Due to her mother's death minutes after Harper's birth following an accident (or was it?), Harper grew up with her grandmother until the age of 8, then in the foster care system. From this she was rescued at age 15 after more trauma than anyone should ever have to undergo by Oliver Jackson, whom she met when stealing his son Ridge's sleeping bag so she could keep warm sleeping out. Oliver looked after her in the years following, but Ridge always resented it, considering Harper as only after his money. But when a man tries to kill Oliver and to abduct Harper while they are out diving, it seems that something from Harper's - or her mother's - past is catching up with her. This happens at almost the same time as she finally makes contact, through a DNA website, with a considerably older half-sister - whose mother was also killed soon after Annabelle's birth, and who, like Harper, never knew their shared father. When Annabelle is likewise attacked, Ridge and Harper, as well as Annabelle and her two sons, are in a race against time to uncover the clues of the past to find out who is responsible for the attacks - and possibly the murders of both mothers. But spending time with Harper is undermining Ridge's long-held suspicions about her motives, and the growing connection between them is raising the stakes still further...

Jam-packed with suspense, mystery, romance and relationships, with several strands in past and present all cleverly tied together into one neat package, this is an engrossing read. Though various people are attacked in this book, there is no gratuitous violence, and the content is clean, including the language. While probably theoretically a Christian book, the Christian content is limited to the occasional brief mention, such that I believe non-Christians would probably enjoy it just as much as Christians - so if you're looking for inspirational content, try elsewhere (though the mending of breaches between a couple of pairs of characters was good to watch). Despite that, it's very well plotted and written, and the characters feel like real people. This is the first book I've read by the author, but I hope to read more in future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Many have taken DNA tests through currently popular companies and learned of surprising connections. Strands of Truth is a story about one of the possible abuses of such information. Coble has created a mystery that begins with two sisters using DNA to locate family, who also locate trouble as well as answers to two cold cases, a story of truly getting more than you bargained for. Mystery fans will be quite happy with what they get from Strands of Truth, an engaging mystery with carefully sprinkled clues throughout. Unexpected connections await.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Strands of Truth from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I found this book to be a page turner, there seems to be non-stop action, and you may think whom the perpetrator is but, then you quickly change your mind, but who is after these women?
The author gives us a roller coaster of emotions here, as humans we tend to cling to our families, but to have none, such a hard thing.
Today’s modern technology gives many new hopes to find their roots, and part of this book is what happens when we find those we are related to.
I didn’t figure this one out ahead of time, so was surprised how everything turned out. I just wish I could continue on in the lives of these characters!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

Although Oliver is a wonderful mentor, Harper never feels accepted by his family. When Harper finds her half-sister through a DNA sister, Harper is happy to connect with her sister. They quickly learn that both of their mothers were murdered and now they are in danger. When Ridge discovers that his father Oliver has given him a mollusk lab with Harper as his partner, he is initially dismayed since he always thought that Harper was using his father. As Ridge tries to protect Harper from danger, he starts to believe that his impression of Harper is wrong. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is a well written Christian romantic suspense mystery. This book hooked me from the start and kept me guessing on why the sisters are in danger. I was also wanted to see Ridge's reaction to a choice of Harper's. I really enjoyed this read

I haven’t read a lot of Colleen Coble novels. Not because I haven’t enjoyed the ones I’ve read, just because I haven’t. There are so many books and so many genres I read across under the Christian fiction umbrella. But when I saw the cover for Strands of Truth, my interest was immediately piqued.

And since I don’t read blurbs, I had no idea what I was getting into.

From the opening seen, I was invested. I had to know what was going on. With each turn of the page, I became more invested. The suspense aspect of it left me reeling and the romance left me feeling HEA.

I definitely will be checking out Ms. Coble’s backlist on the search for the next great read.

*I received an ARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This review was not required nor influenced.

