The Killing Tide

GIVEAWAY

PETTREY, DANI
THE KILLING TIDE

A corpse that only leads to secrets. An old flame with danger written all over her. Things are about to get very complicated.

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer's boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

The already volatile situation is complicated even further by the arrival of Gabby Rowley -- Finn's boss's sister and an investigative reporter with unrelenting questions about the crime. Now that she's returned, the tug on Finn's heart is strong, but with the risks she's taking for her next big story, she fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can't ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

My Review:

Warning: you will need scuba gear complete with extra oxygen tanks to make it safely through this read! Yes, The Killing Tide is that breath-snatchingly good!

Pettrey has done a great job of setting up all the key players in this first book of her Coastal Guardians series. There are a lot of characters to meet up front which overwhelmed me a bit at first but I found it easy enough to sort them out as the story progressed. Loved how she gave each one some unique qualities that made them memorable. And the team dynamics are supremely divine! This is something that Pettrey excels at -- the camaraderie and banter, good natured jibes and competitive spirit. Men and women working as a cohesive unit and I'm busy fan girling the whole team! (And the author who created them.)

The reunion aspect to the romance is sublimely toe-curling and temperature rising! There's no question that Gabby and Finn care for each other but they were caught in a snarl of career vs love and Gabby cut and run because investigative reporting is in her blood. Now that she's back in a kind of protective custody arrangement, everyone is worried about her breaking Finn's heart again. And believe me, once you meet him, you'll become his champion too and you'll want to keelhaul anyone who dares hurt him!

But these two have more pressing problems on the horizon -- like murder and mayhem and some really evil villains (I don't know how the author sleeps at night!) And a twisty turny trail of clues that made me want to set up my own white board! I'm pretty proud that I kinda guessed the uber bad guy, though, -- full disclosure -- that's because I pretty much suspected everyone. :-)

One thing I found different from other books I've read by this author is her use of really short scenes -- some of them are just a few paragraphs and they switch among various points of view. I found it a bit choppy at first, but once I got into the rhythm I felt like it really enhanced the frenzied tension in the plot and encouraged me to read voraciously. So much so that I finished the book in one sitting.

In one word, The Killing Tide is unputdownable!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Killing Tide, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 19 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!