I Think I Was Murdered Summary, Characters and Themes

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker is a contemporary thriller that blends emotional depth, cutting-edge technology, and high-stakes mystery.  The novel follows Katrina Foster, a grieving woman struggling to move on after her husband Jason’s untimely death, only to discover through an AI chatbot built from his digital footprint that his death might not have been an accident.

Set in the quiet coastal town of North Haven and contrasted with the tech-charged backdrop of San Francisco, the story unfolds through layered relationships, hidden motives, and a dark secret tied to a lost Bitcoin fortune.  With elements of suspense, betrayal, and redemption, the narrative keeps readers emotionally invested and intellectually engaged.

Summary

Katrina Foster’s life is upended when she learns her grandmother Frida has suffered a heart attack.  Already mourning the supposed accidental death of her husband Jason a year earlier, Katrina rushes from her legal job at Talk, Inc.

—a Silicon Valley AI startup—only to miss the chance to say goodbye to Frida, who passes away before she arrives.  Adding to the chaos, Talk’s CTO and Katrina’s best friend Liv reveals that the CEO, David, has mysteriously disappeared, just as the FBI raids their offices over allegations of financial misconduct.

Liv, pregnant and heartbroken, is left in ruins as Katrina finds herself not only grieving but also caught in the fallout of the corporate scandal.

Meanwhile, world-renowned chef Seb Wallace lives in North Haven, running a Michelin-starred restaurant and caring for his alcoholic father.  Seb, once a troubled teen helped by Frida, is quietly dealing with the emotional burden of his past.

As Katrina returns to her hometown and rescues a kitten she names Lyla, she begins to reconnect with North Haven, slowly drawn back into the world Frida once cherished.  At Frida’s funeral, Katrina begins messaging a sophisticated AI chatbot constructed from Jason’s personal data.

The bot sends increasingly cryptic messages suggesting that Jason’s death may not have been accidental, including the recurring term “Messenja” and references to a mysterious meeting at The Beacon—the restaurant owned by Seb.

Seb and Katrina cross paths again, and slowly begin to rediscover their shared past, which includes an awkward high school dance.  Though hesitant, Katrina considers Seb’s offer to help run the café left to her in Frida’s will.

Her brother Magnus, left only a financial trust, is resentful, and family tension simmers as Katrina debates whether to keep or sell the café.  As Katrina continues to interact with Jason’s AI bot, the digital warnings grow more ominous.

Seb, meanwhile, is surprised by the arrival of Dylan, a man claiming to be his half-brother.  A DNA test confirms the relation, and Seb warily hires Dylan to work in his kitchen.

While Katrina testifies against David and his cousin John in the Talk embezzlement case, the AI bot reveals that Jason was chasing a mythical “Satoshi egg”—a USB drive said to contain access to 1,000 Bitcoins worth millions.  Jason had apparently found one, only to die before revealing it.

Using old burner phones and piecing together his last known movements, Katrina and Liv uncover clues pointing to a pseudonymous contact named “Motoko Kusanagi” and a meeting Jason had arranged at The Beacon on the day he died.  A muffler discovered on Seb’s father’s land suggests Jason was pursued and forced off the road.

A company called “Cyber Okura” and a woman with a fake ID emerge as potential links to Jason’s death.

Katrina and Seb grow closer as they uncover more about Jason’s final days.  Their connection is tested when Liv, wearing Katrina’s sweatshirt, is attacked and hospitalized by an assailant possibly targeting Katrina.

Seb responds by taking Katrina, Liv, and Dylan into his home for protection, initiating a shift in their relationships.  As danger escalates, so does Katrina’s emotional turmoil.

Though drawn to Seb, she is haunted by Jason’s presence through the AI bot, and unsure if she’s ready to move on.

Seb’s emotional walls start to crack as he confronts the trauma of his own childhood and the recent serious injury of his estranged father, Rory.  In a moment of vulnerability, he shares his story with Katrina, leading to a kiss that neither can ignore.

Meanwhile, Katrina continues to follow leads connected to Jason’s death.  A meeting with the elusive Messenja on the pretense of exchanging a rare Apple-1 computer raises more questions than answers but confirms her growing belief that Jason was murdered.

Seb lifts Katrina’s spirits with a surprise birthday party, and they embark on a road trip to Yosemite following Jason’s final GPS trail.  Though they don’t find physical clues, the emotional journey helps Katrina accept her growing feelings for Seb.

