Wow was this a wild ride. There was so much going on that it was hard to know who to trust. I felt like I had an idea where the story was going but sure was wrong on some of it. Very well written. I liked the addition of the technology and of the faith. It was a nice touch.

Fantastic, creative, original, kept me glued to the pages! I had no idea what to expect, and I loved every minute of it, I could not stop turning pages. I've read many wonderful suspense stories by Colleen Coble, this is the first story I've ready by the duo authors Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. I will definitely be checking out more of their collaborative stories.

From the first lines in the prologue "In 2009 Satoshi Nakamoto laid an egg. Jason Foster had found it two weeks ago, and he'd been running for his life ever since." to the last lines of the epilogue, I could not put it down!

This suspenseful page-turner involves an incredible AI chatbot program, a search for an illusive bitcoin egg containing a USB drive worth millions, including dangerous people after it as well, family relationships, forgiveness, loss, grief, betrayal, and finding your place, your people, and your purpose.

I enjoyed the wonderful cast of characters from Katrina Foster and her family, and Seb Wallace and his family. Seb came from a broken childhood and somehow turns out to be the nicest guy. I loved watching their interactions.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

I have been a fan of Colleen Coble's writing for many years. I was excited to receive an ARC of her newest release that she wrote with Rick Acker.

Katrina is a year in to the grief of losing her husband. Her job is imploding and her beloved grandmother has died. Katrina and her best friend have created an AI bot to recreate Katrina's husband's conversations.

I know AI is out there and frankly I find its power frightening. But this storyline felt disjointed and too crazy for me. Not sure the duo writing works in this case.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting look at chatbots and AI, and a deeper look at dealing with grief. Technology cannot replace people, and the love of money really is the root of all evil. This was a good book, one I enjoyed, but it could have been a great book. I didn't really connect emotionally with the characters, and there were several characters with a lot going on.

This is billed as Christian fiction, but this is more clean romantic suspense.

Family friendly.

Katrina Berg lost her husband Jason in a horrible car accident. And now her grandma has passed away, her company went under, and she is under scrutiny by the FBI. How could it possibly get worse? But it somehow does.
Katrina worked for an emerging AI chatbot company and as a test, they uploaded all electronic files, texts, emails, pictures etc. of her late husband Jason's. So now she can talk to "Jason." The chatbot then claims that it was murdered making Katrina question if Jason's death really was an accident.
As she looks into it more, more danger comes her way. Before long she has recruited an old friend from high school, Sebastian Wallace into helping her find clues and discover what really happened to Jason.

This book was so interesting and whole concept of the chatbot was quite fascinating. The book was full action and mystery and some turns that I did not see coming!!
Seriously give this book a read!

Really great, clean mystery with romance by one of my favorite Christian authors, Colleen Coble along with Rick Acker. This is their second book together and I think I liked it even more than What They Hide. The AI aspect was pretty interesting to me and I can see how one can get addicted to the communication with someone who has passed through the app Katrina had. I loved watching her and Seb's relationship grow and it was fun to try to figure out who killed her husband.

Once again, Karen Peakes is a wonderful narrator. I was able to read/listen to this book in 2 afternoons and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 12 November 2024

"I Think I Was Murdered" is a tense murder mystery from authors Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. A year after her husband Jason's unexpected death, lawyer Katrina Berg continues to find ways to talk to him, using the AI Chatbot created by the startup company she works for. Chatting with Jason helps her handle the grief until one day he tells her that he thinks he was murdered. As her AI company starts to come under scrutiny by the FBI, Katrina decides to return to her hometown to see if she can solve her husband's murder. In her hometown, she reunites with her friend and local Seb Wallace and enlists his help to solve her husband's murder. Unfortunately, danger continues to turn up wherever Katrina goes and everyone falls under suspicion.

This was a tense murder mystery that kept me suspecting all the main characters at any given moment. I thought the concept of handling grief through AI Chatbots was super interesting and I hope someone is doing this in the real world, if they haven't already. The slow-burn romance between the two main characters was cute as well and nice to see how people handle moving on once a loved one dies. The side characters of her business partner, her brother, and Seb's recently discovered half brother and their father were nice additions and kept the suspense going.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

This story is about a grieving widow, Katrina, who talks to an AI program-chat bot that poses as her husband that passed away. The chat bot has all of her husbands social media accounts, photos, information from his phone etc. So it can truly feel like he is talking to her. One day, the chat bot responds to her "I Think I Was Murdered" and she goes on this hunt to find out what really happened to Jason. The story has some side characters and mysteries going on as well.

