Fragile Designs

by Colleen Coble Narrated by Karen Peakes

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A dynamic combination of romance and suspense, Fragile Designs will resonate with fans of Tell No Lies and Aftermath. This is Colleen Coble at her best, it is a propulsive, page-turning read and it is sure to stick with fans and newcomers alike.

There's only one thing more dangerous than family secrets.

Since her police-officer husband Eric's mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn't sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family's large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn't hesitate to kill for.

Homicide detective Lucas Bennett isn't his neighbor's biggest fan, not since she broke his brother's heart years ago. But when Carly turns to Lucas for help, believing she's found a lost Fabergé egg that would be worth millions and that could put her family's lives in danger, he can't help but get involved. Soon, they're entangled in a mystery with threads that lead all the way to the Russian mafia. Lucas has gotten in deep, and while he trusts his ability to keep Carly and her family safe, he begins to realize he's vulnerable to an unexpected kind of danger. And he's helpless to stop the freefall. As they continue working closely together, Carly and Lucas realize they may have found something more precious than gold. Yet it's only a matter of time before Carly-or, worse, someone she loves-gets hurt.

• Contemporary romantic suspense
• Stand-alone novel
• Book length: approximately 90,000 words

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Nobody does romantic suspense better than Colleen Coble. From a fascinating and fast-paced plot to characters who will make you want to cheer, Coble's novel offers up the perfect way to spend a weekend or any other time of the week. —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton

'Engaging characters, irresistible intrigue, and a slow-burning romance make Fragile Designs a captivating read.'

Library Journal

11/01/2023

Carly Harris is trying to adjust to life as a single mom after the unsolved murder of her husband. When her grandmother suggests renovating the family home into a bed-and-breakfast, Carly discovers generational secrets in the attic—including a treasure possibly worth millions of dollars. She reaches out to her next-door neighbor, a police officer, for advice, but neighbor Lucas gets more than he bargained for, as burglars and even assassins all turn out to be after what they think Carly has. As Carly and Lucas try to solve the mysteries uncovered in the attic, they also must deal with long-buried issues in their own families. The more they investigate, the more complicated the case gets—even spanning continents and linking back to a cold-case murder. VERDICT With tons of suspects and plenty of danger, this is Coble ("Annie Pederson" series) at her best. Readers will appreciate a stand-alone offering that'll keep them up all night with fast-paced and tightly written action. Similar romantic-suspense authors include Irene Hannon and Dani Pettrey.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160435961
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	01/02/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	344,650

Videos