⭐⭐ It wasn’t my cup of tea but might be yours

I Think I Was Murdered has an intriguing premise, blending grief, AI, and murder mystery into a modern psychological thriller. While I loved the concept, the execution was too messy for me to fully enjoy.

My biggest issue was the overly complicated plot. It felt like the author was trying to do too much at once, juggling various side characters and subplots that didn’t add to the core mystery. A simpler story, focused solely on the investigation and the relationship between Katrina and Seb, would have been much more effective. Instead, details like the CEO’s involvement with a Chinese triad were casually dropped into the narrative, despite being critical to the plot. That kind of information needed more build-up and suspense, not to be revealed in such an offhand manner.

Additionally, the lack of realism in the characters' responses to their dangerous situation was hard to overlook. Katrina and Seb, a lawyer and a restaurant owner, take on the investigation with barely any law enforcement involvement, acting as if hunting down a killer is just another day. I kept expecting the police or FBI to play a major role in the story, but they were largely absent, which hurt the believability of the plot.

Overall, I Think I Was Murdered had potential, but it was buried beneath too many unnecessary subplots and character backstories. A more streamlined plot with deeper character exploration and a focus on the investigation could have made this an excellent book. As it stands, it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for this ARC!

Holy cow! This is my first Colleen Coble book that I've read, and now I understand why so many people recommend her! I loved the theory and development behind the AI concept.

This book was so different from my usual read, but it was absolutely worth it! A gripping, fast-paced techno-thriller, it explores grief, loss, and the ethics of technology in a highly engaging way. The AI chatbot as a central character made for a fascinating concept, and there was a plot twist I never saw coming.

The characters were compelling and well-developed. Katrina is a complex and sympathetic protagonist, with her grief and struggles palpable on every page. The relationships between the characters were authentic and nuanced, adding emotional depth to the suspenseful plot.

I really appreciated how much research went into the AI concept. The technology felt believable and added an eerie layer to the story. My only minor criticism is that the beginning felt a bit slow and overwhelming, with characters being introduced quickly, which made it difficult to grasp the setup at first. But once the story found its rhythm, I was hooked!

Anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a modern twist will love this book. It's an innovative take on the genre that leaves you questioning the boundaries between technology and reality.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I Think I Was Murdered is the second book I read that Coollen Coble co-authored with Rick Acker. I enjoyed the writing style of these two authors. The storyline managed to keep me engaged and in suspense. The main character Katrina Berg had lost her husband the previous year in a tragic auto accident. It gives her a little bit of comfort that she still communicates with him via an AI chat program that compiles all of her late husband's emails, photos and social media content. In one "conversation" she had with him he said I thinkI was murdered. Due to a job upheaval she temporary moves back to her hometown that has a Norwegian flair. She inherits her beloved grandmother's restaurant. She also reconnects with her old school mate Seb Wallace. I have read just about every Colleen Coble book she has written and I thought I knew where the story was heading but I was wrong. It threw me for a loop. Don't want to say much more to spoil it for anyone wanting to read it.
I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy reading clean suspense novels. I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley from Thomas Nelson. All opions are my own.

Was an okay read but also hard to follow as it would switch who was the main character at the time and that made it hard to follow.
I struggled with this book and should of left it as a DNF.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
Katrina, a grieving widow goes back to her hometown after the passing of her grandmother. For a year she has used AI technology from her company to connect with her deceased husband and pretend he’s still alive. She talks to him daily for comfort and advice. One day, she asks an unexpected question on a whim, and he states” I think I was murdered “.
Katrina relies on an old friend, Seb, to help her chase down the truth. There are elements of mystery, murder, espionage, betrayal and romance. This book has it all, maybe too much. Seb was my favorite character.
The characters were so well developed and the plot was fresh and current.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson publishing and Colleen Coble for the pleasure of reviewing an ARC copy.
I really enjoyed the epilogue too! Overall it was enjoyable and a great thriller! 4.5/5⭐️s

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. This was just a great read. I was just drawn in to this story so thoroughly. I just had so much fun reading this story.