The authors have delivered a terrific cyber-crime/chatbot murder mystery. Still grieving widow Katrina Berg returns home after her grandmother dies and the company that she is an attorney for is shut down by the FBI. Katrina gets comfort from the chatbot that contains all her deceased husband Jason's texts and emails. In one of her exchanges with the chatbot, Jason believes that he might be murdered. With the help of a former classmate Seb, she starts looking for answers. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. There is plenty of action, suspense, twists and turns in this Christian romantic suspense mystery. Adding to the story is a little family drama and the start of a sweet romance. Even though this is a standalone story, I would love to see a follow-up story revolving around Dylan or Magnus. The Norwegian dishes and culture flourishing in her hometown also add to the story.

I have read many books from Coble in the past and enjoyed them, but this one missed the mark for me. There was a lot of unnecessary detailing and backstories that really stalled the plot. It could have benefited from a tighter focus and edit. The premise was interesting, particularly the AI angle, and things did pick up in the latter third of the story. However, this was a "meh" overall for me.

A suspense story based on artificial intelligence, chatbots, and cryptocurrency, with romance thrown in for good measure. A bitcoin key is found worth millions of dollars. The finder is killed for it, but the killers never get the key. A grieving widow has to deal with more attacks while grieving the loss of yet another family member, plus sorting out feelings for an old friend. Who can be trusted? Who's the enemy? Another well written book Colleen Coble and Rick Acker.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This was a strange book. I had trouble getting interested in this story. Katrina has lost her husband and having trouble coping with her grief. On top of that her company is about ready to go under and is being investigated by the FBI. Katrina is talking to a chat box that was created by her company that is a compilation of text messages from her late husband. She talks to it as she would her deceased husband. Weird. As I said, it was a strange book.

I was given this book by Thomas Nelson Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers for the eARC.

I stumbled upon Colleen Coble a few months ago by chance, and I've never been much of a Christian reader, but I really have liked the books I've read by Colleen. So I was excited to get my hands on this!

This is about a woman who lost her husband, now she uses an AI-chat bot to feel like she is talking to him. The AI has all his personal info, and social media accounts, so it's really like talking to her husband from beyond the grave. She ends up getting a message from the AI (acting as her husband) saying 'i think I was murdered', so Katrina (the wife) goes down the rabbit hole to find out what exactly happened to her husband, Jason.
4 stars because this book does seem to go a bit off track, and it got somewhat confusing, but overall enjoyed this!

When I read the glossary of this book, I was quite intrigued. I have read a book before where AI was involved in the lives of main characters. As there are many uses of AI in our lives, its too much use is going to cost us and yet we are definitely headed that way.

Everything was going well in Katrina Berg's life when her husband suddenly died in an accident. It's been a year since then but she isn't yet over him. But that's not it. Now her CEO is indicted and, as the company's legal counsel, Katrina faces tough questions as the Feds take over and lock her out of her office. She starts using company's best asset and prototype which lets her talk to her husband "Jason" through his data saved. To be honest, it felt weird but I can understand how grief can make you do things so I will let it slide.

Then one day "Jason" tells her he thinks he was murdered and that leads to a chain of reactions which is explosive, combustive and unstoppable. When her grandma dies and leaves her restaurant to look after, she has to come back to her town and family and it leads to further complications.

Seb has always had feelings for Katrina and is ready to help but he too has past he can't seem to get rid of. Together they are on a quest to find out if Jason was murdered.

This mystery definitely had potential but writing just didn't click for me. It didn't have that adrenaline pumping or tension building quality. I did not care for any character or even the love angle felt dull to me. It didn't feel like falling in love but situational thing. Again the characters are not well developed and thriller did not give me any thrill.

I had somehow figured out who might be the killer in the very first few pages, coz that person was always there but nobody ever suspected. That person was very close to the story the whole time so when reveal came I wasn't surprised at all. It was too easy and lacked the shocking factor. I will say it is good to read once but frankly I was disappointed big time.

Thank you Thomas Nelson fiction and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

A grieving young widow. The AI program that allows her to continue to "talk" to her husband. And a message she never expected: "I think I was murdered."

The premise of I Think I Was Murdered completely fascinated me—suspense with an AI twist? Sign me up! I was not disappointed as I thought the AI parts were very interesting and well researched. I liked that the book didn’t stick to the shallow suspense stereotype but also dealt with the protagonist's grief from the loss of her husband. To me the suspense parts were light enough to keep me interested but weren’t so heavy that it was creepy. I also liked the cozy small costal town vibes coupled with a quaint Norwegian touch. Overall, I enjoyed and would definitely recommend to those in a mood for a light suspense book.

