One Little Lie - (The Pelican Harbor) by Colleen Coble (Paperback)

Colleen Coble got me again. One Little Lie is a one of a kind story starting in a cult and then fighting to find the truth of her father’s guilt or innocence. From the first page I found the book impossible to put down. I had no clue what could happen next and Coble kept me on my toes. Imagining being in a cult was scary, and yet the way she wrote it made it seem so real. I could imagine thinking that it was the way to live, and feeling like you weren’t safe once you left the compound. Escaping with her father Jane learns life can be better. When her dad steps down as sheriff her dream to be chief comes true. Only now it seems that her little town isn’t so safe anymore. Too many people are ending up dead, and the killer keeps leaving something at the crime scenes. Unfortunately no one seems to know what it all means. Reid following her around was annoying at first, but even she can learn to appreciate having a man around. The tangled web of danger and mystery won’t be an easy one to escape. Can Jane and Reid get out with their lives? Or will hidden motives come to light and tear them apart? I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense. I had fun guessing who could be after them and playing detective right along side them. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was action-packed, and full of layers to discover. The action kept me turning pages, and trying to figure out who was committing the crimes. I was amazed at how newly-appointed police chief Jane Hardy was able to keep level-headed with everything that was going on. Throughout the book, I could see growth and stability in her character. I also appreciated the way that different characters dealt with the trauma that occurred during their childhoods, and how they were still in process, even fifteen years later. Lack of honesty and anger can hurt people for a long time. What I loved about this book is that the story line will continue in the next book of the series. Although the mystery was solved, there is still so much story left for Jane, Reid, Will, Charles, Olivia, and the other characters in Pelican Harbor. Readers who love mystery and suspense or police and crime drama will surely want to read this book, and those following. I highly recommend it! I received and ARC of this book from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, through Celebrate Lit, for review purposes. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

"She wasn't ready . . . . . Too many people could be hurt by the truth." Jane Hardy's career in law enforcement took a giant leap forward following her appointment as Pelican Harbor's acting Chief of Police. Unfortunately, the crime rate in her normally docile shorefront town escalated in tandem with her new title. Curious, too. One . . . a very brutal murder; the other not particularly brutal but reminiscent of a so-called "vigilante". And what about the new journalist in town, the one who managed to convince the mayor to let him follow her around for a supposed documentary on small town police chiefs; Jane cannot quite figure out how Reid Dixon fits into her rapidly changing landscape. As Jane follows the barely visible evidence trail behind one of her victims, coincidences begin to congregate. . . . first Reid, then her father. So much truth has been buried, and so many untruths are swirling to the surface, gnawing their way past her sub-conscious . . . . just like her past, continually hovering like a spector in the very back of Jane's mind.. "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truth fully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body." Does Reid have the courage to speak the truth, once and for all? Quite honestly, I really liked this book. The first few chapters exposed so many unanswered questions that it was difficult to determine whether or not the author was going to lose her readers' attention in all the mayhem, but slowly and intentionally, things began to make sense . . . and best of all, a glorious truth began to shed its layers; a truth with the power to either restore or destroy. A great series opener!

“Button eyed the compound’s exit and forced herself to trudge behind her parents as the pain intensified in her belly.” Opening line of “One Little Lie” by Colleen Coble Having read and enjoyed several Colleen Coble novels, I looked forward to reading her latest, “One Little Lie”. At it’s centre, as it’s title suggest, this novel focuses on the way lies weave and twist their way through lives wrecking havoc. Our two leading characters, Jane and Reid, both have a history with cults and are keeping secrets about their pasts. The town has a vigilante on their hands determined to expose the hidden lives of those in Pelican Harbor and the violence is escalating. As the new interim sheriff, Jane works tirelessly to find the culprit whilst being watched by Reid and his documentary camera. The writing is beautiful, as always, but I struggled to connect with these characters. I think perhaps it’s because I couldn’t trust any of them, each is deceiving someone and making choices so contrary to the ones I’d make. I have also now concluded cults are a thread in books I don’t enjoy. The mystery is interesting and keeps the pace up as Jane and Reid race to find a vigilante, a murderer and a kidnapper, unsure if they are the same person. The conclusion wasn’t a surprise for me but if you are interested in cults and the consequence of deception wrapped up in suspense and mystery, this one may be for you! It’s a three out of five on the enJOYment scale.