Mystery, romance, mermaids, mollusks and DNA pull this quick paced thriller together. Harper, a marine biologist who was always an outsider of sorts, discovers she's got a half sister Annabelle and that their personal history- both their mothers died mysteriously- match. Annabelle's ill with cancer. Just after they find each other, a bad guy finds them and wants to do them harm. Then Harper's mentor Oliver, who set her up in her lab, is attacked and his son, Ridge, who has always been a sort of shadowy character for Harper, throws in with her on her project and to find out the true story. No spoilers but know that faith plays a role in this. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

Colleen Coble has another best seller with this book, Stands of Truth. the book has romance, plenty of suspense, beautiful Florida coast and page-turning excitement. You also see examples of forgiveness and second-chances.
Harper has your support from page one. She came from a hard life as a child and yet she wasn’t a bitter person. She spent so much of her childhood seeking love that wasn’t offered but found a way to make it in life. She is a gutsy, independent woman who thanks to her mentor, Oliver, was making her way in life. As the story unfolds, you see Oliver’s son, Ridge realize that his past feelings of jealousy and doubt were changing and he saw Harper in a new exciting way.

Throughout the book you are also receiving clues and flash-backs of two murders. Harper’s mother was murdered and her half-sister’s mother was also. They had recently found out they were half-sisters through DNA testing. The two questioned whether the murders were coincidental or connected somehow. There are so many twist and turns that keep you guessing to the end.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel reads like a paperback romance.

Harper hasn’t had the easiest life, although her mentor’s son, Ridge, would disagree. Harper’s mother died when she was born, and she never had a family. That might change, though, when a DNA test reveals that she has a previously unknown half-sister from the father she knows nothing about.

Right after Harper meets her half-sister, Annabelle, for the first time, Annabelle is kidnapped. Harper’s mentor, Oliver, is attacked. Harper herself has some unsettling experiences. A search is on for whoever may have murdered Annabelle’s and Harper’s mothers so many years ago.

This was a fun, suspenseful read. There was a lot going on, but it was nicely tied together. Harper was a very sympathetic main character. Although the story didn’t go too into depth into her childhood, it gave enough information to make both her and Ridge’s actions and reactions very realistic. The end was definitely a surprise. It’s enough to make you think twice about DNA testing, even if I wasn’t already hesitant.

I do hope there’s a sequel for Ridge’s sister, Willow.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I super loved this book. I just finished it and my fingers were trembling with the adrenaline rush. This book was the perfect example of how a romantic suspense ought to be.

Harper wanted to find her family. Her DNA testing brought her to a half-sister Annabelle and the murky darkness of the past where both their mothers had been murdered. Both the women too were in danger as an intruder in ski mask kept trying to kidnap them and kill the others. Ridge, the son of her mentor, soon let go of his btliyteness and see her with new eyes. The two investigated the deaths happening around them, past and the present.

My first book by author Colleen Coble, and she has a fan in me. The story was the perfect combination where strands of the past were woven into the present, and the truth came out insidiously page after page, creeping up on me. The author created a setting so powerful that every moment showed the danger that the two were in. The writing had the power to enfold me with the thrill of its words.

The book was fast, spot on with the scenes where the almost non stop action caught me and threw me into the spirals of suspense. I could barely hold on, but never afraid to sink as I was sure the author would keep the book rushing till the last page.

The twin pillars of a thriller, suspense and mystery, were never as strongly written as they were in this book. The pulse rate slowly reached to skyrocketting levels with each chapter and the last finale was BOOM. Absolutely freaking fantastic!!

Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble brings a fresh setting for a romantic suspense adventure. Told in snippets of split-time fashion, this novel will have you kicking your heels and gasping for air as you learn about pen shell beds that Harper and Ridge collaborate on. With key themes of family or lack thereof, relationships and trust, many readers can find common ground with the protagonists. Coble makes it easy to learn spiritual lessons, presenting truth plainly and succinctly, without slowing the action. The storylines are woven together beautifully, like the beautifully spun sea silk.
There are some great twists and turns in this novel. Coble writes suspense so effectively I still feel the jangling of my emotions and a sense of loss, which will need some time to settle. If you love Christian romantic suspense blended with diving tales and mermaids, detailed via split-time; you will enjoy Colleen Coble’s Strands of Truth.
I was given a complimentary copy of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. No positive review was required.

