Secrets can be dangerous, especially in this first book of the Pelican Harbor series. Colleen Coble weaves a tale full of suspicion, deceit, and reconciliation that you won’t want to put down. I was surprised at where this story went. Grab your copy today. You won’t want to miss this new series.

Great start to a new series.I was drawn in from first pages could not put down.I will be following this series and author.#netgalley #thomasnelson

Jane Hardy was once in a cult but fled with her dad, leaving her mother behind. Now, her father is retiring as police chief in a small coastal town and Jane reluctantly takes the position and suddenly finds herself in the middle of an investigation of her father in a theft and a series of murders all at once. I was a little disconcerted to see that this book was also listed as Christian and Romance after I had read it as I never would have picked it up. I would have lost out on a well written novel instead. Did I mention that Jane also has to deal with a documentary being filmed of her while all this trouble is going on? Is everything connected? Of course it is.

Colleen Coble wrote another thriller with One Little Lie. Jane and her father escaped a cult when she was a teen, but left behind her assigned husband and her mom. Story now is present day with her taking over the role of sheriff from her father in Pelican Harbor. A series of murders start right when she gets her new job. She needs to find out who is behind them and if her father is involved. Helping her with this task is Red Bechtol who is in town filming a documentary about her.
I enjoyed One Little Lie more than I have of many of Coble’s other suspense stories and am anxiously awaiting for the sequel as this leaves the reader with unanswered questions. Coble did bring in other side stories, such as one with the admin assistant, that didn’t seem to pertain to this storyline and I am wanting to see if those correspond with the next book.
This is a great book if you want a new suspense story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers, but all opinions are my own.

One Little Lie is the first book in a new series, and the first book I have read from author Colleen Coble.

Fifteen years ago, a young girl, Button, gives birth to a boy in a cult. The cult falls under attack and Button’s dad escapes with her, announcing her that her baby has died.

Present day, in the small town of Pelican Harbor, Alabama, Jane Hardy is promoted to the position of Chief of Police. A seat formerly held by his recently retired dad. At that point, her only worries are a vigilante shaming people guilty of petty stuff, such as small theft or adultery, and the detective that was eyeing the same promotion. But, soon enough, part of a body is found by fishermen in their net. The next day, another murder has been committed. Then, case after case seems to rain on Pelican Harbor as if it had been named the new Cabot Cove.

This seems a lot for it to be simple coincidence.

Almost regretting having accepted her new position, on top of all this, Jane finds herself shadowed by Reid, a renowned documentary maker appointed by the mayor, and his son, serving as interim videographer. We quickly realize Reid has a particular interest in Jane Hardy, and not only as the topic of his movie. Might that have something to do with a documentary he made about cults earlier in his career ?

When I picked this book, intrigued by the description, it was in the mystery & thriller category. It’s only afterwards that I realized it was also categorized as romance and Christian lit. Romance is a genre I stay away from. And, in spite of an open mind, I’m not too much into having religion pushed unto me. So, I was somehow wary when I finally opened the book. As it turns, my worries were unwarranted.

There is no more romance than necessary in any story where relationships are bound to evolve and, if faith is omnipresent in the book, it mostly serves the story, or remind us of values we all can get behind.

The mysteries are convoluted, maybe even a little far fetched, but the quality of the writing pulls you in, giving the requisite amount of suspension of disbelief making it possible to enjoy the unraveling of the multitude of connected events that suddenly plagued Pelican’s harbor, under the stoic eye of its Pelican mascot, Pete.

Also, there is a K9 officer in this book. And I’m a sucker for police dogs.

I recommend this title. This is a quick read, and I’ve enjoyed it cover to cover. I’ll certainly read the next entry, to be released in September 2020.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

One Little Lie unravels the dangers of telling one "little" lie and where it can take you. When we compromise in just one spot it can weave a dangerous web of compromise in many areas.
Coble is a talented story teller. I was drawn in to this story from the start. Jane Hardy is the new Chief in town. She's a woman, she has a small stature, and the former chief is her dad. The odds are stacked against her. Yet she rises to the challenge to handle the tough personalities of those who out right hate her because of their jealousy and those who pretend they're on board with the changes in town.
There are several story lines that play out through Book 1 of the Pelican Harbor Series. There were times I wasn't sure how they were going to intertwine. I had moments I was bored as I read but Coble quickly changes things up so I didn't stay that way for long. I'm looking forward to continuing to follow Chief Hardy in Book 2.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you, Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

One Little Lie was defiantly a great start to another wonderful series. I cannot wait to see more of the community and its people. The initial characters caught my interest from the start and the background additions were well placed. Colleen Coble always seems to weave a trip into secrets with many paths just waiting to be found. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Great read! A lot of page turning suspense with this one. Location is great; Gulf Shores, Alabama. Great characters. Murder, a cult, secrets from the past, surprise revelations. Highly recommend! Looking forward to more books in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One Little Lie was my first foray into the work of Colleen Coble, but it will not be my last. Although I figured out the secret pretty early on in this novel, just like my last read (The Silent House), it didn’t bother me in this story because the characters are strong and the story moved quickly enough to keep me interested to the end. I enjoyed this book very much, and I will be sure to pick up the sequel when it comes out later this year.

A newly appointed Chief of Police in a small ocean-side community, Jane Hardy has some big shoes to fill. Her father, Charles, had been Chief in this same community for many years and abruptly retired. Within days of getting her new job, there are major crimes—two murders, vigilante attacks, and kidnapping. Adding to those story lines, is the baggage that Jane brings with her as a result of her past history in a cult, abandonment by her mother, and an infant son who she thinks died shortly as his birth.

