Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Colleen Coble and Rick Acker’s I Think I Was Murdered is a gripping and innovative thriller that explores the intersection of grief, technology, and mystery. The audiobook, narrated by the talented Karen Peakes, adds an extra layer of suspense and emotion to this already compelling story.

The novel follows Katrina Berg, a young widow grappling with the sudden death of her husband, Jason, in a car crash. As the legal counsel for a cutting-edge AI chatbot start-up, Katrina is already under immense pressure when her CEO is indicted, and she is locked out of her office. Her only solace comes from a beta prototype chatbot on her phone, loaded with all of Jason’s digital data. This AI, which mimics Jason’s speech and personality, becomes her confidant. However, when the chatbot unexpectedly suggests that Jason was murdered, Katrina’s world is turned upside down.

Karen Peakes delivers a stellar performance, capturing the emotional depth and complexity of Katrina’s journey. Her narration brings the characters to life, particularly highlighting Katrina’s vulnerability and determination.

Coble and Acker’s writing is both engaging and thought-provoking. They skillfully blend elements of thriller and mystery with a poignant exploration of grief and loss. The authors’ use of technology as a central plot device is particularly intriguing, raising questions about the ethical implications of AI and its role in our lives.

I Think I Was Murdered delves into themes of grief, technology, and the search for truth. It explores how technology can both help and hinder the grieving process, and the lengths to which people will go to uncover the truth about their loved ones.

I Think I Was Murdered is a standout thriller that combines emotional depth with a compelling mystery. The audiobook format, enhanced by Karen Peakes’ excellent narration, makes for an immersive and engaging listening experience. Coble and Acker have crafted a story that is both timely and timeless, exploring the human condition through the lens of modern technology.

Although this book was a good read it was not my favorite. It had a lot to do with AI. And maybe in a different time in my life it would be ok. I have just lost my husband and the thought of having a computer simulate his words and actions was not a concept I would be into.

Like another reviewer said, I really enjoyed Colleen Coble and Rick Acker’s last team up book, What We Hide. This one? Not so much. It wasn’t a bad book; it is just that I think I expected more of a suspense thriller but the romance/family elements kind of took over. IDK if that was intentional, but it sort of caused the story to lose a bit of momentum, at least in my opinion.

I did like the details about Katrina’s Norwegian heritage and the cultural traditions which went along with that. Especially Christmas traditions. I wasn’t overly thrilled with the ending though, it felt a bit contrived considering all that had happened before.
Since I requested the audiobook, I must comment on narration too. It was perfect, no problems at all. Liked the narrator, she did a good job with all the characters.

I would recommend this for all Colleen Coble/Rick Acker fans. Thanks to Harper Audio for approving my request for this title on Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you Net Galley for the audiobook copy and the opportunity to review this novel:

Katrina had it all and was at the top of her career with the chatbot technology. Then when her husband, Jason is killed in a fiery car crash her world crashes down around her. Now imagine talking to your dead husband through a chatbot, after loading all your texts into it? This is where I had trouble and slowed down in finishing the novel.

I have to admit this one was definitely different and out of my normal, but I enjoyed it.

This was my first Colleen Coble book, and I look forward to reading many more. This was a mysterious, romantic, heartwarming story that I didn't even knew I needed until I was listening. The narrators really brought the story to life, and I was able to listen to it very quickly. I loved the AI communications. I can't say that I wouldn't try something like that when I'm dealing with grief. I loved the concept of the entire book. Highly recommend!

The narrators in this audiobook gave the story life. It brought the characters to life and told their story all the way thru. Each character had their own distinct voice and I as able to tell them apart.

The story line kept me engaged with the book and I couldn’t put it down. The twist at the end will make your jaw drop! I never saw it coming! Highly recommend this modern yet futuristic book. Major props to the author for talking about real life facts without making it boring.

This was a gripping yet heartwarming cross between suspense, mystery, and romance. As Katrina navigates her grief over her deceased husband, and even talks to an AI version of him, she stumbles upon the possibility that his death might not have been an accident. The story quickly evolves and is fast-paced with many layers and characters who keep the mystery building. There is also an added depth of growth and feeling as she rekindles new relationships and tries to find herself again. I love how there was tons of anxiety and suspense, but none of it being the angsty or unnecessary kind. Easily a 4-4.5 star read for fans of this genre of a clean yet gripping suspense/romance, but as an audiobook, the story was made even better by the narrator who kept things flowing perfectly with great voice changes and inflections. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble was an interesting ride through some of our newer technology, AI to be specific. I thought the introduction of it was fascintating and yet disturbing, as that part is based off of true events, though the story line itself is fictional. Katrina is in love with her amazing life. Married to a wonderful man, working at a job she loves, until it all falls apart when her husband passes in a vehicle accident and she's under investigation at her business. Her grandmother passes and leaves her the familys beloved restaurant that's been in the family for over fifty years, but Katrina isn't really interested in living out her grandmothers dream when she's having huge success living out her own. Enter in AI, as it's part of Katrina's job, as she inputs all of her husbands texts, voicemails, emails, online footprint, to develop a weird but relatable way of keeping in touch with her beloved after his passing, only for one day that the chatbot tells her something she doesn't know...."I think I was murdered"....which sets off a whole slew of events that keeps the reader interested and engaged in a race to find out what in the world is going on....You have to read it for yourself!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karen Peakes, which was easy to listen to and kept me engaged throughout the storyline. Job well done!
*I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

I enjoyed listening to this audio book. I haven't had the opportunity to read or listen to a book by Colleen Coble before, and I'm glad netgalley gave me the opportunity to with this title. When I first came upon the audio book, one of the categories was religious so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the book, as I don't really delve into religious fiction, but it turns out I didn't have to worry about that at all. The plot focused on the mystery at hand, but also delved into the relationship the characters had with one another - all of which felt realistic and genuine. The book also tackled the theme of grief in a realistic and genuine way.

