Eighteen years after her Mothers death Victoria “Tori” finds herself back at Jekyl Island. Her friend has just drowned and it has been labeled accidental. Tori is certain it wasn’t accidental, her friend was deathly afraid of water and wouldn’t have gone into the ocean. There is suspense and romance in this book with a bit of faith in the mix. It got my interest from the beginning. I suspected one of the twists. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A Stranger’s Game is another standalone winner from gifted storyteller Colleen Coble. The beautifully sketched Jekyll setting drew me in from the beginning, and the smoothly flowing, suspenseful plot held me captive to the satisfying end. The characters in this fast-paced, action-packed narrative are realistic and memorable. A bit of romance and a gentle thread of faith add to the enjoyment of the read. The historical aspect regarding the Federal Reserve is interesting and informative. If you like stories that seamlessly meld mystery, suspense, faith, history, and romance, don’t miss this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Eighteen years after her mother died, Victoria “Torie” Bergstrom finds herself back on Jekyll Island and at the resort owned by her dad. Torie is undercover to find out the truth behind the death of her best friend. With the help of Joe Abbott who works part-time security at the resort and trains sea lions for the Navy, she is determined to figure out what really happened. Another good, suspenseful mystery from Colleen Coble.

Quite the romantic suspense written by an author new to me. This story is a cozy mystery, there is no mention of alcohol drinking, they attend church and quote scripture.
Victoria (Torie) is the daughter of hotel magnate Anton Bergstrom. She is going undercover as an IT specialist at the Jekyll Island Club Resort. Torie's mother committed suicide eighteen years ago here and she' not been back since. Now she's secretly investigating her childhood best friend Lisbeth's recent apparent suicide by drowning at this same luxury resort.
Jekyll Island has long been on my list of must visit places. The scenic descriptions of sand and sea reinforced this even more.
Torie's godmother, Genevieve Hallston, is also her aunt and the resorts manager. She's an unpleasant, resentful, ungrateful and unlikable character. There are many other supporting characters at the hotel, the Navy and the local police force members.
Joe Abbott, a widower, works security part-time at the resort. He's raising a young daughter. His primary job is training sea lions for the Navy defense program, including war games off the island. There are ever present underwater threats from divers and submarines by hostile countries. This was a unique and interesting concept.
There's murder, break-ins, threats, kidnapping and general mayhem on the island as the resort prepares for an important dignitary conference. The Federal Reserve is meeting and there are political references.
Joe and Torie have an instant connection and their relationship develops as they attempt to solve Lisbeth's death. It's a heart warming, feel good kind of story and an easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Colleen Cobble and to Thomas Nelson HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. for the advance digital copy of "A Stranger's Game". These are my thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

It was OK, but not much more than that. Thanks for the opportunity to read it--wish I could have liked it better.

Torie Berg returns to Jekyll Island for the first time in 18 years for the worst of reasons: To investigate the death of her best friend and childhood playmate, Lisbeth Nelson. Despite what the police and news media report, Lisbeth’s drowning death was no accident.

When Torie shows up for her job at the resort where Lisbeth worked, she wonders if she’s in over her head. Someone wants her off the island as soon as she steps foot on it. Break-ins at her cottage and missing items mysteriously returned are enough to freak anyone out. Fortunately for Torie, she’s found a friend in fellow employee and neighbor Joe Abbott and his young daughter, Hailey.

When someone kidnaps Hailey, Joe and Torie band together to find who wants to silence Torie.

Joe Abbott never expects to have a second chance at love. He and Hailey have carved a life for themselves on Jekyll Island. He works part-time in resort security and trains sea lions for the Navy the rest of the time. His new neighbor, Torie Berg might just change his mind about staying single for the rest of his life.

Why I Loved This Book

Coble is the maestro of inspirational suspense, and A Stranger’s Game is no exception. Readers will relate to Torie’s need to control things—even if it keeps her from becoming the best version of herself. The plot twists and turns in a unique setting will keep readers up late at night as they travel with the characters to the shocking conclusion.

Colleen Coble has been one of my favorite Christian Fiction authors since I read my first book by her over 15 years ago. I don't know how she keeps coming up with such well written stories over and over again, but I hope she doesn't stop.

As usual, the characterization is so realistic the people in her stories seem as human as my best friends. They often struggle a bit with their faith, but in the end, they come to a realization of how important it is. The settings are vivid, and the plots are enticingly revealed with small clues being offered up a little at a time. By the end, every lose end is neatly wrapped up.

Bravo! Another book worthy of the ultimate in ratings: 5 stars!

A well written book with interesting characters and a gripping mystery. This was my first read by this author, but I will definitely find and read other titles.

Torie goes undercover to dig up clues as to how her best friend died. She suspects foul play. In her investigating, she meets a man named Joe Abbott and his eight-year-old daughter, Hailey. Torie and Hailey bond over sea turtles and the fact they both lost their moms at a young age. Joe and Torie begin to think they could be more than friends after a scuba diving adventure.

