Publishers Weekly
05/06/2024
Bestsellers Coble (Break of Day) and Acker (Guilty Blood) team up for a heart-pounding tale of stolen artifacts and murder. History professor Savannah Webster has struggled to pick up the pieces after her marriage fell apart in the wake of her toddler’s death three years ago. While researching the Willard Treasure, a collection of pre-Columbian artifacts housed in a museum at her Alabama university, Savannah discovers a stack of fake provenance letters and becomes suspicious that someone is trying to steal from the collection. She goes in search of answers from “slimy” university president Ellison Abernathy—only to stumble on his dead body in his office and become a prime suspect in his murder. When Savannah’s soon-to-be ex-husband Hez arrives for a new teaching job, she enlists his help tracking down the killer. Along the way, they draw on their faith to heal the emotional wounds from their daughter’s death and try to resist falling back in love before their divorce is finalized. The second-chance romance adds dimension to the well-plotted whodunit, which leaves more than a few secrets to be uncovered in the next installment. Readers will be on tenterhooks. (July)
Lynette Eason
'When you combine two brilliant storytellers such as Coble and Acker, the result is a beautiful well-crafted legal thriller that keeps the reader utterly riveted. If you're looking for a novel that's edge-of-the-seat-compelling, emotionally engaging, and nail-bitingly (I know that's not a word, but it fits) suspenseful, look no further than WHAT WE HIDE. With its compelling narrative, well-rounded characters, and intricate plot, this is a must-read, goes-on-the keeper-shelf, that will stay with you long after the final page is turned.'
New York Times Bestselling Author Charles Martin
'Coble and Acker have forged a seamless partnership with a singular voice. I honestly can't tell where one writer starts and the other ends. WHAT WE HIDE is a crisp and hard-charging start to a legal suspense series that tests the boundaries of yesterday's secrets against today's lies, all while trying to escape tomorrow's verdict. From courtroom to the shadow of a decaying Gothic university, it's a high-stakes ride through love, second chances and an ending you won't soon forget.'
author of The Pearl River series Patricia Bradley
'WHAT WE HIDE grabbed me with the first chapter and had me reading until two in the morning with its twisty plot and engaging characters.'
bestselling author Robert Whitlow
'Much is hidden in Tupelo Grove and Pelican Harbor. In WHAT WE HIDE, expert storytellers Colleen Coble and Rick Acker will take you on a riveting ride through a picturesque Southern town inhabited by characters who will pull you in and make you care. Hidden truths find their way into the light - sometimes quickly, often slowly in the face of great obstacles and danger. Once you start reading, you won't put this book down.'
International Thriller Writers Award winner James Scott Bell
'This book has it all. Intrigue, suspense and the mysteries of the heart, woven together masterfully by the great new pairing of Coble and Acker. Fans of their individual books will not be disappointed. New readers will be delighted.'
Library Journal
07/01/2024
On the muggy Gulf Shore coastline, in the shadow of once wealthy but now shabby Tupelo Grove University, a smuggling ring leaves a trail of murders in its wake. Savannah Webster just wants to publish her book on the pre-Colombian Willard treasure and get tenure, but discovering a dead body and finding that artifacts have gone missing from the history department vault derail her semester. Her quiet life with her favorite dog and the grumpy neighborhood alligator is further disrupted when she becomes the prime suspect in the murders and the thefts. The appearance of Savannah's estranged husband Hezekiah Webster doesn't help, but despite the ghosts of their past, he's the only lawyer she trusts to represent her. Readers will suspect every character during this wild ride but still be surprised by the twist at the end. VERDICT This is an explosive beginning to a new series and a dynamic author partnership between Coble ("Pelican Harbor" series) and practicing lawyer Acker. Will appeal to fans of the legal thrillers of Randy Singer and Robert Whitlow.