Blog Tour Review: Three Missing Days

posted in: blog tour | 2

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three Missing Days

by Colleen Coble

April 5 – 30, 2021 Tour

Synopsis:

Book Three in the gripping romantic suspense series from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble.

A chilling murder.

Chief of Police Jane Hardy plunges into the investigation of a house fire that claimed the life of a local woman as well as one of the firefighters. It’s clear the woman was murdered. But why? The unraveling of Jane’s personal life only makes the answers in the case more difficult to find.

Her son’s arrest.

Then Jane’s fifteen-year-old son is accused of a horrific crime, and she has to decide whether or not she can trust her ex, Reid, in the attempt to prove Will’s innocence—and whether she can trust Reid with her heart.

Her stolen memories.

Three days of Jane’s past are missing from her memory, and that’s not all that has been stolen from her. As she works to find the woman’s murderer and clear her son’s name, finding out what happened in those three days could change everything. It all started with one little lie. But the gripping truth is finally coming out.

Book Details:
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: April 6th 2021 Number of Pages: 352 ISBN: 0785228543 (ISBN13: 9780785228547) Series: Pelican Harbor #3 || These books are Stand Alone Mysteries but are better if read as a series! Purchase Links: Amazon | | |
Read an excerpt:
“I know what you did.” The muffled voice on her phone raised the hair on the back of Gail Briscoe’s head, and she swiped the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her hand. “Look, I’ve reported these calls. Don’t call me again.” She ended the call with a hard finger punch on the screen and stepped onto her front porch. The late-May Alabama air wrapped her in a blanket of heat and humidity, and she couldn’t wait to wash it off. She should have left the light on before she went for her predawn run. The darkness pressing against her isolated home sent a shudder down her back, and she fumbled her way inside. Welcome light flooded the entry, and she locked the door and the dead bolt with a decisive click that lifted her confidence. She stared at the number on the now-silent phone. The drugstore again. Though there weren’t many pay phones around anymore, the old soda shop and drugstore still boasted a heavy black phone installed back in the sixties. The caller always used it, and so far, no one had seen who was making the calls. The pay phone was located off an alley behind the store by a Dumpster so it was out of sight. The guy’s accusation was getting old. Counting today, this made seven calls with the same message. Could he possibly know about the investigation? She rejected the thought before it had a chance to grow. It wasn’t public knowledge, and it would be over soon. She clenched her hands and chewed on her bottom lip. She had to be vindicated. But who could it be, and what did he want? Leaving a trail of sweaty yoga shorts and a tee behind her, she marched to the bathroom and turned the spray to lukewarm before she stepped into the shower. The temperature shocked her overheated skin in a pleasant way, and within moments she was cooled down. She increased the temperature a bit and let the water sluice over her hair. As she washed, she watched several long strands of brown hair swirl down the drain as she considered the caller’s accusation. The police had promised to put a wiretap on her phone, but so far the guy hadn’t stayed on the phone long enough for a trace to work. And it was Gail’s own fault. She should have talked with him more to string out the time. She dried off and wrapped her hair in a turban, then pulled on capris and a top. Her phone vibrated again. She snatched it up and glanced at the screen. Augusta Richards. “I got another call, Detective. Same phone at the drugstore. Could you set up a camera there?” “I hope I’m not calling too early, and I don’t think that’s necessary. The owner just told me that old pay phone is being removed later today. Maybe that will deter the guy. It’s the only pay phone in town. He’ll have to use something else if he calls again.” “He could get a burner phone.” “He might,” the detective admitted. “What did he say?” “The same thing—‘I know what you did.’” “Do you have any idea what it means?” Gail flicked her gaze away to look out the window, where the first colors of the sunrise limned the trees. “Not a clue.” “Make sure you lock your doors and windows. You’re all alone out there.” “Already locked. Thanks, Detective.” Gail ended the call. Ever since Nicole Pearson’s body had been found a couple of months ago, no one needed to remind Gail she lived down a dirt road with no next-door neighbors. No one wanted to buy the neighboring place after such a lurid death, so the area remained secluded other than a couple of houses about a mile away and out closer to the main road. She stood back from the window. It was still too dark to see. Was someone out there? Pull back the reins on your imagination. But once the shudders started, they wouldn’t stop. Her hands shaking, she left her bedroom and went to pour herself a cup of coffee with a generous splash of half-and-half from the fridge. She had a stack of lab orders to process, and she couldn’t let her nerves derail her work. The cups rattled as she snatched one from the cupboard. The coffee sloshed over the rim when she poured it, then she took a big gulp of coffee. It burned all the way down her throat, and tears stung her eyes as she sputtered. The heat settled her though, and she checked the locks again before she headed to her home office with her coffee. No one could see in this tiny cubicle with no window, but she rubbed the back of her neck and shivered. She’d work for an hour, then go into the lab. The familiar ranges and numbers comforted her. She sipped her coffee and began to plow through the stack of papers. Her eyes kept getting heavy. Weird. Normally she woke raring to go every morning. Maybe she needed more coffee. She stretched out her neck and back and picked up the empty coffee cup. Gail touched the doorknob and cried out. She stuck her first two fingers in her mouth. What on earth? The door radiated heat. She took a step back as she tried to puzzle out what was happening, but her brain couldn’t process it at first. Then tendrils of smoke oozed from under the door in a deadly fog. Fire. The house was on fire. She spun back toward the desk, but there was nothing she could use to protect herself. There was no way of egress except through that door. If she wanted to escape, she’d have to face the inferno on the other side. She snatched a throw blanket from the chair and threw it over her head, then ran for the door before she lost her courage. When she yanked it open, a wall of flames greeted her, but she spied a pathway down the hall to her bedroom. Ducking her head, she screamed out a war cry and plowed through the flames. In moments she was in the hall where the smoke wasn’t so thick. She pulled in a deep breath as she ran for her bedroom. She felt the cool air as soon as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Too late she realized the window was open, and a figure stepped from the closet. Something hard came down on her head, and darkness descended. *** Excerpt from Three Missing Days by Colleen Coble. Copyright 2021 by Thomas Nelson. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

