The Lightkeeper's Bride

Title: THE LIGHTKEEPER’S BRIDE
Author: Colleen Coble
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59554-266-3
Genre: Inspirational/historical suspense

Katie Russell works as a telephone operator in Mercy Falls, California, a job she loves. A well-off suitor has just asked for her hand in marriage, and her father has agreed. Even though Bartholomew Foster doesn’t stir her heart Katie does know that their engagement promises a secure financial future.

Will Jesperson is the new lighthouse keeper in town, and he has witnessed pirates hijacking a ship. First on the scene he is able to save two men, but unfortunately, the rest drowned. When his brother arrives on the scene, he sends Will into town to talk to a woman informant.

While working the phones, Katie overhears a chilling exchange, and when she goes to check on her friend, she’s discovered that she disappeared, leaving her young baby daughter unattended. Will shows up on the scene unannounced, and even though Katie doesn’t believe his explanation, they form an unlikely alliance. Could the crime Will witness and the one Katie overheard be related?

THE LIGHTKEEPER’S BRIDE is the second book in Ms. Coble’s Mercy Falls series, but it easily stands alone. In fact, I read the third book in the series before I read the second one. Ms. Coble is a master at suspense, and she is able to make the reader feel every bit of the tension.

Katie is a realistic heroine, and Will a strong, courageous hero, the type the I was glad to cheer for. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to woman who vanished during the scuffle, and how it was possibly related to piracy. I also wondered if Katie would make the right decisions. If you like historical romances coupled with suspense, you won’t want to miss THE LIGHTKEEPER’S BRIDE or any of the books in this series. 14.99. 292 pages.