This was my first Colleen Coble and Rick Acker book- and it did not disappoint! I heard them talk about it during an author event and the concept of AI technology replicating "talking" to the MC's deceased husband was fascinating, I couldn't wait to read it. I was hooked within the first pages. What a ride this book was; the twists and turns I didn't expect kept happening just like the hair pin curves in the West Coast mountains where this book is set. I also loved the justice/redemption aspects, the sweet love story that deepened over time, the healing that took place in relationships, and the emphasis on family.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

The blurb sounded promising and it didn't disappointed me.

I found the story and the idea behind that, your dead husband texting you, very unique and interesting. The story was well developed and the characters were well described.

However, I was still missing that certain something. Unfortunately, the whole story didn't really catched me that much. But it was still an exciting and interesting story though.

at 66%: Every time I pick this book up I enjoy it but while I'm away from it I couldn't care less. I think the over explanation is an issue; about 75% of the details are likely necessary and help build the characters but some of it just seems like filler and that might be why I'm having a hard time staying engaged. If I ended the book right now it'd be a 3 star read. I really hope this last third of the book pulls through,

3.5 stars for me! I was feeling a bit nervous about 66% of the way in that I wasn't going to get the info that I wanted but the last third really pulled through for me. It was a fast paced thriller with a romance sub-plot. It has a lot of potential but I think it could have been a bit cleaner with the details and character/relationship building. There seemed to be some disconnect for me with what was and wasn't relevant info. Overall I would recommend this book!

This is a suspense/mystery with a romance. It was different and unique. I loved the AI component and how it impacts our lives. it has some really good twists and turns and I was here for it!. This book was well written with good character development. I was glued from start to finish. Well done. Huge thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

A cosy mystery/romantic thriller with an interesting AI element threaded through the narrative. I liked the setting and pace of the story. An easy read for a rainy afternoin.

This book took an interesting look at modern technologies and some of the dangers. When Katrina's husband is killed in a car accident, the AI company that she works for offers her the beta version of their chatbot loaded with her husband's data so that she can still "talk to him". When the chatbot tells her "I think I was murdered", she begins looking at Jason's accident as perhaps being more than just an accident. As she seeks out the truth and starts finding answers as to why Jason was in North Haven on the night he died, she finds herself in danger as well. Trouble is lurking around every corner and seems to know her next steps even before she does!

This was a fascinating story with lots of twists and turns, some great character development, a solid mystery element, some science-fact that felt like science-fiction, a sweet romance, and a subtle but solid faith element as well. I also enjoyed the family focus of the story. Though I pinpointed the villain early on (I read too many suspense novels!), I was still trying to figure out the why and how all through. All in all, this was an enjoyable story and I would recommend to fans of romantic suspense. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble + Rick Acker was a fascinating read! Tackling the idea of AI and how it impacts our lives and, in the case of this book, the grieving process added a component to this story I haven't seen in another book. This story tackled tough topics while creating an engaging mystery and love story that didn't feel like one thread was being forced into the storyline. It felt seamless and well woven together. While I did have some suspicions about who the culprit was in this story, it didn't play out exactly how I thought it might and I loved that I was kept guessing!

4.5/5 stars!

Book Title: I Think I was Murdered
Author: Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Fiction- Thomas Nelson
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: November 12, 2024
My Rating: 4.1 Stars
Pages 352

As we read and listen to the news we hear a lot about AI taking over a large part of the work force so no surprise we readers are going to be
seeing more AI stories- Hopefully written without AI help!
Prologue starts with Jason Foster a structural engineer finds a Satoshi egg (Satoshi Nakamoto is the name used by the person or persons who developed Bitcoin). The egg looks like a plastic Easter egg - the first one held an USB drive that Jason knows was invaluable. As he is driving on a dark narrow twisty road with the Satoshi egg in the passenger seat of his Bentley he has the feeling of being followed. He tries to escape his follower and he uses control.

