Jane Hardy has been appointed interim police chief after her father retires from the job. But in this small southern town, some people aren't too sure she can handle it. To complicate matters, a very handsome documentary producer has arrived in town and wants to profile her for a series on small town police. Jane doesn't need this annoyance when she has two fresh murders to solve. Plus she has some personal history that still haunts her and she does not want it to be revealed.

The characters in this book are complex and provide much interest in the story. In particular, I liked the character of the producer's teenage son, who is portrayed as mature and level-headed, unlike most teens in novels. I also, as is always the case with Colleen Coble novels, enjoyed the thought-provoking life lessons that underlie the main mystery. Another enjoyable book from a great author!

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.

It's an enjoyable read. I enjoyed this author's writing.

The characters were great & relatable. I enjoyed the twists & turns & action & surprises.

Thanks to the author, publisher & Netgalley for this ARC read. All opinions are my own.

One Little Lie by Colleen Coble was a fun Christian suspense book. This story caught me straight from the start. I was on my chair trying to figure out what happened to the baby and what was the truth.

I also got to listen to the audiobook for this and the narrator was good. She brought the story to life.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

I throughly enjoyed this read, however I felt as the the "main" mystery was too predictable, however I enjoyed following how the story unfolded as more secrets came to the surface even though it felt a bit far fetched, the writing style was engaging it keeps you wanting to know how everything ends. The romance plot was well done and just the right amount given the plot. This was my first reading experience with this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2.5⭐️

My interest piqued when I read this story was about a cult. Sadly, that was barely a part of the story. Although it did come full circle, I was expecting it to be the main focus of the plot.

Calling this a romance was also a far stretch. Whatever love was discussed wasn’t done in a healthy manner. The prologue helped the rest of the story become pretty predictable but in a good way — hoping for the story to unfold the way it did.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it felt choppy with a lot of unnecessary characters in the middle. I had a hard time following who was who and who belonged to who. The beginning and end were enjoyable but all the stuff in between just wasn’t it for me.

"One Little Lie" is the first in The Pelican Harbor series. Like other Colleen Coble books, this is a wonderful romantic suspense book. This book is police procedural theme, for those who like those (I do!) and the FMC is very strong! Colleen always does an excellent job with pacing and blending the romance with the suspense. I also love that she can write a gripping thriller without swearing and "spice"--"One Little Lie" gives you all the tension without having to worry about your kids walking in on your audio book! Excellent narration too! Easy 4 stars!!! *I received a complimentary audio ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I hadn't read a Colleen Coble book for years, so when I saw this one I knew I needed to read/listen to her writing again.
This book was everything I wanted from a Colleen cable book! The book was intriguing from the beginning and I was hooked. This story is full of twists and turns that I hadn't been able to predict.
The narration was wonderful!

So many layers! Suspense, heartbreak, mystery, lies, and truth. I loved Jane and Reed and can't wait to dive into book 2!

Anyone who is looking for a new suspense/thriller series will want to look into bestselling author Colleen Coble’s Pelican Bay Series, where the first installment is, One Little Lie. The book is set in the small southern town of Pelican Bay, and Jane Hardy, a young police officer, is named chief of police after her father’s retirement. Since there are only five officers in this small town, and there are some who are against her new position, Jane has her work cut out for her, especially since an elderly shrimper brings up a cooler with the torso of a man who has been dismembered and dressed in a bloody wedding dress. There is another murder the same week, and a stranger to Jane, Reid Dixon, comes to town to film a documentary on Jane; he is semi-famous for producing a documentary on cults. Jane was in a cult with her parents until she was 14, but her father took her out after she had a baby boy who died and the area was destroyed by fire.

Colleen Coble is the author of several series that are clean, suspenseful, and a bit romantic. She does a good job of telling the story and adding unexpected twists and turns with surprise endings that keep readers on the edge. In this, Jane is a likeable protagonist, and very believable. Coble does a good job of developing both Jane and the supporting characters. Her father is arrested for the murders, and she works hard to prove his innocence.

All told, this is a great introduction to a new series and is a good one to read. The audio version has an excellent narrator, so readers may want to listen instead of read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Title: One Little Lie
By: Colleen Coble
Pub. Day: March 3, 2020

Genre:
Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Christianity, Audiobook

Trigger Warnings:
Cults, (undertones of underage sex, and violence)

Favorite Quote:
“She'd left God behind long ago, and she doubted he'd care to hear from her now that she was in the worst trouble of her life.”

Colleen Coble does it again!!! I love all works written by this creatively skilled author!

Review:
This is the first installment in the Pelican Harbor series. Highly Recommended!!!

Jane is the new chief of police, replacing her retired dad. As Jane moves into the position, the community of Pelican Harbor, Alabama, becomes thrown into the realms of chaos. Coble takes the reader down an engaging twisty path of secrets, lies, and utter mayhem. As additional characters are cast into the unexpected twists and turns, Jane continues to be surprised by the evidence brought before her, and is on a mission to uncover the truth. Coble’s first novel in this series is off the charts good, focused on themes of faith vs. fear until the uncertainty of the secrets come full circle. Coble spotlights the connection between a father and daughter relationship with tidbits of romance.

