Customer Reviews

The Lightkeeper's Bride (Mercy Falls Series #2)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Men & women. The 1908 north coast of California gets no more suspenseful than what Colleen Coble has put into "The Lghtkeeper's Bride" story. It's second in "A Mercy Falls" series but in no way is second place to the first story. Both are good as stand-alone books, but some characters do travel from inside one cover to the other. After all, coastal Mercy Falls is a small town.

Pirating and murder are witnessed by the new lighthouse keeper, Will. Events encourage him to take upon himself the care of a one-year-old girl whose mother disappears suspiciously. He knows nothing about keeping a lighthouse or a baby...oops.
Telephone operator, Katie, long a Mercy Falls resident, knows this is not right. The town newcomer is not to be trusted. From this point the plot becomes even more complex. Admittedly, I bought this, having read the first in this series; and expected another great Christian historical novel from Colleen Coble. I'm not disappointed.

Desire, blackmail, disease, adultery, crime, bankruptcy, secrecy, defection, and more in Katie's family association is much to much to endure--BUT, it sure keeps readers turning pages in this fast-paced mystery filled with action and suspense around every corner. Oh sure, amidst the pirate fighting and clue gathering is a bit of romantic sparking too. Suspense fans will call this book a mystery. Romantics will love its Christian drama. Coble is a master at mixing romance and mystery, like meringue on lemon pie. SWEET, yet TART!

It was enchanting to read in the acknowledgments at the end of the book that the baby Jennie's cute actions were somewhat based the author's real granddaughter. As a grandparent, I found that heartwarming. Even more exciting was the page that introduced the title, "The Lightkeeper's Ball", book 3, coming to Mercy Falls in January of 2011. I'll be saving my Christmas stocking cash for that book.
Mercy Falls Series is proving to be as great as this author's "Rock Harbor Mystery Series."

Review by Jill Williamson

Telephone operator, Katie Russell, is working the phone lines one evening when she overhears a frightening conversation between her friend Eliza and a familiar male voice. Katie reports it to the constable right away, but discovers that Eliza has gone missing, leaving behind her toddler daughter.

Katie decides to take charge of the child, only to discover that the lightkeeper has offered to take her. Katie doesn't trust this lightkeeper. He very well may have done something to Eliza. Yet he is so set on taking care of the child, Katie finds herself helping him. Her finance does not like this arrangement at all, but there is nothing to be done about that. Katie and the lightkeeper begin to investigate Eliza's disappearance on their own, which only draws them closer together. A dangerous situation for the mystery and for Katie's heart.

This was my very first Colleen Coble book. I liked it a lot. It's a historical romantic suspense novel. Heavy on the mystery, medium on the romance, and light on the history. I was drawn in by her characters and dialogue and the 1920'ssetting. The book moves along at a brisk pace with pirates, missing treasure, a missing woman, and a budding romance. If you like that combination, you'll love this book.

I didn't like this book as much as I did the first book in the series The Lightkeeper's Daughter. I didn't feel the suspense to be as scary nor did I find the characters that likable (at least to me). You don't' need to read the first book before starting this one but I will say that I missed Gideon the dog as well as other characters from the first story.

While the overall story is intriguing, the actual suspense part of this book fell quite flat for me. What could have been a good suspense plot kept having revelations happen too early and then lots of unnecessary plots kept getting thrown in. The question of "Who Is Jennie's Father?" didn't seem as if it was getting enough attention so that when it's finally revealed, you're like meh. Other than the two main characters, the supporting cast didn't win any points with me. Katie's parents seem to have a lot of issues that never get talked about or resolved and they seem to want to keep it that way. The ending didn't really interest me. It got so to the point where I stopped caring about what happened and why it happened and who did it.

