are thrown into a race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl’s life–but appears willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen. 

Top 10 Tuesday — Anticipated Books

5 Jul

Happy Tuesday! Even though I have shelves and a Kindle full of books, I am always looking forward to new ones. I think most avid readers are, so I am unapologetic. 😉 This week I am highlighting some books that have recently released or will shortly. Many are already on my NetGalley shelf. Now I just need to read them!

For more anticipated books, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Anticipated Books

Anything But Plain by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon

Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills

Crossfire by Lynette Eason

Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin

Deception by Patricia Bradley

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks

Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd

Top 10 Tuesday — 2022 Book Club Selections

30 Nov

This week’s TTT is bookish memories. Again, I wasn’t feeling the prompt, so I am looking ahead instead of back with a post listing what my book club will be reading in the new year. 😉 While we read every month, as a group we choose only 9 titles — they let me surprise them with 3 more throughout the year. I hope you like our list. What will you be reading in 2022?

For more TTT fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books on my Book Club’s 2022 List

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

Breach of Honor by Janice Cantore

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

The Lady’s Mine by Francine Rivers

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

Relative Justice by Robert Whitlow

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble

Sunrise by Susan May Warren

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Top 10 Tuesday — Science Lectures, Laboratories, and Math Classes, Oh My!

12 Oct

Happy Ada Lovelace Day! If you have no idea who this holiday commemorates, you are not alone. One of my book clubs is reading biographical fiction this year, and we chose Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini as our October selection. Our discussion is tomorrow, so we will be celebrating a day late. 😉 For those of you who don’t know, Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace, the only child of Lord Byron, was a math prodigy and heralded as the first computer programmer. So to honor her memory, my TTT list includes characters who know their way around a laboratory, a science lecture, or math class. The characters all have some connection to STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) — geologists, computer scientists, lab techs, math teachers, physicists, just to name a few. While some of these books reinforced my choice of English as a college major 😉 , I am very glad that more and more women are entering occupations once filled only with men.

For more favorite book settings, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books Featuring STEM Characters

An Air That Kills by Christine Poulson (medical researcher)

Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini (mathematician)

The Engineer’s Wife by Tracy Enerson Wood (engineer)

In Too Deep by Lynn H. Blackburn (professor/computer forensics)

Let It Be Me by Becky Wade (high school math teacher)

A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy (entomologist)

State of Lies by Siri Mitchell (physicist)

The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (geologist)

Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble (marine biologist)

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden (lab assistant)

Top Ten Tuesday — “Fall” Freebie

28 Sep

It’s fall here in the Sunny South, but the only real evidence is the lower humidity — Hallelujah! — and cooler morning temps. I think some cooler daytime highs are in the near future, but until then the air conditioner continues to hum. This week’s TTT is a Freebie, and I decided to list books with a variation of “fall” in the title. Some actually have an autumn connection; others not so much. 😉 I included both adult and children’s books so all can join in on the fun. Hope you find a book that piques your interest.

For more Freebie fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Fall Titles

Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

Falling for You by Becky Wade

The Long Fall by Penelope Wilcock

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

The Sound of Falling Leaves by Lisa Carter

When Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Where The Fire Falls by Karen Barnett

Fun Fall Day by Tara Knudson

Snuggle Time Fall Blessings by Glenys Nellist