When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker on the first drilling platform off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. Tensions surrounding the oil rig are high and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the structure from being completed, while rumors … are being whispered about ancient curses surrounding this part of the ocean.
Mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all. Was he killed by one of the activists or, perhaps more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only a plethora of suspects, but also their own past and attraction to each other.
Just as the case seems like it’ll break open, worse news arrives. A tropical storm has turned their way and soon they’re cut off from any rescue–and right where the killer
wants them. It’s a race to discover his identity before he eliminates the threat they pose.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this new read from Dani Pettrey. I had been looking forward to Rissi and Mason’s story since the first book in the series, “The Killing Tide” and this did not disappoint. We are treated to not only seeing Rissi and Mason’s relationship but two mysteries as well. Both of the mysteries are exciting and each of them surely sets up future books for a couple of Rissi and Mason’s teammates as well as introducing new characters who I hope we see again. All in all, this is an exciting and quick read with lots of action. Coastal Guardians book 3 can’t come soon enough for me!!
I received this book for review and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my honest opinion.
This is book two in the Coastal Guardians Series but I was able to read it as a stand-alone as I hadn’t read book one, but I aim to go back and do so. I was swept away into the perfect storm of whodunnit and romantic tension between Rossi and Mason who haven’t seen each other in ten years. I enjoyed the originality of the murders taking place on an oil rig and then throw in a tropical storm to amp up the thrill ride. I was enthralled with the workings of the Coast Guard investigators and how they function. The cover is as intriguing as the words between the pages. You will be on a journey you don’t want to put down. I look forward to book three to read more of this team and their playful bantering that made me smile. A perfect balancing act of suspense, romance, Faith, easy comradely, and strong characters.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher/author. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
Wow….where to begin!?! What an awesome book, you get so involved and attached to the characters so quickly and Dani really keeps you on the edge of your seat. You aren’t sure what will happen next! I highly recommend this book. It’s a great, action-packed, fun read!
The Crushing Depths is an action packed Christian suspense/mystery featuring a Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS team) Although most of the action takes place on an oil rig out on the ocean. There has been too many “accidents” taken place on this rig. Mason Rogers and Rissi Dawson are the team sent out to investigate. Pettrey has created strong, confident and compassionate characters, I loved how they brought their faith into decisions. This is a book to keep you reading and guessing until the last chapter. One you will not soon forget……..I was given an e-copy and this is my honest review, loved it.
There’s a whole lot going on in this novel, and from the first pages, the characters are in the thick of it! Mason and Rissi, who have a sad history together as victims of abuse, are reunited in the Coast Guard Investigative Service. They’re sent to an oil rig (which is dogged by a group of eco-terrorists) to investigate a death, and from there the suspects and the bodies multiply.
Some other plotlines are developing along the way. Team leader Noah is investigating crimes against Coast Guard medic Brooke, team members Emmy and Logan are busy with their flirty banter, and Caleb is being friend-zoned but is introduced to a potential love interest. I assume all couples will be featured in future novels. (The main characters of Book 1, Finn and Gabby, remain mostly off-stage in this book.)
There are A LOT of characters to keep straight here. The main team, some of their family members, other Coast Guard members, oil company employees, environmental activists, medical examiners, associates of suspects, and more. By the end, I think I had everybody straight, but it did take a bit of concentrated effort and was helped by the fact that I read the first book in the series.
The pace is quick, the romance is sweet, the characters as well-developed as they can be at this pace, and the mystery intricate and engrossing. Fans of Christian romantic suspense should love this one.
At the end of The Killing Tide I was champing at the bit to read Mason and Rissi’s story! The author does a great job of teasing us with it as we get to know Rissi and then with Mason showing up at the end…
Along comes The Crushing Depths and I was all in for the story. Dani certainly knows how to reel in her readers! Chapter 1, all 1 page of it, sets the stage for the rest of the story! I had mentioned at one point on Instagram that I was so involved in the story that I kept forgetting to keep track of any quotes that stuck out to me.
While the history between Mason and Rissi is a difficult one because of where they came from, it sets the reader up to be able to accept and understand their draw towards each other. I love stories where both characters have a deep strength inside of them, but enough vulnerability to be able to rely on another person.
Then, there was the side story with Brooke, who works as a medic for the Coast Guard. I liked how the author brought her into the story as Mason & Rissi’s was just getting off the ground. It was seamless to create that extra story, and one that gave us the opportunity to get to know Noah a little better. Can I just say I adore how protective the characters are in this series? Whether it’s for their own or the people they’re protecting, I’ve become an even bigger fan of the Coast Guard through the fictional writing!
