Fragile Designs - by Colleen Coble

About the Book

Family secrets can be the most dangerous of all. The journey to find the truth and protect her family will have Carly delving deep into the lost treasures of Eastern Europe--if she can survive that long.

Book Synopsis

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.

• Contemporary romantic suspense
• Stand-alone novel
• Book length: approximately 90,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Review Quotes

'Engaging characters, irresistible intrigue, and a slow-burning romance make Fragile Designs a captivating read.'--Mary Burton, New York Times bestselling author

With tons of suspects and plenty of danger, this is Coble ('Annie Pederson' series) at her best. Readers will appreciate a stand-alone offering that'll keep them up all night with fast-paced and tightly written action.--Library Journal

Nobody does romantic suspense better than Colleen Coble. From a fascinating and fast-paced plot to characters who will make you want to cheer, Coble's novel offers up the perfect way to spend a weekend or any other time of the week. --Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author