Thursday, August 2, 2007

Abomination by Colleen Coble


A serial killer is loose in Upper Peninsula, Michigan, punishing people for their sins. One of his victims escaped with her life and small daughter. Now the race is on to identify the serial killer before he can finish his task.

I am a huge fan of Colleen Coble’s books, and Abomination is the best yet. One of the reasons I love her books is that she constantly writes stronger with more intricate plots in each book. She cares so deeply about the craft of writing and delighting her readers with a story that will absorb them.

Abomination is Colleen’s first hardcover and represents a subtle shift. In it, she returns to Rock Harbor. If you’ve read her Rock Harbor series, you will love the return trip and the chance to see what’s happened in Bree and Kade’s lives. If you haven’t read those books though, you will still enjoy this read. Colleen’s done a great job of balancing a setting that’s familiar without making it dependent on the earlier series.

This plot is also richly layered. Eve Andreakos has amnesia, which severally complicates her attempts to stay safe and protect her daughter – and even though I’ve seen this type of plot in other books recently, it worked very well in Abomination. Her ex-husband is the lead investigator on the case. Because of their divorce Eve knows there are issues between them, but isn’t sure what they are. He wants to start their lives together again, but she can’t. Her sister has shown up demanding something Eve can’t and won’t give her. And a former boyfriend dances into her life again.

The suspense in this book is high-paced, probably one of the tightest I’ve seen in from Colleen. And the romance is there, a slight step behind the suspense. The book strikes the balance I love when reading a suspense.

Run out to buy this book when it releases in August. If you love suspense, you will love Abomination.

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