Overall the audiobook was done very well. The transitions from one scene or character to the next were smooth, and the voice consistent. I am looking forward to exploring more titles by this author and would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Thank you to HarperCollins Christian Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I liked the idea of the AI- talking to a loved one....
The mystery to me was slow paced and I found myself "fogging out"

Was not my favorite.... BUT I did listen to the whole thing. Will vote mid.

I thought the book was amazing, but the audio book took the story to another level. The voice acting really brought this chilling, mystery thriller to life.

I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either. I found the plot intriguing and the crime aspect of the story was somewhat interesting. The use of AI was unique to me and I found it pretty captivating to the story. However, I hated the romance aspect of this, I found it a bit cringy and to wrapped up in a pretty bow. I did enjoy the twist ending. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins publishing for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

thank you netgalley for the arc audiobook. i guess it’s my fault for not diving deep enough into the author before picking this one up but there was much more mention of god than i had expected or wanted from a Norwegian and tech based mystery. the plot fell short and the romance became annoying. but those things could all just be me. i stuck it out to the end so it was able to be finished, maybe reluctantly.

Coble and Acker have done it again! This is my second of their collaborations, and I look forward to more. I found the mystery well-researched and had a well-developed plot and characters. Sometimes in Christian fiction or cozy mysteries you do not always get this, as much as I'm a fan of those genres in general. I recommend this for those readers and anyone who wants an interesting techy-type murder mystery without gore and language, but one that is also not preachy.
The audio narrator also did a great job at tackling multiple characters and some accents. It definitely enhanced the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

Just finished the audiobook of I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. Katrina is a new widow after her husband died in a car accident. She is a high power laywer working for an AI company and uses her prototype chatbot to try and communicate with him. It has been helping her with her grief until the AI says…. I think I was murdered.

This is definitely a new age, sciency kind of book. I enjoyed the incorporation of Ai and the implications it can have. I was not in love with any of the characters in the book and sometimes it was hard to follow. But the ending save it for me and I ended up giving it 4 stars!

Colleen Coble writes so beautifully. The rich language used in the text and the descriptive passages paint clear visualizations for the reader. This intriguing story has elements of suspense/mystery, romance, Norwegian traditions and an underlying message of Faith. I very much enjoyed it.
The incorporation of an AI Chatbot and cryptocurrency is right on trend.
Narration of the audiobook is done by Karen Peakes. Her voice is pleasant, clear and well paced. Voice portrayals are consistent. Listening to the audiobook is more like listening to a story being told rather than simply read.
Thank You to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to listen to and thoroughly enjoy the audiobook version of this ARC.

In a world dominated by technology, where do we put our trust? With AI and the virtual popping up everywhere, we have ever-changing questions of right and wrong. Like, what harm could there be in communicating with a lost loved one?

There's enough suspense and who/what/why to engage the most discerning reader. Plus, just enough sweet connections with family and a budding romance to round out the story.

The narrators added to the story-world with smooth characterization and interesting voices that fit with the overall themes and message.

3.5 rounded to 4. This book had me on my toes! The author got me because I didn't guess the suspect. The romances were not very intriguing. The most interesting part of the book was the mystery. This was my first book by Colleen Coble and will check out her other books.

This ARC was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Colleen Coble, Rick Acker, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Man, this started off promising. The real-life treasure hunt that is the background. The uses of AI and the future it could bring (basically the plot of a much better episode of Black Mirror). But the knowledge of Bitcoin, AI, all of it really, was exceptionally shallow. The characters were sappy and this would have scored incredibly low on the Bechdel test. How can you be this worried about your livelihood, freedom, and life and talk almost exclusively about men? And the men! Toxic masculinity is so bad it feels almost like a parody of old romance novels. Two men physically fight over a woman they have literally just met. Men are constantly protecting and saving women. There was more, but that's enough. The over the top plots and predictable "twist" just made the whole thing unbearable.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Katrina's world comes crashing down all at once while she is still trying to move on from her husband's tragic death in a fiery car accident. Here boss from her successful career of creating an AI chatbot has just been indited for fraud and has disappeared, leaving his wife alone and pregnant to deal with the mess. Katrina's final straw is when she gets a phone call from home about the passing of her beloved grandmother. Katrina heads back home to try and deal with the pain and loss of her grandmother and the only thing that gets her through these days is the chatbot that has all of her late husband's emails and text conversations downloaded on it. This is the only connection she has left to Jason and when she texts him the chatbot texts her back as if Jason is still alive. As she starts to converse with the chatbot Jason, she starts to find things out about the company and Jason's death that she was not expecting. Enjoy!!