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

This was such a unique storyline! From texting a deceased husband to find answers to how he dies, to going on a search for physical clues. The characters were interesting and the main characters were endearing. I felt immersed in the setting and the culture, a new place for me, but after reading I feel I've been there. The book was exciting and I couldn't put it down!

I like Colleen Coble's writing and the addition of a Norwegian theme made this book all the more appealing since my ancestors are Norwegian. The team of Coble and Acker is a good one, lending suspense and thriller to the story. It was interesting to have A.I. featured prominently since it's the 'hot' thing now.

This is a very enjoyable book. The romance angle proceeded as expected, the mystery had some real twists.

Just a year after the shocking death of her husband, Katrina, still grieving the loss, is rocked by the news that her beloved grandmother has passed away. She rushes home upon receiving the news and is immediately embroiled in family drama, inheritance surprises, and a murder mystery. For the past year, she's been using an AI program loaded with text messages and social media posts from her late husband to "speak to him," something that has become an unhealthy obsession and turns even more dangerous when the bot tells her "I think I was murdered."

I always like to start my reviews out with the good bits, so here goes... Despite a lack of proper development, in my opinion, I did like the relationship between Katrina and Seb. I also enjoyed the character of Seb's dad, not because he was a good guy by any means, but his character gave Seb a depth that he was, frankly, lacking on his own, and brought another layer to the story as well.

Now, for the not-so-great, I was, frankly, so disappointed in this book. I'm giving it three stars to be generous, but it's more like 2.5. And maybe this is because I am a huge fan of Colleen's work and I really did enjoy What We Hide, the other book she wrote with Rick Acker. But this book just did not feel like her at all (aside from the relationship between Katrina and Seb that drew me in). I love her books most of all because the characters always have a connection to God. It's called Christian Fiction for a reason. Even if they struggle, even if they doubt, even if they start off not thinking God is there for them at all, they always, always come around and they have a godly support system around them. God is mentioned more than in passing. Their faith actually shines in the book and isn't portrayed by saying "I prayed..." This book did not feel like Christian Fiction to me. I read a lot of secular mysteries as well, and they're enjoyable, but if I pick up a Christian mystery, I want to feel that faith in the book. These characters were so secular in the way they acted, spoke, carried out their lives. If I picked this up thinking that it was a secular book, I might feel differently in this regard.

Aside from being incredibly disappointed with the way faith was portrayed in this book, I just didn't enjoy other aspects much. The AI bot was absolutely unsettling and I was so glad that they acknowledged that Katrina's obsession with it was unhealthy and dangerous. The plot was over-the-top and not in a good way. Asian mafia. Guns everywhere. It was just too much. And the characters weren't enough. Liv was so annoying the entire time. Dylan wasn't fleshed out enough and only added to the too over-the-top nature of the book. Seb and Katrina had chemistry, but weren't fully fleshed out either. Katrina was apparently a lawyer but very much didn't feel like it. And Seb was a chef, but felt more like a marine or law officer. Katrina's family can really only be defined by a deep sigh. I don't even remember their names or what they did. They were just Rich and Entitled 1, 2, and 3.

I did sort of enjoy the ending because what do you know some faith finally showed up like maybe Colleen remembered that she writes Christian Fiction? Overall, quite disappointed in this one. Still, I will read the next Tupelo Grove novel and hope they step their game up from this one.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This had such an intriguing premise...we have grieving widow, Katrina, whose husband died in a car crash. She has access to AI chatbot technology where she can text her dead husband, Jason, and "he" makes a statement "I think I was murdered..." There is mystery and suspense as well as a lot of emotional depth through the different character relationships. I really enjoyed Seb's character and the reestablishing connection with Katrina. Even though she is still grieving her husband, their relationship growth from friendship to more felt organic (albeit a little quick) I appreciated the Christian elements, and it didn't feel forced or "in your face." The book had many subplots (some added and some detracted) from the main storyline.

I did guess the twist/"bad guy"...but was still invested in the outcome. The ending, while it did contain a happily ever after, felt a little lacking with how things ended after the grand reveal. Maybe a little too anticlimactic...if you are going to have a "bad guy" go all out making the person bad.

I am looking forward to the next collaboration from this duo!

3.5 stars

Oooh. Now this one was very very unique. I really LOVED the idea of the AI interface aspect. That's very real for today. This one kept me going to the very end--but I admit, I did guess correctly who the villain was. Even though I doubted myself part way. But what a great ride! The characters also had a lot of growth through the book. I admit, I want to go visit that town!

Mystery, thriller, excitement, technology.

I mean just the title alone made me want to read it!

There is also a subtopic of a widow who has to allow herself the grace to move forward with her life and relationships.

Highly recommend this novel.

4 stars.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book to review. All opinions are 100% my own!