One of the things I love about this author’s books is the fact she usually has interesting settings and fascinating things to discover. I like learning through her characters, in this novel, readers get to explore a little of Jekll Island in Georgia. I learned some history like during WWII the Coast Guard patrolled there in case of an attack by a submarine or U-boat happened. Torie grew up on the Island and readers get to see the landscape through her eyes and memories.

Joe works with sea lions. He trains them for the Navy. Simon is still in training, and we discover what he still needs to learn for his training to be complete. The seals help keep bad guys away, warn people if danger is about. Hailey tells Torie about her dad’s training. Joe says, “It’s a good thing I’m not a spy or something. Hailey would give away all the secrets.”

Strange things start to happen to Torie. She runs to Joe for help. They come up with a plan to get to the bottom of the mystery. This is an interesting story that is full of suspense, drama, an intriguing setting, with a mystery to solve. I enjoyed this novel and the bond that Torie, Joe and Hailey had. This is a good escape and one that would work well for book club.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Torrie is the heir to a hotel dynasty, but for now she is just an IT worker who is trying to find her best friends killer. A wonderfully suspenseful mystery with a touch of romance. Highly recommend

I have read this author a long time and you can always count on Colleen Coble to write a good book with a great mystery involved! This time she sets her story on Jekyll Island and the plot is quite good.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for a copy of the book via Net Galley. The opinion expressed in this review is expressly my own.

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble is an intense, fast moving story. Torie has gone back to her childhood home to see how her friend died. Someone is trying to chase her away and she turns to Joe for help.

It is well written with caring characters that kept me waiting to find out how Torie’s friend and mother died. There is a second suspense story within this one that deals with Joe’s ship. This is a good island story to read. It is filled with action, suspense, mystery and some romance. The story focuses on family relationship and trusting God. This is a good clean story that I enjoyed reading very much.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this story, this is my honest review.

Colleen Coble is one of my favorite authors. This is a outstanding suspenseful novel that is a stand alone. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. My review opinions are my own.

I loved the charcters the author featured in this novel. The author has a interesting story that captured this reader and kept me reading to conclusion. I loved the mysterious setting that adds richly to the background and the well crafted mystery. This is a page turner and for fans of this author we are thrilled to read this stand alone and hope for more in the future. A very enjoyable read from Colleen Coble.

Gripping is right. Coble is a master at writing suspense that keeps you reading and sticks with you after the story ends. Torie takes on her own undercover assignment, even though she's not law enforcement. Joe, without knowing her true identity, helps Torie search for the reason her best friend died; all while protecting his daughter. I enjoyed A Stranger's Game and the twists and turns that finally led to the killer. Colleen Coble's writing wraps you in the story and leaves you breathless by the end. If you enjoy great suspense, you'll want to read A Stranger's Game. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"A Stranger's Game" is another great suspenseful read by Colleen Coble. This novel had a lot of different twists and turns along the way. It was a little different plot than most inspirational romantic suspense novels. It kept my attention and made me want to get to the end to find out who really was "the bad guy." I highly recommend this novel. It is a good, clean mystery.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

"A Stranger's Game" is a Christian romantic suspense. Unfortunately, there were a lot of unexplained plot holes in this story. The clues about means, motive, and opportunity (implied rather than actually asked about) implied certain skills and levels of access that at least one suspect needed. At the end, the main bad person was uncovered, and I wasn't surprised due to previous hints. But while the main things were explained (who killed Torie's mother, who were those divers, and the goal of the bad people), so many incidences along the way to the end were left unexplained. Like why kill one person for uncovering a planned crime, kill another person who helped cover up the first murder, then voluntarily leave a clue to the plot on Torie's doorstep?

Anyway, the main characters were likable, and I cared about what happened to them. There was some suspense from the slowly escalating attempts to frighten Torie and attempts to kill Joe. Torie and Joe grew to admire and then care for each other as they spent time together. The Christian element was trying to explain to a child why we trust God even after He lets bad things happen. There was no sex or bad language.

A Stranger’s Game contains suspense with an added element of romance. Torie is determined to figure out the mystery surrounding her best friend’s death. She will team up with Joe to get the answers she desires…if she can stay safe from the person who is trying to foil her plans. A good story that’ll make you want to keep turning the pages!

A Stranger's Game is another great read by Colleen Coble. I highly recommend it and am giving it five stars.

I have read a number of Colleen Coble’s books, which are usually a romance with a dash of suspense. A Stranger’s Game follows Torie’s investigation into her best friend’s death on the island where her mom passed away many years ago. This was not one of my favorites from Coble. It seemed a little far fetched that no one would immediately figure out who Torie really was and cheesy that she would try and investigate. Torie and Joe were hard to connect with and I found myself pushing to finish this book and get it over with. That being said, my favorite part of this book is the island setting; Coble’s writing brings the beach vibes to life!

This book was so good, I couldn't put it down! Tori and Joe had a connection from the get go and the mystery that Colleen Coble wove was riveting. Her novels are always timely and fascinating, A not to be missed page turner!