One Little Lie

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.

I know it's totally crazy since I read tons of authors in the romantic suspense category but I have never read this author before this book! I've heard of her plenty but have never actually read any of her books! That will change quickly, thanks to NetGalley asking me to read this book, the beginning of her new series about Pelican Harbor on the Gulf Coast. It was fantastic. I really enjoyed the characters and the story line. It did have a couple negatives - too many things going on at once, which overloads the story sometimes, and a couple "farfetched" police procedures - but all in all, something I enjoyed very much and can't wait for the second book already! Just to let other readers know - it does end on a cliffhanger and I wasn't ready for that! However, it just makes me want to read the next book even more! Jane is the new police chief in Pelican Harbor, after her father has retired and the poor woman has more than she can deal with when the crime wave hits fast and furious immediately upon her taking the job! Then, she's told by the mayor that she will have a documentary filmmaker shadowing her - not at all what she wants! However Reid and his son become indispensable to her. As others have said, this book is not much on romance but heavier on suspense. I would have liked more romance but perhaps the next book!

It all started with one little lie. Just one that compounded unforeseen interest over time. First in the new Pelican Harbor series, this exciting novel is a successful combination of engaging, likable characters, breath-taking suspense, and a fresh infusion of faith and spiritual lessons. I enjoyed the Alabama Gulf coast and meeting Jane, Olivia, Reid, and Will. Jane Hardy’s father recently, suddenly retired as police chief of Pelican Bay. A highly skilled detective, Jane was appointed first as acting chief, and now, chief. What timing, as one thing after another begins to happen until Jane is not sure if she is cut out to handle these crises. Jane has not been on speaking terms with the Lord for many years, due to her upbringing, so she is only relying on herself as she tries to stem the sudden crime wave in town. When she and her father moved there and he began working for the police department, Olivia, the head dispatcher, immediately befriended her and grew to be like a mother to her. Olivia is the only person who knows the secrets of behind Jane and her father and has prayed for years for Jane to come to faith. Olivia, like Jane, doesn’t know about that one pesky lie. We meet the delightful 70-something Alfie and his hard-working teenage helper, Isaac when they are out shrimping. Their last haul for the night was extraordinarily heavy. Inside the net was a huge Grizzly cooler. Inside the cooler was a dead body wearing a wedding gown. There are no means to identify the person. Two clues are left behind, one of which indicate the “vigilante” is behind this death, even though to date, the vigilante has not killed anyone. Until a woman is found “punished” and dead in her front yard. Amid these events, Reid Dixon, a well-known documentary filmmaker, arrives in town. He is doing a documentary on small town police chiefs and has permission from the mayor to follow Jane on all her duties. The last thing Jane wants is to be filmed, especially since there are some people she really does not want anyone to see her. Reid has an ulterior motive, to get close to and learn about Jane. Against either of their plans, they become tentative friends with potential for more. Reid’s son Will likes the small town and wishes they could stay there rather than return to their New Orleans home. When it seems that things could not get worse, including the serious illness of a loved one and the detective who wanted to be chief trying to prove Jane incompetent, her dad is framed. He is accused of killing the man in the ice chest and stealing and selling a small fortune of drugs and other items from the evidence room of the police department. This intense, complex novel is everything that I have come to love about suspense novels by Colleen Coble. Lies, secrets, crimes that seem impossible to solve, and a heroine determined to do all she can to save her father and her town. I love how the author gently weaves the right amount of faith and spiritual lessons to encourage Christians while not preaching. The characters are well-defined. Whether there is one bad guy or multiple people behind events adds to the excitement and complexity. I was very surprised to learn the whodunit(s)! I did guess what the lie was and am looking forward to seeing how it plays out! I highly recommend this novel to fans of well-written Christian suspense with great characters and a potential for romance. From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this from Celebrate Lit and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.