I love this Christian romantic suspense mystery. As soon as I finished the first chapter, the story captivated my attention. Torie comes to the island to investigate her best friend's death. Torie is surprised to learn that her friend was investigating Torie's mother's death. Starting with her first night on the resort, Torie is being threaten. The widowed security chief Joe tries to keep Torie safe. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I love the main characters; Torie, Joe, and Joe's adorable daughter Hailey. I also love hearing about the loggerhead turtles nests and the seal lions that were trained for the navy.

From the first sentence I could not put this book down. Loved the suspense that kept me guessing and fully into this book. I enjoyed the developing romance amidst the conflict. Throw in the interesting turtle experiences and the Sea Lion training. I always look forward to an afternoon spent reading a Colleen Coble Novel!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble brings danger and suspense to Jekyll Island. Torie Bergstrom is an heiress to a hotel empire, but decides to go on her own undercover mission, returning to her hometown of Jekyll Island to find out what happened with her best friend’s death. She doesn’t buy that her friend committed suicide and hopes people will open up to her if she keeps her identity hidden. She meets Joe Abbott, and the two tackle the unfolding mysteries together. But danger hits them from all sides because someone knows who Torie really is and sends threatening messages for her to leave.

This story has the perfect balance of suspense and romance. I like how both Joe and Torie struggle to reconcile their pasts to move forward to a future relationship. Torie relates to Joe’s daughter, as they both lost their mothers in tragic circumstances. But the suspenseful elements make this a fast-paced story (I think any story with sharks in it is a must-read!) There’s danger practically on every page. Colleen Coble always has fantastic and intricate plot twists coupled with super-unique settings that leave readers breathless.

I love how the mystery in this story unfolds. This is a great story to kick off the new year for all suspense fans!

Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)

Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

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

Tori Berg is back on Jekyll Island to solve the mystery of her friend's death and maybe heal some old wounds from the sudden death of her mother years ago. She arrives on Jekyll Island and a local guy who is training sea lions for the government captures her attention and will possibly help her solve the mysteries.

First, let me say I love Colleen Coble. I have read many of her books and adore her writing, her characters, her plot, but for me this one just didn't really work. I loved the overall plot as Tori was trying to solve the mystery, but it felt as though with each page something happened that went to the edge of fiction and felt too outlandish and maybe just a bit too much. I loved Tori as a character and wanted her to solve the mystery, but the things that happened while doing so just seemed to be over the top.

Even with my "frustrations" with this book, I will keep reading Colleen Coble. Her body of work is more than my less than stellar feelings on this one.

The Stranger’s Game
Colleen Coble
January 4, 2022

Victoria Bergstrom moved back to Jekyll Island near Georgia. She lived there with her family growing up living in the private apartment of The Jekyll Island Club Resort. She moved near Phoenix to work in the family hotel company, Bergstrom. While in Georgia however, she will be hiding under the name Torie Berg. She took the job as 2nd in command of IT. She was not thrilled about working under her new boss, Kyle Ballard. He is an odd duck that didn’t appreciate others' work. Regardless, she was trying to investigate the real story behind her best friend’s death while Lisbeth worked for the hotel. The police had ended the case, calling it a suicide. They had found her drowned body washed up on shore. Torie was sure there was more to the story, Lisbeth had never liked the water. She would never go near the ocean.
Coble writes a good suspense in her books. This particular one was slow at the start but hold on to your hats readers. Shortly after the first few chapters her story begins to build with Joe, Torie’s love interest as well as more character’s figuring into the hotel mystery. I was hooked by the end of Torie’s story. It’s an excellent journey.
A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble will be published by Thomas Nelson. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review this latest Coble novel via NetGalley. My thoughts on this book are my own but I do encourage readers to pick up The Stranger’s Game.

Fast moving story; wonderful characters! Great mystery. Love the Georgia connection! I always learn about something new in Colleen's books, and I love that. Who knew sea lions could do so much?
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy! The opinions are all my own.

Colleen Coble is one of those authors whose books I will consistently pick up. Her talent as an author is laudable (Christmastime always brings out cool words like "laudable," doesn't it? :D), and this book is no exception on many levels. It's gripping (hard to put down, which made for a few late nights!), thrilling (to the point I was wondering why I read it in the dark sometimes, ha!--but I couldn't wait, could I?!), and always pointing back to Christ.

I was surprised (in a good way) at the depth of conversations Joe had with his daughter on some tough topics. Both of them had to deal with a lot of pain, and I admired how he didn't shy away from the situations or an object lesson for his daughter.

