Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Thomas Nelson (2008), 336 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Christian Fiction. Inspirational. HTML:"Crackles with an ominous electricity, pulling you inside the mind of a killer who is terrifyingly twisted...terrifyingly real. The pages will race by as you read, but I guarantee your heart will race even faster." -T.L. Hines, author of Waking Lazarus A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms. Someone just tried to kill her, but she wouldn't recognize him if she saw his face. She doesn't even remember her own name. A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray--a woman and child missing, a chilling note. This crime scene is unlike any he has ever seen. The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He sees himself as a destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations. He has already killed five. He will kill again. And somewhere in the wilderness, in a secret geocache near where the wild swans gather, lies the unspeakable clue that links them all together. Michigan's rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A deftly woven thriller from the popular author of the Rock Harbor novels.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member onejan84
In this stand alone novel author Colleen Coble takes her legion of fans back to a beloved place and characters: Rock Harbor, Bree Nichols and her rescue dog Samson.
A woman driving at night, toward Rock Harbor Michigan and away from . . . something or someone. She can't recall what or whom. Neither
Meanwhile, out there somewhere is a serial killer who leaves clues to his crimes at geo-caching sites and Captain Nikos Andreakos is determined to bring the perp to justice. The secret to the madman's identity seems to be hidden behind his modus operandi, based on a Biblical passage from Proverbs 6 and other religious texts, as well as, swans.
What does all this have to do with one another?
You'll have to read Abomination to find out. :-)
Colleen Coble, long established as a force to reckoned with in romantic suspense, seems to stretch herself in this novel going for a story more suspenseful and less romantic than previous novels. Oh, there is romance and at times it's quite touching and engaging, but the real heart of this story is a serial killer and his capture before he can kill again and again and again. He won't stop until his end game goal is met.
As always the writing here is tight and easy to read. And one of the most fascinating things about Colleen's stories (all of them) is her knack for the unusual, whether that be an occupation or hobby, etc. In this novel, that little detail is geo-caching. I'd never heard of it before this novel. I've since done some research on the subject and find it extremely interesting.
Some of Colleen's fans may be taking back by this novel, but I'll ask them to give Abomination a chance. Yes, it is quite different from her previous novels. However, in this reviewers mind, growth is a good thing for an author and with this release Colleen Coble shows growth and fearlessness in attacking such a story.
A woman driving at night, toward Rock Harbor Michigan and away from . . . something or someone. She can't recall what or whom. Neither
Show More
does she know the little girl in the backseat. It must be her daughter. Right? Even more troubling, the woman has no memory of who she is. She only knows she must flee. She abandons her car and begins to walk along the road, daughter in tow, when Bree Nichols comes along.Meanwhile, out there somewhere is a serial killer who leaves clues to his crimes at geo-caching sites and Captain Nikos Andreakos is determined to bring the perp to justice. The secret to the madman's identity seems to be hidden behind his modus operandi, based on a Biblical passage from Proverbs 6 and other religious texts, as well as, swans.
What does all this have to do with one another?
You'll have to read Abomination to find out. :-)
Colleen Coble, long established as a force to reckoned with in romantic suspense, seems to stretch herself in this novel going for a story more suspenseful and less romantic than previous novels. Oh, there is romance and at times it's quite touching and engaging, but the real heart of this story is a serial killer and his capture before he can kill again and again and again. He won't stop until his end game goal is met.
As always the writing here is tight and easy to read. And one of the most fascinating things about Colleen's stories (all of them) is her knack for the unusual, whether that be an occupation or hobby, etc. In this novel, that little detail is geo-caching. I'd never heard of it before this novel. I've since done some research on the subject and find it extremely interesting.
Some of Colleen's fans may be taking back by this novel, but I'll ask them to give Abomination a chance. Yes, it is quite different from her previous novels. However, in this reviewers mind, growth is a good thing for an author and with this release Colleen Coble shows growth and fearlessness in attacking such a story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sunfi
I'm not really a big fan of Christian fiction and this reinforced that for me. While the suspense was good and the author is talented, I didn't care for the religious message at the end. A few of the loose ends weren't closed very well, I had the impression that it was a "God's will" type of thing,
Show More
because He wanted it that way, so be it. Show Less
LibraryThing member PleasantHome
Intriguing mystery. A little sinister.
LibraryThing member CarmenMilligan
This book was very good. It is Christian fiction, which I usually don't really care for, but it didn't hit you over the head with holier-than-thou characters and Bible verses. It was a murder mystery first. This was very enjoyable.
LibraryThing member bearlyr
The sign of an excellent story... I had it all figured out... EXCEPT I had the wrong guy! This is a page turner, and the characters are very engaging. I was thoroughly engrossed, and couldn't wait to see what was next.
This is a great choice for suspense thriller fans, especially if you enjoy the
This is a great choice for suspense thriller fans, especially if you enjoy the
Show More
hunt for a crafty serial killer. Pick it up, you won't want to put it back down until the last word! Show Less
LibraryThing member lamb521
Title: Haven of Swans (formerly titled Abominations)
Author: Colleen Coble
Pages: 336
Year: 2017
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating 5 out of 5 stars.