"The truth is easier to handle than most people think. A lies is a betrayal that hits you where you really live." Colleen Coble knows how to write romantic suspense. I've read many of her books and can confidently say that she knows how to reel her readers in from the prologue and keep us hooked until the very last page. In her latest offering, One Little Lie, the author weaves the lives of a father-daughter duo who escape a cult compound into a small town in Alabama that suddenly sees a multitude of murders and violence. In her trademark style, the author brings in many secondary characters into the plot to add details that only become clear at the very end of the book and to throw the reader off from the true villain. The villain actually does have a voice in the story as well, which is interesting. The plot moves fast with plenty of adrenaline, action, and unforeseen twists; romance between Jane and Reid is subtle. From one little lie in each of the character's past and/or present, their lives spiral out of control and the lies bring them colliding into each other in one brilliantly plotted story. Jane, our heroine, is the newly appointed police chief in Pelican Harbor who still bears the scars from her childhood in a cult. She's strong, independent, intelligent, and compassionate but tends to hold on to her anger tightly. Reid is a documentary journalist who comes into town to create a documentary on small town police chiefs. He's loyal, passionate, protective, and tender but has a secret and an ulterior motive in being at Pelican Harbor which provides a subplot in the story. Both of the main characters, along with Reid's son Will, are incredibly easy to love. When I first started the book, I didn't realize that this series may turn out to be more like the author's Rock Harbor series where the entire series focuses mostly on the main character(s). I'm so used to her series following different sets of main characters who are loosely related to each other that I was slightly confused when critical key issues were not addressed by the time I got to the last chapter. Then I realized that the second book will likely pick up where the first book left off (on an emotional cliffhanger, of course). Can't wait to read what happens next with Jane, Reid, and Will. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

A green police chief, vigilante justice, and a town full of secrets. Mixing these with Colleen Coble’s compelling suspense and a dollop of romance brings you One Little Lie, a “most excellent” police adventure. I loved the storyline and most of the characters. The jury is still out on a few of them, namely the mayor, whom I’m trying to figure out. I did enjoy Jane Hardy and Reid and Will Dixon. Will sounds like one very neat teenager. Jane and Reid work together well. I have to wonder about how involved Reid was in the cases, as a civilian. Yet, my mind argues back that real life can be hard to separate into separate columns, and this just solidifies that point. The bay seems to be a little murky and so are so many of the relationships in this faith-filled novel. We see true friendship, bad parenting, misguided parenting, great parenting, and arms that lost the child they should have parented. I can just imagine Jane, if she had a theme song, singing “Lies,” from Jonathan Butler eons ago. The question is, who would she be singing it about? Faith, love, forgiveness, deceit, and revenge all surface in Pelican Harbor. Unfortunately for us, the readers, a neat ending does not. I appreciated Coble’s note that explained her reasoning. I appreciated that we had a “soft” ending, with more to come in the next Pelican Harbor installment ( Two Reasons to Run, coming September 2020), rather than a rushed, messy ending. Definitely a book to pick up, but preferably during daylight hours, with plenty of safe people around. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinions, which are solely my own.