The audiobook was narrated by Devon O’Day who read with consistency, clarity and enunciation. She has a way of bringing Colleen Coble’s stories to life!

Thank you to Colleen Coble, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my personal review.

#OneLittleLie
#ColleenCoble
#DevonODay
#ThomasNelson
#ZondervanFiction
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley
#ARC

One Little Lie pulled me in right from the start. It begins with Jane and her father escaping a controlling cult, and the heartbreak of her baby “dying” in the process. Fast-forward 15 years, and Jane is being promoted to police chief just as her father retires. But her new role isn’t easy—she’s under pressure, dealing with two new murders, and being followed by a famous journalist who writes documentaries and is working on one about what it’s like to be a female chief in a small town.

The tension builds as secrets from the past resurface, and everything starts to unravel. The entire story hinges on one lie told 15 years ago—and when it comes to light, everything changes.

This book has layers mystery and great emotional depth. I loved the way the past and present collided, and how Jane’s strength and vulnerability came through. A compelling mix of small-town drama, crime, and long-buried secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished Colleen Coble's "One Little Lie," and while I typically shy away from giving away plot points, I have to admit, I figured out the "big twist" relatively early on. Usually, this would be a death knell for a mystery novel in my book, but I'm genuinely happy to say that in this case, it didn't detract from my enjoyment one bit.

Coble has a real knack for crafting compelling characters. I found myself genuinely invested in their journeys, rooting for them, and feeling their struggles. It's rare to connect so deeply with a cast in a mystery, but here, it was effortless. Even knowing where some threads were leading, the journey with these characters was captivating.

And the mystery itself, despite my early deduction of the central secret, was still incredibly engaging. There were enough layers, red herrings, and additional questions to keep me utterly hooked. I found myself constantly turning pages, eager to see how everything would unfold, how the characters would react to the revelations, and how all the pieces would finally fit together. Honestly, I just didn't want to stop reading. It was one of those books that you pick up "just for a few more pages" and suddenly it's 2 AM.

So, while the central reveal might have been a bit telegraphed for me, the rich characters and the skillfully woven, gripping narrative earned "One Little Lie" a solid four stars. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a mystery that pulls you in and keeps you turning pages!

This was my first read of this authors and it was pretty good. I was lucky to be provided an audio copy of this book, but almost wish I had it in physical copy.
The narrator's voice was not my favorite and I felt the change in voice between characters was really confusing? It may have actually been the story though and not the audio, but I felt like there were missing pieces or unbelievable situations that just wouldn't happen in real life which made me struggle with this book a bit.
Overall, well written I felt and enjoyable!

This was my first read by Colleen Coble - Her writing was amazing and I never can figure out who done it. I enjoy her clean writing and the stories are always Christ based. Honestly there is never a dual moment. She is such a joy to read. I have never read her romances but I will one day give it a try. If you are looking a clean and fun read I suggest One Little Lie. Good thing there are two more.

I absolutely devoured this book, and I loved every second of it. The many amazing plot twist, and the many theories you get from reading this, might be right, and might not be right. I had a feeling that I knew what was going on, but also not. Amazing. Just amazing.

This was my first time reading Colleen Coble, and I have to say—I really enjoyed it! The story blended romance, mystery, and suspense beautifully, all while staying rooted in its Christian fiction foundation. I especially appreciated the themes of faith, forgiveness, and trusting God that were naturally woven throughout the plot. The Southern setting added a warm charm to the story, and the characters felt believable and well-developed. The mix of suspense with spiritual depth made it a compelling and meaningful read. I’m happy to say this was a great start to the Pelican Harbor series, and I’m definitely excited to dive into books two and three!If you’re looking for a clean, faith-based mystery with heart, One Little Lie is a great pick.

This is a first of a series and my first book by this author. It's a fairly quick and easy read. It's categorized as romantic suspense, but it was very light on both and heavier on the police procedural. It had a great plotline (cults, family drama and murder) but overall it fell really short. It wasn't quite what I was expecting and I thought it was just okay.

I listened to the audiobook and every voice sounded basically the same. This made it challenging to listen to considering there were a fair amount of characters ranging from young children to older adults, male and female.

A slow read. I listened to this as audio and my mind kept wandering. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable in physical format.

Honestly I went into this blind. I knew this book was a thriller and that was it. What a ride this was!! I was not expecting this to be a Christian thriller because like I said I went into this blind but I really really enjoyed this book. Colleen Coble I will be reading more of your books! Somehow the cult and small town murders just made sense and I need more of it. I love how everything came together at the end in a way I was not expecting at all!

This was not first Colleen Coble book. I enjoyed listening to it. It firmly fits into a clean romance story. . The suspense is good. I figured it out early, but it didn’t decrease my enjoyment of the story. I am intrigued enough to read the second book.