Katrina and Jason Foster have been happily married; they were well off financially. Katrina loves her job, she is the rising star has put all her time into an ultra-sophisticated AI chatbot however her world came to a stop when Jason was killed in that fiery car crash.
Additionally her CEO was indicted and the Feds have taken over and locked her out of her office.

As Katrina world is crashing down upon and she continues to miss and grieve Jason- she goes back to her childhood home in northern California to visit her ill Bestemore – (Grandmother). However, when she gets there she is too late and she died from another heart attack. Katrina is crushed. When she finds out she inherited Bestemore’s restaurant she knows she needs to make her proud.
Seb Wallace is someone Katrina knew from high school and is the owner of ‘The Beacon’ a converted old lighthouse that he turned into a world class restaurant. Seb stops by to see how Katrina is doing managing the restaurant. However, she doesn’t recognize him as he looks nothing like he did in High School. If fact, they actually went to a dance together when she was on the outs with her then boyfriend but once she went back to him nothing came out of getting together with Seb.
Seb is successful and volunteers to help Katrina more learn about managing a successful restaurant business.

Katrina still misses Jason and decides to use her AI chatbot to communicate with him. She loads it with Jason's email, social media backups, pictures, and anything else she could thing of so she can "talked" to Jason. After a few weeks she get a message from him saying . . . "I think I was murdered." and spews out some Japanese characters.

Story got my attention and loved that at the end of the book in the “Dear Readers’ section our authors explaining what was science
fiction as well as what is science fact.

Chatbots: There is a popular chatbot ‘Replika' that was created as a way to message the dead.

Satoshi Eggs; Fictional
There are more that you will enjoy so read…

I am a big Colleen Coble fan. I have read twenty plus stories and loved them. This one was entirely difference from anything I have read by her. Although I did enjoy this – actually turned out much better than expect …. However I believe I prefer the non techy Colleen,’

I did read " What We Hide" the first in the Tipelo Grove series which was also was co-authored with Rick Acker .

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction- Thomas Nelson for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 12, 2024.

The premise for this book was quite unique and something I had never considered before – the use of AI to help or hinder grief. The idea of talking to a deceased loved one but through an AI bot programmed to sound like them is something I had never heard or thought about before and the implications of that (good and bad) were explored to an extent or at least brought up. How the murder discovery and figuring out who was behind it was fascinating and kept me riveted until the end. I would highly recommend this book.

Interesting thriller using AI. Definitely a new concept. I also enjoy this author stories.
Thanks for the advanced copy of this book.

This book had such an interesting concept! I loved the AI aspect & thought it was well written & I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The suspense was good and it wasn’t too predictable. All around a solid read. I’m

I Think I Was Murdered was a mystery thriller that kept me intrigued. It has a very modern twist with AI, Bitcoins, and Chatbots. After Katrina’s husband dies, she is able to “talk” to him via a Chatbot. It gets really interesting when he tells her he thinks he was murdered. She was led to believe it was a car accident. With Seb’s help, they work to unravel the mystery and get to the truth. However, along the way there is a lot of danger, family drama, and unexpected twists as they get closer to the truth. I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it to others who enjoy a good, suspenseful mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion.

The title of this book captured my attention and when I saw the authors I knew this was a book I had to read! This is a story that I have thought about often after reading because it is so unique and also terrifying what is possible in our world today! As typical murder mysteries go there is a tragedy BUT the twist- no one thinks it is murder until technology says otherwise. As a reader I was totally fascinated with how this could work and how the AI program (made up of course) worked in figuring out the truth of what happened. I have never thought about technology in this way and I think the the authors did a great job at creating this chatbot. This was a thinking outside of the box plot line and it held my attention until the end. The characters I didn't fully connect with and honestly I didn't love Katrina but the full story as a whole I really enjoyed. I recommend if you are looking for a unique mystery read!

Four Stars.

"I received this book from NetGalley for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."