I am never disappointed in a book by Colleen Coble. She tells such wonderful stories that keep you on your toes, have you looking over your shoulder, and keep you turning the pages until you get to the very end. I have no idea how she continues to deliver great stories, but I am so very thankful she does!

The thing I really liked about this story was the background on Harper. Couple of things about it rang true with me. One – people come from all different backgrounds. It does not define our current situation. Harper worked hard to become the person she is today, and while that is not the main focus of the book, it’s something that I enjoyed seeing in a character and could completely relate to. I think it’s encouraging to readers who perhaps are not in a good spot in their life – to see that they really can turn it around.

Second – you really can make a difference in someone’s life. Harper would not be where she is today if it hadn’t been for Oliver’s compassion. And while Ridge totally took it out of context in the beginning, I think slowly he began to see the good in what Oliver had done. This inspires me to want to do something to help an individual out there who may be struggling in some way. What a great way to weave inspiration into a suspenseful story line!

Speaking of which, Coble certainly brings readers a great suspense story here. Readers will be sitting at the edge of their seats trying to solve the mystery, especially once Annabelle comes into the story. Get ready for a fun ride, because you aren’t going to want to put this book down!! Like I said before, Coble never disappoints. There is a reason she is a USA Today bestselling author!!

I received complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

'She wouldn't lose hope. God saw her in this place. She had to hold on to faith.'
Strands of Truth has so many different plot twists. Two half-sisters, almost twenty years apart, who find out through a DNA kit that they both had the same father. Two half-sisters who both lost their mothers and murder may have been the cause of those deaths. The same half-sisters being the targets of kidnappers and the suggestion of organ harvesting as a possible motive!
Ridge Jackson has never trusted the close relationship that his dad Oliver developed with Harper Taylor as she was moved from one foster home to another as a child and teenager. Harper considers Oliver as her mentor and she deeply loves him but Ridge believes she is after his father's money. It is only through many unexplained occurences that he begins to see the true Harper. I really liked Harper and I wanted her to realize that not all people wanted to hurt her. I believe that there are still good, kind people willing to help their fellow man and I was hoping that Ridge would become that person for Harper!
This is an exciting story and there are so many questions needing to be answered but through it all, even as Harper struggles with trusting people, she has faith and trust in God. In fact, there are several characters who believe and trust in God and I liked that author Colleen Coble shows them engaging in prayer and believing in its power. I also enjoyed Coble's description of pen shell farming and the process of making sea silk.
I enjoyed Strands of Truth and I recommend it to anyone who likes romantic suspense and Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary digital copy through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley and I was not required to leave a positive review. These are my honest thoughts.

Colleen Coble is a well-known name in Christian suspense, but I’ve never really connected with her books – until this one! Genealogy has always been fascinating to me, so I decided to give the book a try. I’m so glad I did, and I ended up really enjoying it! The story has a good blend of action, suspense, and character development. Ridge and Harper were believeable, relatable characters – they started off not liking each other, but their friendship grew in a natural way as difficult circumstances threw them together. The mystery of Harper and Annabelle’s father was fascinating, and I was really surprised by the way it was resolved!

There are several interesting elements that make the story unique, including Harper’s research and work with pen shells. I also loved how genealogy was incorporated both to solve crimes reaching from the past to the present, and to bring a family together. If you’re a fan of Christian suspense, this would be a great book to add to your fall TBR list!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Riveting suspense novel.
I liked it because DNA and tracing one's heritage has always been intriguing to me.
Harper looks into finding matching DNA, and gets to know a half sister. No more has this happened than she is being targeted for...?? and by whom??!! Could this be a coincidence? Well, because it's a suspense novel, the easy answer is No, of course not!
I liked the twists and turns this story took.
I liked the way the past and the present were brought together.
I was, however, suspicious early on, of who the bad guy might turn out to be. The clues that were given made it a bit obvious.
I enjoyed it because I wanted to see how it all tied together.
The whole idea of silk strands from mollusks was also quite intriguing to me.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Colleen Coble’s latest book, Strands of Truth, is a well-written suspense story with a bit of romance thrown into the mix.

