This is a startling story about faith. Jane and Reid have secrets. The author takes us on a remarkable journey of several lives that are being impacted by the secrets they are keeping. It is a police procedural. As Jane takes on the new job of Chief she is trying to track a killer bent on destroying her family. As she begins to have feelings for Reid, who is a reporter telling a story about her life, more secrets are revealed that will try to crush her. It is a great story filled with plenty of surprises.

We start in an obvious cult. There is not a cult characteristic that isn't introduced in the first 2 pages. Button is 15 and pregnant with the child of some guy she was given to at 12 named Moose. Lovely. Her mother is a true believer. Her father knows she needs to get her out of there. He takes her away one night, tells her that her newborn son has died and her mother refuses to come. Fifteen years later, father and daughter are living a normal life in a small town. Dad is retiring as sheriff and Button (now Jane) is prepared to take his place.

A dead body turns up, a lost child, a murderer on the loose. Just the way to start her time as sheriff. She soon finds herself having to investigate her own father, as well. Oh, and their past has decided now is a good time to come springing back up to bite them. In case that isn't enough, and just to make things a little more difficult, the people who made her the first woman sheriff want her followed by a documentarian to show off how progressive they are.

This is listed as the first in a series. It could be compelling. There are several characters I would like to no better and who would make a great focus in a future book. I hope in the future they lay off the religion thing. The misunderstanding of and cliched depiction of atheism (oh, they just don't understand or they are angry with god) was annoying whenever it came up.

Let's see where this goes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jane fled a cult with her father 15 years ago. Now she is the chief of police in Pelican Harbor, Alabama—following in her father’s footsteps. Reid is a videographer who makes documentaries and decides to showcase Jane as a female police chief. As the story unfolds, Jane deals with a vigilante and murders in her small town. As Reid helps her solve the mysteries surrounding the murders, she uncovers information about his former life in cult. I pretty much figured everything out before it happened; I just kept reading to see how Coble would tie everything together. The book ends with a lot of unanswered questions – setting up the next entry in the series. Somewhat suspenseful but not much romance at all.

How important is it to tell the truth? After all, one little lie can’t cause that much damage, can it? Jane Hardy would tell you yes it can. The entire course of her life changed because of one little lie that she had been told. In fact, she seems to be surrounded with people who feel they have to hide behind their “little lies”.

One Little Lie was a gripping story of one woman’s life in the aftermath of her escape from a cult. The author did a good job of portraying the characters and the hint that everyone has secrets.

Know God–there was some comparison between the God of the cult Jane had spent so much of her time in and the true God, but not much.

The Christian characters didn’t talk about God much especially around Jane but that could have been because she was not open to talk about Him. Still, I would have hoped that there would have been more evidence of the characters faith especially in light of the dramatic and dangerous situations they often found themselves in.

Yet there is an opportunity for us to remember that it’s important for us to know the true character of God for ourselves and not take anyone’s word for it. That means we have to read and study the Bible for ourselves and not depend on anyone to study it for us.
While there are capable Bible teachers whose work and teaching we can enjoy, it shouldn't take the place of personal Bible study.

Know yourself–I get the sense that the main character doesn’t fully know herself. She has a pretty good idea of who she is as a police officer but has spent so many years hiding from connections with others that she doesn’t truly know who she is outside of her police work and love of books.

As someone who doesn’t acknowledge the existence of God, it’s difficult for Jane to have a true knowledge of herself. Do you know who God is? Who are you in relation to Him?

Run your race–a lot of the characters were bogged down by their past and in running a race that was not theirs. We each have a purpose here on earth but we won’t fulfill it if we’re trapped in our past.

I thought Reid and Jane had all the potential to be a great couple but hoped there would have been more of a romance played out over the course of the story. Maybe it will play out in the books to come. This book is the first in a new series and ends with a number of unresolved issues which will hopefully get tied up further on in the series.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through Just Read Tours and NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

One Little Lie
by Colleen Coble
Book 1 in the Pelican Harbor series
Release date: March 3, 2020
Rating: 4/5

With layers upon layers of good storytelling, Colleen Coble weaves quite the mystery. Did I happen to guess the truth? Maybe, but I wasn't absolutely sure until the truth came out. One little lie can do so much damage and have a ripple effect. Masterful storytelling and imperfect characters make this story something you need to pick up and read now.

