Just a year after the shocking death of her husband, Katrina, still grieving the loss, is rocked by the news that her beloved grandmother has passed away. She rushes home upon receiving the news and is immediately embroiled in family drama, inheritance surprises, and a murder mystery. For the past year, she's been using an AI program loaded with text messages and social media posts from her late husband to "speak to him," something that has become an unhealthy obsession and turns even more dangerous when the bot tells her "I think I was murdered."

I always like to start my reviews out with the good bits, so here goes... Despite a lack of proper development, in my opinion, I did like the relationship between Katrina and Seb. I also enjoyed the character of Seb's dad, not because he was a good guy by any means, but his character gave Seb a depth that he was, frankly, lacking on his own, and brought another layer to the story as well.

Now, for the not-so-great, I was, frankly, so disappointed in this book. I'm giving it three stars to be generous, but it's more like 2.5. And maybe this is because I am a huge fan of Colleen's work and I really did enjoy What We Hide, the other book she wrote with Rick Acker. But this book just did not feel like her at all (aside from the relationship between Katrina and Seb that drew me in). I love her books most of all because the characters always have a connection to God. It's called Christian Fiction for a reason. Even if they struggle, even if they doubt, even if they start off not thinking God is there for them at all, they always, always come around and they have a godly support system around them. God is mentioned more than in passing. Their faith actually shines in the book and isn't portrayed by saying "I prayed..." This book did not feel like Christian Fiction to me. I read a lot of secular mysteries as well, and they're enjoyable, but if I pick up a Christian mystery, I want to feel that faith in the book. These characters were so secular in the way they acted, spoke, carried out their lives. If I picked this up thinking that it was a secular book, I might feel differently in this regard.

Aside from being incredibly disappointed with the way faith was portrayed in this book, I just didn't enjoy other aspects much. The AI bot was absolutely unsettling and I was so glad that they acknowledged that Katrina's obsession with it was unhealthy and dangerous. The plot was over-the-top and not in a good way. Asian mafia. Guns everywhere. It was just too much. And the characters weren't enough. Liv was so annoying the entire time. Dylan wasn't fleshed out enough and only added to the too over-the-top nature of the book. Seb and Katrina had chemistry, but weren't fully fleshed out either. Katrina was apparently a lawyer but very much didn't feel like it. And Seb was a chef, but felt more like a marine or law officer. Katrina's family can really only be defined by a deep sigh. I don't even remember their names or what they did. They were just Rich and Entitled 1, 2, and 3.

I did sort of enjoy the ending because what do you know some faith finally showed up like maybe Colleen remembered that she writes Christian Fiction? Overall, quite disappointed in this one. Still, I will read the next Tupelo Grove novel and hope they step their game up from this one.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This had such an intriguing premise...we have grieving widow, Katrina, whose husband died in a car crash. She has access to AI chatbot technology where she can text her dead husband, Jason, and "he" makes a statement "I think I was murdered..." There is mystery and suspense as well as a lot of emotional depth through the different character relationships. I really enjoyed Seb's character and the reestablishing connection with Katrina. Even though she is still grieving her husband, their relationship growth from friendship to more felt organic (albeit a little quick) I appreciated the Christian elements, and it didn't feel forced or "in your face." The book had many subplots (some added and some detracted) from the main storyline.

I did guess the twist/"bad guy"...but was still invested in the outcome. The ending, while it did contain a happily ever after, felt a little lacking with how things ended after the grand reveal. Maybe a little too anticlimactic...if you are going to have a "bad guy" go all out making the person bad.

I am looking forward to the next collaboration from this duo!

3.5 stars

Oooh. Now this one was very very unique. I really LOVED the idea of the AI interface aspect. That's very real for today. This one kept me going to the very end--but I admit, I did guess correctly who the villain was. Even though I doubted myself part way. But what a great ride! The characters also had a lot of growth through the book. I admit, I want to go visit that town!

Mystery, thriller, excitement, technology.

I mean just the title alone made me want to read it!

There is also a subtopic of a widow who has to allow herself the grace to move forward with her life and relationships.

Highly recommend this novel.

4 stars.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book to review. All opinions are 100% my own!

