Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble

 Edge of Dusk

Book Summary

Even though secrets lie off the coast of Rock Harbor, the truth will set Annie Pederson free—if it doesn’t kill her first. Return to the beloved town of Rock Harbor in the first installment of a new series by bestselling suspense author Colleen Coble.

Nine-year-old Annie Pederson’s life changed the night her sister was kidnapped. The two had been outside playing on a dock, and Annie never forgave herself for her role in her sister’s disappearance. Twenty-four years later and now a law enforcement ranger, Annie is still searching for answers as she grieves a new loss: the death of her husband and parents in a boating accident.

But Annie and her eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, aren’t the only people in the town of Rock Harbor whose lives have been marred by tragedy. While managing the property around the Tremolo Resort and Marina she inherited, Annie discovers a dead body floating in the cold Superior surf and begins to work with the sheriff’s office to tie the death to a series of other mysterious reports in the area.

At the same time, her first love, Jon Dustan, returns after nine years away, reigniting the town’s memory of a cold case he’d been suspiciously linked to before he left to pursue his orthopedic residency. For the sake of her investigation and her heart, Annie tries to stay away. But avoiding Jon becomes impossible once Annie realizes she is being targeted by someone desperate to keep secrets from the past hidden.

In this new series, bestselling romantic-suspense author Colleen Coble returns to one of her most beloved towns, where familiar faces—and unsolved cases—await.

My Thoughts

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble is the first An Annie Pederson Novel.  We travel to Rock Harbor in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the shores of Lake Superior.  Annie was nine years old when the attack happened.  Her younger sister, Laura wanted to see the loons.  They snuck out at night and were on the dock when a man came up, attacked Annie, and kidnapped Laura.  It has been twenty-four years since the terrible incident and there has never been a sign of Laura or her remains.  Annie has never been able to let go of the guilt for her part in her sister’s disappearance.  Annie lost her parents and husband in an accident two years prior leaving her to manage the Tremolo Resort and Marina and raise her daughter, Kylie.  Annie is also a law enforcement ranger.  Annie is down by the lake when she finds a body floating in it.  It turns out to be a missing hiker.  Annie is showing a cabin to a friend who wishes to purchase it when they discover two skeletons in a closet.  All of this coincides with the return of Jon Dustan who Annie has not seen since they broke up nine years ago.  As if Annie does not have enough on her plate, she notices that someone has been searching through her home.  They made no attempt to hide their search. While investigating the attack on a camper, Annie is assaulted.  Someone who wishes to keep the past hidden wants her to stop investigating.  Annie works with Jon to uncover the truth.  

Edge of Dusk is set in the same setting as Colleen Coble’s Rock Harbor series.  I thought Edge of Dusk was well-written with realistic, developed characters.  I did feel that Taylor Moore’s character needed more fleshing out.  It is a suspenseful novel with plenty of action.  I thought the author depicted the Upper Peninsula with her descriptive words.  She also captured the atmosphere (the spookiness of the woods, the isolation of the camp, the depth of Lake Superior).  I like the different storylines playing out in the book.  The missing teen girls from nine years ago, hikers being found dead, someone in Annie’s home, and a camper being attacked.  I enjoyed following the clues that would allow me to identify the killer (I love solving mysteries).  There are twists and unexpected details that keep everything interesting. I like the action and suspenseful moments.  There is romance as well as Annie and Jon are flung together. The feelings are still there between them (very evident).  Of course, there is the added complication of Annie’s daughter, Kylie.  

I was a little disappointed with the ending.  It was incomplete and we must wait for Dark of Night for answers. There was repetition of details throughout the story (two examples are that it has been nine years since Annie saw Jon and that Annie married Jon’s best friend).  There is one incident that I am surprised Annie did not figure out on her own or at least suspect.  It seemed so obvious (I cannot say more because I do not want to spoil it for you).  It will be interesting to see what happens next.  We get to catch up with some of the key characters from the Rock Harbor series (Bree for example).  Edge of Dusk is a compelling tale with a missing sister, a second chance romance, a precious puppy, a lethal killer, disturbing happenings, an adored daughter, and a fretful mother.

Edge of Dusk is available from Amazon*.  The next An Annie Pederson Novel is Dark of Night which comes out January 10, 2023.  Break of Day will the third novel in the series and it will be in the summer of 2023.  You can find the Rock Harbor series here.  Check out Colleen Coble's other novel here.  Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I am featuring Finding Her Amish Home by Pamela Desmond Wright.  I hope that you have a tranquil day (we all need less stress in our lives).  I am off to work outside on my summer display.  Evidently, my neighbors feel my home looks barren without my decorations (lights and inflatables).  I talked with my mother and we came up with a summer theme (seashell lights, Hawaiian snowman with surfboard, Santa and penguin enjoying the summer with hula skirts, beach balls).  It will be cute when I am done.  This will stay up until I do my fall decorations before the big Halloween extravaganza.  Take care, stay cool (so hot outside), and Happy Reading!  

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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