Colleen Coble’s book The Lightkeeper’s Ball begins with a shocking revelation — Eleanor Stewart is dead. She had only recently gone out West to marry the son of her father’s business partner, and mystery surrounds her unexpected passing. Her sister, Olivia, is told that she will marry her sister’s fiance to ensure that the family doesn’t lose their wealth, but before she can even meet him, she discovers a letter her sister wrote before she died telling her to trust no one. So, Olivia keeps her identity a secret as she moves West. Before long, she meets the man she is intended to marry, and she finds herself in danger of being killed by an unknown assailant.

I had never read any of Colleen Coble’s books before this. She is a Christian fiction writer specializing in romantic mysteries. While Christian themes were present in the book, they weren’t overpowering or cheesy, and the mystery elements of the story were well thought out. I never saw the ending coming! The pace of the book, while slow at the very beginning, picked up once the characters were well established and didn’t stop until the conflict and mystery was resolved. And until the main characters fell in love, of course, which was the only predictable part of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery read, with a little bit of romance on the side.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are mine entirely.