This novel was previously published under the title "Abomination" and fells under the content of "Rock Harbor" series, but can be also read as a standalone novel (the series context is mild).

I find this being one of the most thrillery thriller by Colleen Coble - and this is a good thing in my books! I mean I like my thrillers being full of real danger, without sugarcoating and without closing the eyes when facing the hard situation. Because the real danger is often scary and might be gruesome - but we are confronting and fighting the evil here. So - you have been warned. But I hope you are intrigued, also! Because I am going to recommend this novel.

This book has all the elements - a beautiful young woman with amnesia (who has obviously been in the life-threatening situation given the marks of an attack) and a toddler with her; the gruesome murders; the desperate husband believing his estranged wife is dead and child is missing; the scheming sister; the psychopath on the killing spree; the sins past and present; the beauty and danger of the swans; the pain, hope, grace and forgiveness.
I very much like the content of the Swan Lake ballet - the beauty, but this beauty is also hiding pain and tragedy. The swan is white - but could be black, too. At least the killer thinks that way.
But the real swans, the magnificent birds of free nature, can also be very protective of their own, and their outward beauty makes you forget that they can be the birds of prey, if needed. This context is strong, real - and also imagination inviting. Very good idea, Ms Coble!

I also like almost all of the moral conflicts included. I can even understand the killer´s motivation (given his explanation in the last chapters) - you are for the dose of hard, cold reality of pain here! I also the very wise teaching about the pain and its possible benefits - I mean: pain can shape us. But without love and its wisdom the shaping can take us into the very dark places.
And poor Odette! My heart goes out for her.
My only criticism goes for presentation of the problems within Nick and Eve´s marriage. I think that Eve´s struggles was not addressed correctly and her (quite understandable) issues are diminished, while Nick´s side is presented much more positively. The real partnership looks differently in my eyes and wife´s feelings, realities - yes, even her professional ambitions and career! - should be given the same importance as husband´s. Woman has the same dignity as man (both being God´s children) and that dignity should be addressed by the man´s side going through the same hard soul-searching process and that he works towards the healthy marriage.

But I can wholeheartedly recommend this quality novel to all, Christians or not - because it is just that - a quality read.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Haven of Swans. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Haven of Swans was previously published under the name of Abomination. This mystery suspense novel can also be categorized as Christian fiction, although it is not preachy and the message does not overshadow the story. Having not read the other books in the series, I was pleasantly surprised that I could follow along with no issues or blaringly obviously holes in the content. As I am a huge fan of mystery suspense, I was eager to read this novel, as the premise promised such things as a serial killer, a woman suffering from amnesia, a horrific crime scene, and a hidden secret. I was ultimately disappointed in Haven of Swans, as the investigative aspects of the novel did not seem realistic and the conclusion was telegraphed early in the book.

Simply put, the author did not take enough time to relay all of the intricate details of a police investigation. The inclusion of the Christian undertones was not necessary to the plot, but readers who enjoy reading a clean novel will enjoy this aspect. For me, Haven of Swans just did not measure up to the many mystery suspense novels that I have read throughout the years. For these reasons, I would not recommend the book to other readers.

Romance, clean; murder, mystery, series but stand alone read; PG-13 for grisly scenes/descriptions
This was by far the best of Colleen Coble's books I have read. Lots of nuances, I didn't guess the perp., myriad different pieces all falling together until the final denouement at the end. The people, the way it all came together, along with the swans and the way that it related to the story, the ballet, and all the intricacies made this a clever, well-written, and intricate puzzle. The back story with the detective, the heroine, and their little girl made it all the more compelling and riveting.
It is my understanding this is an older title that has been republished under a different name.

This was an awesome book from start to finish, but then it's Colleen and all her books have been great so far. There hasn't been a book yet that I haven't read!! This one had it all...intrigue, suspense and it's Christian so it has no cussing or foul themes in it!

I was given an ARC from the publisher/author/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.