Harper, the main character, was definitely my favorite. After going through a difficult childhood, mostly lived in the foster care system, she grows into a strong female who is finding her way in the world; however, it isn’t all smooth sailing. The man who has been like a father to her since her mid teen, has children who want to out for her for being the greedy, conniver they are sure she is. And there is someone who wants to hurt her or possibly even kill her. You’ll have to read this to find out!

The book is filled with believable characters who come to life on the pages with many scenes that show what they are made of. The suspense keeps building as the book goes on, and even though there are a few clues along the way, it’s difficult to tell who is really up to no good. I finished it within a few days because I didn’t want to put the book down!

This is a clean book—no sex scenes or foul language. Definitely my kind of book and worthy of a five star rating.

I am sorry to say I did not care at all for this book. It simply put was a mess. I didn't find anything thrilling or suspenseful. I would liken it to a Lifetime movie. I won't give up on the author however and hope that my next book from her is more what I would expect from a thriller

Who knew something as simple as a DNA test could lead to a whole lot of mischief!

     I have always thought about doing one, but now I would be even more cautious or nervous to take one. Who knows what could happen or where it would lead? Personally, I loved how Colleen Coble used something like a DNA test and made a spectacular mystery surrounding it. The idea got my brain thinking and very involved/engaged with the characters and their thought processes. It was like living out a dream, you never quite knew where you (or the characters) would end up.

     This book kept me guessing the whole time, although I had my theories, as to what was happening and why it was happening to some seemingly random people. I truly enjoyed the roller coaster that Colleen Coble took me on. There were many happy moments, some very serious life-altering moments that personally would have been very hard to write. However, Colleen Coble gave depth to the personal decisions her characters made and by the end of the book I really felt that I had gotten to know the characters quite well and really didn’t want for their story to end. Colleen Coble did leave the opening for another book in the series and I am so excited to see what comes next 😊

     I read a lot of mystery/suspense books, and this one was great. It kept my mind involved and stuck with me even after I read it. I truly think that this is a well-written book. I encourage you to read it and let me know your thoughts on it. I loved to hear them. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars for the unique plot theme, the likeable characters and the feeling that I won’t be forgetting this book anytime soon.

Harper's mother died just before Harper was born, and she never knew her father. At the age of 15, a man named Oliver took her under his wing and became like a father to her in many ways. His own children detested Harper, though, because of how much attention their father paid to her, and assuming that Harper was only after their father's money. As an adult, Harper looks up to Oliver as a mentor, and now works with him as a business partner. At the start of the story, a DNA registry site has found a likely half-sister for Harper, and upon meeting, Harper realizes that both sisters have a similar story, with their mothers dying when they were infants, and neither knowing their father. At the same time, both women become the target of attempted kidnappings. Oliver is also attacked, and his son Ridge is determined to find out why, while also attempting to expose Harper for the fraud he believes her to be.

This book was a jumbled mess, and my mind feels a bit jumbled when trying to organize a review. I will start with what I did like. The premise was intriguing, and the mystery did hold my attention for the first half of the book. The descriptions of the Florida setting were good, and it was easy to imagine a warm, humid environment. The book brought some subjects to my attention that I otherwise might never have known about (for example, sea silk and other things related to pen shells).

However, this also leads me to my first issue. Many things came up in the book that were completely foreign to me, and I was left to figure out on my own what on earth it even was. Or the explanation would come so late that I was confused for a while. At one point early in the book, it says a character was in the "Weeki Wachee parking lot," but really never actually says what Weeki Wachee is. My first guess was that it was a common supermarket chain in the region. Or maybe restaurant. But after Googling it, it's apparently a state park and spring in Florida. It would have been really easy to explain this in the book, along with many other things, but instead, I had to Google more than I would prefer while reading a book.

Speaking of Google, there was a lot of mention of food and restaurants in the book that weirdly came across like name-dropping. As if, to make the book feel more authentic to the location, the author had done an internet search for popular restaurants in the real-life town in which the book is set, and even went to the online menus so that the characters could mention specific dishes that really do exist in those restaurants (I looked on up; it's real!). Maybe this shouldn't seem like a big deal, but it got to a point where it was just a bit too much, and took me out of the narrative enough to bother me.

