relzreviewz.com A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble

Synopsis:~

A wealthy hotel heiress.

Even though Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, she’s happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island.

A suspicious death.

But when Torie learns that her best friend has drowned, she knows it is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

A fight for the truth.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, desperate to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter rescuing baby turtles, she finds a tentative ally.

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

Necee’s take:~

“Look at how beautiful that glass is in spite of being manipulated and worked on by so many outside forces. God uses all the bad things in our lives to make us more beautiful too. Nothing is wasted—it all serves a purpose.”

“The Stranger’s Game” was packed with twists and turns that kept me turning page after page. The mystery was good, the romance was engaging, and the setting was beautifully detailed. The mystery was multilayered, which was a bit confusing, but came together with an unexpected ending. Jekyll Island sounded like such a beautiful place, and I hope to visit there one day. Coble really brought this beachy island to life. I really enjoyed learning more about turtles in the area. I loved the walks along the ocean and scuba diving adventures, too. Joe Abbott has the coolest job and coolest kid. I enjoyed the characters and the struggles they had to work through to overcome hurts. Tori captured my heart by how much she fought for the truth, even putting herself in danger. Seeing how well her and Joe worked together to figure out the mysterious happenings was engaging, too. I liked how their relationship developed.

“She took a step closer, and he opened his arms. Her cheek nestled on his chest, and she fit as if she’d been made for him. Maybe she had.”

Coble addressed some spiritual aspects in the book that added another level to the relationships as well. At times, it seemed forced, but I appreciated the depth it brought. Learning to grieve, to let go, and grab onto a future filled with hopes and dreams really made this story shine. I think Coble’s fans will enjoy this different style as will those who enjoy romantic suspense.

“It’s not life. By its very nature, life involves loss. If we stop taking chances, stop living our lives, we might as well crawl in the grave and let someone kick the dirt over us. Real life is worth the risk.”

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher. All opinions are my own and are given honestly.

Best-selling romantic suspense 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 her books have been on the USAToday bestseller list, the ECPA, CBA, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon bestseller lists. She 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 www.colleencoble.com.