Wow! From the very start of the book, this story stole my breath and at times sped up the beating of my heart. The ending was so climatic I couldn’t
Her husband, Nick, is a captain for the Michigan State Police, and he and his wife are in the middle of a divorce. When he goes to pick up his little girl, the scene he encounters scares him. He cannot locate either his wife or 2-year-old daughter. After a while, he begins to be taunted by a person who has had something to do with his wife and child’s disappearance or death.
Through a wonderfully written tale, readers become enraptured with the characters like Bree and Naomi along with their search and rescue dogs or the sister of Eve, who has amnesia, and the family she can’t remember even though she must be ready to go to court to fight for her daughter to remain with her. There is so much going on in the book though it isn’t hard to follow at all; it is just the opposite. It really drew me in and wouldn’t let me go! I was up till 2:30 a.m. reading the book. The ending so caught me by surprise I wondered why I didn’t see it coming!
Colleen’s books are wonderfully written. They include faith, romance, danger, mystery, adventure, and more! I have yet to be bored by one of her books. I look forward to when her next book is published and will grab it at the first opportunity to read and then share it with a friend. Books allow us to enjoy a fictional place for a while as well as learn from the characters how faith can be tested and put into action.
So, pick up a copy and read till the very last page that will fill you with joy and hope!
Author: Colleen Coble
Pages: 336
Year: 2017
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating 5 out of 5 stars.
Wow! From the very start of the book, this story stole my breath and at times sped up the beating of my heart. The ending was so climatic I couldn’t
Show More
read it fast enough! The setting is the UP of Michigan. There is a woman who cannot remember who she is, the name of the child in her arms, or that she has been badly hurt! At first, she moves almost on auto pilot, but she cannot tell why or how she knows what she must do to keep “him” from finding her again. After some more time, she remembers her name, and with more time her past. Her husband, Nick, is a captain for the Michigan State Police, and he and his wife are in the middle of a divorce. When he goes to pick up his little girl, the scene he encounters scares him. He cannot locate either his wife or 2-year-old daughter. After a while, he begins to be taunted by a person who has had something to do with his wife and child’s disappearance or death.
Through a wonderfully written tale, readers become enraptured with the characters like Bree and Naomi along with their search and rescue dogs or the sister of Eve, who has amnesia, and the family she can’t remember even though she must be ready to go to court to fight for her daughter to remain with her. There is so much going on in the book though it isn’t hard to follow at all; it is just the opposite. It really drew me in and wouldn’t let me go! I was up till 2:30 a.m. reading the book. The ending so caught me by surprise I wondered why I didn’t see it coming!
Colleen’s books are wonderfully written. They include faith, romance, danger, mystery, adventure, and more! I have yet to be bored by one of her books. I look forward to when her next book is published and will grab it at the first opportunity to read and then share it with a friend. Books allow us to enjoy a fictional place for a while as well as learn from the characters how faith can be tested and put into action.
So, pick up a copy and read till the very last page that will fill you with joy and hope!
Show Less
LibraryThing member judyg54
This was another story set in the rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The whole "serial killer" plot line was very hard to read about, but the author did a great job of making you wonder who this person was. I was rather shocked when I discovered the answer.
You have a young woman
Then you have a cop who is looking for a demented serial killer. This time though when he is called to the scene he finds it is at his home, where his ex-wife and daughter live. There is no body, so there is hope in maybe finding her alive. Finally, you have the man who calls himself Gideon and sees himself as the "destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations". He has killed 5 aready and is after the one that got away.
If you like a good mystery, with terror and darkness added in, then you won't be disappointed with this story. The love that was obvious between these two main characters though was very touching and rewarding. And I always enjoy keeping up with the folks who live and work in Rock Harbor.
You have a young woman
Show More
discovered barefoot and bleeding beside the road with a young child in her arms. She has no memory of who she is or what has happened to her and is taken in by Bree and Kade (who you would know if you read the 1st 3 books in this series). Then you have a cop who is looking for a demented serial killer. This time though when he is called to the scene he finds it is at his home, where his ex-wife and daughter live. There is no body, so there is hope in maybe finding her alive. Finally, you have the man who calls himself Gideon and sees himself as the "destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations". He has killed 5 aready and is after the one that got away.
If you like a good mystery, with terror and darkness added in, then you won't be disappointed with this story. The love that was obvious between these two main characters though was very touching and rewarding. And I always enjoy keeping up with the folks who live and work in Rock Harbor.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JillsWorld5
This was my first Colleen Coble book that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! A true psychological thriller that is fast-moving and suspenseful with a touch of drama and romance.
This book takes everyone back to Rock Harbor with Bree, Kade, and the lovable search and rescue dog Samson, as they
Coble really has a way of telling a story, throughout the entire book I thought for sure I knew who the killer was, but as I was lead down another path I had my big jaw-dropping moment! I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books!
*I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This book takes everyone back to Rock Harbor with Bree, Kade, and the lovable search and rescue dog Samson, as they
Show More
assist Captain Nick Andreakos in his search for a serial killer who is really into geocaching. Coble really has a way of telling a story, throughout the entire book I thought for sure I knew who the killer was, but as I was lead down another path I had my big jaw-dropping moment! I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her books!
*I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
336 p.; 8.25 inches
ISBN
159554478X / 9781595544780