This story is about a grieving widow, Katrina, who talks to an AI program chatbot that poses as her husband, who passed away. The chatbot has her husband's social media accounts, photos, information from his phone, etc., so it can truly feel like he is talking to her. One day, the chatbot responds to her, "I Think I Was Murdered," and she goes on a hunt to find out what happened to Jason.

I found this a bit creepy, having a deceased husband still talking to you, but from the author's notes at the end, this is now a "thing". It may be my advanced age, but AI and Bitcoin are beyond my understanding.

The story was interesting enough for me to keep reading, although I missed the extreme suspense/tension I usually see. One of the "villains" was a surprise but I had suspected the other for some time, although not the motive.

I received this book through Net Galley and was not required to give a positive review. My opinions are my own.

I liked the story and the way grief was portrayed with new love found. There were some spots in the story that didn’t seem to add up and were a little far fetched. Maybe there will be some rewrites before it is published.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker is a recommended romantic suspense novel for the right reader.

Katrina Berg is a lawyer at Talk, Inc., a Silicon Valley AI chatbot start-up company. Her husband, Jason died a year ago, so Katrina's best friend Liv Tompkins, the chief technology officer at the company, helped her grieving friend by loading a prototype of Talk’s AI software onto Katrina's phone. It allows Katrina to "talk" to Jason for comfort. Then her world falls further apart. The two women are shocked when the FBI raids the premises and takes it over. The chief executive of Talk, Inc. is under investigation by the FBI and has fled the country. At the same time Katrina's beloved grandmother Frida Berg, called Bestemor, dies of a heart attack.

Katrina travels home to her family in North Haven, California for the funeral, where she learns that she’s inherited her grandmother’s restaurant. She reconnects with her old friend and a protege of her grandmother's, restaurateur Seb Wallace. On a particularly bad day, she asks Jason/the AI to "Tell me something I don't know." The reply is "I think I was murdered." Katrina begins to look into Jason's death enlisting the help of Seb and discovers it involves a mysterious Satoshi egg that contains the code to $30 million worth of Bitcoin.

Okay, this review is going to be all over the place. Reading I Think I Was Murdered is a challenge at the start because, honestly, the first part of the novel is so slow moving, has simplistic writing, and is not compelling. You may be tempted to toss the whole book aside. Assuming you can keep the following points in mind, keep reading and the intrigue will eventually pick up.

First, the novel requires you to set disbelief aside, big time, for the whole novel. Second, it is not a techno thriller, so those who follow technology, set more disbelief aside. Ditto if you expected a thriller. Third, the writing remains simplistic throughout the novel. Fourth, seemingly every character owns a Tesla. Fifth, Lila, the kitten found, was estimated to be 6 weeks and yet no mention was made of feeding her for several days. Sixth, the antagonists involve everyone and the kitchen sink. Seventh, the use of fentanyl for a medical purpose could have been simple called a pain medication.

Keeping these points in mind, I managed to continue reading and the plot did become more interesting with some action and suspense. The descriptions of the setting were good. The writing remained simplistic and the character development was basic. It involves light romance, which I knew it wouldn't be over-the-top with Coble. Although the ending was predictable, it was gripping. I have enjoyed Coble novels much more in the past. This one wasn't her best effort.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries this might be a good choice. Thanks to Thomas Nelson, Inc. for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I Think I Was Murdered
Colleen Coble
Rick Acker
November 12, 2024

Katrina Berg was known as the focus of the AI Chatbot. Her husband, Jason was a structural engineer but he was also all about finding one of the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto red eggs. Inside each was a futuristic piece of technology. He never let on to Karina about this ambition so when he discovered the red object his plan was to bring it back home area near Humboldt Bay, California. He knew that someone would be looking to find him. On one of the mountainous spiral roads he was trying to get control of the chatbot and drive. He spied a car coming into his lane. He knew the end was near; off the road he went and down the long drop to the bottom of the canyon.
I Think I Was Murdered will be published by Thomas Nelson on November 12, 2024. NetGalley provided me with the ARC of Coble and Acker’s latest suspense thriller. I appreciate Thomas Nelson allowing me to read this latest novel by the duo. Once again bit by bit and scene by scene we are led to the person who took Jason’s life. It was originally thought to be an accident but as Katrina and one of the partners in TALK,INC worked to discover the how and the why of what actually happened, the group discovered their whereabouts. I Think I Was Murdered is an excellent book of intriguing written chapters that follow the characters. it is a true page turner. Be certain to pick up a copy, and do enjoy!

