Beyond a Doubt--It's Great!
Written: Sep 04 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: drama, mystery, romance, excellent writing, plot twists, handles domestic violence
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: It's 'Beyond a Doubt' that Colleen Coble is one of the best writers around.
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| CindyJean's Full Review: Colleen Coble - Beyond a Doubt Books |
All Hail eBay!
I was in a bit of an interesting predicament. Back in the late spring I had received a copy of–“Without a Trace”–as part of a book contest I was judging. I sent my very positive review to the author, Colleen Coble, whom passed it on to her publisher. I ended up being sent a Special Advanced Readers Edition of “Into the Deep” as a result.
As much as I enjoyed “Into the Deep,” there was a bit of a problem. “Without a Trace” was the first book in the Rock Harbor Series, and “Into the Deep” was the third book of the series. I never got the opportunity to read “Beyond a Doubt”–the middle book.
I checked a few places online, but I hate paying full price for books. Since used copies of this book don’t come available often, I had to watch eBay fora couple weeks before I finally found it. As soon as I found a listing for “Beyond a Doubt” I put in my bid and waited anxiously for the end of the auction.
When it was all said and done, I was able to purchase “Beyond a Doubt” for a reasonable rate. Not only that, but the seller was a super-fast shipper and I got my book only a few days after I paid.
Story/Characters
Bree Nicholls
The last year and a half has been pretty tumultuous for Bree. The plane carrying her husband and son went down in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Bree spent nearly a year looking for the wreckage. When she found the wreckage she was shocked to discover that her four year old son was alive and well, rescued from the wreckage by a slightly ‘off’ woman who kept him as her own in a cabin in the woods rather than return him to his mother.
Bree is now in the position of having to readjust to being a mom, and trying to get Davy through the trauma of losing his dad and being kept away from her for so long. She’s also in the beginning stages of a relationship with Kade Mathews, a very handsome park ranger. He makes her feel safe in a way that no man ever has–even her late husband.
Bree lives in an old lighthouse, and in the basement she discovers a whole in a concrete wall that her search and rescue dog Samson reacts strongly to. When Kade comes to help her break through the wall to see what Samson is reacting to, what they discover is a long-dead corpse.
The body in the basement isn’t Bree’s only problem. She gets on the wrong side of a man who beats his wife, and he stalks her and her mother-in-law. He keeps following Bree around, going so far as to take a shot at her mother-in-law at a wedding reception.
A fire in the basement of Bree’s home (in the very area where the body was found) brings Bree into contact with a brash and handsome fireman who decides right away to make a play for her. Davy likes the guy a lot, where he’s rather indifferent to Kade. Should that make a difference in Bree’s choice? She really doesn’t like the position Kade and Nick put her in, making her feel like a bone fought over by two dogs.
Kade Mathews
Kade has his hands full with his younger sister, who was left in his care with the passing of his mother. She’s starting to run with a bad crowd and he’s worried about her getting into trouble. When some cabins on the park’s land get broken into and his sister seems to be connected, he knows that it will make his home life just that much more stressful.
Kade’s also having work problems. His boss is causing problems for him in his new baby wildlife rescue project. Kade’s boss seems like he’s trying to do away with the project altogether, but Kade’s not going to let that happen.
While out checking on a report of gunshots heard in a remote part of the park (in a season where no hunting is permitted) Kade discovers a dead body. When he tries to extricate the body from it’s position in the brush near a waterfall, he gets fired on by men on ATVs.
To make Kade’s life just that much rosier, Bree seems to be spending a lot of time in the company of another man. A man who’s intentions towards Bree are quite obvious!
The Do-Wrong Gang
Comprised of Peter Thorrington, Gary Landorf, Max Parker and Abraham Nicholls, the Do-Wrongs ran a bit of a smuggling ring in the younger days. That was then, but things have changed.
Peter and Abraham both left town, at about the same time and nobody ever heard from either of them. Guess what? The body in Bree’s basement was Peter! After the body’s uncovered things start going from bad to worse.
Also, if Peter–who disappeared at the same time as Abe (Anu Nicholl’s husband)–was murdered is there a chance that it could have been Abe? Could that be why Abe’s been gone for so long?
Lauri Mathews
Things are pretty tough for Lauri. Her man died and she’s been living with her older brother, who she feels like only cares about bossing her and not about loving her.
Looking for love in all the wrong places, she ends up dating Brian Parker–the town doctor’s son. He’s the school hottie, spoiled and rich. Lauri turns her back on her old friends, they just wouldn’t fit in with the ‘in’ crowd.
Brian gets Lauri into a bit of trouble, in more than one way. He’s the one who got her involved in the cabin break-ins and he also got her pregnant. Lauri’s terrified about Kade’s reaction. How can she tell him without making him hate her?
My Thoughts
Once again Colleen Coble has put together a novel that keeps me on the edge of my seat. She is one of only two female Christian fiction authors I’ve come across (the other being Gail Gaymer Martin) who can write a mystery that doesn’t’ come across as silly or overly dramatic. The suspense was incredible. It kept me turning pages rather quickly just to see what was coming next.
I like the way that Bree is written. She’s a fairly independent woman, having lived on her own for a year and a half since her husband died. While independent, she’s still got a soft, feminine side. She wants the security that comes in Kade’s arms. She likes knowing that she has friends and family who will help her. As confident as she is in some ways, Bree is very self-conscious in others. She constantly questions herself in how she’s raising Davy. She loves him and wants to do what’s best for him. The trouble is, sometimes giving him what he wants isn’t what’s best–especially when it comes to letting him choose her men for her.
I really enjoyed Lauri’s story. I could identify with her outcast status in her high school and how everything changed when one of the ‘in’ crowd decided to take advantage of her need for love and attention. My heart broker for her as she forced herself to spend time with the boy she’d come to dislike because she needed the feeling of value it gave her.
Normally I can spot the ending of a book several chapters in advance. I know who did what, and why they did it. “Beyond a Doubt” was so complex that I was left baffled. I thought I had the ‘villain’ pegged midway through the book, but then it twisted and turned some more and I was left surprised at the reality of the ending.
When of the sub-plots that ran through the book was about Bree and Anu being stalked by the estranged husband of a woman they had protected from his beatings. I liked the way this subject, often ignored in Christian fiction because of its ugliness, was portrayed. The emotions of the estranged wife were so real, the guilt she felt over her daughter’s abduction was so understandable. After spending so many year being beaten you come to accept and expect it, and feel guilty for standing up for yourself–or so I could imagine.
Recommendation
Once again I am left with a Colleen Coble novel that I cannot say enough good things about.
I really can’t think of anyone who would not like “Beyond a Doubt.” It’s full of mystery, adventure, and romance. It’s not a ‘bash you on the head with the Bible’ piece of Christian fiction, but the religious tone is clearly there. Most non-Christians would be able to get a good deal of enjoyment from this book!
I recommend “Beyond a Doubt” very highly!
The Rock Harbor Series
Without a Trace
Beyond a Doubt
Into the Deep
Recommended:
Yes
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CindyJean
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