Book Title: What We Hide
Series: A Tupelo Grove Novel Nook #1
Author: Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Fiction- Thomas Nelson
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: July 2, 2024
My Rating: 3.7 Rounded up!
Pages 368

Savannah Webster is trying to find her way forward. She and her husband, Hez, have been separated since the tragic drowning of their young daughter Ella, Hez was so filled with grief started to drink, took too many pills, and immerged himself in his work as an attorney in order to try to cope.
Savannah returns to Tupelo Grove University, which her family helped, found over a century ago, to teach history.
Hez turns up in her classroom asking for a second chance, she rejects the idea immediately. But twenty-four hours later she’s under suspicion for murder, and since Hez is the best attorney she knows, she reluctantly asks him for help. They suspect the murder is tied to someone selling off the university’s pre-Columbian artifacts, but the secrets go much deeper than they realize.
As a high school Guidance Counselor as well as the College Admissions Advisor I spent a with a larger amount of time researching as well as visiting colleges to help students with their college journey. I totally loved the college atmosphere so did enjoy that in this story.

I was hoping for HEA! As we were getting closer to the end, I suspected things were not going to be all tied up with a pretty bow in a nice package but surely a cliffhanger was in the making.

I am a big Colleen Coble fan. I have read twenty of her stories and loved them. This was not my favorite but I like both Savannah and Hez so am looking forward to Tupelo Grove #2.

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction- Thomas Nelson for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 2, 2024.

These two authors combined their expertise into an extraordinary book. Here we have the beginning of a series that promises. This is not just a suspenseful romance. This book is a web of intrigue and a confrontation with the pain of the past. I loved the dynamic of this couple separated by the pain of past events. I highly recommend it and will keep it for more.

WOW!!! This book kept me turning pages and guessing! The authors did a wonderful job of writing believable characters, storyline with twists and turns and leaving me on the edge of my seat for the next book. The family dynamics were well written to be raw and a bit explosive at times. Colleen Coble is a favorite author of mine and I enjoyed her style meshing with Rick Acker. They blend very well together. I hope they write the next one Fast!

Have you ever read a book and knew you’d love it from the very first page? That’s how I felt when I read What We Hide.
It drew me in from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. It kept me guessing all the time, and WOW were those some plot twists!
I’m a Colleen Coble super fan and I snap up her books as soon as I can. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw she was writing with a co-author in this new series. I’m impressed!
I loved Savannah and Hez, but their story kept me guessing. It also took me a while to figure out the bad guy. But just when I thought it was all wrapped up with a nice bow…I read the epilogue and realized there’s a whole lot more to this story and I can’t wait for more!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you like mystery and suspense, you'll love this book. It grabs you from the beginning. There are a lot of characters, twists and turns. It's a page turner that will leave you saying "Just one more chapter". This book centers around Savannah, Hez (her estranged husband), Jess (Savannah's sister) and Simon (Jess's son). Savannah and Jess both work at the University that their ancestors help found. There is a lot of illegal things going on that they find out about. Once Savannah starts to look into things, all of their lives become endangered. This book has a twist ending that I did not see coming. I recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

What We Hide should be this novel. I’m embarrassed to say I spent my Memorial Day reading this drivel. It’s my first novel by either author and definitely my last. What started as an interesting crime noir mystery devolved with each proceeding page into more unrealistic storytelling. I don’t know what to make of this Grisham-lite, Douglas Sirk soap, Hallmark-Hardy Boys hybrid. I guessed the guilty party a third of the way through but kept marveling at the cartoon villains thrown in to muddy the waters. At a certain point, the dangers posed to each of the novel’s leads become laughable. Someone is getting boinked on the head, drugged and kidnapped with each hour that passes in the day. Yet we’re told their faith has informed them by a Bible verse they read that morning in their devotional. When did they have time? People are able to manage their cell phones and computers with remarkable dexterity until it takes them twenty minutes to realize they have the caps lock on preventing them from using their passwords. All in all, a breezy, easy read that you can’t wait to have reach its conclusion. No, seriously, you can’t wait.

I did like Boo Radley, the alligator.

What We Hide is an old fashioned whodunnit set in modern times. The slow burn mystery kept me guessing with every page turned. I rooted for Hez and Savannah to see their way through their grief and back together where they belonged. The last chapter was a shocker and makes me want to count down the days until book 2 releases.

Colleen Coble is the master at suspense. This story kept me captivated with twists and turns. The main characters Savannah and Hez, have a heart wrenching past. As they work to individually and jointly overcome the tragedy of the past they are also racing against an unknown criminal. As the story unravels we see them drawn towards each other. Over time everyone becomes a suspect and more twists are introduced. I enjoyed the action and emotion through the story. If you are a Colleen Coble fan, you will will enjoy this!

Such a good book from the first page to the last, imagine, needing your ex-husband to help clear you of murder charges?

When these two authors get together it is pure magic!

A read that will keep you on the edge of your seat! People that aren't really what they seem, and whom can you trust.

We are given a couple whose marriage has gone south, especially dealing with the grief that has engulfed both of them.

Now these two are together with him trying to defend her when she is accused of murder, with a divorce hanging over their heads. Can he help her?

So many surprises, and a lot going on, including finding family members! There are thefts, murders, kidnapping, and arrests, but whom and what is going on?

