Midnight Sea

Aloha Reef #4

by Colleen Coble

"Lani opened her eyes fully, straining to see something, anything. It was as though she swam in a black sea that blacked out all light, all visual sensation. 'I can't see,' she whispered. 'I can't see!' Her shriek rose and echoed off the blackness."


A seemingly random shooting at her aunt's coffee farm has left Lani Tagama blind. Now she must learn to navigate in a world of darkness. With the help of an embittered ex-cop, Ben, and a half-trained guide dog, Fisher, Lani discovers she can regain a shadow of her former independence.


But strange and dangerous secrets lurk behind the beauty of this seaside paradise. Suspicion grows that this was not a random shooting, but an attempted murder, one with its roots in a hippie commune burned over thirty year ago. Lani realizes she is a target, and that she must find the shooter before he strikes again.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Christian, Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

USAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Arizona. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 6 million books in print.

Reviews

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Sea is the last book in the Christian mystery series, Aloha Reef, by Colleen Coble!

Leilani Tagama is working at her auntie’s coffee plantation when a bullet kills a coworker and hits Leilani, blinding her. Coble uses the remainder of the narrative to help readers discover who pulled the trigger, why, and how Lani deals with her blindness.

Ben Mahoney and his guide dog, a golden retriever named Fisher, come to help Leilani, but she makes it difficult for them. She’s struggling with her past and doesn’t see how God can hold out promises to someone with a sinful past. It’s more comfortable for her to wallow in her guilt and discomfort than believe that she’s worthy of something more… especially the guide dog.

The subplots of orchids and coral smuggling add to the mystery and allow Coble to showcase her creativity. I enjoyed reading about coffee beans and the journey from plant to cup as much as I loved Coble’s focus on the Hawaiian culture.

I loved watching Leilani’s progress and saw how she decided to respond with patience instead of bitterness. I appreciated that Coble’s characters struggle with real-world issues and develop a deeper faith as a result.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colleen Coble delivers another edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense in this fourth (and final) book in the Aloha Reef series. The books all read well as standalones so no worries if you haven't read the other novels. If you have though, you'll recognize Lani as the 'wild' child' Tagama sister, but now, as a new Christian, she is trying to put that past behind her for good. Trouble is, not everyone is willing to forget. Including Ben, who holds a pretty big grudge against her. Perfect fodder for an angsty love story.

Not that this story really needs any more angst courtesy of the riveting suspense plot. There's murder, smuggling and danger lurking around every corner. And I just have to mention Fisher, the work-in-progress guide dog! I do love a great canine character to mix things up! A heart-pounding thrill of a read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the fourth and final novel [there is also a Christmas novella in the series called Holy Night] in a Christian suspense and romance series called The Aloha Reef series, as it is set in Hawaii, and, in addition to that, the books all have at least some connection to the sea, shown either through diving, normal swimming, or boating. Because the first three novels focused on pairing up the three Oana siblings, I was wondering what minor character from one of those novels would be starring on this one, and as it turned out, my first guess was wrong. Regardless of that though, the main character in this book is Lani Tagama, the sister of Annie from Black Sands, and in it, we learn not only about some of her history and how she has changed but also about her aunt both in the past and now. Lani's life is also affected by her aunt's past as a villain from back then intersects with the present, putting not only Lani but her new friend Ben and his niece in terrible danger all for varying reasons. Anyhow, I thought the book was well-written and entertaining, and the twists and turns of the plot due to the element of suspense/mystery were quite fun, and I also loved the characters in the book and thought they were portrayed well. It has certainly earned its place on my favorites' list.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leilani Tagama is attempting to change her life when she is suddenly blinded by a mysterious shooting at her aunt's coffee farm. As she struggles to live with her new disability, Ben Mahoney is called in to help. Ben uses Fisher, the service dog he is training, to get onto the coffee farm for his own reasons. Soon both Ben and Lani suspect there is more behind the shooting than originally suspected. As they try to figure out what is going on before someone else gets hurt, they also have to work through their own pasts in order to move forward in their lives.
Midnight Sea is an exciting read. The story moves quickly and the characters experience real discovery and growth. I wish there was a little bit more development of the "villain," but overall the characters were well-rounded and unique. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I have all of Coble's work! I would highly recommend her.

[Shannah Mauney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a satisfying conclusion to the Aloha Reef series by Colleen Coble. I'm sad it had to end! See my full review here.

[Lisa M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a fabulous series!

