I Think I Was Murdered
by Colleen Coble; Rick Acker
DESCRIPTION
A grieving young widow. The AI program that allows her to continue to "talk" to him. And a message she never expected: "I think I was murdered."
Just a year ago, Katrina Berg was at the pinnacle of her career. She was a rising star in the AI chatbot start-up everyone was talking about, married with an adoring husband, and had more money than she knew how to spend. Then her world combusted. Her husband, Jason, was killed in a fiery car crash. Her CEO was indicted and, as the company's legal counsel, Katrina faces tough questions as the Feds take over and lock her out of her office. The final blow is the passing of her beloved grandmother.
Her most prized possession is the beta prototype for a new, ultra-sophisticated chatbot loaded onto her phone. The contents of Jason's email, social media backups, pictures, and every bit of data she could find were loaded into the bot, and Katrina has "talked" to him every day for the past six months. She has been amazed at how well it works. Even the syntax and words the bot uses sound like Jason. Sometimes, she imagines he isn't really dead and is right there beside her. She knows it's slowing her grief recovery, but she can't stop pretending.
On a particularly bad day, she taps out: Tell me something I don't know. The cursor blinks for several moments and seems frozen before the reply flashes quickly onto the screen: I think I was murdered.
Distraught, Katrina returns to her cozy Norwegian-flavored hometown in the northern California redwoods and enlists the help of Seb Wallace, local restaurateur and longtime acquaintance, to try to parse out the truth of what really happened. They must navigate the complicated paths of grief, family dynamics, and second chances, as well as the complex questions of how much control technology has. And staying alive long enough to do that is far more difficult than either of them dreamed.
I Think I Was Murdered:
Features a unique look at grief through the lens of technology
Deals with current topics and themes
Will appeal to fans of Ruth Ware, Laura Griffin, Laura Dave, and Sarah Pearse
Includes Discussion Questions
Link to purchase the book
MY THOUGHTS
Katrina Berg’s life was going well until a year ago when she lost her husband, Jason, and became a widow. Tragically, an FBI raid occurred while Katrina was serving as legal counsel, and she also lost her beloved grandmother. Despite these devastating events, Katrina finds solace in a sophisticated chatbot installed on her phone. This chatbot allows her to communicate with Jason whenever she desires, and the conversations feel incredibly real, providing her with much comfort.
However, “Jason” communicates with her, revealing a shocking revelation: “I believe I was murdered.” This news is overwhelming, and as Katrina decides to return to her cozy hometown in North Haven, California, to attend her grandmother’s funeral, she really uses this time to rely heavily on the conversations with Jason. Initially, she anticipates a brief stay to attend the funeral, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she learns that she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant. This unexpected inheritance shifts Katrina’s focus, leaving her grappling with the question of whether Jason was murdered and contemplating her next steps regarding the restaurant.
The most pressing matter is the murder mystery. Katrina believes Jason’s words conveyed through the chatbot, so she, along with the help of an old school friend, Seb Wallace, sets out to investigate the truth. Throughout the book, the reliability of the AI that Katrina relies on is questioned, and the shifting dynamics within her family begin to impact her.
Ultimately, the book raises the intriguing question of whether technology has become so advanced that it invades our lives while simultaneously rejuvenating us. Interestingly, this book was published two years ago, and the relevance of this question has only grown more pressing in today’s world. As a fan of Colleen Coble and Rick Acker’s writing, I eagerly requested this book as an audiobook as soon as it became available. Despite not reading the blurb beforehand, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Karen Peakes’ narration, as she brought the book to life, even at the expense of some speculative elements.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Best-selling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 4 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com.
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Rick has also teamed with award-winning romantic suspense author Colleen Coble to pen bestsellers such as I Think I Was Murdered and their Tupelo Grove series. Library Journal praises their “dynamic author partnership,” and predicts they “will continue to produce hits.”
When Rick isn't writing or lawyering, you can usually find him with his wife Anette exploring in the hills east of San Francisco, watching a good movie together, or, of course, reading. You can visit him on the web at www.rickacker.com.
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