Book Review for THE HOUSE AT SALTWATER POINT by Colleen Coble

2/8/2018

USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble delivers her signature blend of romance and suspense when Ellie Blackmore sets out to find the truth about what happened to her sister.

Ellie Blackmore is making a name for herself as a young house flipper. But when her sister disappears, she can’t focus on anything but finding out what really happened. Blood on the floor might indicate that MacKenzie was killed and her body was removed.

Ellie is at odds with Grayson Bradshaw, the handsome Coast Guard intelligence officer who thinks MacKenzie faked her own death and is off enjoying her ill-gotten gains: billions of dollars in cocaine.

They both want the truth, but truth—and family—is often more complex than it may first appear.

From stealing a major load of drugs, to sabotage, murders, fires, and terrorist attacks the story covers or glimpses many different kinds of criminal activities and near death situations in the intense suspense side of the tale. Add to that the family drama, the kidnapped baby, the secret adoption, new families, bitter exes, and the developing love story, and I admit at times it felt a bit overwhelming at times. Thankfully, the protagonists, Ellie Blackmore and Grayson Bradshaw, hold the story together well with their intriguing characteristics, charm, and composure.
Grayson Bradshaw's career and life, in general, was shattered by the ambush that killed his best friend and left him with a bad knee that put him into a desk job with the coast guards. At the start of a new investigation, he finds out a family secret that changes his life forever and rocks his stable mind and relationship with his parents.
Ellie Blackmore is happy with her life as a successful business owner of a construction company that flips houses. She might have to balance her life, and the peace of mind, between her sister Mac and her business partner Jason, who happens to be Mac's ex-husband, but things are going well for Ellie until her sister disappears on her birthday, and the rumors start to fly about her involvement of stealing drugs, and being part of terrorist cell.
I liked Ellie and Grayson together, they had a palpable thing between them, a connection, an understanding, a bond, attraction. It is like from the first moment they met, they click, even if it is not obvious to themselves, at least it is to the readers. Their faith in God is an assumed and understood fact, while it is in not a major part of the plot, God's guidance in their life is a trusted datum.
They do not agree on every or most points of the investigation, yet they support each other, protect each other, and encourage the other while on the hunt for information and for the truth. A truth that is so twisted and convoluted that I could have never guessed it while reading the story, the surprises keeps coming, and even the major players of the tale are not safe from the harm and malice of the criminals.
A vibrantly speedy action-packed tale with plenty of twists and turns, in the intense suspense, the human drama side as well as with the lovely, sweet and clean romance. With vivid images, constant surprises, startling twists, and compelling characters the author delivers another gripping and puzzling tale in the winning series, an entertaining and captivating tale.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

USAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Indiana. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 2 million books in print