Michigan's rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A beautiful woman who doesn't even remember her own name. A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray—a woman and child missing. The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He has already killed five. He will kill again.
I wanted to like this book but I really didn’t. I just couldn’t like or identify with the heroin in the book. I felt sorry for the cop. And there were parts of the story that were resolved without taking it far enough along the path to make me care. Yes, it was a Christian book and presented a clean story without bad words or sex scenes which means that I can recommend it to my Christian friends in the library where I serve. But I have an aversion to drippy love stories and there was a bit of that in this book.
One thing that was good. I did not figure out the Gideon character. The author presented enough options to keep me guessing as to who was. But the story line regarding the child did not have a satisfactory ending. It was as if she just said what can I do to end this so the main characters don’t get hurt. Not everything in life gets tied up in such nice neat bundles.
If my library does not already have the book by its original title, we will most likely purchase this title since I have many readers that are Coleen Coble fans. But there are other of her series that I like better. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very fast paced psychological thriller! The story is on the dark side with very little religious overtures. I don't know if i would call it Christian fiction. The story was well developed with a few surprises along the way. It's hard not to get absorb with the storyline.

This is a republished book previously sold under the name Abomination. It is a departure from this author's usual work and Very grisly. It is told from the view of a serial killer and from his victims. It was hard to read and violent in nature.

Bree Matthews sees a woman and child on the side of the road and offers her a ride to Rock Harbor. The woman is injured, and someone had tried to kill her, but the woman has lost her memory and can't remember what happened. Bree take her home, and the woman's daughter identifies herself as Terri, and the woman wears a necklace that says "Elena."

Elena and Terri continue to stay with Bree and her family, and become a part of the community, but Elena still can't remember what happened.

Detective Nick Andreakas works the violent crimes unit of the police, and he is very dedicated to his job. Too dedicated in fact, according to his soon-to-be-ex-wife Eve. Eve is a former ballerina, and she teaches dance as well as raises their daughter, Keri. When they go missing, Nick fears that it might be connected to a serial murder case he's been working on.

Nick comes to Rock Harbor looking for Eve and Keri, but after three months he's lost almost all hope of finding them alive. But when he is in for a surprise. He wants to reconcile with his wife and rights the wrongs, but it is difficult when she doesn't remember. There is good dialog, and plenty of tension. Lots of suspense too, since the guy who tried to hurt Eve is still out there.

Eve has a tenacious spirit and refuses to give up, or live her life in hiding. And she knows that she loves her daughter. I liked that Bree and Kade are there for Eve and they show her love and a godly example of marriage the Eve has never seen before.

This is an intense story, with plenty going on and many clues to gather. It is not an easy book to read, with some gruesome details, and a really creepy, crazy bad guy. Fast paced and filled with action, and second chances make for a satisfying read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

I think this was an interesting story I just couldn't quite follow it.

Haven of Swans is one amazing psychological thriller that Colleen Coble is known for. This one really threw me for a loop. When I thought I knew who the serial killer was my mind was absolutely blown. You are at first see the book through the eyes of the killer - isn't that a bite - then you are seeing through one of the victims who got away but who has a missing memory - that is the second bite - and she is getting away from a killer and she sees a car - is it the killer or is it a helper of her and yes a child in her arms - hers or who's another victim the killers? So, does she get into the car with the killer or the right person? and when you find out and find out who the killer is you just will blow your mind into a million pieces like you have never done before, and you will enjoy it...........

Haven of Swans is the first book I've read by Colleen Coble and I liked it. It's Christian Fiction, but not overtly so which I liked. The message was there, but it didn't overshadow the story and wasn't preachy. I didn't realize when I requested this book that it was the fourth book in a series, but it didn't seem to matter much. It stood on it's own and was a complete story.

I thought the mystery was ok, but there were too many big coincidences and the end felt a little anticlimactic. What a way to die though. I almost thought it was funny. I was also disappointed that I guessed who the killer was pretty early on. It wasn't glaringly obvious, but I think anyone who reads a lot of mystery will pick up on the little clues that were left here and there. The good thing is that I wouldn't have expected the characters in the book to know who it was so easily, so I didn't feel like they were dumbed down.

I'm interested in this author and this series and I'll probably end up reading more books from it eventually. I would also like to read some of the other books the author has written that are not a part of this series.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Thomas Nelson Fiction for giving me a copy of this book.

She doesn't remember who she is or who wants her dead. She has a knife wound and a small child who calls her mama, but where she came from and where she was running to is a long-lost memory. Finding refuge in Rock Harbor, she tries to start over. Her memory seems to be locked away despite the few instances where a random memory is triggered by her circumstances. However, when she and a few of her newly made friends find a dead body in the woods near Rock Harbor, the sight and smell of a peanut butter sandwich triggers panic and fear. She knows he has found her. Just who he is, she has no idea.