A few loose ends could have been tied up more neatly--the resolution was more quick than I would have liked, and it definitely had the "space" for it--I never felt like the book dragged on at any point. That's ultimately why I give it 3.5 stars (but a high 3.5!).

I loved the Jekyll Island setting; I've been to Georgia, albeit not there, before, and enjoyed reminiscing during the read. Well done!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When I began to read yet another beloved book by Colleen Coble, I knew I’d be once again, attached to my Kindle, not able to swipe the pages fast enough. It happens every time I read one of her books.

This story grabbed me from the very beginning as Victoria Bergstrom arrives on Jekyll Island where she lived for many of her early childhood years. She hadn’t been back for 18 years, not since she was 10 years old when her mother died in a tragic accident. Shortly after her death, her father, Anton Bergstrom, the owner of the Jekyll Island Club Resort hotel, took her, and moved to Arizona. Now, however, she’s back as Tori Berg, not wanting anyone to realize she’s a wealthy hotel heiress, the daughter of Anton Bergstrom. Torie’s Aunt Genevieve manages the hotel, however, since she hadn’t seen her since she was 10, she is hopeful her aunt won’t recognize her. Genevieve runs a tight ship and has a razor-sharp tongue. Torie determines it’s in her best interest to avoid her at all costs.

Torie’s very best friend from childhood and later her college roommate, Lisbeth, had died here. Torie comes back under the guise of a new employee to look into what she felt was a mysterious drowning death. Torie knew Lisbeth was extremely afraid of the ocean and would never even stick her toe in. Torie requested her Dad arrange her to stay in the same cottage Lisbeth lived in.

As this compelling story progresses, Torie experiences some unusual things in her cabin that indicates someone has come inside. Her neighbor, Joe, a widower with an 8-year-old daughter, Hailey, comes to her rescue a number of times. Joe works for the Navy, training Sea Lions to keep evildoers and criminals away.

There are a number of twists and turns, as well as a bit of romance in this intriguing, captivating story. There is a murder, kidnapping as well as frightening plans unfold that could injure or kill many people all at once. I could not put this book down until I read it straight through to the end. Absolutely loved this story, the characters, and the beautiful setting where it all took place. Colleen Coble has once again produced another incredible book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

Victoria Bergstrom returns to Jeckyl Island Georgia where her father owns a luxury hotel to investigate her best friend's death. Her death was ruled as self-inflicted but Victoria thinks her friend LIzbeth died as a result of foul play. In order to investigate she comes under an assumed name of Tori Berg which is just a shortened variation of her real name.

Collen Coble novels usually keep me up late in the night because they are suspenseful but this one fell a little short. Also I felt the romance between Tori and Joe Abbott was a little lacking. Granted there were a few suspenseful moments that kept me engaged but they were few and far between.

I was given an early release copy of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early! All opinions expressed here are my own.

Colleen Coble has written another terrific romantic suspense. Great plot and character development. This author always delivers a great book. Fans of romantic suspense will not be disappointed. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

If this is not on your TBR yet, it should be! Colleen Coble's upcoming novel is coming out on January 4th and it is a hit! In this story, we meet Torie as she goes back to a hotel/resort island she spent her childhood on because she is investigating her best friend's suspicious drowning and she finds a potential ally in a handsome mammal trainer, Joe.

I think this book had the perfect balance of romance and suspense. It felt exactly 50/50 which I usually like. It didn't feel like one tried to out-compete the other for attention which was nice.

Something I also like about new books is when the MC's have occupations that I have never read about before or heard about. Joe is a mammal trainer, but for the Navy (which is actually a real job!!!). I did not know the US Navy trains sea lions and dolphins against hostile swimmers, literally so cool.

There are definitely some eerie/creepy moments, but nothing too overwhelming or uncomfy. I also loved the faith aspect of this, it was super prominent.

I think Jekyll Island was set up really nicely and could picture the entire atmosphere of this resort town/island. Although, I have to say I am very much a 'seasonal reader', so if you are too I'd recommend holding this one to read in the summer time because it would fit perfectly with the season.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and kept me on the edge of my seat. My only complaint was that the ending was surprising and unexpected, but felt less suspenseful than other moments throughout the book did.


I was given an early release copy of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early! All opinions expressed here are my own.