I loved this novel! It’s been a while since I’ve read a Colleen Coble book, and I’ve never read one by Rick Acker. Needless to say, this reminded me why I love her books! I read all of the time, and there are so many books with so little time. That being said, I’ll be reading the ones I’ve missed and the ones still to come.

The characters are well-developed, and I became completely engrossed in their story. Seb and Katrina do have some romantic moments, but this is mainly a suspense. I think that their romance added to the story especially since they knew each other when they were younger.

The AI chatbot element was so creepy yet so relevant to today. AI is getting smarter, and the beta version that Katrina’s company created is off the charts creepy. I’m a widow too, and I can totally see how Katrina would want to keep chatting with her late husband even though it obviously wasn’t him. Hunting for clues as to who murdered him, and all of the danger the characters faced had me turning the pages. I literally read it in just a little over a day. I also really appreciated the faith and forgiveness themes since I think we can all relate to needing to forgive someone even when they don’t ask for it.

I highly recommend I Think I Was Murdered to those who love page-turning Christian suspense with a bit of romance! I give it 5 stars!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The audio of this one was so well done! There was just enough creepy to ramp up the suspense in the story.

Katrina Foster works for Talk, Inc., creator of one of the premier chatbots in the AI world. Losing her husband to an accident threw her life into turmoil, but when her friend offers to upload all of her husband's texts and conversations to the Beta version of a new interactive chatbot, it feels like she's gotten him back. She texts the chatbot and her husband, Jason, answers - or does he? The answers sound like ones he'd give, but when she asks him about the day he died, he says, "I think I was murdered." The more she investigates, the more sure she becomes that he really was murdered. Inheriting her grandmother's cafe, she returns to her Norwegian-ancestry hometown, and enlists restaurateur Seb Wallace to help her figure out what happened.

Seb Wallace fell for Katrina Foster in his early teens when she was the only kid in school who was ever kind to him. He lost touch before graduation when her ex-boyfriend broke his nose for taking her to prom. Nearly 20 years has only made her more beautiful but he sees the torment in her eyes. When accidents start happening that appear to be targeting Katrina, Seb offers his help. Will they be able to keep her safe until they find the real killer?

Colleen Coble and Rick Acker make a dynamic writing duo! This is the second book I've read by this pair, and both were edge-of-the-seat, pulse-pounding thrill rides! The creepiness of the chatbot answering Katrina as if her husband still lived within her phone sent chills every time she asked it a question. Readers who are looking for their next suspense novel need to run out and pick this one up. It gets all the stars from me!

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker - 2 to 2.5 Stars

Let me start this review by saying I absolutely LOVED What We Hide by Colleen and Rick and had the opportunity to meet them at a local Christian bookstore when they went on tour for a book signing, they were so nice to meet and chat with. I think I was Murdered was one of my most anticipated releases for the fall time this year, but unfortunately, my honest review is this was a bit disjointed and didn't live up to my personal expectations. This one is a standalone story and not tied to What We Hide. I am still interested to see what happens in book 2 after What We Hide to see what happens next but this one fell flat for me personally.

This story is about a grieving widow, Katrina, who talks to an AI program-chat bot that poses as her husband that passed away. The chat bot has all of her husbands social media accounts, photos, information from his phone etc. So it can truly feel like he is talking to her. One day, the chat bot responds to her "I Think I Was Murdered" and she goes on this hunt to find out what really happened to Jason. The story has some side characters and mysteries going on as well.

We all feel like AI is a very odd and strange thing in today's world so the plot itself was SO interesting to me. I had not seen anyone write an AI story yet so I was highly looking forward to this one. I think for me, if the story focused more on the Katrina > Jason story, I would have been more invested but we get a bit disjointed going on side stories with other characters and drama with them that I wasn't connecting to. There is a side character in this that is pregnant and there was some very crazy circumstances that occur where it doesn't feel like there is concern for her being pregnant really. Also, I wasn't crazy about the romances in this book. One being a love triangle and the other I just didn't really connect with.

