Without a Trace (Rock Harbor, Book 1) Paperback – July 8, 2007

This was the first book (and so far the only) I've read by Colleen Coble, and the words that come to mind is "impressive!" This is an author that will stick out in my mind forever now. Without a Trace was such a good book with the perfect touch of suspense that as soon as I finished, I went online to wishlist her other books for future reading. I actually got this one, Without A Trace as a free Kindle download, and the book was one hell of an introduction to a new favorite author, which I already suspect Colleen Coble will be, for me.Without giving away too many details -- and I feel like it would be very easy to give away too much without trying to -- I would like to say that Without A Trace is well written, reads very smoothly and has enough suspense and intrigue that it had me longing for bed-time so that I could read more.The characters have bold, realistic personalities and are memorable, and the plot somewhat predictable, but still has that shock factor that keeps you on edge and wanting to read more. Every details is wrapped up perfectly before you reach the end.This author knows how to do suspense! One might could compare her writing style to that of Mary Higgins Clark, my all time favorite author ever. Not super close, but their styles are a little similar.I have to admit, though, probably mid-way throughout the book, I started getting the sense that the main character was this "damsel in distress" who always had to have a man come to her rescue, and that was about to annoy me when the two females find a little strength of their own and accomplish something without having to call a man. However, this was a very common thing throughout the book. For instance, the main character is afraid of heights so when she's hanging outside of her light-house to fix something and nearly falls. This whole thing was not remedied by a man, thankfully, but many situations, even simple ones that any woman of any age could likely take care of herself in the real world, had the two women calling a man to come help. One example is when a little boy gets himself locked in a bathroom, and instead of simply picking the lock, the two females call their male friend to come and help. To pick a lock.Another thing that gave me the impression that the author forgot that women could actually do things for themselves was when one of the women expresses the need to have a "strong man" to be there to help her. I felt like the whole damsel in distress in dire need of a big strong man to do every single thing for her was going to be a main part of the entire book, but thankfully, the characters do end up being a little tiny bit more independent than that. I suppose I would've been a bit irritated if it were completely damsel-in-distress-in-need-of-a-big-strong-man to come to her aid for everything, and mostly because today, women do virtually everything themselves. It's not realistic that a woman would call a male for everything, such as to pick a lock. That's just not realistic in today's world.Another thing I would like to point out is that I got the impression that since this book obviously involves Christian characters that it was going to be one of those bring-them-to-Jesus books where the plot is boring and the only focus is pushing someone to Christ. While I have no problem with Christian related books at all, and happen to be Christian myself, I've read a lot of books that are not "good" because the author focuses only on that subject and it'll often include odd, mysterious 'happenings' that occur to bring someone to God. They just aren't realistic and simply don't give the reader the emotions they tend to like in a suspense book.That said, I was happy that Colleen Coble shows her skills at blending Christianity with a very interesting, intriguing book with some suspense tossed in. While there is a non-believer as a character who's being pushed a bit by loved ones to seek God, I definitely did not get the impression that that was the sole purpose of the book. It's just a part of the book that's blended in well, and I feel like Christians and non-Christians alike will find this satisfying and not annoyingly religious.An overall well-rounded book.

I'm blown away. This was my first Collen Coble book and will most definitely not be my last! Just...wow! Amazing!

So nice to read a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat without language and etc. Highly recommend this author and this series!

Absolutely wonderful!! Loved this book so much for the reminder to never give up on faith and hope. Great series starter!!

This is the second Colleen Coble book I have read and it did not disappoint. I loved the storyline about the rescue dogs in the town of Rock Harbor, Michigan. The saga of Bree’s search for her husband and son was excellent and of course, Bree’s struggle, and ultimate acceptance of Christianity added to it. I am looking forward to reading more in the Rock Harbor series.

Mature writing evidenced by well-rounded characters that it’s very easy to care for and bond with. A mystery that pulls you in from the first page. And great window dressing, of course, for fans of small town settings. I even found myself drawn to the personalities of the dogs! Now that’s good writing, lol.The pacing marks this as more of a cozy mystery than a thriller, but I was nonetheless surprised at how much drama leached out of each page. Backstory was slipped in rather seamlessly, lending the “full body cabernet” feel to the writing. The author sneaks in some sly humor amidst all the drama, not enough to make this a comedy-drama, but enough to indicate once again a certain writing sophistication and characters that come to life in his hands with that much more appeal.You can’t skim this book or let your attention lapse. There’s just too much information squeezed in ever so tightly. I was amazed at how many characters I was introduced to in the first couple chapters, and yet was able to keep them sorted and had a very clear sense of each; a very hard thing to do and another great testament to the skill of this author. This is a definitely writer to watch and a series to jump in on. Not too much by way of caveats, other than to say the book is longer than it appears. The print is a good deal smaller than what I’m used to seeing pop up in my cloud reader. But that’s just that much more book to get lost in and a problem easily remedied by boosting the size of the text into something more in your comfort zone. There were times when I wanted to scream, after so many chapters, “This is really enough characters to introduce me to and to ask me to track, thank you! And could we just get on with advancing the mystery.” But if you’re willing to work a little harder than normal, and take a slightly more leisurely, rainy day pace, this is still a great book with a ton of atmosphere. Disclaimer: I’m so used to the breakneck pacing of thrillers that read like high-octane Hollywood movies that this may well have been more of an adjustment for me than it will be for you.

I really enjoyed this book, it was excellent and a great finish to the story, awesome

Good book if a little insipid at times. Will get some more to read again.If the storey line is one I like.