As the newly appointed chief of police, Jane is not sure she is the right person for the job but she has always been a competent and thorough investigator and pursuer of justice and truth. Though her past still haunts her, she finds ways to work with her team and discover the truth. With two homocides occurring back to back, Jane is unsure what is happening in her small town of Pelican Harbor. And when another crisis hits closer to home, she's unsure where her focus should be.

Reid requests the mayor's help in giving him access to Jane, a female chief of police, that he wants to do a documentary on. Despite his reputation, Jane is hesitant to have him tag-a-long, especially when Reid enlists his 15-year-old son, Will, to be his camera crew. As they follow Jane around, they observe her intuitive investigative skills and strive to help her solve the mysteries surrounding so many deaths and strange occurrences.

Is Colleen Coble one of my favorite authors? Absolutely.
Why? She knows how to pen a mystery that is both suspenseful and nuanced.
What makes this book different? You'll have to read it to find out. LOL. I would say that the tone is different than previous books. Although there is a lot that happens in this first installment, I did not realize that this story was only the beginning. The entire series will revolve around Jane, so I was not quite as satisfied by the ending.
Is this book a romance? Not really. It has some romantic parts, but they are slow burning. Now that I know the rest of the series will still be focused on Jane, this makes more sense.
Is there stuff about God in this book? Yes. As a Christian, it's one of the things I love about the author's work. She seamlessly incorporates her faith into the writing. These characters are dealing with real trauma and sometimes, only God is the answer to bring hope, healing and forgiveness.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a good suspenseful mystery with a dash of romance.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Jane Hardy is appointed to be the interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor after her father's retirement, but her first day brings more than she bargained for with a well known journalist filming a documentary about her, and her father being framed in a horrible crime. But she wonders if any of this is connected to her family's past in a cult.



Reid is the journalist documenting Jane's life, he is a single dad with secrets of his own. He sees everything that she is going through while filming her life, and their growing friendship gives her someone to talk things over with as the danger grows.



Will Reid and Jane be able to find the killer and clear her father's name.



An action-packed read with an intricate plot, and well developed characters. Jane has been through a lot, and has a lot of pressure on her because of this case and her life under scrutiny with the filming of the documentary. She feels like she has something to prove with her appointment, as well as with the accusations being levelled at her father. I admired her strength, and how she and Reid become friends and he becomes someone she can count on, as she doesn't have many people that she can trust.



Reid understands Jane, as he can relate to much of what she has gone through. He has a strong faith, with good discernment, and is a supportive father to his teenage son, Will.



An engrossing read with great character development that was realistic, as well as a strong cast of supporting characters that bring this story to life, I loved the emotional depth of this book, and how well it sets up this new series to grow in upcoming installments. Well worth the read, full of action, suspense, and mystery, as well as family drama, faith, and glimmers of hope.



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

Colleen Coble just keeps getting better with every novel she writes. She writes Christian suspense with some romance thrown in, and this book was nearly impossible to put down. There were lots of twists and turns with believable and likable characters. I suggest anyone who likes mystery and suspense should read this book; be prepared to stay up late reading it. I am very much looking forward to the sequel in September, 2020. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction. All opinions expressed are my own.

Colleen Coble is a new author to me and I am so glad to have found her - thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Colleen for the opportunity to read this advance copy of One Little Lie.

Jane Hardy is newly appointed Sheriff of Pelican Bay following her fathers unexpected retirement. Not everyone is happy about her new role but this is just the start of her problems. There are two murders for Jane to investigate and the Mayor has told her she must accommodate a local documentary maker shadowing her on the job. This is something Jane could do without, she is a private person with quite a traumatic past. Reed is filming Jane to show how life is for a female in law enforcement but this is not his only brief as Jane will discover......
The characters are likeable and well written. This book has it all; murder, betrayal, extortion, cults and intrigue, sprinkle in a pinch of romance and you have a perfect weekend or holiday read.

