My review
The story is a gentle whodunit, a romantic suspense. Shauna McDade, a widow, with her son Alex, is trying to make a living by flying passengers on her helicopter, to and fro between Vancouver and her town Lavender Tides. A year ago, her husband died in a climbing race with his best friend, Zach Bannister egging him on. Shauna hates Zach and blames him for her husband’s accidental fall. But it takes a loose killer bombing her mentor Clarence, stabbing his wife Lucy, ransacking Shauna’s home, for her to realise that the safe haven for both her and her son is with Zach.
Their investigation into the various deaths and strange environmental occurrences, increase their proximity and trust till all emotions blossom into love in the finale along with unmasking of the killer. From the safe haven of Zach’s home to the safe haven of Zach’s arms, this story is romance personified.
The characters of Shauna and Zach are well etched by the author. But I, especially liked Zach for his honesty and his dignity and the way he doesn’t allow others’ behaviour affect his own. His love for the McDade family sometimes makes him take risks even at the cost of his own safety.
We girls need a Zach in our lives…
Colleen Coble is a fantastic author, who writes light Christian romance with a dash of suspense and mystery. Her English is flawless and the way her story flows is like a crystal clear stream making its way from the mountain top.
What I really liked is the richness of emotions in the book, the love that the main characters Zach and Shauna feel and the way they conduct themselves, including their friendships between different workmates.
Colleen believes in God and that is evident in her writing, in the passages that her characters recite from the Bible. There are many characters in this book, along with a few subplots which will probably form the basis of the rest of the books in this series. All these characters have a part to play to take the story ahead.
The only part I did not like was the killer, not because he was a killer but I guessed his identity earlier on and the reasons for killing were a little flimsy. There was also a part where there was a dark shadow in the sea which worried the scientists, but results of their investigation was not revealed in this book.
So, all in all, I enjoyed this book thoroughly, it was a light read, fun with mystery suspense romance relationships friendships.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publishers, Thomas Nelson and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating : 4 stars
About the Author
Colleen Coble is a USA Today bestselling author and RITA finalist, best known for her romantic suspense novels, including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar and Rock Harbor series.
Book blurb
Shauna McDade is single mom to a five-year-old son after her husband was killed in a climbing accident. Her aerial photography business is on the verge of bankruptcy When her mentor and business partner is murdered, Shauna realizes that she’s in danger too. Fearing for her son, she turns to the only ally she has. Zach Bannister was her husband’s best friend—and is the person she blames for his death. Zach is only too happy to try to assuage his own guilt over Jack’s death by helping her in any way he can. But the lavender fields are a shroud for something much darker, and these are secrets that someone will do anything to keep buried.
Product Details
Publication date : 23rd January 2018
Publisher : Thomas Nelson Fiction
Language : English
Available on Amazon
A romance filled with suspense
43 Responses
Seems like my kind of book!
Ho shaloo, yes it’s a nice light read
hmmm… you identified the killer…? Detective Shalini …No more Agatha Christie..now! 🙂
Hahaha, raj this was a simple book with few characters. Rule of every book is the one who is hardly mentioned is always the killer. 😉😉
I know… I also keep guessing from the begining… my wife keeps guessing everyone to be killer… including the cat, dog everything.. finally she declares.. “I told you” 😀
Hahaha, the dog and the cat too??? 😂😂😂😂
My wife likes such movies.. if she has to like a movie… someone has to die.. 👹
Hahaha cute..
Raj, I haven’t forgotten photography post. I am just going through some heart break. When the pain decreases and I am healed, then I would certainly do the exercises. I am really sorry. But I don’t want to do anything half heartedly… Pls forgive me
Dont worry about it Shalini… Take your time… Take care of your heart.. thats more important that anything else. Take care!
Thank you raj. Time heals everything
Yes.. and anything can be healed.. read my post about happiness I wrote last night.. (dont want to post it here again 😀 )
Cool
Good review. I always enjoy a book about secrets!
You will finish this book in an hour… Its fast read
good to know! 🙂
Thank you
I love reading your reviews as much as the books! We’ll find your Zach out there sweet girl. 😊
Hahaha… Truly I hope I get my Zach jo.. Too many heartbreaks
I know darling. He’s out there for you though. 🙂
Thank you for your valuable information.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Sorry ur message had gone in the spam folder
Good review for a murder mystery (I suppose).
But reading in one hour. Just amazing
Thank you… Not one hour, just a couple of hours. It’s an easy read. How are you? How’s your friend
Thank you Doctor.
My friend had a stroke affecting her left side. She is a leftie. She should be well attended to as she is in London hospital.
I am doing okay. Hope you are well
Hi Kurian, don’t worry, strokes are treatable. Physiotherapy will bring back strength in her legs. Hands take a longer time so give her support not to give up on physiotherapy even if there is no result. Her brain will now pick up the right hand, brain relearn and she will soon be able to use right hand better. Tell her not to give up that’s the key to recovery
Thank you so much. I will tell her
Hello Shalini, I passed on your message to her. She was getting fed up with the physio and your message, I am sure, will make her determined to be brave and improve.
Thanks a lot
She was my staff in standard chartered bank and later moved to London, did her PhD in some finance specialisation. And was teaching in university of Westminster.
She is not married.
Surprisingly she has contacted only me and wants to keep it confidential.
I do hope that she will come out of it.
Kurian, she will but it takes time 6 months or so, the leg will come back faster, but the arm takes longer and sometimes it comes back only 30 to 40% but you can train the brain to start using the right hand, new pathways will form and her life will come back to a different normal.
She should not give up. Body re learns a new normal its only our mental block, which says we have to be like others.
Thanks so much Shalini. I will keep it in mind and encourage her
A new normal Kurian, a new normal. And patience and re learn life.. Those are key words. And never to give up
God works in mysterious ways but there is always a way
Thank you. I have already become a sincere admirer of yours. Thanks again 👍
Anytime… Thank you for your comments. I look forward to them
Reading a book and so many books in series and reviewing them …I imagine ….need some quality time…
I must …appreciate your time management skills and balancing life as whole.
Shalini you are excellent in everything you do.
Kudos !
Thank you sir, nothing so great about. I don’t socialise or have any other hobbies. I just read my books are my friends
Haha lol
I wanted to know …Your definition of great things….?
You are great in being simple and writing reviews on books.
Thank you for saying that. I prefer living a simple life
Being simple is great thing in today’s complex world….
Shalini you are awesome.
Thank you Nisthur but believe me, I am not. As most tell I am too boring and too moody so that’s probably my definition of simple😂
You are complete package of oozing awesomeness…Lol..I love your company..
One of the rare few then… 😂😂
I love to be in that list….Hope will get blissful shower of happiness with you … now and then…
☺️