Review: Silent Night by Colleen Coble

Book Description

As Christmas day nears, Bree and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.
Bree Matthews is preparing for Christmas guests, but her heart is reeling from the recent and tender loss of her unborn child. Her sister-in-law, Lauri, suddenly turns up on the doorstep of the lighthouse home Bree shares with her husband, Kade, in Rock Harbor. Secretive and withdrawn, Lauri seems curiously intent on discovering what happened to a parachuter who disappeared in the North Woods along Lake Superior's icy shore.
As Bree and Samson, her search-and-rescue dog, plunge into the search, Bree wonders if Lauri may know more than she’s admitted about the parachuter. And then the clues lead them to the trail of a young woman whose family fears the worst about her disappearance.
Will the search on this snowy, silent night lead Bree and Samson to more than clues about the missing girl? And will Bree’s prayer for a baby ever be answered?

My Review:

I had high hopes for this book. Colleen Coble is one of my favorite author and so far I have enjoyed the Rock Harbor series.

This book had a lot of potential. The look back into the lives of characters I've come to know in previous books was nice. The plot started out looking like it would be the complex and multi-faceted plots I have come to expect from Coble. And, in some ways she delivered. The plot moved very quickly and there were a very subplots that were interesting. There were unexpected twists in the plot that kept it interesting. But, in the end, I was just a little disappointed.

First, it really lacked the depth that I had expected. As I said, it started out looking like a complex plot, but it ended up seeming like there were just a few details thrown in to keep the smaller storylines going.Perhaps some of it was just a bit too ambitious for a novella.

And then, the storyline seemed very rushed. While I tend to expect a fast moving story from Coble, this one seemed very rushed.  It seemed like the foundation for a great book was there, but it needed more time and development to really make the story come alive. When I reached the end I couldn't help but think "That was it?" It just seemed too short, even for a novella.

Overall, it is a good book, but it's less than what I have come to expect from Coble.

*I must mention I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.