Yes! She has done it again. Bested herself with a suspense book that is original and engrossing. It will keep you on your toes and you will find it hard to put down. I found it fascinating that the main characters had escaped a cult, but how one lie told in the midst of that snowballed and was still affecting the lives of so many. Lies, secrets, murder, a vigilante, sparks of romance flying, and a vindictive ex all cumulate to make a top notch read. I loved the characters and had empathy for each and the baggage they carried around. I felt like I was on a narrow back country road trying to navigate the twists and turns on the edge of my seat. Definitely a must read and I will be stalking my mailbox until book 2. I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble is the debut of The Pelican Harbor Series. Jane Hardy escaped a cult fifteen years ago with her father. They have been living in Pelican Harbor, Alabama where Jane was just appointed the chief of police following her father’s sudden retirement. Reid Dixon, a journalist who makes documentaries, is making a film on small town police department’s and he will be following Jane around for the next two weeks. Jane is shocked when the FBI arrest her father for theft and money laundering. Jane knows that someone is setting him up and she intends to discover who is behind the plot. She will need Reid’s help if she is to save her father while solving a string of vigilante crimes. Reid has another reason for being in Pelican Harbor, but he is not yet willing to reveal the truth. But who knows what trouble his silence will cause. One Little Lie is described as a romantic suspense, but I believe it is more of a police procedural with a little romance. I enjoyed all the action happening in the book. It kept the book propelling forward at a quick pace. I liked that I was pulled into the story right away. Fifteen years have passed since Jane and her father escaped the cult. Jane still wonders about her mother who refused to leave with them. Jane has her hands full with a series of vigilante crimes. After the first two incidents, a woman is found murdered. Then a torso is found in a cooler in the bay where shrimpers are known work. Then Jane’s father is arrested, and she knows that someone is setting him up. Jane needs help if she is going to help her father and find the vigilante. I liked the complex crimes with various twists and turns. There are good clues to help readers solve the crimes before the solution is revealed. Those who are avid readers of whodunits will find this mystery a piece of cake. The take down scene was filled with suspense and action. I loved the addition of Parker, Jane’s K9 dog. I like that the romance was just a small part of the book. It was a natural evolution of Jane and Reid being thrown together. The Christian element was light but powerful. I like how the author handled it. I admit that I was reluctant to pick up One Little Lie because it was written by Colleen Coble (but I really liked the blurb). I have not enjoyed her books in the past, but One Little Lie was different. I am now eager for the next book in The Pelican Harbor Series.

Can secrets turn into lies? Are lies ever permissable? Does learning the truth cause even more hurt? These are the questions that are very pertinent in this new book by Colleen Coble. One Little Lie is the story of Jane Hardy, the newly appointed police chief of Pelican Harbor, and the past that she has tried to forget. It is also about Reid Bechtol and his son Will and the secret that Reid is hiding. "How did he get to this point of subterfuge and lies? He didn't even recognize himself any more. Even more importantly, he was letting God down. He wasn't the man he thought he was." (p. 173) I really liked that Reid had such a close relationship with his teenage son and that he showed such protective concern for Jane. Coble offers a glimpse of Jane's troubled past and this allows us to understand why she is so determined to live a honest and productive life. Her involvement in a cult when she was just a young girl left her scarred and unable to fully trust and Coble powerfully conveys Jane's fears, her hurts, and her struggle with forgiveness. There is, however, one secret that left me very surprised and an ending that left me with questions that only another book can answer! One Little Lie reminds us that the lies that seem permissable to prevent hurt are often the source of the greatest hurt of all. Colleen Coble has written a wonderful story and I recommend it to all who enjoy Christian suspense and contemporary romance. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit tours. A positive review was not required and these are my honest thoughts.

One Little Lie is about Jane Hardy, a small town police chief in Pelican Harbor, Alabama. Jane was raised in a cult until she and her father escaped when she was 15, leaving behind Jane’s mother, her newborn baby whom she had been told had died shortly after birth, and her “husband” Moose whom she hardly knew. Jane carries a great deal of resentment towards God, sadness at the memory of her lost child, and abandonment issues as her mother was unwilling to escape with them. But she has grown into a tough, self-reliant, respected police woman. And as she is one of just a few female police chiefs, the town’s mayor has arranged for a famous documentary producer, Reid Dixon, to film footage of Jane on the job for a documentary that will hopefully be good publicity for the town. Just as Jane begins in her new position as chief and Reid and his son, Will, begin riding along and filming, a series of events begins to unfold, starting with the discovery of part of a body, then a murder, followed by kidnappings. Jane questions her ability to handle all that’s been thrown at her, but Reid becomes a great source of support and encouragement for her. When feelings begin to develop, Reid worries that a secret about his past may push Jane away. But first things first; there is an ever-growing mystery to solve and it’s beginning to seem like it might be personal. I thoroughly enjoyed reading One Little Lie. I’ve read everything Colleen Coble has written, and this was just as exciting and action-packed as some of her other titles, such as Strands of Truth, the Lavender Tides series, and the Rock Harbor Series. I liked the complexity that being involved in a cult brought to Jane’s character. And as with all of Colleen Coble’s books, I appreciate the inclusion of characters who are there to help nudge the main character back towards God. I so appreciate having romantic and exciting books to read that are clean and faith-based. *I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.