Rosemary Cottage

Coble’s snappy, smooth second Hope Beach contemporary Christian romantic thriller (after Tidewater Inn) is full of plot but low on romance and faith. Amy Lang retreats to her family’s Outer Banks beach house in North Carolina to investigate the death of her brother, Ben, after an anonymous e-mail alleges his drowning was no accident. She connects with Curtis Ireland, whose sister, Gina, also died recently after being hit by a boat, leaving him with custody of her young daughter, Raine. Curtis reveals that Ben was Raine’s father, and Curtis and Gina discover that their siblings’ deaths may have been as connected as their lives. Coble mines Curtis’s career with the Coast Guard and Amy’s as a midwife for a number of improbable but dramatic scenes. Curtis and Amy’s love story is an afterthought and there’s almost no inspirational arc, but Coble provides plenty of excitement for readers who enjoy her unique combination of cozy setting and action-packed mystery. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates. (July)