Back in North Haven, tensions spike when Dylan and Magnus clash, nearly resulting in violence.  Liv defuses the situation by revealing her pregnancy, drawing everyone together in uneasy solidarity.

The story accelerates toward a suspenseful climax as Katrina and Seb discover that the key to the Bitcoin fortune—worth $30 million—was hidden in a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets.  But before they can secure it, Liv is kidnapped by Hughes, a rogue FBI agent.

Hughes lures Katrina to a remote location under the pretense of trading Liv for the Bitcoin key, only to try killing her.  In a harrowing rescue, Seb and Magnus intervene.

Hughes dies while pursuing Katrina, ending one threat, but not the last.

Just as they think the danger is behind them, the AI bot—now free from corrupted data—reveals that Liv was the true orchestrator of Jason’s death.  She had manipulated events to access the Bitcoin, even threatening Jason.

The betrayal devastates Katrina.  Liv drugs her in a final bid to escape with the key, but Seb arrives just in time to rescue Katrina.

Dylan, too, redeems himself by turning Liv in instead of fleeing with her, choosing morality over loyalty.

In the resolution, Katrina and Seb confess their love and commit to a future together in North Haven.  Katrina lets go of the past, deleting the AI app and embracing a life no longer shadowed by grief.

Dylan is exonerated after new evidence confirms his prior actions were in self-defense.  He stays in North Haven, ready to take responsibility for Liv’s unborn child and rebuild his life.

The story closes on a poetic and hopeful note as a second Satoshi egg—thought to be lost—reappears.  Katrina, now fully grounded in her new beginning, sees it not just as a digital treasure but as a symbol of family, hope, and rebirth.

In the warmth of a Norwegian-style holiday epilogue, the novel ends with a sense of healing, love, and community that underscores the emotional journey of every character involved.

Characters

Katrina Foster

Katrina Foster stands at the emotional and narrative core of I Think I Was Murdered, evolving from a grieving widow into a determined truth-seeker and eventual heroine.  Initially introduced as a legal professional grappling with personal and professional collapse, Katrina’s arc is driven by loss, loyalty, and latent strength.

Her mourning for Jason is not just an emotional weight but a narrative motor—her interaction with his AI bot creates a haunting digital tether between the past and present.  Her decision to return to North Haven following a home break-in and her grandmother’s death marks the beginning of a transformative journey.

Inheriting the family restaurant, Bestemor’s, presents both a burden and a blessing, forcing Katrina to reconnect with her roots and re-evaluate her identity.

As the story progresses, Katrina’s emotional vulnerability is juxtaposed with a sharp intellect and an increasing willingness to confront danger.  Her relationship with Seb Wallace deepens her character’s dimensions, showcasing her struggle to navigate guilt, grief, and budding love.

The betrayal by her best friend Liv adds another layer of emotional complexity, throwing Katrina into a vortex of anger and heartbreak.  Yet through these trials, Katrina exhibits resilience and grace.

Her eventual decision to let go of Jason—symbolized by deleting the AI bot—illustrates a profound step toward healing.  Ultimately, Katrina emerges as a figure of empowerment, choosing community, love, and authenticity over fear and self-doubt.

Jason Foster

Though Jason Foster dies before the main narrative begins, his presence looms large throughout I Think I Was Murdered via his eerily advanced AI chatbot.  Jason is portrayed as a brilliant, obsessive structural engineer whose pursuit of the legendary Satoshi egg—a digital object possibly containing millions in Bitcoin—becomes his undoing.

His final moments are tinged with regret, underscoring a man who sacrificed personal peace for technological obsession.  The AI bot built from his digital footprint blurs the line between memory and presence, delivering cryptic clues that push Katrina deeper into the mystery of his death.

Jason’s character raises questions about technological immortality, the price of ambition, and the ethical limitations of AI.  He is revealed to be a man living in secretive compartments: deeply in love with Katrina but also deeply enmeshed in a digital treasure hunt that ultimately cost him his life.

His communications from beyond the grave are both unsettling and poignant, revealing his intelligence, his secrets, and his love.  Jason, though physically absent, remains one of the most emotionally potent forces in the story.

Seb Wallace

Seb Wallace, the rugged and emotionally guarded Michelin-starred chef, provides a compelling foil to Katrina’s character.  Having grown from a troubled teen mentored by Katrina’s grandmother into a successful restaurateur, Seb’s journey is one of redemption, self-discipline, and quiet nobility.