And then there was the really weird part where the narration compared the main male character (Ridge) to "Chris McNally from Supernatural a bit, right down to the thick black hair." I had to stop right there and look him up. I've seen Supernatural quite a bit, but I didn't recognize the name, so I looked him up. He was in two episodes, 6 years apart, as basically bit roles! I have my theory about why Coble included this bit of obscure trivia, but no matter the reason, it was completely out of left field and made no sense. This reference is not going to help anyone envision the character, and to top it off, this still of McNally in Supernatural does not show him with "thick black hair." This is indicative of what I felt was a greater issue in this book--it really could have done with another round of intensive editing.

This book was half-mystery, half-romance. The mystery half was the only thing that kept me going, because the romance was half-baked at best. For one thing, I really didn't care about either of the two main characters. I did not connect with them at all. Also, the main characters strongly disliked each other for a while, then started to warm to each other. Then Ridge tells Harper that he misjudged her and wants to start fresh, making it clear that he has some sort of feelings for her. But two days later, she's panicking over an idea that maybe he just thinks of her as a sister. And since the turn in their relationship came halfway through the story, it was very predictable what the bump in the romance was going to be, and even that turned out to be weakly done.

As for the mystery half of the story, it really fell apart in the 2nd half as well. For one thing, there are flashbacks throughout the book showing the life of a woman who was murdered around 1970 in the year leading up to that event, but by the end of the book, I realized that the flashbacks added basically nothing to the story. And there are spots within the story that are completely contradictory to other parts of the narrative.

This review is getting very long, so I'll try to be more brief in the rest of my notes. Clues to the mystery were given in an order that did not maximize suspense for the reader. The main characters investigated more than the authorities (who didn't really seem all that concerned about the abductions), and yet the main characters are constantly questioning if these obviously related events are even related. Most of the mystery was fairly obvious (to me) early enough in the book to make any twists near the end fall flat. Several things happen that make no sense and are never explained.


All in all, this half-mystery, half-romance didn't deliver in either department. And this time, I don't think I can chalk my biggest issues up to personal preference. The book has many flaws that clearly others were able to overlook, but I couldn't. I would not be able to recommend this book to anyone, and again I'd state that with further revision, it could have been a much more enjoyable read.

I've been more interested, lately, in reading Christian Fiction. But guys, even though I am not afraid to say I love Jesus, I have a hard time finding books that don't read super preachy. The entire reason we need Jesus is because we are sinners, so it reasons that the characters should be flawed and not perfect prayer warriors - but I digress.

Reading Strands of Truth was a pleasant surprise. Though I wouldn't classify it as Christian Fiction, the characters do pray and talk about God. (Maybe that's the requirement that publishers are looking for?) Coble doesn't make God a character in this novel. He doesn't answer with words or miraculous events. To me, this is a Fiction novel with Christian characters.

Even though Harper and Ridge prayed, they also failed a lot. They judged each other, jumped to conclusions, made bad decisions, and fumbled their way through a giant mystery that I couldn't for the life of me figure out before they did. The book is messy and weird. I like how unpredictable it is. Set in Florida, Coble does a wonderful job describing the landscape of Central Florida. She introduces mermaids, torrential downpours, and humidity that hangs like a wet blanket. I felt home in those pages.

I do think that Coble needed to juggle a lot of characters. Some points of view felt added on, used to explain a situation rather than being a necessity to the story. And the prose itself was sometimes confusing. I didn't understand Ridge's motives most of the time. There wasn't a clear line from hating Harper to loving her. He flipped back and forth most of the time, but his character development didn't show why. I think Coble was going for more of a slow-burning romance, but he gave into her too quickly for that to be achieved.

Though the relationships were lacking, the mystery was amazing. Coble gave just enough details each chapter to make me want more without giving away too much or making me lose interest. The attempt on Oliver's life is just the first of many attempted crimes in the book. These crimes affect Harper as well as Annabelle and answer questions that I didn't need to know I was asked by the end of the novel.

All in all, Strands of Truth is a fun summer mystery novel. Bring the paperback to the beach before the weather gets too cold.