Book Review: I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
Have you ever picked up a book thinking, "This is going to be a wild ride," only to find yourself questioning your sanity by the end? That’s exactly what happened to me with I Think I Was Murdered. Co-authored by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker, this mystery-thriller promised a gripping tale, but what I encountered instead left me grappling with a bemused confusion. Thank you to #NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an advance copy—I didn’t know what I was getting into!
From the outset, the narrative pulls you into a whirlwind of subplots that make a telenovela look like a minimalist documentary. Each scene ricochets from a murder mystery to a love triangle, with a dash of tech drama thrown in for good measure. By page 100, I had encountered FBI raids, long-lost siblings, and a strange intertwining of Yakuza and Triad threats, all while trying to decipher how these threads were meant to come together.
One of my immediate reactions was to ponder if this book was a satirization of contemporary fiction, poking fun at the convoluted tropes of crime thrillers. It felt as if the authors either wanted to capture the complexity of a world on the edge or inadvertently stumbled into a chaotic mess. The characters, bless them, are infuriatingly underdeveloped. You have Magnus, who feels like an inside joke, but the critique of an underqualified DA’s depiction of lawyering? That’s something that would make any legal professional cringe.
What really jumped out at me was the style of writing. It seems there might have been some tension between the two authors on how to proceed with their characters, as I noticed a certain division in voices. Characters shifted from moments of tender heartbreak to melodramatic displays quicker than you could say “plot twist.” In that way, the book felt almost like a high-speed chase—thrilling yet bewildering. There was a strange beauty in their collaboration, however, as the writing merged much more smoothly than I’d expect from co-authored work; they’ve truly worked hard to craft something cohesive.
Memorable moments were interspersed throughout the chaos, and while some felt forced (hello, plot devices involving pets), it’s those erratic highs and lows that made me think of The Disaster Artist. There’s a trace of charm in its comedic failures. I mean, at one point, they suggest trading a “gerbil for a llama.” I couldn’t help but chuckle—despite the confusion, there was a certain humor in its mishaps.
So, who would enjoy this rollercoaster? If you are a reader who revels in genre-bending stories and chaotic narratives, you might find a strange delight amidst the chaos of I Think I Was Murdered. It’s a gripping read for thrill-seekers willing to suspend logic in favor of pure amusement.
As for me, I walked away with an enriched sense of curiosity about storytelling’s potential—the kind of read that may not have gotten all the technical details right but certainly enlivened my creative spirit. It’s a ride I didn’t expect, and even if it wasn’t all I hoped for, it’s one I won’t soon forget.