My Review:

“Three Missing Days” is Colleen Coble’s third book in the Pelican Harbor series. This story starts where book two ends and welcomes back chief of police Jane Hardy. To get you up to speed, Jane lived in a cult compound with her parents until she was fifteen. After giving birth to a baby she was told had died, her father took her and they both disappeared. Fast forward a decade and a half, and Jane is reunited with her son Will and Will’s father, Reid. In this installment of the series, Jane and Reid are trying to figure out where their relationship goes from here. Mix in Reid’s estranged wife Lauren, former cult leader Gabriel, a murder, three missing days, a dirty bomb, and a whole lot of regrets, and you have got yourself a pretty dramatic scene.

The title of this book refers to three missing days of Jane Hardy’s life while she was immersed in the cult.  She has no idea what happened during this time, believing she had been drugged.  This is a great way to tell this part of the story, as the reader and Jane both uncover the details as the book progresses. I really would have liked to have seen more time spent within those days rather than just a narrative about what took place, but we did not get too much of that. As this drama plays somewhat in the background, the major story- arson ending in the deaths of two people- occurs early on, with fifteen-year-old Will accused of the crime. The rest of the story is Reid and Jane trying to find justice for Will and get their son out of custody. As with most thrillers everything is tied up neatly at the end, and while I do like these characters and have enjoyed this series, I think it’s a good place to stop. It looks like Reid, Jane and Will are finally getting the peace that they all wish for and deserve, and it feels like a happily ever after ending.

A good read, for anybody who is interested in thrillers with a Christian undertone. No sex scenes, but the suggestion is there, and Cobel is certainly not a prude when it comes to writing about the normal physical interactions of a couple. Cobol is part of the Harper Collins Christian publishing team and her story has a fair amount of references to God, prayer and faith. While this book can be read as a standalone, I would not recommend it. It would be challenging to follow if one did not know the back story. Start with the first book in the series, “One Little Lie”, followed by “Two Reasons to Run”.

Thank you to Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Author Bio:

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series. Connect with Colleen online at: Website |

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

 

 

Giveaway!:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Colleen Coble and Thomas Nelson. ONE (1) winner will receive ONE (1) physical set of the first three books in the Pelican Harbor series. (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on April 5, 2021 and runs through May 2, 2021. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

Sharing is caring!

2 Responses

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *