Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble
Series: Annie Pederson Book One
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; July 12, 2022

REVIEW BY JOAN HALL

I read and enjoyed Colleen Coble’s Rock Harbor series, so when I learned this series was set in the same location, I decided to give it a try.

Annie Pederson is widowed with an eight-year-old daughter. Annie has endured a lot of tragedy in her life. Her younger sister, Sarah, disappeared twenty-four years earlier. Annie blamed herself for not being able to save Sarah, and she’s never given up on trying to find her—alive or dead.

Annie’s parents and husband were killed in a boating accident, leaving her to manage the family marina and campground on top of her duties as a law enforcement ranger. Annie’s first love, Jon, returns to town, and she does her best to avoid him. But when her daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Annie is forced to make peace with him and deal with the heartbreak of the past. After finding a body in Lake Superior, Annie assists local law enforcement in investigating the death. She soon becomes the victim of threats, and a series of escalating events ensue—someone breaks into her home and combs through her personal belongings. Her daughter’s things are destroyed, and an arsonist targets the marina’s pavilion.

There is action in this book, as well as a redeveloping romance between Annie and Jon. The ending is satisfying in that one part of the mystery is solved, but there are ongoing events that I assume will be addressed in the second and third books.

There was a time to turn and face fear. Maybe God had let her fall so she could see it was time to let go of the past.

Colleen Coble, Edge of Dusk

I have a problem with Annie’s character. She gives in to her nine-year-old daughter, who is rude toward Jon. It’s too reminiscent of another character in Coble’s Rock Harbor Series. Does the author think all women should allow their children to dictate their lives?

The references to a gluten-free diet were overdone. I understand that someone who has to eat that way often finds choices difficult, but do we have to be reminded every few scenes?

Other than those couple of issues, I found it a satisfying read. Three and a half fish for this one.

image of three and a half drawn fish by British Museum on unsplash

I purchased the Kindle version of Edge of Dusk through Amazon.

27 thoughts on “Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble”

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  1. So much of ones personality can be infused into their writing, or maybe it’s just one of the characters’ quirks Lol.. despite the few annoyances, you seem to actually enjoy the story. 😊 I’ll have to give it a view after checking some more reviews.
    Thanks for introducing us to he work, and sharing a very honest review.

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  2. It sounds like Coble put Annie through the wringer. Unfortunately, I think a lot of parents let their children dictate certain aspects of their lives. In that respect, the story is true to life, so you haven’t dissuaded me. My mother has several Coble books on her shelf. I may have to borrow one. Great review, Joan!

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    1. There is more to come for Annie. I think what bothered me about the child dictating her life is that I’d recently read another series of hers in which she allowed another character to do the same thing. Thanks, Vera.

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  3. I appreciate your view on this one, Joan. I like Coble’s work, but will take a pass on this book in favor of others already in my digital TBR.

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  4. I have food restrictions, as do a few other family members. We barely mention it to each other. It seldom comes up in discussion (unless we’re discussing work-arounds of family recipes). That would bug me if it was prolific in the work.

    And I agree about this being the second child who dictated the happenings in the family. One character explores that dynamic. Writing a second, and so soon after the first series had that kind of relationship, feels overdone.

    All that said, it still sounds like you enjoyed the story, so that’s a plus. Thanks for sharing, Joan.

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    1. I did read the entire three-book series, so this wasn’t enough to distract me. (I’ll post the other reviews later this year.) I read in the author’s note that she’d been gluten-free for several years, so I don’t know if she was attempting to educate the public or perhaps voice her frustrations over the limited choices for those who must follow a gluten-free diet.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Staci.

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  6. The plot sounds good, one lots could relate to. I too would be annoyed by allowing children to dictate family lives. That seems to be a trend in books/movies, not one that appeals to me. Thanks for a great review.

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    1. I might not have noticed had I not read her earlier series just prior to reading this one. The plot was good, and I stuck with the series. I’ll review books two and three in the coming weeks. I will say the stories improved.

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  8. A great review. It’s always such a tricky subject – depicting parenting within books, as no one really does it exactly the same. But I tend to wince every time I see children disrespectful of parents in books and on TV as it normalises behaviour which should be seen as wrong.

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    1. Oh, I agree. I was taught to respect my parents and I cringe when I see disrespectful children. Not being a parent, I can’t judge how I would react in the same situation, but I’d like to think I wouldn’t allow myself to become “enslaved” to a child’s demands.

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  9. Great review, Joan. My family has various dietary restrictions or preferences, but they are not discussed. Also, I’m with you about the disrespectfulness of youth towards others. I’ll have to think about this one before deciding to read it. 😊

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    1. In all fairness, Gwen, the character did try to mend the rift between the child and Jon. I read all three of the series, and the books did improve. Reviews of the others will follow in the coming weeks.

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  10. I’ve read Colleen Coble before, just a single book which I really enjoyed (the title escapes me). I did pick up a few other books by her which I haven’t read yet. The series is set at the Outer Banks which appealed to me.

    This one sounds like a mixed bag, especially when it comes to the overdone references to dietary requirements and especially the MC’s daughter. I’m afraid the daughter would grate on my nerves. I’ll explore the Outer Banks series before trying this one.

    A fair and balanced review, Joan. Well done!

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    1. I’ve read two of the series set on the Outer Banks years ago. I enjoyed them. I recently picked up the third book of that series and it’s on my TBR.

      The daughter did get on my nerves. I tried to remember she’d recently lost the only father she ever knew, but still…

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    1. Thank you so much. I try not to write anything negative in reviews (if a book is that bad, I put it in the DNF file). But, I try to be honest. Except for the issues I mentioned, I enjoyed this one.

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  12. Great review, Joan. It sounds like a good read with those exceptions. We deal with celiac in our house and now its more second nature and rarely needs to be discussed. Parenting is a touchy issue but needs to be done.

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