The ending was the main reason I ended up giving this more so a 2-2.5 star rating (which Star ratings are so subjective anyway, I debated between a 2-3 star but the ending just bothered me so that's why I am at a 2-2.5). I felt like the main story was to figure out who murdered Jason but we spent a long time on other things I didn't care about.

I think if you are in the mood for more of a legal, mystery suspense story and are interested in the AI bits, check this out, but it just wasn't for me personally. I have LOVED all of Colleens books I have read so far so this surprised me but hoping this was just an anomaly for me :).

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a copy to honestly read and review. I rarely find myself giving ratings like this but this is my honest review and opinions. Take me with a grain of salt :)

I loved this book! Katrina and Seb were great characters and I appreciated how their relationship changed throughout the book. I thought the storyline was fascinating, especially with the involvement of AI! That definitely brought a bit of a unique twist to the plot. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book!

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

This book is definitely living in 2024! It is a wild ride full of twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing until the last page!

I have read many books by Colleen Coble but never from Rick Acker. They make a great team! This novel centers around Katrina Foster. She works for an AI company called Talk. To deal with the grief of losing her husband, she and a co-worker download everything about Jason into Talk: voicemails, emails, texts, and social media posts. The result is Katrina can use AI to "communicate" with her dead husband. It responds so much like him that she uses it everyday for a year. She knows it's unhealthy but can't stop herself. One day she asks "Jason" to tell her something she doesn't know. It responds with, "I think I was murdered." This sets Katrina on a new path to discover what really happened during his car accident. As she begins to dig into the past with the help of an old classmate named Seb, someone is determined to stop her from finding out the truth. As danger looms at every turn, Katrina must try to stay safe and maybe open her heart for a second time.

I loved I Think I was Murdered and read it in two days! I loved the plot and I think it explores the advantages and pitfalls of artificial intelligence. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and it has a satisfying ending!

I Think I Was Murdered is an intriguing and suspenseful read! Straight from the beginning I was hooked! Katrina has recently lost her husband and is struggling with her grief. A bot programmed to answer her questions as her dead husband leads her to the truth that he was murdered. Teaming up with the handsome Seb, she unlocks the truth about what happened. I highly enjoyed this book! The action and mystery was great as well as the subtle and slow burn of the couple. The ending took me by surprise! I would highly recommend this book! I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in trade for my honest opinion. My thoughts are my own.

This book will capture your attention from the beginning. If you like mystery, intrigue, fast-paced, action-packed books, then this is the book for you! Katrina has lost her husband in what she thinks is a terrible car accident. An AI program that her best friend helped develop allows her to "talk" to her deceased husband through a bot by using data from her husband, Jason's, emails, social media, pictures, etc. He tells her "I think I was murdered". That is the start of a lot of Katrina's life and career being turned upside down. There are people that start coming after her for something they think her husband possessed that was very valuable. They now think Katrina has possession of a bitcoin key that is worth 30 million dollars! Katrina reunites with a friend of hers growing up. Sebastian helps Katrina to try to solve this mystery and to stay alive. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #netgalley #thomasnelsonfiction

Right away, the summary of this story begged me to read it. The technology that allowed Katrina’s husband to reach out from beyond the grave to help her solve his murder seemed futuristic but it exists and I enjoyed following along as the authors explored the what ifs.

The romance between Katrina and Seb was a slow build, which made sense because she was still dealing with grief. Seb’s character was very patient and I rooted for him to win the girl. The suspense was page-turning and there were a few twists that I almost didn’t see coming.

I received this book complimentary from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and completely my own.