He is introduced as someone emotionally estranged from his abusive, alcoholic father and initially wary of human connection.  His compassion surfaces early, as he continues to deliver meals to his ailing father, suggesting a deeper emotional current under his stern exterior.

Seb’s relationship with Katrina forms the romantic and moral backbone of the narrative.  Their shared history, mutual grief, and cautious emotional reawakening are painted with delicacy and realism.

Seb is a protector, stepping in during Liv’s attack, offering shelter, and later rescuing Katrina during the story’s climax.  His discovery of Dylan as his half-brother adds layers to his arc, as he wrestles with feelings of betrayal, familial obligation, and a yearning for connection.

Seb’s emotional evolution—from a guarded man afraid of vulnerability to someone willing to fight for love and family—makes him one of the most gratifyingly complex characters in the novel.

Liv

Liv begins the story as Katrina’s best friend and the heartbroken, pregnant CTO of Talk, Inc. , caught in the wake of her boyfriend David’s disappearance.

She presents herself as a supportive, loyal confidante, but this veneer gradually crumbles, revealing a chilling duality.  Liv is ultimately exposed as the story’s most shocking antagonist, responsible for manipulating events that led to Jason’s death and attempting to steal the Bitcoin fortune.

Her character is a masterclass in deception—intelligent, seemingly vulnerable, but dangerously self-serving.  Her motivations are rooted in ambition, jealousy, and desperation, and her betrayal devastates Katrina, not only for the criminal implications but for the emotional rupture it causes.

Liv’s duplicity forces Katrina to confront the fragility of trust and the sometimes invisible fissures that run through even the closest relationships.  Liv’s eventual downfall—poetically orchestrated by Dylan’s decision to turn her in—serves as both justice and a thematic closing on the novel’s exploration of betrayal.

Dylan Jackson

Dylan Jackson is introduced as a mysterious, morally ambiguous character who throws a gun into the ocean and journeys to North Haven under the guise of meeting a brother he’s never known.  When it is revealed that Seb is that brother, Dylan’s arc pivots into one of reluctant reintegration.

Though he carries a criminal past and possibly a fake identity, Dylan’s actions show a desire for redemption and family.

Throughout the novel, Dylan walks a fine line between suspicion and sympathy.  His deepening bond with Seb and romantic interest in Liv make him more human and less threatening, even as questions swirl about his past.

His ultimate decision to fake his own death to escape false charges and later turn Liv in, rather than flee with her to Mexico, positions him as a morally complex but ultimately righteous figure.  Dylan’s redemption is not handed to him but earned, and his willingness to step up—especially for Liv’s unborn child—cements his transformation from outsider to integral member of the new family Katrina and Seb are building.

Magnus Foster

Magnus Foster, Katrina’s brother, initially comes across as resentful and aggrieved after learning that their grandmother left the family restaurant to Katrina.  His arc is one of emotional growth and reconciliation.

Though wounded by the perceived injustice, Magnus eventually supports Katrina’s decision, even contributing vital evidence in the form of a burner phone once used by Jason.  His clash with Dylan in a testosterone-fueled standoff adds drama, but it also reveals his protective instincts.

Magnus embodies the theme of sibling rivalry transformed into sibling solidarity.  His eventual acceptance of Katrina’s choices, and his role in rescuing her and recovering the Bitcoin key, show a character who evolves from reactive to responsible.

Though not as centrally involved in the mystery as others, Magnus offers a valuable familial perspective and acts as a stabilizing force during moments of emotional chaos.

Rory Wallace

Rory Wallace, Seb and Dylan’s estranged father, is a tragic figure whose abuse and neglect have scarred both his sons.  Initially painted as an antagonist in Seb’s life, Rory’s later scenes complicate this impression.

Through old letters and mementos, Seb begins to understand Rory’s own pain, guilt, and regret.  Rory’s brain injury strips him of his former menace, and in his weakened state, he becomes more human and pitiable.

Rory’s role in the story is largely thematic, reinforcing ideas of generational trauma, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the possibility of emotional reparation.  He never fully redeems himself in the traditional sense, but his quiet presence and ultimate vulnerability allow Seb—and by extension, the reader—to see the wreckage of a life lived in anger and sorrow.

Rory’s inclusion adds emotional weight to Seb’s backstory and humanizes the otherwise stoic chef’s emotional wounds.

