One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble ISBN-13: 9780785228448 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: March 3rd 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Shortly after Jane Hardy is appointed police chief in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, her father is arrested by the FBI for theft and then implicated in a recent murder. Jane believes that someone is out to destroy her father. They escaped from a cult fifteen years ago, but Jane still longs for her mother—who refused to leave—ever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?

Reid Bechtol is a well-known journalist who makes documentaries, and his sights are currently set on covering Jane's career. Jane doesn't want the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the publicity. Jane finds herself depending on Reid's calm manner as he follows her around taping his documentary, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to cross. It started with one little lie. But Jane Hardy will do everything in her power to uncover the truth.


My Review:
One Little Lie is a Christian romantic suspense novel. This is the first in a trilogy about Jane Hardy. The mystery was wrapped up by the end, but the relationship tensions still need to be resolved. Jane was raised in a cult, and that still affects her present.

Despite making little progress on the case, Jane did come across as competent as a police chief. Perhaps because she made sure to do the investigative parts right. So many murderers and clues were thrown at her that it became a mess that was difficult figure out. I found the mystery a bit confusing, though it wasn't too difficult to figure out who to suspect. In the end, it's really her father that solves the mystery, but at least she's critical to saving the day and arresting the bad guys.

The suspense stayed high since people kept turning up murdered and her father was accused of crimes he swore he didn't do. Jane believed him, but doubts were planted when others close to him keep saying that he's hiding things from her. Reid and his son initially showed up to tape her at work to use in a documentary, but soon they are helping her. Though initially at odds, Reid tried to be understanding and supportive and so gained her friendship. The characters reacted realistically to events and were likable. However, Jane felt distant and I never really engaged with her.

Jane had trouble trusting God because she still viewed Him as she was taught in the cult. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this complex suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.