What I appreciated most about the story is that the author must’ve done a ton of research to help propel the believability of the oil rig! I’ve seen the shows of protestors out on the ocean, and while it’s good that they’re protective of marine life, I think they can easily go too far. The angle of the “curse” was helpful to the story because you could understand the crews’ concern about what’s going on in their work environment when so many “accidents” were happening.
Once again it was high adventure, with some pretty good romance, in Dani Pettrey’s latest novel. Can I say that my fingers are crossed for 3 possible romances in the next novel? Yes, three!! A gal can hope!
*I was part of Dani Pettrey’s launch team
I loved this suspenseful story! Is it a curse? Is it a murder? Is it an accident? What’s causing all of these crises on this oil rig?
Warning: when you start reading this one you might have trouble putting it down anytime soon!
The Crushing Depths, the second installment in the Coastal Guardians Series set in North Carolina, drew me in from the “blazing” start and kept my interest through the dramatic end. This page-turning, action-packed read has it all—a well-crafted intriguing, suspenseful plot; relatable, believable characters; sweet romance; and a strong faith element. The author’s vivid, descriptive language takes you to the scene and brings to life the sights and sounds of the setting whether it be on land or sea or in the air! Although this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
The Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey is the second book in her Coastal Guardians series. Coast Guard Investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent out to the off shore oil platform to investigate the accidental death of an oil-rig worker. They encounter environmental activists, who will do whatever it takes to shut down the oil production. With tensions running high from all the “accidents” aboard the rig rumors of the old curse start to circulate again. Rissi and Mason must dig through all of this to find the answers they need. This was a great book. I enjoyed all the character interactions. The southern charm came thru loud and clear! I’m a southern gal myself, so was happy to read a story where the men were also gentlemen. Can’t wait for the next installment!
DISCLAIMER: There was quite a bit of kissing and boy/girl feelings.
I received this book from the author for my honest review.
Dani Pettrey has a way of capturing the reader’s attention from the first page. This book will take you on a thrilling ride as the team investigates a couple of suspicious deaths. The romance between Rissi and Mason was so sweet. I love that they were brought back together after years apart. I enjoyed the side story and cannot wait to see what happens with them next. If you love an inspirational, romantic, suspense-filled, page-turner, you’ll want to read this book.
Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey is the story of murder on an oil rig, Book #2 in the Coastal Guardians series
Coast Guard Investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are tasked with finding out who and why this murder happened. Greg Barnes went out to have a smoke and ended up on fire and ended up deceased. The death may not have been an accident so it makes it difficult to figure out what happened. There are numerous suspects including some Environmental activists who have been demonstrating on the starboard side of the oil rig.
There are also rumors of an ancient curse that the crew members believe. To also get in the way, there is sexual tension between Rissi and Mason. They knew each other years before and Rissi has always had a crush on Mason. Not only that there is a tropical storm that is heading their way. On their way to the rig, the helicopter that they were in crashed and the pilot died. Was the helicopter sabotaged?
I enjoyed reading this book, it is a clean mystery story, some kissing going on, but all in all nothing that will offend your sensibilities. The storyline was credible with believable characters. A story if you love suspenseful romance that is sure to please.
Wow, what an amazing book! I’ve loved all of Dani Pettrey’s books and this one was no exception! The Crushing Depths is the second book in the Coastal Guardinas series; the first is The Killing Tide. This book can be read as a stand-alone but I would recommend reading The Killing Tide first to get introduced to the characters.
The Crushing Depths is so action-packed and fast-paced, it grabs you from the start. It is full of suspense and intrigue, it had me guessing until the very end. Two CGIS are sent out to investigate a death on an oil rig; was it an accident or is there a killer on the loose? I really loved the dynamic the CGIS team members have, especially Mason and Rissi’s relationship and learning more about their history. I also really enjoyed the mystery in the multiple story lines that were occurring at the same time.
I will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The second installment in the Coastal Guardians series starts with a bang and keeps on going. The Crushing Depths focuses on the work of the Coastguard Investigative Service, with Rissi and Mason’s stories. I am a big fan of the old friends to more, scenario, and in this case the relationship is made sweeter by the nature of their history, but I’m to giving anything away.
The mystery kept me guessing and I’m now quite anxious for the third installment. This is Dani Pettrey doing what she does best – keeping readers guessing and unable to put her book down.
Award-winning author Dani Pettrey pens the second novel in her romantic suspense series set on the North Carolina coast.
In The Crushing Depths, Coast Guard Investigative Officers Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are thrown together as lead investigators. The CGIS team works to solve the mystery behind the recent accidents offshore. Mason and Rissi have a shared history together that makes for some awkward moments. Will they be able to look beyond their past to meet the challenges of the investigation?