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel is a romance and a mystery rolled into one feel-good, inspirational, evangelical package. Lani lives with her aunt on a coffee farm in Hawaii and is trying to change her ways after lots of bad choices and self-centered living. She's drop-dead gorgeous and a talented garden designer. But she loses her sight after being shot. Meanwhile, Ben is an ex-cop who trains guide dogs gets talked into bringing a half-trained dog, Fisher, to Lani, even though she almost ruined his brother's marriage.
So we have the perfect setup of a boy and a girl destined to clash ... who end up falling in love. And of course they work together to solve a mystery. And of course the guide dog is amazing and instantly bonds with Lani. (I'm sure the chicken and chips she feeds him from her dinner plates belp, while also fostering the harmful idea that feeding service dogs people food is OK). Fisher's equipment is sometimes called a halter, other times a harness. Maybe the author wasn't sure whether she wanted her starring animal to be a guide dog or a guide horse …
We're also subjected to a scene in which Ben tells Lani to feel his face to find out what he looks like. This might seem like a great way to rev up the romantic tension, but as a blind woman, I just find it cringe-worthy. I've had people grab my hands and force me to feel their faces to "see what they look like." I've never come out of those experiences with a better concept of anyone's appearance. I wish writers would stop inflicting this scenario on readers. Sighted people come away with the mistaken idea that this is an appropriate way to show how comfortable they are with blind people and how helpful they can be. Blind people close the book knowing they'll have even more work ahead dispelling this ridiculous idea.
This could have been an encouraging and honest book about someone learning to cope with a difficult change in circumstances, with all the emotional highs and lows this entails. But like predictable romances and mysteries everywhere, everything works out pretty well in the end. Even characters' doubts and questioning of God are easily resolved, usually by another character talking about their strong faith. Faith is a spectrum, like so many other things in life. For every person who lives with an unshakable faith and joy, there are plenty of others who continually struggle with their doubts. The Christian message is that God loves all of these people unconditionally, and human beings of every spiritual persuasion would do well to practice this compassionate, encompassing view when interacting with one another.
If all you want is a reasonably interesting mystery and a mild to medium romance set in a beautiful location with a heavy dose of evangelism, you'll love this book. But look elsewhere for balanced portrayals of blind people and their guide dogs.

[Danielle Turko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lani has made some mistakes in her past, including aborting her baby. But now her life in on the straight and narrow. She's found Christ and put her party ways aside. While working at her aunts coffee plantation while waiting to make her start in landscape design, she is witness to a murder and gets shot herself, leaving her blind. Now that she's blind with no memory of the event, she finds herself feeling incredibly vulnerable. When her cousin asks Ben to teach Lani how to navigate her new world, Ben doesn't want to. Lani was in an affair with Ben's brother, and broke his best friend's heart. Despite all assurances she has changed, Ben goes into the agreement grudgingly. When he finds his niece caught up in the middle of it all, Ben gets caught up in everything, then finds himself wanting to help Lani just as much as he wants to help his niece.
Good ending to the series, it wraps up all the characters you meet in the first three books without making it necessary to read the first 3 if you couldn't find them. What was weird was that even though Lani was a hostage and near sacrifice in the previous book she was in, there is no mention of that in this book

[Hailey Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book more than I thought that I would! Learned that this was the last of the Aloha Reef series but you are able to read this as a stand alone novel with no problem at all; there's no missing information or details if you don't read the previous ones.

I enjoyed the mystery that surrounded the characters and how everything and one was intertwined. The villain of the story wasn't obvious which is something that I appreciate in mystery crime novels as it leaves something to look towards to with each page turn. The romance from two of the main characters isn't instantaneous or rushed. The main character's ailment which affected her throughout the majority of the book, took a 180 turn rather quickly towards the resolution at a very convenient time which lead me to think of the ending as rushed (this was really my only qualm about the novel).

Overall, the next time I happen upon other works written by this author, I won't be hesitating to pick it up.

[Jennie Pendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A former policeman turned dog trainer falls in love with his former partner cousin.

Enjoyed being back in Hawaii again. Leialani and Ben story was sweet. It had a very traumatic start. In comes Ben and Fisher the dog to help Lani. As the worked together Lani came to depend on Ben and Fisher. Ben was a good teacher he cared for Lani. She felt she was too tarnished for him. But that didn't stop him from falling in love with her. Little Meg Ben niece needed them both. They had a great group of family around them. Ben brother and mother didn't amount to much. The suspense and all that happened with Lani accident was something. So glad she got her sight back and that she found someone to love in Ben and also got a little girl to love. Loved seeing Annie and Mano for a moment. So happy about Fawn and Yoshi too. Good ending to series.

[Abigail Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great setting, another great pet (every book in this series has one, and I love it!) And an exciting plot. There were definitely some interesting and different ideas woven into this book,from the coffee, to the medicinal aspect, to the blindness. I really enjoyed it, and loved how most of the book is written from a blind person's point of view, meaning no descriptions of sight, but she described things using the other senses. I really liked that. I did figure out who it was, and a good portion of the why was explained prior to the reveal, but that's okay. I still enjoyed reading it and seeing how the author laid it out!

[Elaine Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight Sea is the fourth book in the Aloha Reef series by Colleen Coble. Lani Tagama is working on her aunt's coffee farm when an unknown bullet grazes her skull and she is blinded. Before the bullet hits her, she thinks she recognizes her assailant. When she comes to, she can't remember anything about the shooting. A guide dog trainee, Ben Mahoney, and his guide dog in training are urged to help Lani by her cousin. At first Ben refuses because of Lani's past affair with his brother. When Ben suspects his brother of smuggling, he finally agrees to help Lani, so he can uncover the truth. This story goes back and forth in time beginning with the 1960's hippie era to present day.