David Liang and John

Though mostly off-stage, David Liang and his cousin John function as catalysts in the corporate subplot of I Think I Was Murdered.  Their financial misconduct, shell companies, and disappearance create the legal mess that pushes Katrina into the orbit of the FBI and forces her into a deeper investigation.

David’s betrayal of Liv sets her on the path of emotional collapse and eventual villainy, while John’s involvement in the embezzlement serves as a dark reminder of unchecked corporate greed.

They embody the faceless forces of corruption and fraud that haunt the tech industry setting of the novel.  While neither character is deeply developed, their shadowy dealings are instrumental in triggering the book’s chain of events, making them essential in plot construction if not in emotional resonance.

Their moral emptiness contrasts starkly with the nuanced interior lives of the primary cast.

Themes

Grief and the Persistence of Loss

Katrina Foster’s emotional journey in I Think I Was Murdered is fundamentally shaped by her unrelenting grief.  This grief is not passive or confined to mourning—it actively shapes her decisions, her identity, and her view of the world.

A year after Jason’s supposed death, Katrina is still entangled in his memory, so much so that she interacts with a chatbot version of him built from his digital footprint.  These conversations with the AI become more than technological curiosity; they function as an emotional tether to a life interrupted, a way for her to process unresolved questions and feelings.

The eerie realism of the bot complicates her healing, especially as it begins suggesting Jason’s death wasn’t an accident, turning her mourning into suspicion and her sadness into determination.

Grief also takes form in Katrina’s relationship with her late grandmother, Frida.  The inheritance of Bestemor’s café becomes a symbol of Frida’s enduring belief in her granddaughter and an emotional anchor that draws Katrina back to North Haven.

Katrina’s grief is further deepened by the loss of opportunity—the missed last moments with Frida and the painful awareness that her life in Silicon Valley has become hollow in the wake of these emotional voids.  Rather than depict grief as a linear path toward closure, the novel presents it as a continually evolving force.

Katrina’s relationships, especially with Seb, are tested and reshaped by her unresolved sorrow.  Her hesitations, guilt, and the lingering emotional bond with Jason all demonstrate how loss persists—not only as absence but as a presence that demands reckoning before healing can begin.

The Ethical Boundaries of Technology

The presence of AI, cryptocurrency, and surveillance technologies in I Think I Was Murdered frames a tense exploration of technological ethics.  Katrina’s career at an AI startup, her use of an emotionally responsive chatbot built from her dead fiancé’s digital remnants, and the central mystery involving a “Satoshi egg” all foreground a world where boundaries between digital and human experience are increasingly blurred.

The AI version of Jason becomes a near-sentient presence, not only providing insight into the mystery of his death but also reflecting the ethical dilemmas of using data to replicate a person’s mind and personality.  Katrina’s emotional entanglement with this bot raises crucial questions about consent, identity, and the limits of artificial memory.

At the same time, the pursuit of the Satoshi egg introduces a critique of digital capitalism and the criminal underworld that thrives in the unregulated corners of cyberspace.  This mythic artifact, containing access to a fortune in Bitcoin, represents both the promise and peril of decentralized digital assets.

The massive lengths characters go to secure the egg, including betrayal and murder, show how technology, in the absence of accountability, becomes a tool for greed and violence.  The novel also illustrates how technology can erode privacy and safety, as Katrina is tracked, threatened, and nearly killed by forces leveraging digital tools for manipulation and control.

Through these layered depictions, the book poses fundamental questions about whether our technological creations can truly serve human values—or whether they ultimately risk displacing them.

Betrayal and the Erosion of Trust

Trust is under constant assault in I Think I Was Murdered, often in ways that inflict the deepest emotional damage.  The betrayal that resonates most painfully is Liv’s duplicity—Katrina’s best friend, confidante, and one-time co-investigator, revealed to have manipulated events to secure the Bitcoin fortune for herself.

This revelation reframes much of the narrative, recasting Liv’s vulnerability and loyalty as calculated performance.  The betrayal strikes not only because of its material consequences but because of the emotional foundation it ruptures.

Katrina’s faith in her inner circle is fundamentally shaken, forcing her to re-examine every relationship through a lens of doubt.

This theme also echoes in the professional domain.  David Liang, the charismatic CEO of Talk, Inc., vanishes amid financial scandal, taking with him Katrina’s trust in the corporate world she had worked hard to succeed in.  Her interrogation by the FBI and the shock of discovering her firm’s complicity in international fraud strip away her illusions about professional integrity.

