Rock Harbor Mysteries Books In Order

Publication Order of Rock Harbor Books

Publication Order of Rock Harbor Search and Rescue Books

It is often considered that geography has a lot to do with literature. Stories set in maritime and sunny areas will exude more cheerful plot and settings, whereas wild, unexplored regions will be settings of gloomy, musing, even mysterious literary works. Lost bodies, peculiar crimes, and morbid riddles are easier believed in an unforgiving mountain range than in a happy valley or a calm sea. This theory is undoubtedly confirmed in the series called “Rock Harbor Mysteries”. Moreover, if you toss in a lighthouse and their residents, you are in for a hit. Why the inhabitants of the lighthouses are so appealing to the ordinary mortals is a mystery on its own.

“Rock Harbor Mysteries” is a series written by a best-selling novelist Colleen Coble. It is comprised of several gripping stories that revolve around Rock Harbor. It seems like a reasonable decision to name this little, quiet town in Michigan as the main star, as it is the reason why Coble’s stories are so liked. As for the humans, the role of the protagonist is ascribed to Bree Nicholls, a strong family woman, a wife, a mother of a beautiful son. The world is Bree’s oyster, she indeed has it all. Nevertheless, things are not meant to last. In one moment, Bree will have to face an absolute wreck of her world as she learns the sad fate of her family members. After the tragic accident, Bree devotes her life solving baffling mysteries that seem to inhabit Rock Harbor. Cases are tough to crack as they are interesting to explore. There is everything, from disappearances of the local people and the bodies of prominent scientists that wash up on the shore, all the way to the pretty girls that bleed in the middle of the road or children left to the ruthless winter of Michigan and its freezing cold. But first things first.

“Without A Trace” is the first novel of the “Rock Harbor Series” published at the beggining of the century. Its primary mission is to set up the wild and mystical universe of the merciless nature of Michigan. It introduces us to Bree Nicholls, who waits for her husband and son to come back from a trip. It has been some time now, and Bree can not wait for their plane to land. Alas, it is not meant to be. The flight is very late and Bree is getting more and more nervous as she slowly faces the horrendous truth- perhaps the plane will not arrive at all. And it does not indeed. The thought of never seeing her husband and her little Davey nearly drives Bree mad, and she employs all available resources in order to try and rescue her family. The situation is not promising- hours and days pass, without any solid leads to the location of the plane. In time, the rescue party decreases in numbers, until it is only up to Bree and her faithful dog Samson to find the unfortunate passengers. Samson is no ordinary dog- he is a fully trained K-9 dog, and this is his job so to speak. Same goes for Bree, as she embarks on a dangerous quest. Still, she will not be alone. Kade Matthews, a park ranger offers his help and the unlikely trio starts connecting dots. They discover acts of violence that may lead to the plane. On the other hand, there is a seemingly deserted cabin in the woods. A little boy wakes up in it and finds out that he is not alone. A kind woman is looking after him. Nevertheless, there is something off with the boy’s nurse as she tends to call him by the name different than his own, and acts as his mother. Is this strange occurrence related to the plane crash? Is Bree going to find her family? A lot of things unfolds as Bree learns to cope with her struggling emotions and constant frustrations in the coldness of Michigan.

“Beyond a Doubt” is the second installment od the “Rock Harbor Mysteries” series. Bree Nicholls is still in focus while she tries to put pieces of her life together. There is no hope that her husband survived the plane crash, and her son Davey has a hard time adjusting to the new circumstances of his life. Bree is a fighter, though, and she goes trough same ordeal and tries to raise her little boy. That is not an easy task, especially when a body somehow ends up in her basement. There is no explanation as to how or why the corpse was moved to Bree’s property. However, one thing is certain- life is not simple anymore, and somebody is after Nicholls and her son. Once again, Bree has to team up with her loyal dog Samson, but also ranger Kade Matthews, who possibly may have feelings for the heroine of the novel. To make things worse, a new suitor gets in the picture as little Davey befriends charming Nick. Bree is still in process of grief and the question remains if she is going to defer to one of her admirers. It goes without saying that the corpse is more important as Bree gets involved in the case and finds herself in the part of the past she may not want to see. Her only guide is religion as Bree tries to find wisdom in Holy Scriptures and the principles of Christianity. Will that do?

It takes a lot of courage and effort to explore the locations in the USA and choose outskirts of Michigan as the setting of a thrilling mystery. Yet, of all the exotic places, full of vices, shady people, and advanced technology, Rock Harbor stands as the best solution. That is why Colleen Coble has more than 2 million books in print. Those mysteries just always work better in small communities where everybody knows everyone, even the murderers and their unscrupulous criminals. And if the community is encompassed by threatening nature, the effect becomes more apparent. Throw in a cute protagonist, hunky love interest and there is a story right there.

One Response to “Rock Harbor Mysteries”

1. Marcella Ohmann: 3 years ago

   Thank you for all the enjoyable hours of listening to your books on cd’s. Books on cd are becoming hard to find. The passion that you write with, glorifying our Lord in them. Blessings on your work. When other series do you have on cd’s.

   Reply