Something that did bother me a bit was what is up with all the men in this series being with two sisters??? I swear in the first book, TWO guys did it and now it happens again! I understand that in upper class families of the time period, this might have been somewhat norm to keep money in the family and keep outsiders from infiltrating above their rank. But still, I'm a bit skeeved out at how often it's happening in this series. I know there's nothing technically wrong with it but I honestly wouldn't want a guy who's been with my sister, I'll find another new guy thank you very much! And everyone seems to be ok with it too!

I will say that I do enjoy the time period and I do like how Coble mixes suspense with historical settings and time periods. Also the cover of this book is beautiful. Hopefully the third book goes back to the good stuff from the first one.

The Lightkeeper's Bride was about as compulsively readable as the first book in the series. Ms. Coble is certainly gifted when it comes to writing historical romances. While Katie was a bit feisty and headstrong for a woman in that era, I still liked her. And I really liked Will, the lighthouse keeper. The whole intrigue and danger theme from the pirating was pretty engaging and I loved not knowing what was going to happen next. There were a number of twists I didn't see coming, and I liked that it wasn't predictable, at least not for me.

The romantic elements in this novel were especially endearing. Even with the restrictions of society at that time Ms. Coble does a great job with turning up the heat and making the romantic tension palpable. I loved that. Will was a great hero and the fact that he was enamored with a child endeared him to me even more.

The whole subplot about parentage was quite intriguing as was the whole issue of a missing woman. I loved that Katie had to deal with so many different feelings of betrayal in the midst of her other struggles. That was well done. The fact that Will was there to encourage her and that he prayed for her just made him more heroic. The faith thread in this book was light, but clearly present. I loved the fact that not everyone was what they seemed, however, because it made for an engaging novel. I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the series.

Mercy Falls California is a small quiet town in the earlier years of our nation. Everyone knew everyone else, good and bad, and made sure that news traveled. It was the days of a single telephone switchboard when anyone that had a telephone rang the switchboard to get connected to the number or person with whom they desired to communicate. Nell Bartlett and Katie Russell were the two switchboard operators that worked shifts opposite each other and pretty well worked out their schedules. When police or other emergency resources were needed it came through the switchboard, which made a huge difference in that emergency.

There was also a lighthouse in Mercy Falls where Will Jesperson faithfully worked to keep the light going to ward off any ships that came too close to the rocks along the shore. Will's hobby was studying the clouds and the waves and in his mind, some day the weather would be forecast through the information obtained through such things. Will couldn't believe his eyes when he spied a ship firing on another ship and throwing the crew overboard, seizing the ship. Piracy? Could that be happening in this peaceful area? Katie was on duty to receive the call from Will at the lighthouse requesting the constable and medical help for the men that were coming ashore, some dead and some possibly alive. To Will's surprise Will's brother, Phillip, appeared as a private investigator hired to find information about the piracy that apparently had been ongoing for some time in the entire area. It was strange since they had not heard from each other for years but now they had to put differences aside if possible and work with each other.

Katie heard that one of the women, Eliza, was having problems so she went to Eliza's house to see if all was well. No one answered but she could hear what sounded like a baby crying. She called the constable and sure enough, there was a baby inside Eliza's house. Throughout the book the parents of the baby were in doubt. No one would say they were the mother or father. The baby only added to the mystery of this normally quiet town. Now there was much more to gossip about! Will took a liking to the baby. He took the baby to the lighthouse and cared for it until something else could be worked out. A stranger tried to kidnap the baby but was fought off by Katie with her trusty skillet. When a smallpox epidemic hit the area, Katie moved into the lighthouse to be segregated from the diseased in town.

There is much mystery, lots of love, lots of history as well as a learning experience of lighthouses and piracy and how it affected many in the town. I have read several of Colleen Coble's books and have enjoyed the good clean Christian atmosphere in which she keeps her stories. "The Lightkeeper's Bride" is no exception. You will enjoy it from cover to cover and no doubt will become addicted to Colleen's writings as I have.

In Mercy Falls, Katie Russell enjoys her work as a telephone central switchboard operator. However, she is disturbed that her parents want her to marry wealthy Bartholomew Foster though she does not love him. The wedding will bring her family prestige which they want..