3.5 stars

Torie was a likable character and I found myself rooting for her to find answers to the mysteries that surround her. The danger she finds herself in makes her a sympathetic character. I also liked Joe and Hailey. Joe was a great father and his love for his daughter was evident from page one.

A Stranger's Game had several layers: Torie was trying to resolve issues in her past while solving her friend's murder. Joe was also dealing with a mystery at his job while trying to navigate single-parenting and a potential relationship with Torie.

I liked the way the author melded all the mysteries together but there were some things that seemed implausible even after the pieces had fallen into place. I also didn't like the fact that Torie and her father never really stood up to the aunt who was horrible to them both throughout the book. I just couldn't understand why they allowed her to get away with her behavior.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with characters that were relatable. Readers will be reminded that God is with them even when bad things happen.

Took me a little while to get into the story and figure out who was who. I felt it was a stretch that no one recognized Torie (especially her aunt, if Torie really looked so much like her mother). I did like the main characters well enough and was satisfied with the conclusion of the novel even though it seemed a bit “out there”. I had figured out the bad guy. There were a few inconsistencies in the plot, and I felt like there was some “misdirection” from the author just to pad the number of pages. Anyway 3.5 stars.

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

A solid Christian mystery/romance. A very enjoyable, easy read. Love the island setting, the seals and turtles! I'm becoming an avid Coble Fan!!

Jekyll Island is the setting for this stand alone mystery. The history of the Federal Reserve is quite an interesting factor in the plot of the story. Love the added details of the seal lion training program for the Navy. Readers will enjoy seeing the island through Hailey' enthusiastic personality. Joe and Tori's budding relationship moved at a nice pace as they both strived to solve the crimes. I thought the ending was rather abrupt but satisfying. Recommended!

I enjoyed A Stranger's Game. We follow Torie Bergstrom as she goes undercover to investigate her best friend's murder but meanwhile she stumbles into something dark and spinster.

I enjoyed the faith elements in this book and didn't feel like the focus was on getting the man as it can often feel with Christian romantic suspense books, I feel like the true emphasis was on Christ and how He is what was missing from Torie's life.

This story had my interest from the get go. It felt like I had a list a mile long of suspects. Then trying to figure out who was an actual suspect, who was an accomplice, and who was just being disagreeable. Then wondering if all the events were interconnected or if they separate attacks. On top of that the development of a relationship between Joe & Tori and them having to learn to trust themselves and each other. A well crafted story.
I received a copy of this book as an ARC through NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Engaging and enjoyable romantic suspense. Exciting plot with several back stories. It kept me turning the pages. One of those can't wait for the conclusion but also don't want it to end books. Good characters in a lovely location.

⭐⭐⭐ .5 Stars
I am a : Colleen Coble fan this is #17 for me.

Victoria Bergstrom has not been home to Jekyll Island, Georgia for eighteen years. When she was ten years old, her mother died and she moved to Arizona.
Her longtime best friend Lisbeth Nelson says she misses Georgia, so Victoria arrangers for her to work on one of the hotel properties that her family still owns.
Victoria returns to the island in as Torie Berg an alias when she learns that Lisbeth who was terrified of the ocean has drowned, she knows it was more than an accident and set out to find answers.
Victoria‘s father has arranged for Victoria now Torie to work at the Hotel as an IT expert and also to stay at Stingray Cottage where Lisbeth stayed.

Torie soon finds an ally in Joe Abbott and his adorable/talkative eight year old daughter Hailey. Hailey is super excited with the Loggerhead turtles that are known to nest in these Sea Islands of Georgia.
Joe is a member of the Navy’s Marine Mammal Project. This project originated in San Diego however, when Joe’s wife Julie died in a freak accident, Joe decides to move to the other side of the country to the Jekyll Island. He also work part time with law enforcement and is actually the person who found Lisbeth.

Aww love these characters ~ well all but a few!
Story kept me interested.

I always enjoy reading the ‘author’s notes’ in this case author Colleen Coble entitles hers ~ “A Note from the Author’.. She tells us a bit more about Jekyll Island and that it is owned by Northview Hotel Group and not Bergstrom Hospitality. She also tells us an interesting piece of information she came across in researching " The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve" by author: G. Edward Griffin …. Hmmm

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 4, 2022

Another great book by Colleen Coble. I know her books are listed as most places as inspirational but to me this book and the last series of hers didn't feel like it. And I have been able to get several people to read her books since they are inspirational like most books that go in that category.

I really enjoyed this book. Can't wait to read more from her. I love her books have been taking place in the south.