5 big stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me and best of all the author is busy writing her next book in the series and I for one can't wait to read it!!

This book is one of Colleen Coble’s best yet! It grabbed my attention from the first page and I couldn’t put it down; I finished it in one day! The characters were so multi-layered and intriguing. More secrets about Jane and Reid’s pasts were revealed with each chapter, as the cases they were investigating became more troubling and multi-faceted. Their background stories of coming out of a cult were fascinating, and I can’t wait to see more of how that plays out in the next book.

This book has all the elements of a great story - a southern small town, a strong female lead trying to overcome her broken past, and plenty of action and suspense with secrets and twists you never see coming. It’s definitely heavier on the suspense than the romance, which feels authentic considering the characters and their stories - and leaves plenty of room to explore their relationship in future books. I predict this series will be one for the keeper shelf!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One Little Lie is an excellent, intense and suspenseful novel. The main character, grew up in a cult, and gave birth on the day of her escape to a baby boy. Her father declared the baby dead, and fled with his daughter. Fast forwarding 15 years, in a small town in Alabama, the father is the retired chief of police, and his daughter is the new chief in town. A reporter comes into town, just as a series of mysterious murders occur, making a documentary. This murder mystery is very action packed, interesting, and suspenseful. Many old secrets, adversity, surprises, and even a love connection, as well as many wonderful characters. Thank you NetGalley for the early edition review copy, all opinions are my own.

If you love reading romantic suspense stories then this is a must read for you! You won’t want to put it down. Colleen Coble writes amazing books that keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. The first in a new series and I can't wait for the next one.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble is a gripping suspense with a sprinkling of romance. The characterization and their relationships pulled me immediately into the story.

The story opens with Jane a teenager in the cult with her parents. It gave you a new perspective of what the kids go through. And later as an adult how people would judge her because she had been in cult as a child. She had only shared with one friend her true history.

Jane is now sheriff after her dad retires. But not all is easy in her small little town. It appears as if she has a vigilante trying to prove a point in the town. And her dad is being framed for something. In addition to all of this, the mayor is making her participate in a documentary.

Reid is the journalist for the documentary and you realize he has some of his own secrets. I liked Reid, even though I was worried about what he was up to. He and his relationship with his son was precious.

This is book one in a series. Although the main story has closure, there are enough lose ends for Jane to keep us entertained.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble cements even deeper her position as the consummate writer of romantic suspense with a Christian perspective. This novel opens in a cult shortly followed by a tragic fire where a young teen has just given birth to a boy she's told died in the fire with her mother. Fast forward, that teen is now a young woman, following in her father's footsteps having just taken over his position as police chief in a small town, Yet she still wrestles with her secret past, mourns her lost child and knows that something is awry in her town. Dad isn't acting right and his long term love has left him. Her deputies are giving her a hard time and now the mayor is making her cooperative with a documentary film maker that both irritates her yet she finds herself pulled to him like a magnet.

All the details combine to make for a well written and compelling novel. The characters are complex and imperfect and the townspeople and other background characters have enough presence in the novel to leave room for future books in this series. The author resolved the main plot, yet left enough questions to be answered for several more books. Looking forward to Volume 2.

When does a secret become a lie?

What a fantastic way to spend an afternoon! The author has done it again, drawing the reader into a story that will not let you go until you reach that last period, and then leave you hoping for more. Welcome to Pelican Harbor, Alabama where Jane Hardy is the newly appointed chief of police. This appears to be a quiet little town that is enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. However, things are about to change. Reid Dixon, a well-known documentarian, arrives in town to do a piece on small town police force, especially one with a female chief. Hang onto your seats, this page-turner has just begun.

