An AI chatbot being one of the main characters of a murder-mystery book wasn't something I thought would work, but I was so wrong! Fast paced, nicely developed characters, atmospheric and mysterious, very well researched thriller with a plot twist that will have you thinking about the whole thing.

I Think I Was Murdered has got to go down as one of the cleverest books I read in 2024.

The basic premise involves a grieving widow who can’t move on because she’s using a chatbot programed with her late husband’s personality, after his entire social media, and text histories were uploaded. Things turn sinister when the company Katrina works for becomes the subject of a Federal investigation and her life becomes threatened.

After her grandma dies, Katrina flees to her small home town and renews her friendship with chef Seb Wallace. Between them they work to uncover who is threatening Katrina, before it’s too late. Between the AI bot, the hunt for a possible bitcoin fortune and some couple family dynamics on both sides, this is a real page turner. As ever, Coble makes brain-hurting technical details seem accessible in this tightly written thriller with just a hint of romance.

With so many threads, there’s never a dull moment in this story, and I enjoyed it very much. I listened on Audible and the narrator did a great job. Definitely recommended.

I received an audiobook of I Think I Was Murdered from the publisher via NetGalley. The response is all my own.

This is my first book by Colleen Coble and it definitely won't be my last. I listened to the audio book and loved the narrator, Karen Peakes. I thought that she did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and ramping up the suspense. I loved the setting of the Northern California town with all of the Norwegian influences. Katrina was such a likeable character and I could feel the pain that she still carried from losing her husband and now losing her grandmother, that she was so close to. I liked Seb and how he tried to support Katrina, while also guarding his feeling for her. The AI chatbot was so interesting, thinking that there would be a way to communicate with someone that has passed. I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next and if everyone would survive the ordeal. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author soon.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson publishing and Colleen Coble for the pleasure of reviewing an audio copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I listened to this on audiobook thanks to NetGalley, the narration was good but I did struggle with the believability of the AI connection. Maybe I’ll look back in a few years and think this book was ahead of its time. Overall a good book worthy of 3.5 stars

i really enjoy Colleen Coble books i think i was murdered was a great book to listen to. i would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars i would Definity recommend. this book to my friends and family.

I really enjoyed this book! It was fast-paced and addictive! The characters really drew me in to the story and I found myself sympathizing with the FMC as she dealt with a terrible loss in a way that she thought was best (even though I was yelling at her to see what was right in from of her - ha!).

I think the cast of characters was also really dynamic and made for intrigue on many fronts.

Highly recommend to readers of Christian romantic suspense!

I listened to the audio and it was awesome!

My rating: 4.5*

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Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I liked this book enough, it felt a bit long and took a while to get through it. I figured out what was going on before it happened so I am glad I was right! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and I will give another one of the authors books a try.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was such a wild read omg lmao talk about scary! would recommend for sure!

Engaging storyline with lots of twists and turns. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was good as well. Intriguing premise that kept me interested.

I Think I Was Murdered, by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker, is a modern day techno thriller set mostly in the fictional north California town of North Haven. Originally a Norwegian settlement on the pacific coast, it is now a quaint coastal tourist destination. Katrina Berg Foster, a daughter of North Haven, returns home from her Silicon Valley tech position as legal counsel at Talk, Inc., an AI based technology set to launch a game changer. Katrina has endured a series of losses. First, her beloved husband Jason was killed in a fiery crash on a stormy, foggy night on the twisty coastal highway coming into North Haven a few years ago. Then, recently, her beloved bestamor (grandmother) passed away after a serious illness. And now her company is being taken over by the FBI after both the CEO and COO, who happen to be cousins, have disappeared, presumably back to China.

As Katrina travels home for the funeral and reading of the will, she is aware the FBI want to talk to her. With bestamor’s estate being divided between Katrina and her brother Magnus, and threats coming to her and her best friend Liv Tompkins, chief technology officer of Talk, they take refuge at her bestamor’s apartments above the restaurant Katrina has inherited.

Katrina’s teenage acquaintance, and her grandmother’s protege, Sebastien Wallace, has been back in North Haven after years working and traveling around the world and becoming a Michelin chef. When bestamor contacted him telling him of his estranged father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis it was time to come home. Seb has now opened a successful upscale restaurant in the old lighthouse. As a friend, Seb offers to help get Katrina up and running as the cafe’s new owner. However, Seb’s help becomes far more valuable than a quick course in restaurant management.As the threats become more menacing and the clues to solve Jason’s murder begin coming together, Seb and his newly discovered half brother Dylan come to be invaluable.

This book is a fast paced mystery thriller that will glue readers to the story. And as the climax approaches, readers will be taken on a heart pounding journey to solve the mystery. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

2.5 stars.

I Think I Was Murdered was unfortunately not for me. The premise sounded fantastic and I had high hopes for this, particularly after loving Coble & Ackerman's other novel that released this year.

As a person going through grief myself (albeit with a mother and not a spouse), I did relate to the level of grief our main character experienced and her desire to really hold onto all she could. I thought the parts involving AI regarding this were a little much but could absolutely see that happening in the future for people which was unsettling and I believe that is exactly the point! We all grieve differently as well, so I did find it interesting to see how she navigated it.

I would've liked to see more focus on the murder of Jason and the legal stuff involving that but felt it was lackluster in that department. There was SO much potential at different parts of the story for that or even following another thing going on- SO many- and yet it never really went there or explored it.

I thought there was a little too much focus on several other things, including side characters instead & also the idea of a woman who kept repeatedly mentioning she was pregnant but there was not much concern placed on her with the things she got involved in during the story for someone who mentioned SO often that she was with child. The romance aspect of this story, regardless of which one you looked at were not really for me either- they felt misplaced or rushed and just didn't connect with me the way I have experienced or expected like in other Colleen Coble books.