[Kristen Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW 📚📚📚
In Midnight Sea, the 4th book in the Aloha Reef series by Colleen Coble we experience another Hawaiian trade. The coffee farm. When Lani (sisters-in-law to Mano, Black Sands) is accidentally blinded, Ben comes to help with a dog in training. While Lani is coming to terms with her fate, the danger around her grows. Danger and mystery from the Taylor Camp (google it😀) in 1973 comes back to haunt Lani’s family and will put more than just her in danger. I really enjoyed this book and like to see how the other members of the family from previous books come together. Clean words and scenes make this book easy to recommend to others. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Pianosue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good exciting read with several twists and turns. I was slightly confused at the beginning but finally figured out what was happening. Now years later a shooting at her aunt's coffee farm has left Lani blind. She must now learn to get along without her eyesight. Will she be able to adjust? Then someone tries to kill her again! What is going on? What is happening on the farm. An ex-cop Ben is asked to come help her and let her use the seeing eye dog he is training. He is there to help protect her. Then someone tries to kill them both and threatens his family too! How is it all connected? What is going on? Who is behind it all?

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved reading this one. I couldn't put it down. It was so interesting having Lani end up becoming blind and everything that went with that. I was not expecting that but it was interesting and I liked how things ended up playing out. I was so sure I knew who the villain was and yet I ended up surprised at who it was in the end. I also loved Lani and Ben's relationship and how it developed along with seeing the other relationships. Great book!

[Ian Mcnamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, Lani and Bens story was fantastic. The blindness in the book was well portrayed although a newly blind person would usually be required to use a cane before being givan a guide dog, at least that is the rule in the uk. I loved Fisher as well, what a great dog. Going to be moving straight onto another series by this author throughout my work week and I can’t wait to read more of her books.

[Veronica M C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed each book in this series. I like how the author does slow romance and interesting Christian characters. As a new Christian, Lani struggled with forgiving herself for her past and separating from old friends and temptations. She also had to face the reality of a new disability. Ben also struggled with forgiving himself and dealing with a mother that never showed love. It was a good read in a beautiful setting!

[Lynn Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aloha!

Another outstanding storyline . Lani, Ben, Fisher and Meg made this a wonderful read. Others like Mano and Annie from the first 3 books are here as well. If you like excitement, mystery and intrigue written with the backdrop in beautiful Hawaii then this is the book for you.
It's also written with a Christian perspective.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The scenery is beautiful in the mystery set in Hawaii, but life is deadly for former residents of Taylor Camp. Lani has worked hard to turn her life around after finding Christianity. Ben comes into her life to help Lani with her blindness. Now they are both targets. Loved the book, though it was a well written mystery. No I didn't figure it out.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coworker is killed and the injury that Loni received causes her to become blind. The doctors are hopeful she will regain her sight but there are no guarantees. Someone wants to make sure that she doesn't remember. As more people are killed and others hurt it becomes very important that the truth is learned.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the series! As the others, it can stand alone, but it does bring old characters back for snippets of the story.

The main character in this book was a minor character in the first book.

There is tragedy, twists, spiritual challenges, and clean romance.

There isn't a dolphin in this one, which is a twist.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot better than the last one in this series. The storyline and characters captured my attention and kept me focused. I love that I rarely guess "who done it" in Coble's books, she does a good job of providing many possibilities.

[Judy Hardwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story of the continued adventures [and romance] of this group of family and friends. I enjoy seeing familiar faces as I move on to another story... and seeing their reliance on God as they face all this old world gives us is refreshing and encouraging.

[Helen Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lani is blinded when a worker on her aunt's coffee farm is murdered and an attempt is made on her life. Secrets go back to her aunt and her time living in a hippie commune during the 70's. Drama and love. Would recommend this book.

[Patti Victorson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story of intrigue. It has a fabulous setting of a coffee plantations in Hawaii and brings to mind the history of hippy and communal living times. The repercussions of parent’s choices greatly affect the sons and daughters whose adult lives begin in this story.

[Sherri Kukla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the way this series wrapped up, especially with the inclusion of the guide dog. Awesome story line. Love Christian fiction that draws me into the intrigue of the mystery and inspires my faith at the same time.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would have to be one of my favourites by this author, fast paced and kept me guessing. I have enjoyed the characters in this series, their struggles and triumphs with faith have been encouraging.

[Matina Chanthavongsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think what I enjoyed the most about this book was the fact that the crime was very unconventional in terms of the items involved. But it was a good uncovering a mystery plot mixed with some romance but not over the top.

[Mary Kate Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally wasn’t as big of a fan of this Colleen Coble book. Her Rock Harbor series is fantastic and this was lacking in comparison.

But like all Colleen Coble books, I love that it’s suspenseful, a mystery, and completely clean. 👌

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A enjoyable romantic read for the holiday when Lani Tagma is shot and becomes temporarily blind at
Her aunt’s coffee farm. With the help of Ben’s half trained guide dog she regains her confidence and
Independence. A fast paced tale and strong characters that will keep you engaged. Recommended.