When did the lies begin? Perhaps years ago when Jane and her father fled a raid on the cult they were involved with - who could know. Anyway that was a long time ago and certainly would not affect life now, except that she always wondered how her newborn baby died and where her mother had disappeared to. Now with several murders, kidnapping and more lies Jane begins to wonder if she is cut out for this job. An unexpected ending left me hanging and waiting for the next book in this wonderful series.

This book was received through Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. All impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble is a mystery layered on a mystery layered on the past in a small town with likable characters. The story takes place in a small town on the Gulf of Mexico. This book begins a new series called Pelican Harbor and while most of the mysteries are solved, Jane’s story is not completed at the end of the book.

The town has a new female police chief, Jane Hardy and there is a vigilante on the loose. She did not expect to be the new chief after her father suddenly resigned from the same job. There is a vigilante in town who is causing problems. Jane is working the case, but is forced to have a documentarian (Reid Bechtol) following her around and taping everything. Her father seems to have been targeted and some of her own cops are actively working against her.

However, there is more going on. Reid has sought out Jane specifically and while she does not know, he does. Her early memories are of her young life in a cult where she had a child, who died. Ried has done a lot of research on cults and wants to connect with Jane.

The three mysteries (vigilante, her father being targeted and Reid’s presence) are all woven together and Jane feels like she is pinballing from one to another. To top it all off her best friend has been diagnosed with an eventually fatal disease. Through this all Jane starts relying more and more on Reid.

I have a confession, I do not normally read authors who incorporate religious issues in their stories. Colleen Coble is one of my exceptions. The story with all the mysteries is fast paced and interesting. I would recommend this author and story to others. One Little Lie by Colleen Coble is a good read.

Jane and her father both have secrets they've carried with them since fleeing a cult 15 years ago. Now, she's the interim Sheriff in Pelican Harbor and her father who just retired is being accused of theft and murder. If that's not enough, Jane's being shadowed by Reid, a documentary film maker who also has secrets. It's sometimes hard to review a mystery/suspense novel without spoilers and this is no exception. Know, though, that this is less a romance novel (there's a little and it's not at all steamy) than a mystery one. Jane's an interesting character, with a unique backstory. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Ms. Coble nailed it with this great start to a new series. One little lie can have a domino effect, as it does in this story. I loved the inspiration and the romance that was present.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really good story of a young woman Jane who becomes Chief of Police after her father retires, only to be overwhelmed by dead bodies and her father getting arrested for theft. Jane is further frustrated in her efforts when the mayor allows a reporter Reid to film and interview her for a documentary that he's working on. Reid brings his son Will along as photographer. The story carries you through all of the troubles of running a small police force in a small town.

One Little Lie plops readers down into the middle of more than a decade old mystery. Jane Harper escapes from a cult with her father and manages to turn her life around and bury her past. She becomes police chief of Pelican Harbor, AL, but everything derails as several murders happen her first day on the job. To make matters worse, her father is the chief suspect, and she’s stuck with reporter Reid Betchol shadowing her for a documentary.

I’d classify this novel as a mystery. The plot is complex, with lots of characters that intertwine throughout the story. I didn’t see the ending coming and enjoyed the process of trying to piece the evidence together along side Jane. The “secret” is pretty obvious early on, and it’s interesting to see Reid deal with lies of omission and coming clean about what he knows and who he is. Also, Colleen Coble always has the best settings, and I loved the New Orleans style vibe of Pelican Harbor.

There was plenty of action and suspense to keep the story fast-paced. My only issue was the believability at times. The contrast of Jane from beginning to end didn’t resonate with me. I couldn’t figure out how she went from the past she had in the cult to become the police chief. It seemed like a stretch. The conflict from her past and present didn’t come out as much as I would have wanted. But overall, this is a great mystery and an intriguing read. I definitely recommend to suspense fans.

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is one of the best books I've read by Colleen Coble! Such an interesting plot, and a different than usual subject!! Murder, mystery, and not too mushy=just the way I like it. I'm already looking forward to the next book. Love it!
Thanks to the publisher for the advance ecopy! All opinions expressed are my own.