Even Seb, with whom Katrina builds a cautious romantic rapport, becomes a figure of mistrust when questions arise about his brother Dylan’s identity and potential links to Jason’s death.  Trust, in this world, is not a given but something provisional, conditional, and easily weaponized.

The narrative demonstrates that betrayal is not just an act of treachery but an existential threat to one’s sense of reality.  The painful recalibration of relationships, loyalties, and moral boundaries that follows forces characters—especially Katrina—to make hard choices about who deserves forgiveness and who cannot be redeemed.

The Complexity of Identity and Reinvention

Identity in I Think I Was Murdered is a constantly shifting construct, influenced by trauma, technology, and the desire to start anew.  Katrina, initially defined by her professional role and her grief, begins to reclaim agency as she reimagines her life in North Haven.

The act of stepping away from Silicon Valley, re-engaging with her roots, and ultimately selling but staying connected to Bestemor’s café marks a turning point in how she understands herself—not as a high-powered attorney, but as someone capable of cultivating community, meaning, and love outside the structures of ambition.

Seb’s identity is also layered.  Once a wayward teen rescued by Frida’s intervention, he has transformed into a Michelin-starred chef.

His journey is marked by ongoing struggles with family legacy, especially his fraught relationship with his alcoholic, emotionally distant father.  The arrival of Dylan, claiming to be his half-brother, adds yet another axis to his self-understanding.

Seb’s eventual willingness to embrace Dylan, despite suspicions and secrets, reflects a deepening sense of self that values emotional growth over static identity.

Technology further complicates identity.  Jason, dead in body but alive through his AI presence, challenges the boundaries of personhood.

His bot forces Katrina to question whether identity is bound to memory, physical presence, or emotional connection.  Dylan, too, personifies the theme through literal reinvention—faking his death to escape criminal charges and then choosing to return and do the right thing.

Across these arcs, identity is portrayed as something that can be rewritten, reimagined, and reclaimed—but never without cost.

Redemption and the Possibility of Second Chances

Despite the betrayals, trauma, and loss that permeate the narrative, I Think I Was Murdered clings to the belief that redemption is possible.  Seb’s journey is steeped in this motif—from his troubled youth to becoming a nurturing figure for Dylan, and ultimately someone who opens his heart to Katrina.

His forgiveness of his father, despite the pain he endured, is not a sweeping act of absolution but a measured decision to release the weight of bitterness.  This nuance gives the theme depth: redemption is earned, not bestowed, and often comes through quiet acts rather than grand gestures.

Dylan’s arc reinforces this as he moves from a shadowy figure with a mysterious past to someone capable of choosing moral courage over self-preservation.  His decision to turn Liv in, despite the promise of escape and companionship, becomes a turning point that redefines him not just in the eyes of others, but in his own self-perception.

This act, done not for recognition but out of a sense of right, exemplifies the kind of grounded redemption the book believes in.

Katrina’s redemption is emotional rather than moral.  It involves letting go of the ghosts of the past, forgiving herself for not being able to save Jason, and recognizing that her heart can love again—even if it still bears scars.

Her choice to delete the AI app is not a rejection of Jason’s memory but a commitment to life beyond it.  Redemption, as portrayed in the novel, is a layered and intimate process, grounded in courage, accountability, and love.

Legacy and the Inheritance of Meaning

Frida’s decision to leave Katrina the family café serves as a foundational gesture that explores the theme of legacy—not in terms of wealth, but of values, memories, and purpose.  This act becomes the catalyst for Katrina’s personal transformation.

Initially ambivalent about the inheritance, Katrina gradually comes to see the café as more than property; it is a repository of history, belonging, and trust.  The letter Frida leaves behind articulates a vision of inheritance that is not passive but moral: Katrina must choose what to do with the gift, not merely accept it.

This theme unfolds across generations and relationships.  Seb inherits not just his father’s bitterness, but also the chance to break the cycle of emotional neglect.

Dylan inherits a legacy of ambiguity and conflict but is offered a clean slate through his inclusion in Seb’s world.  Even the Satoshi egg, ostensibly a symbol of financial legacy, becomes more about trust and responsibility.

Its eventual discovery and the decision to claim it as “our egg” signifies a shared future, a reinvention of legacy as something communal rather than possessive.

Legacy, in the end, is portrayed not as something left behind but as something continually built upon.  Whether through maintaining a beloved restaurant, protecting a child’s future, or choosing love over vengeance, the characters shape and reshape the meanings of what they’ve inherited—turning loss into purpose, and memory into momentum.