However, Katie accidentally overhears a phone conversation between Eliza Bullmer and a ship apparent lost at sea with the male voice angrily mentioning blackmail. The authorities investigate, but find nothing; not even the caller. Katie talks with the new lighthouse keeper, Will Jesperson; as a smallpox epidemic forces the pair to remain quarantined in the lighthouse. As they team up to find the vanished female caller and the seemingly phantom ship, they fall in love.

The latest Lightkeeper's Bride (see The Lightkeeper's Daughter) is a wonderful historical romantic suspense. Part of the exhilarating story line is the rather different views of the Victorian Era through various perspectives that showcase differing lives mean differing viewpoints in what Colleen Coble describes as diversity not monolithic. Filled with spins and waves, readers will enjoy the mystery of Eliza who disappeared Without a Trace left behind, except the tie to a male voice Katie heard in the background and the lost ship. Katie and Will fall in love while their belief in the Lord enables each to believe in each other and in their conviction that God will help them solve the mysteries safely and gain custody of beloved little Jenny; read to find out where this child fits in the strange mystery of the Lightkeeper's Bride.

Harriet Klausner

This absolutely the worst book I have ever read. The plot is scrambled and fragmented. The characters lack consistent positions on key plot points. In addition, issues are conveniently solved with characters or plot turns that were not mentioned before. Characters jump to conclusions with little or no reason. In short it amazes me that anything this bad managed to get published.

This is the second in the Mercy Falls novels series, 'The Lightkeeper's Bride,' and it's well-written, just like the first one ~ Katie Russell is a telephone operator in Mercy Falls - one evening, she hears a chilling exchange on the line, that begins an adventure-filled journey regarding the disappearance of her friend, Eliza. Like the first one, I really enjoyed this story by Colleen Coble: it was suspenseful and interesting, and kept me guessing, right up to the end: very well-written, I enjoyed the time I spent with these characters, and would therefore highly recommend this book!

The Lightkeeper's Bride is the newest entry in Colleen Coble's Mercy Falls novels, but it is a self-contained story. You don't need to have read its predecessor, "The Lightkeeper's Daughter," to enjoy the second novel.

Set on the Northern California coastline, at a time when transportation was by horse and buggy, bicycle or roller skates, and phone calls were routed through a central switchboard, The Lightkeeper's Bride is part historical, part romance, part mystery. Coble combines all the elements into a satisfying story.

Katie Russell works part-time as a telephone switchboard operator. She is expected to marry Bart Foster, a suitable young man. While at work, Katie inadvertently overhears part of a conversation, a woman demanding money from a man with a familiar voice. When the woman disappears, Katie feels compelled to help in the search.

Will Jesperson is the new lightkeeper, responsible for keeping the lighthouse and foghorn working. He witnesses a ship taken by pirates and many of its crew killed. He is drawn into the investigation of the piracy and also the missing woman whose child bears a striking resemblance to Will's brother.
Will and Katie both fight to keep their family secrets hidden while sharing care of the toddler Jennie. They are drawn closer together and closer to the killers until emotions and greed collide on the rugged coast.

Coble's prose is well-suited to the era of the story; she does a good job capturing Katie's and Will's feelings. The mystery is nicely laid with enough clues for the astute reader to follow.

My only criticism is I would have liked a date to anchor the story for me firmly in a time. I know the general era, but I didn't want to put down the book long enough to go research it myself.

This book was better to me then the first book. Much better well rounded characters, the action and mystery never stopped. The love story was complicated and they had to struggle a little to find there way. The main character was very likable. The leading man had some holes but was ok. The preachyness level was ok, nothing over the top. I liked that this was not an extension of the first books characters. The title of the book through me a little. This was a completely new set of characters and problems not related at all to the first book. You could read them separately and be just fine.Very clean with some sweet kisses!