Obsessive about his work, Nick, who loves his family deeply, found himself served with divorce papers. Things only get worse as he find his soon to be ex-wife's home ransacked with blood on the carpet with no sign of his wife, Eve, or his daughter, Keri. Distraught, Nick plunges headlong into his search for his family, whom most presume to be dead.

Gideon has suffered greatly in the past, but the pain has only serve to make him stronger... to make him a better man. Passionately proclaiming pain as a powerful tool for cleansing, Gideon's twisted past leads him to initiate cleaning through pain for others.

This recent novel from Colleen Coble deals with the themes of sin and forgiveness, of longing and desire. Filled with creepy bad guys, gallant though flawed heroes, and cast of characters who love God and love others, the story captured me and the unsolved mystery held me. Don't we all long to feel safe and feel loved? Our mysterious main character desires those two things, but only when she reaches the end of the story will she realize what God had already given her... and how God's promise is true even when we can't see it: He is working all things out for our good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an e-ARC of this book for review. All opinions contained above are my own.

I also read the earlier edition of this book though that was quite some time ago. Colleen Coble is one of my favorite authors. I love all of her work! She never disappoints me, whether it's historical fiction or mystery and suspense. The danger is vivid and shocking at times. This novel draws you in and has you on the edge of your seat at times because it is very intense. I love returning to Rock Harbor and catching up with Bree and Naomi. This one has a modern day feel with the technological geocaching that the storyline follows. I found myself sympathizing with Eve and all she had to endure to block away what she had been through. Nick was very patient and caring to bring back her back where she needed to be. I have been able to recommend several Christian fiction novels and have readers say later they had no clue what they had been missing out on by not reading them earlier.

Another great book of the Rock Habor series. Colleen knows how to keep her readers guessing through the whole book

This was my first Colleen Coble book. It will not be my last. I'm hooked.

This book is a reprint of an earlier novel—Abomination. I kept thinking it felt familiar and then later found out that it was a novel I had already read. It seems tricky to me to re-publish a book with a new title. Once you have purchased the book you a second time, you feel short-changed. That said, the novel is the 4th in the Rock Harbor series. We meet up with Bree, Davey, Naomi, and others from the previous novels. Some of the situations the heroine found herself in seemed a bit far-fetched to me. I had just about figured out the identity of Gideon (the serial killer) when he was revealed. If you haven’t already read Abomination, then you will probably enjoy the twists and turns of this reprint.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I do wish there was less informative violence. The book would have been far more enjoyable.
This is a mystery/thriller. Bree Matthews find a bleeding woman and young child on the side of the road and takes them home with her. The woman has amnesia and can't remember anything about herself or the child. Slowly, memories begin to return making her fearful for her life and that of her child. She knows someone is out to kill her. There is a serial murderer in the area and fears he is also after her. This is an edge-of-the-seat story.
I was given an ecopy of this book from the publisher Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for my honest review.

This was a bit of a creepy read. However not too creepy that I couldn't finish reading it. I liked the characters and they drew me back into the story, but I didn't care to read what the killer did to his victims. Eventhough it wasn't told in detail, my imagination did the work on its own. It was just gross. There were times I wondered "what the heck am I reading?" Well, I finished reading it, partly because I wanted to figure out who the bad guy was. All in all, an okay read, but not a book I would return to.

Elena Cox is found barefoot and cold walking on the side of the road with her baby girl. She has bruises, a stab wound, and no memory. Bree Matthews is determined to help her get back on her feet and get her memory back. Other than her name she remembers nothing but has immense fear that the attacker has followed her to Rock Harbor.

Then there's Gideon, his quest is rid the world of evil. He's taken to leaving bodies at geocaching sites, with messages about their sins. He's got his eye on Elena, he needs retribution for her past sin.

Colleen Coble has written a wonderful mystery. There is so much depth to the story, I just could not put it down. It kept me guessing until the very end. I was screaming “oh my gosh!”. I also loved the sweet romance that grew throughout the novel.

What a very interesting and intriguing murder mystery. I would think the mystery was going one way but then it would make another turn. It was a very good mystery and i highly recommend it.