Colleen Coble’s Beyond a Doubt, the second installment in her Rock Harbor series, weaves together suspense, faith, and romance in the picturesque setting of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This novel continues the story of Bree Nicholls, a search-and-rescue (SAR) worker, who is still healing from personal tragedy, even as she confronts new mysteries.
The story begins when Bree and her search dog Samson discover a body hidden behind the wall in the basement of her lighthouse home. As the investigation unfolds, long-buried secrets of the small town emerge, some of them uncomfortably close to home.
Coble excels at creating atmospheric tension, using the harsh winter landscape of Michigan’s north country as both a beautiful backdrop and formidable antagonist. The isolated setting—with its frozen lakes and dense forests—mirrors the psychological isolation many characters experience as they confront their pasts and fears.
Character development is one of the novel’s strengths. Bree continues to evolve as she balances her on-going grief and guilt with new possibilities for love and purpose. Her budding romance with Ranger Kade Matthews hits a snag when Bree’s son Davy forms an attachment for a handsome young fireman with striking similarities to the boy’s late father. Secondary characters are thoughtfully crafted with their own motivations and arcs, particularly Bree’s best friend, Naomi, who is preparing for marriage to a man with two children. And Lauri, Kade’s teenage sister, plays a significant role in the book, as she, her boyfriend, and his buddies pursue some shady activities.
The integration of faith elements feels natural and unforced. Rather than offering simple platitudes, Coble explores how belief systems are tested during crisis and grief. Characters struggle authentically with questions of forgiveness, providence, and justice without the narrative becoming preachy or didactic.
Mystery enthusiasts will appreciate the novel’s intricate plotting and unexpected connections between present crimes and historical events. Identification of the body in the wall awakens old alliances and old mysteries with present-day ramifications. And an abusive husband with a penchant for abducting his daughter creates an air of insecurity and menace over the town.
Coble’s prose is accessible and vivid, particularly in descriptions of search-and-rescue operations and the rugged Michigan landscape. Her insider knowledge of SAR techniques lends authenticity to these sequences, making them among the most compelling in the book.
Beyond a Doubt will appeal most to readers who enjoy inspirational suspense with romantic elements. Fans of the first book will appreciate the continued character development, while newcomers can still follow the story without having read the series opener. This second installment delivers the satisfying blend of suspense, faith, and community that has become Coble’s trademark.
For those seeking a clean thriller with emotional depth and a strong sense of place, Beyond a Doubt offers an engaging escape into the wilderness of both landscape and human heart.
Character List for Beyond a Doubt
(Characters are listed approximately in the order they appear in the story, but I could have made mistakes, so no guarantee.)
Bree Nicholls – lives in a lighthouse, owns the Kitchigami Search and Rescue (SAR) Training Center
Anu Nicholls – Bree’s mother-in-law – owns and operates Nicholls Finnish Imports
Quentin Siller – abusive husband
Karen Siller – Quentin’s wife
Samson – German shepherd/chow mix – age: 4 – Bree’s search-and-rescue pet
Sheriff Mason Kaleva – Anu’s son-in-law, Bree’s brother-in-law
Davy Nicholls – Bree’s 4-year-old son
Rachel Marks – character from the previous book who found and cared for Davy after he and his father were in a plane wreck
Kade Matthews – ranger for the National Kitchigami Wilderness Tract and Bree’s romantic interest
Rob Nicholls – Bree’s late husband, Anu’s son
Dr. Max Parker – old family friend, makes house calls for Davy
Dr. Walton – Davy’s counselor
Lauri Matthews – Kade’s sister – age: 16
Brian Parker – the school hottie who is dating Lauri Matthews – son of Dr. Parker – age: 18
Dinah and Ruth – Lauri’s best friends until she began dating Brian and joined the popular crowd
Andi Booth – cheerleader
Hilary Kaleva – Mason’s wife, Anu’s daughter
Naomi Heinonen – Bree’s neighbor and best friend – runs the Blue Bonnet Bed and Breakfast with her mother
Doug Montgomery – Rock Harbor deputy
Charley – golden retriever – Naomi’s search and rescue pet
Martha Heinonen – Naomi’s mother
Donovan O’Reilly – Naomi’s fiancé
Palmer – character from previous book (Withou a Trace)
Gretchen Siller – daughter of Quentin and Karen
Head Ranger Gary Landorf – Kade’s boss
Patch – Karen Siller’s dog, a 10-month-old Great Dane in Bree’s SAR classes
Emily O’Reilly – Donovan’s daughter
Zorro – Lauri Matthew’s black-and-white dog, also in the SAR classes – age: nearly four months
Klepto – one of Brian’s buddies
Neville – mysterious bully-type character
Sarah Cappo – a girl who would be happy to be Brian’s girlfriend if he and Lauri broke up
Abraham Nicholls – Anu’s husband who left her 30 years ago
Peter Thorrington – a former lighthouse keeper who disappeared on June 12, 1976 – his body was located behind a false wall in the basement of the lighthouse at the beginning of the book
Bree’s SAR students
∙ Cassie Hecko
∙ Naomi and Charley
∙ Lauri Matthews and Zorro
∙ Eva Nardi – blond with blue eyes, nearly 6 feet tall – age: 25 – has a golden retriever named Riley
∙ Ryan Erickson – paramedic – dog’s name is Mickey
∙ Karen Siller and Patch
Molly – waitress at the Suomi Café
Four close buddies back “in the day” – also had some business dealings
∙ Abraham Nicholls
∙ Peter Thorrington
∙ Gary Landorf
∙ Max Parker
Beulah Thorrington – Peter’s wife – owns a landscaping business, Beulah’s Bounty
Sally Wilson – hairdresser
Sheila McDonald – the town gossip, married to Judge McDonald
Sheriff Mackey – sheriff in Rock Harbor when Peter Thorrington went missing
Odetta Syers – waitress from the Copper Club who was seeing Thorrington before he disappeared
Ted Kemppa – Thorrington’s stepbrother – they didn’t get along – a supervisor at the paper mill
Timmy O’Reilly – Donovan’s son
Steve Aster – manager of Rock Harbor Savings and Loan – his wife Fay was murdered in the previous book
Nick Fletcher – firefighter who has a crush on Bree – has only been in town a couple of weeks
Cassie Hecko – a research scientist who’s interested in buying Steve Aster’s house
Argie Hamel – the captain of the Seawind, a cargo ship that sank in the same storm as the Edmund Fitzgerald in November, 1975 – Hamel’s whole crew died, but he survived for a few days afterwards
Susan Hamel – Argie’s sister, a photographer whose shop is named Ducks in a Row
Hippo Man – a shadowy character
Benjamin Lee Mallory – a man from Houghton that Kade found dead in Rock River near Whetstone Falls – had worked at a cannery in Hancock – age: 29
Becky Parker – Dr. Parker’s late wife
Dawn Anderson – anchor for KPTV
Lempi – belligerent spokesman for three young men who murdered Benjamin Mallory for Hippo Man
Vern – one of the young men in Lempi’s group
Lynette – Hilary’s secretary
Meredith – Lynette’s daughter
Jeff Syers – Odetta Syers’ brother
Klepto, Butch, and Fuzz – Brian’s three buddies – all are in their early 20s
Moses – Kade’s work horse
Carson Meeks – the local vet
Here’s a downloadable character list:
***
Here’s one of my cozy mysteries:
