A small town, second chance romantic suspense
Book Blurb:
In the third book in USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble’s Sanctuary series, Paradise Alden learns firsthand that a conspiracy of lemurs is a family . . . but a conspiracy of people can be deadly.
Fifteen years of secrets. One chance for justice.
Just as wildlife veterinarian Paradise Alden begins to envision a future with Blake Lawson, the ghosts of her past return with a vengeance. The murder of her parents has shadowed her for fifteen years, but a new threat brings the cold case into the terrifying present. A trained leopard–a chilling embodiment of Paradise’s deepest fears–is now stalking her.
Haunted by resurfacing memories, Paradise, Blake, and her newfound brother, Drew, follow a trail of clues that leads them into a web of dark family secrets. The deeper they dig, the more shocking the connections become, linking their families to a dangerous conspiracy that someone is still willing to kill to protect.
With every step closer to the truth, the killer becomes more desperate. Paradise, Blake, and Drew must race to expose a murderer who has remained hidden for fifteen years, but this time, they are the ones being stalked. If they can’t unmask the killer, the past will destroy both the fragile future Paradise and Blake are trying to build and the family she has finally found with her brother.
Colleen Coble’s Conspiracy combines gripping suspense with slow-burn romance and includes intriguing mysteries from both the past and present, sabotage and danger, second-chance romance, found family, and themes of overcoming pain and how the past doesn’t have to define you. Perfect for fans of Laura Dave, Allison Brennan, and Lynette Eason.
The Sanctuary series: Ambush (book 1), Prowl (book 2), and Conspiracy (book 3)
My Review:
My guess is that I acquired this book hoping Book 3 could read as a standalone and, for the most part, it does. I didn’t read either Book 1 or 2 and missed that it is faith based. I expected a suspenseful mystery story and, again, for the most part, it is.
First, the names of the two main characters began to annoy me: Paradise and Blake. Her half-brother Drew, perhaps more formally Andrew, possibly based from Celtic roots. I’m not sure why the clash bothered me, but I kept tripping over “Paradise.”
Then I realized I’d missed the part that called it a slow burn. And, indeed, it is. Guess I prefer that to she and Blake jumping into bed at every opportunity for some afternoon delight.
When Paradise lost her parents, she became a ward of the courts and foster care, where, once again, descriptions of abuse at the hands of caregivers is enough to make a twelve-year-old opt to live on the streets instead. (How do I manage to have successive books with the same theme? Usually it’s the same names.)
Then there is Drew, a (former?) detective, who is ready to join the half-sister train and move to Alabama. Together, their goal is to solve the murders of Paradise’s parents and Drew’s dad. Yup—can’t be a coincidence—but that’s how they found each other.
I was impressed, however, that Paradise is written as a wildlife veterinarian at an animal refuge in Alabama. Blake’s mother owns it. This book doesn’t go deeply into how Paradise comes to work there or where she came from or how with such varied and sufficient knowledge. My bad for not reading Book 1 and 2 first! Not a fan of apes in general, however, was interested in the different origins and biology of a “wet-nosed” primate. Lemurs came before apes. “Conspiracy” is the collective noun for lemurs as is a “murder of crows.”
In between twists, some building tension, and clues dropping like bread crumbs, there are slow areas for me (i.e., romance). The relationship with Blake is a sweet one though, since she has no family and he has plenty, a believable match. There are numerous references to faith and prayers.
Although an interesting or unique plot, I had a little problem with the pacing, losing the thread, and the protagonists’ half-brother, as well as the MC names.
Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars 
Book Details:
Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance, Christian Mystery & Suspense
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Title Link(s):
Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
The Author: USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Colleen Coble has captivated readers with over 6 million books in print, earning #1 spots on Amazon. Her novels blend suspenseful plots, emotional depth, and faith-filled redemption that keep fans turning pages late into the night.
Colleen also teamed up with attorney Rick Acker. Together they launched the high-octane Tupelo Grove series which infused her signature coastal intrigue with Rick’s courtroom-sharp twists. Multiple high concept novels continue to flow from their fun and exciting collaboration including I Think I Was Murdered, a ripped-from-the-headlines AI suspense novel.
A passionate mentor to aspiring writers, Colleen has served on the American Christian Fiction Writers board for 20 years, helping foster a warm and supportive community. A life-long Hoosier, she and her husband recently moved to Arizona where she continues to spoil her grandchildren and craft stories in the sunshine.
©2026 V Williams
A well written novel and believable tale of love. There is romance and clashes between some of the characters. It’s a well plotted and paced narrative, well worth the reader’s time. Despite a slightly slow start, I found my interest growing as I read and by halfway through the book did not want to put it down. Read and enjoy. You will not be disappointed. CE Williams
Best Literature & Fiction
I recommend it as an empathetic and well-researched and written narrative. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
The snails are the clowns of the aquarium, breathe both water and air, will go exploring, eat most any veggie and are tolerated because they clean up algae. The downside, of course, is that they reproduce like rabbits and put a heavy load on otherwise clean water. It’s been an education.
Speaking of education, a gal in one of my exercise classes started talking to me about her participation in Mahjong. Well, Mahjong! 
I was introduced to the original Mahjong over in Japan when we lived there and, fascinated, went out and bought and brought home, a set of Mahjong tiles. I paid 800 Yen back then, or about $2.20, and now approximately $5.08 USD. Of course, no way, shape, or form could the Asian game be close to the now sanctioned National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) game, not that I remember how we played it back then. Needless to say, I’ll be starting a beginner class shortly. I guess it’s really catching on in the States now.
The first week of October will be our third anniversary with Punkin the Pom, who has finally allowed me to pet her (by invitation only), and has jumped up on the couch if we aren’t there and the bed when we are, though doesn’t stay close longer than to say goodnight. She will turn seven years old two weeks after that. I must say, she is a very easy dog to live with, for the most part undemanding.
