The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

Thomas Nelson sent me The Lightkeeper's Ball to review this week. This is Book 3 in the Mercy Falls series, yet this can also be a stand-alone book. I had only read Book 1 before this, and while they do bring in the characters from the first 2 books, you don't need to read them to understand the plot. Olivia Stewart is from a wealthy NY family, and travels to California to investigate her sister Eleanor's death. Olivia's parents had prearranged a marriage for Eleanor and Harrison Bennett, and since Eleanor's death, Olivia is expected to marry Harrison. She is suspicious of anyone that had contact with her sister, and she decides to use her rarely used English title so that no one can identify her before she solves the mystery. Harrison has a passion for building airplanes and his dad believes it is a useless pursuit in 1907. His dad wants him to marry Olivia to solidify the family's financial future. When the truth is discovered at a charity masquerade ball, Olivia learns that even little white lies can hurt those she loves. I loved the mystery and suspense in this book! Plus, with the history and romance thrown in, I couldn't put the book down. This makes me want to read more of Colleen Cobles novels. I would definitely recommend the book, especially to those that love this time period.