Review of:  One Little Lie

Colleen Coble.  Thomas Nelson, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-7852-2844-8

Best-selling author Coble (Sunset Cove, Hope Beach) treats readers to a new series set in Pelican Harbor, Alabama featuring troubled detective Jane Hardy.  When her father is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit (p. 75) and Jane is appointed interim Chief of Police, she must face public scrutiny as she tries to prove her worth as a female in a traditionally male role (p. 4 ff) while trying to clear her father’s name and the catch the real killer before the bodies multiply.  She begrudgingly enlists the aid of new-to-town documentary filmmaker Reid Dixon, but little does she suspect they have a shared past (p. 7 ff).  Delving into the world of cults, Coble’s tale of intrigue leads Jane and Reid to examine their own demons as they uncover the darkest secrets of those whom they thought they knew best.  Jane and Reid grow closer as they learn more about each other’s true character, but a lie from the past threatens to undo their emerging bond.  Coble deftly explores themes of the legacy of sin, salvation through faith, and the work of redemption in this well-crafted romantic suspense.  While readers will need to suspend a bit of disbelief to buy in into the unlikely ending, the satisfaction of having justice served will be worth the leap.  Coble leaves just enough dangling threads to leave fans hungrily awaiting the next installment of this 3-part series. 4 stars.