Pettrey writes a suspense-filled action-packed novel that will keep readers up late at night until they discover who is really behind it all. The novel kicks off with an explosion at an offshore oil platform, quickly followed by a CGIS rescue helicopter crash, ecology protestors whose tactics are questionable, a supposed curse, a possible stalker, a poisoning, and more. There are enough things going on that guessing who is behind it will be difficult!
The Crushing Depths picks up where The Killing Tide ended. However, there is enough backstory that it can be read without first reading The Killing Tide. The faith element is interwoven in the story almost seamlessly. The relationship between Rissi and Mason is a clean romance. The violence in the books is appropriate to a TV crime show, nothing too over-the-top.
Strength and perseverance are themes in this book, both in the character’s themselves, as well as in their lives. Pettrey’s characters are strong but flawed, dealing with challenges that the reader can relate to. Readers will be eager to read the next installment in this series, set on the beautiful North Carolina coast.
Recommended for adults and high school readers, especially fans of Dee Henderson, DiAnn Mills, and Irene Hannon. Watch for the next book in the series.
Carol R. Gehringer
Disclaimer: Book reviews are my honest opinion of books I either purchased or received free of cost from the publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write reviews, nor to even post positive reviews.
The Crushing Depths
Coastal Guardians #2
By Dani Pettrey
Rissi Dawson was more than a little shocked when Mason Rogers walked through the office doors as the newest member of her CGIS team. He knew about her past and just what she had gone through during her teen years. She was also in love with him but it has been years since she’s seen him.
Mason Rogers has wondered for years about the teen girl he befriended in the children’s home they both lived in. But he aged out and couldn’t be there for her anymore. Now he and Rissi are working for the Coast Guard Investigative Services and assigned to the same case. But what sounds like a fairly straightforward case quickly evolves it something more and it could cost them their lives.
An accident on an oil drilling platform resulting in the death of a man requires an investigation. But soon a series of accidents has Rissi and Mason convinced that something is going on. Is it sabotage? The work of environmental activists? Or is it the ancient curse that is a local fishing legend? With time and someone or something working against them, Rissi and Mason have their hands full.
Meanwhile, Noah Rowley is working a case of his own, Brooke Kesler, Coast Guard medic, is dealing with a stalker. Brooke has her suspicions of who is behind the escalating harassment but the evidence just isn’t there. Doing this as a favor for his sister Noah is more than a little surprised by his protective feelings towards Brooke, but once the case is over he’ll have no problem going back to confirmed bachelor status.
As both cases reach a critical point, a tropical storm bears down on the North Carolina coast. Can you say suspense? And a word of caution, don’t start this book if you have only a limited time to read, believe me, you won’t want to put it down. Experience speaking here, I started it and stayed up until 6:00 am with that all too familiar promise “Just one more chapter,” only coming true when there were no more chapters to be read. Whoops, who needs more than half-an-hour of shuteye anyways.
This is yet another page-turner from Dani Pettrey. Though it is the second book in her Coastal Guardians series one could easily read it without having read the first book, The Killing Tide. I do recommend reading the first book so you are properly introduced to all the characters. But get ready for several hours of suspense-filled reading that will totally capture your attention. Fans of Dani’s previous work won’t be disappointed. If you are new to the author’s work but are familiar with Love Inspired Suspense or authors Lynette Eason, Lisa Harris, Rachel Dylan, Nancy Mehl, Lynn, Patricia Bradley, Sandra Orchard, or Lynn Blackburn you should enjoy this book. And don’t be surprised if an unexpected twist gets tossed into the mix. Overall a good read to escape the summer heat with.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
I am a true fan of Dani Pettrey’s books but The Crushing Depths, this second installment in the Coastal Guardians series is a new favorite for me. This book is action packed and fast moving. Once I started reading I didn’t want to put it down. I was gripped by the suspense and intrigue and the unusual setting of an oil rig. I enjoyed getting to read about familiar characters (introduced in book 1) interacting with a host of new characters involved in the mystery. I loved the romance between Rissi and Mason because their backstory made it all the more believable and sweet. I found the ending quite unexpected.
If you haven’t read The Killing Tide (book 1) you may want to read that one first I think this one could be read as a stand-alone, but why would you want to do that? I highly recommend this book! It’s a great summer (or anytime) read!
Also, the cover. I am so taken with the cover. It’s a joy just to hold this book while you read!
I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Dani Pettrey has another home run with The Crushing Depths! New to the Coast Guard Investigative Service team, Mason Rogers, finds himself partnered with Rissi Dawson. As teens, Rissi and Mason were in the same foster home, where they were a big support to another. Mason was Rissi’s biggest teenage crush. Now, ten years later, they are partners and assigned to look into an accident that took the life of an oil-rig worker on a drilling platform off the coast of North Carolina. Once their investigation begins, it becomes apparent that the death might not have been an accident. Just as it appears there are some answers, other strange things are occurring, including the challenging helicopter trip out to the oil rig that crashes into the ocean that Rissi and Mason are on.