There are a lot of bomb shells dropped, including the epilogue at the end, and now I can't wait for book two!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

What a great book! Completely captivated from the first page to the last. There is mystery upon mystery, with lots of twists and turns, right up to the epilogue. I had figured out some , but could not put all the pieces together. A must read for those who love a bit of mystery, thrill, family, and a whole lot of secrets.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐I had mixed feelings about this one!

I had rather high expectations for this new series, but unfortunately, it fell flat. The story was a bit slow and dragged on for too long. Savannah and Hez are separated because her daughter died and Hez drowned his grief and guilt in alcohol. After two years of being clean, he asks for a second chance. She immediately rejects the idea, wanting to move on and get divorced. However, she finds herself in trouble and needs her husband's help as they suspect her of a murder tied to someone selling off the university’s pre-Columbian artifacts.

I found that the story lacks communication between the two main characters as they try to cope with the pain of losing their daughter. The scenes involving them feel immature and not very well thought out. Additionally, they spend more time discussing their issues with other characters rather than with each other. They hardly interact or share any scenes. I also found the repetitive dialogue and the problems excessive... and then there's Simon causing more unnecessary trouble. Can a ten-year-old order an Uber?

I was intrigued by the university setting in the book. The plot had many twists and turns, revolving around a dysfunctional family and suspenseful elements. While the identity of the villains was predictable if you are good at guessing, the twist at the end was still shocking. Overall, I think it sets up well for a second book.

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

I truly loved the complicated suspenseful thriller that Colleen Coble and Rick Acker have collaborated to write. It is never obvious who wrote what as their styles and words flowed together seamlessly. Hez and Savannah are an estranged couple who have suffered a great loss. But their love survived if they can just reach out and admit it to each other. This is a complex story not only involving Hez and Savannah but Jessica Legare, Savannah's sister.
The title is the clue to it all. There are secrets abounding. And Jessica is full of secrets.
I love that there will be more to this series. And the ending makes it obvious that there are still more secrets out there. I for one cannot wait!
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.
(And I just loved the name Hez (Hezekiah). I've never read a story with a main character with that name. I could just picture him!)

History Professor Savanah Webster knows two things—her younger sister Jessica Legare still needs her, and she can’t resist her ex-husband’s charm. Returning to Tupelo Grove University keeps her near her sister and out of Hezekiah’s way. Two problems solved with one move. Maybe.

Savannah struggles to gain tenure after teaching history for two years at TGU. Her sister doesn’t want her around, and their relationship feels strained. The university president implies she’ll need to work extra hard in her relationships with male colleagues to charm her way into the running.

When a pile of forged provenance papers shows up on her desk, Savannah suspects someone is stealing the university’s Willard Treasure. She brings her concerns to the provost, Beckett Harrison, and they confront the number one suspect—the university’s president. Instead of a messy confrontation (something Savannah has no stomach for), they encounter a messy murder scene.

The police immediately suspect Savannah, whose first thought is to call Hez—the best defense lawyer she’s ever known.

Can Savannah and Hez overcome their past to save her future? An unprovoked attack and more murders make it seem impossible.

What I Loved About This Book

Acker, a practicing district attorney, and Coble, a master of suspense stories, form the perfect team for What We Hide. Told from multiple points of view (including the evil mastermind’s first-person account), readers won’t know what hit them in the final pages of this can’t-put-it-down novel.

Readers who love who-dun-its and legal thrillers will love this dynamic duo’s first collaboration. Fans of Cara Putman, John Grisham, and Carrie Stuart Parks will love this book.

This book was amazing! The writing duo of Coble and Acker is incredible. I loved the story and how it flowed (and kept me guessing) throughout the entire book, but the ending .... oh my goodness! The ending, which is really not the ending because now I can't wait to read Book #2 in this series! Fantastic writing by both of these amazing authors. Highly recommend and can't stop telling my friends about it!

What We Hide is a new series by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. Savannah Webber is estranged from her former DA husband Hez. Webster. After a tragedy hit their family Hez could not handle it and took to drinking which of course drove them apart. Savannah teaches at a university and it looks like she may possibly be accused of a crime. The best person to help her is her estranged husband. Lots of twists and turns in the story. and the couple begins to grow closer. Just when you think that the storyline is wrapped up after the bad guy is revealed you realize it is not over. The last chapter is puzzling and will make you anxious to read the next book in the series to find out what is going on with a mysterious character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A suspense filled tale of second chances and a murder mystery. Samantha is accused of murder but she will need her ex partners help to prove her innocence and catch the real culprit. I did like this one but not as much as Colleen's other books because I found it hard to have any interest in artifacts but that it is just my personal opinion and the writing is just as good. The ending is a real whopping suprise that is unbelievably good.

Oh, my goodness. Savannah and Hez’s story is one of the best books I have ever read. The collaboration between Coble and Acker is off the charts and a definite winner.

I received an advanced reader copy from Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

#WhatWeHide #NetGalley

A rollercoaster ride of twists and turns in this first book in the series.
An old university that is falling apart at the seams, an embezzlement
of school funds and stealing of artifacts from a treasure in the history
department. A relationship between Savannah and her husband
Hezekiah, who is trying to forgive himself for his lack of being the
husband and father that he should have been. This book was fast-paced
and an easy read.

This was a great collaboration mystery book between these authors! I definitely think I found a new author in Rick Acker! There was definitely a twist at the end...and makes me wonder if there will be a book two continuing this story. I enjoyed the litigation drama. Think Law and Order or John Grisham. It was definitely a good read!