The premise of this story was so timely and tied in a lot of the buzz words we hear regularly. The thought of using a chat bot to help one cope with the loss of a loved will strike a nerve in the heart of many readers. I personally couldn't help think what if. As someone who has worked in IT for my entire career, I found the concept utterly fascinating. Again, drawing from my own experiences, the book was very relatable to anyone who has suffered a loss. We move from a relatable story to one with a modern take on an Indiana Jones style treasure. Again, the author knocked it out of the park with making the treasure something timely but still a bit fantastic.
After we get to meet the characters the tension ratchets up with multiple characters thrown in the action and life threatening race to find the egg and its key. Katrina and Seb were so well suited and watching her overcome the need to hold onto the past to move forward with a great guy was the perfect complement to the dangerous criminals and tension. The side characters both got into the action and got their own drama and story line. The character development was fabulous, especially Dylan. He underwent such a drastic shift in circumstance that readers had to cheer for him. Speaking of undergoing a dramatic shift, Katrina and Seb's backstory was really cute and sad making their love story all the more poignant.
I selected this book because I love tech stories but stayed for the drama and the roller coaster ride through a modern day treasure hunt.
Unfortunately, there were a few things I did not love. Sometimes it felt a little like getting clobbered over the head with a few concepts such a Seb worked a lot of hours. It didn't detract much from the story but still felt unnecessary. My other complaint was the words that I had to look up used somewhat frequently without definition. I had not idea what hygge was all about but easily understood chat bots. I think the author should have included a few definitions for the Norwegian word and foods.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and wood recommend it. Come for the concept but stay for the story. I will be looking for author books by these authors.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This intriguing thriller blends grief, technology, and suspense into a captivating story. A year after her life implodes - losing her husband in a tragic car crash, the CEO of the AI startup she works for is indicted, and as the company's legal counsel, Katrina finds herself under intense scrutiny as federal agents take over, barring her from the office. To make matters worse, she then suffers the loss of her beloved grandmother.

Katrina clings to a secret beta chatbot that mimics her late husband. But when the bot suggests that his death wasn’t an accident, it makes her question what she thought she knew.

After returning to her hometown in the Northern California redwoods, she teams up with Seb, a local restaurateur, and her friend and co-worker Liz to uncover the truth. This is a tense, thought-provoking read that will keep you turning pages until the stunning conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and authors Colleen Coble; Rick Acker for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is Christian Fiction at its best, a page turner, and wanting more.

Just when you think you know the answers, nope, all the way to the last page and beyond to the epilogue, new answers kept coming, and not always the way you want them to.

The author gives us some sweet romance, but we are ducking bullets and fists, and around the next corner there is more!

We have a young woman whom is deeply grieving the death of her husband, and with the help of technology she is comforted by his texts, or what the bot is writing, until she get a disturbing message!

We journey with this young lawyer back to her hometown and family, and danger follows!

I found myself holding my breath, and at the same time looking for answers!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was mot required to give a positive review.

Okay, I couldn’t put this book down. It was crazy intriguing and addictive, trying to solve the case. I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker was a highly unique and suspenseful who-dun-it. I would love to see a book 2 with the same cast of characters, it was so thrilling!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

** “Pain was a part of life, but joy couldn’t be suppressed and always came back.” **

Colleen Coble once again joins forces with Rick Acker to deliver another incredible thriller with “I Think I Was Murdered,” a story that could be ripped from today’s headlines.

Katrina Foster can seemingly communicate with her dead husband Jason through an up-and-coming chatbot designed by her best friend Liv Tompkins. But when the chatbot tells Katrina he believes he was murdered, and when the tech company both Katrina and Liv work for is investigated by the FBI, the two women return to Katrina’s hometown to seek answers.

Meeting again her high school acquaintance, Seb Wallace, a restaurant owner who once worked at her grandmother’s restaurant, the three work together to find answers about the tech company and also if and why Jason was murdered.

With a shocking ending, Coble and Acker fill “I Think I Was Murdered” with twists and turns and an action-packed storyline with enough romance to keep the lovers of love happy. They develop intriguing characters that deal with past traumas, overcoming trials and finding confidence in their abilities.

The story is also filled with several great themes, like learning whom to trust; there’s always room for love (“Love was a funny thing — no matter how much of it you thought you’d used up, there was a limitless capacity to experience more”); forgiveness; “the most important things in life aren’t tangible”; overcoming grief and betrayal; and finding what is lost.

Fans of authors like Terri Blackstock, Irene Hannon, Lynette Eason and even some Mike Dellosso novels with love “I Think I Was Murdered,” which is due out Nov. 12.

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.