I'll still be looking forward to the next installment in the Tupelo grove series these two authors worked on together (that was a 4.5 star for me) and can't wait for that.

While this one wasn't for me, it might be for you if you're looking for a quick romantic suspense read that explores grief with some AI in the mix. I did listen to this one on audio thanks to netgalley & the publisher (thank you!) and thought the narration was very good- so if you're an audio lover I do recommend this one as an audio should you want to experience this story yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the ARC

A interesting and innovating murder mystery. This thriller has a sci-fi element that really gripped me. For me it felt a bit long, but it was good nonetheless. As a Norwegain my favorite aspect was of corse everything Norwegian in the book.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker is a psychological thriller

Katrina Berg is a successful woman, at the height of her career, when her life falls apart. The company she works for is under investigation, her job is gone, her husband died a year ago, and now that her grandmother has passed, she feels the only place to go is to her grandmothers house to take care of her affairs. Using a AI generated app that her company created, she has talked to her dead husband, well at least an AI version that seems all too real. But when the voice of her husband responds that I Think I Was Murdered, she goes on a search that will pull her into multiple directions, and create more questions as the search progresses.

This book is fast paced, and will keep you engaged until the very end. It also makes you question what exactly you would do to keep someone you lost in your life. The book takes many turns, It is a mix of mystery, thriller and some sci fi. The characters were ver6 well developed and I found the AI part interesting. I definitely recommend this fast paced thrill ride.

The audio book with Karen Peakes is great. She quickly draws you into the story, making it hard to stop until the very end, quickly drawing you in and keeping you engaged.

The main character’s husband dies and through uploading all his emails and phone data, AI is able to use that data to continue to have conversations with her through text messaging. While having a conversation with this AI bot a mystery unfurls. This book threw me for a loop. I know AI is out there and I know they have the capability to probably already do this but the thought of it had me cringing. I am not ready for a world where this is possible but it made for a really interesting read! She kept me on my toes the whole book. I enjoyed the twists and turns and romance along the way. I listened to an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley

Loved it. It was a great plot. Some good twists (I did suspect the last twist but only because I’ve learned to expect the unexpected in thriller novels). Really enjoyed it but I will say I didn’t fall in love with the characters quite as much as I usually when reading Coble. This was my first Coble/Acker novel and I will definitely read them all.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook!

Rating: 4.5/5

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker was my first introduction to Coble’s work, and it certainly won’t be my last. This mystery had me hooked from the start with its unique premise—a grieving widow discovering unsettling truths through an AI chatbot resembling her late husband.

The story seamlessly blends emotional depth with suspense. Katrina’s journey through grief, while uncovering the shocking truth about her husband’s death, was both moving and compelling. The AI element was a fascinating and fresh way to drive the mystery, and just when I thought I had things figured out, the plot twisted in ways I didn’t see coming. The ending left my heart aching, in the best way possible.

I also appreciated the themes of resilience, second chances, and finding healing through genuine connections. Seb’s role in Katrina’s life added a comforting layer of hope amidst the tension.

Karen Peakes’ narration brought the story to life, making the audiobook an enjoyable experience. If you’re a fan of well-crafted mysteries with emotional depth and clean storytelling, this book is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors Colleen Coble and Rick Acker, and the publisher HarperCollins Christian Publishing; Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. #IThinkIWasMurdered #NetGalley

I Think I Was Murdered completely boggled my mind! It was so refreshing to read this novel with its completely unique plot! While I did have major suspicions on whodunnit by about halfway through, I was still left guessing how, why, and all the other questions. As with anything written by Colleen Coble, there is a lot of relatable character growth and spiritual learning to be done as you read this fabulous tale. It will definitely become a reread—I loved it so much I bought the paperback version to keep on my shelf!

I wanted to love this book, especially with the AI angle.
I expected more tension-packed thriller, but instead it was more cozy mystery.

I really wish I could say I knew all along what was going to happen! I can't wait to add this to my thriller shelf after a big move!

Oh, this is an interesting one! This book follows Katrina Berg, a lawyer who works for a tech company. The FBI raids this company and Katrina goes back to her hometown while things get straightened out. Katrina is having a hard year, her husband died suddenly in a car crash, but her best friend made her a chatbot that was loaded with her deceased husband's social media, texts, videos, and anything they could find. Katrina has been using this Bot to help grieve and it feels like she is talking to her dead husband. So when she goes back to her hometown, it is not only after her husband died, her job was raided, but her Norweigen grandma died leaving her a restaurant. While back home she runs into a childhood friend Seb and these two get embroiled in the mystery of the Chat Bot who is now telling her that he thinks he was murdered. So now Katrina, Seb, and some other people are galavanting around searching for clues on Katrina's husband's death. While someone is clearly after them and threatening everyone. Oh, also there is some mild romance.
I loved this concept it is not one I have read before and utilizing AI to help solve this crime was amazing. Then we had all these weird twists and turns and it was fun. Are some of these twists super obvious? Yes! Are all of these plot points plausible? Not at all. However, it is still a fun story. I like that it is completely clean, with no swear words, no sex, just violence and some death, nothing graphic. This is put out by a Christian publisher, a great publishing company that I have read from since a wee tot, but the religious elements, which are very minimal, come out of nowhere, and it was like the authors remembered they needed to include their faith and all of a sudden everyone was praying for everyone they talk about their faith. I am good with religious literature it is just the way it was handled in this story felt like an afterthought. Is it just me? Or did it take you out of the story? Maybe I was looking for it too hard. Overall, entertaining and, a great concept, not the best book ever but still worth the read.