While it was interesting to follow all these plot lines, it was also confusing and took awhile to figure out. Hints dropped throughout the narrative only added to the confusion and, at times, there were some jumps in the plot that didn’t quite follow logically.

Bottom line, once all the story lines were laid out and the action started, I enjoyed the book. I’ll look forward to reading subsequent adventures about Jane Hardy.

I was hoping for a romantic suspense book and instead got a book heavy on suspense and very light on romance. The story took place in a small town and there were too many murders and illegal activities going on, it was hard to keep it all straight. And it just didn't seem believable to me that an idyllic town by the sea would have so many shady personalities in one place. The cult background of the main character was interesting, but I wish it was delved into more. The romance aspect was pretty much nonexistent for most of the book. It turned out to be a disappointment for me.

Great mystery by Colleen Coble! It was a true page turner! The past and the present collide in this book about Jane's past cult life and being reunited with her 15 year old son! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.

An exciting start to a new series! Set on the Gulf Coast in Alabama, this tightly wound murder mystery had plenty of suspense, action and a plot twist or two to keep it interesting. The romance is understated and not the focus, with promise to develop more in the sequel. The main character is strong, going from a stressful childhood in a cult to become a small town police chief. Her struggles with relationships and faith were understandable given her past. Bonds of family, especially between parent-child, was important to the storyline on many levels, especially when trust is broken. It will be interesting to follow these relationships in the next book. I liked the K-9 partner, Palmer, and hope to see him get an active role in the next book too.
Recommend this to fans of crime suspense with inspiration and a hint of romance.

Colleen Coble is at the very top of my must read, favorite authors list, so anytime she has a new book out, I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on it. As such, I also have pretty high expectations for her novels as well. That can be a little dangerous sometimes if expectations are too high... but One Little Lie did not let me down! This book was absolutely fantastic!

From the beginning, I was drawn into the drama that fills up Pelican Harbor. For such a small town, there was a LOT going on. It was certainly a lot to keep up with, but I loved discovering how everything fit together in the end. In the first book of this new series we are introduced to Jane Hardy. Jane grew up in a cult and has tried to put that past behind her, but it seems the past and the lies told have a way of catching up! I won't give too much away, but it's certainly an action packed story that I could not put down! I loved this inclusion of the cult, as this is a topic that I personally find fascinating. I am certain I am not alone in that opinion either. I hope to see more about that in future books in the series as well.

If you have read other series by Colleen Coble in the past, I would say the style of this one reminds me a bit of her Rock Harbor series. The plots are of course completely different, but like in that series, while the primary mystery is tied up at the end of the story, the relationships and side stories are not. It ends at just a bit of a cliffhanger that leaves you ready to dive into the next book in the series to see what happens in the life of Jane Hardy. As such, you might find you want to wait for the series in it's entirety... but it's so good, who could REALLY wait that long?

Overall, this has everything that I have come to love from Colleen Coble--- great suspense, unexpected twists, themes of faith and yes, romance too. It was a great start to this new series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Current fans of Colleen Coble will certainly want to add it to their collection, and new readers are sure to fall in love too!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

Romantic Suspense and Collee Coble go hand-in-hand. Coble really knows the requirements of the genre, and she plays them for the reader. With her new introduction to her Pelican Harbor series, One Little Lie deals with a teenager who left a cult and has moved on with her life. The suspense in this story isn't scary or put readers on the edge of their seat.It does have readers flipping through the pages to see how the story ends. There is some romance between the Jane and Reid, but it isn't overbearing like a contemporary romance. The characters fall for each other as the story progresses. The writing is wonderful. I really like the cover because it leaves a lot to the imagination and fits the genre nicely. While the suspenseful element does wrap up nicely by the end of the novel, Coble leaves a open ended ending for Jane and Reid. Have to come back for the second book to see what happens. Overall, One Little Lie is a fabulous romantic suspense story filled with enough twists and romance to satisfy any fans. If the cult issue interests readers, than Christy Barritt just completed a five book mystery involving a cult. Tosca Lee featured a dystopian series with a cult. Plenty other novels diving into the cult realm.

I received a complimentary copy of One Little Lie by Colleen Coble from Thomas Nelson Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

One Little Lie provides the reader with an intriguing start to Ms. Coble’s newest series. I love her books and this one did not disappoint. In fact, as soon as I finished it, I wanted to read the next book in this series! This intense book focuses on Jane Hardy who has just been appointed interim sheriff. Jane’s past is unique and she is faced with the task of trying to prove her father (the previous sheriff) is innocent of suspected crimes. At times, it seems as if the past is catching up with her, but she also wants closure for her past as well. As the reader reads, you will be caught up in what is occurring, what is going to occur, and wondering what really happened in the past. I can not wait for the next addition to the series to release! Be prepared to read straight through this one once you start! I highly recommend this book and believe that you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.

#OneLittleLie #NetGalley by Colleen Coble is a great read with likable characters and unlovable villains. Set in Gulf Shores, Alabama this book examines cults, relationships, women in management, and living in a coastal community. There are twists and turns, a little romance, mystery and crime solving. #Collen Coble writes another exceptional book well worth the read. Can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Too much going on in a small town in a relatively short period of time. The subject of cults was interesting and thought it was not adequately discussed. Also how Reid , a journalist ending up being more of a detective did not sit well with me. The story of him and his son was pretty obvious . A religious theme in the middle of murders , evil, kidnappings, abuse was off kilter. Lots of characters coming and going and the ending certainly makes way for the next book. The new chief will certainly be hiring as half her force is gone.

This novel starts out fast and furious and does not slow down until the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced look at this new novel from Colleen Coble.

I absolutely loved this book! Great character development, and definitely seems like a series I will read as soon as a new book is released.