Beyond a Doubt

Title: Beyond a Doubt
Author: Colleen Coble
Genre: Fiction

Bree Nicholls and her 4 year old son Davy live in a lighthouse located on Lake Superior's rocky shore along the rugged terrain of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. When Bree discovers a corpse in her basement, a whirlwind investigation ushers in fear and danger in the lives of Bree and her son.

Laurie is a teenager mixed up in the wrong crowd and suddenly finds herself in a real mess sneaking around, breaking and entering with her boyfriend, pregnant and possibly facing jail time.

Kade is Laurie's older brother and legal guardian since their parents have both passed away. He is in love with Bree but can't bring himself to tell her. Kade also is a park ranger and dedicated to saving the lives of orphaned baby animals. He is brought into the plot of the story when he discovers a body along the lakeshore.

I was really excited to read this book because it took place in my home state. We have vacationed many times along the shores of the Upper Peninsula and immensely enjoy the beauty found there. That, along with the acclaimed mystery was what drew me to this book. However, as I started reading it, I felt "lost", like I was missing pieces to the story. There was nothing in the first few pages to indicate this was part of a series. I flipped to the last few pages and then realized there were more books written by the author. It was at that point I realized I was reading the 2nd book in a series.

Beyond a Doubt has an ok story line, but many strings are left hanging at the end. I guess you need to get the next book in the series to find out what happens to Laurie's baby, what happens to Anu and Abraham's relationship, what happens in the romantic tri-angle that is Kade, Bree and Nick....I'm just not sure I'm game for this kind of series. Readers who enjoy Terry Blackstock may also enjoy Colleen Coble’s writing style.