Dani has a way of bringing her characters to life, and keeping the readers engaged and on the edge of their seats, turning the pages as quickly as possible. When the last page is turned, the story will stay with you awhile
WOW!! I always love Danni Pettrey’s books because they captivate me and keep me intrigued and this is becoming one of my favorites!!
And I think that is because of the characters. Rissi and Mason are already a favorite couple of mine!
Their story is special because they knew each other from childhood and their teens, where they shared a special bond, and Mason was like Rissi’s guardian at the orphanage, even so young, because he was always trying to rescue her, protect her and soothe her after the beatings she unfairly received. But ten years have passed after Mason left the orphanage and they haven’t being in contact with each other, but neither forgets the other.
Rissi Dawson is an agent of the CGIS team (coastal guards) and we met her on the first book “The Killing Tide”. That’s where we get to see a bit of her past and her nostalgia of Mason. But after a member of the team dies, they need to substitute him with an expert diver, and Mason Rogers is summoned for the job. That’s how the first book ends. So now, not only is Rissi still dizzy from absorbing the news of having Mason back in her life, but she can’t believe it when they are both sent on a mission together, to uncover what’s behind a supposedly accidental death on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean. Rissi has always being a strong and guarded woman, that’s how she has survived and thrived in her profession. But will Mason appearance bring down the walls she has erected around her heart?
Mason has always loved Rissi and thought she was lost to him. And now that he has found her, he doesn’t want to let her go. How can he show her his love without frightening her? But first, he has to protect her and get her out of this rig alive. But things aren’t easy, as they discover that the death on the rig was no accident. The murderer could be an environmental activist, bent on impeding the completion of this rig, or is it a person of the victim’s own crew?
This is enough to make a suspenseful and intriguing story, but throw in a dangerous tropical storm, and you won’t be able to put this book down since page one, I assure you I couldn’t!!
The best part of the story for me was the character’s relationship and romance. It was truly sweet and swooning! Mason is truly my hero right now! I loved his quiet strength, his tender love and admiration for Rissi, and his protectiveness, while giving her the space she needed. His love for Rissi was so sweet! And Rissi was equally in love with him, but never imagining he already was in love for her too! I loved how they start opening to each other again, after so many years. This is one of the best romances from Danni Pettrey I’ve read!
But the romance never dulls the intrigue and suspense, which is always there. I loved that I never quite knew who was the real criminal until almost the end. And this kept me guessing and wanting to read more so I could get to the bottom of the case!
This book with definitely keep you at the edge of your seat and will make you sigh at the same time! And that’s not an easy feat for a suspense writer, but Danni Pettrey did it!
I definitely recommend this book to Romantic Suspense lovers. It can be read as a standalone, but it will be richer if you start by the first book. One of the things I love most about this series is the close-knit relationship of the CGIS team members. They are like a family, loyal to the bone, and ready to serve their lives for each other and for their community. I love all these characters! And I hope to get to read all of their stories. I’m particularly interested in Noah’s right now! Hopefully, he’ll have his own story soon…
Don’t miss this series! A total page turner!
Every page in this book is interesting, and there’s never a pause in the action. This is definitely a “I need to read one more chapter” kind of book. The story is intriguing and suspenseful without being frightening. There was never a time that I was completely sure that I had any of the mysteries in the story figured out and I could not imagine how it would all come together. I was surprised by the turn of events at the conclusion of the book.
The characters are great. Every member of this CGIS team has a great personality, and I loved their interaction. There’s a couple of romantic storylines in this book, but they never overwhelm the story or take over the plot line. Dani Pettrey hit this one out of the park. If this is the beginning of the series, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Romance, suspense, contemporary; Christian faith elements
A perfect romantic suspense read! More of a 4.5 for me as a reader, but loved the pacing, characters, and the back and forth between the characters, suspects, and the unfolding clues to the two crimes that were paralleled in the novel. Great cast of the CGIS team, and their back stories that gradually come out over the course of the novel. The prayers and faith expressed by the characters as they navigated their jobs, and lives was naturally woven into the novel, just at it would be in real life for a Christian, perfectly incorporated and a nice aspect to this novel.
The two main characters, Rissi and Mason’s, unfolding romance was so beautifully crafted and told. Their past hurts, and past history, and the feelings they had and have were so well portrayed as they worked their case. Loved the hints at other romantic interests in this novel, and can’t wait to read their stories as well. Setting on the Oil Rig with all the intricacies of the crimes and case made for an even more intense and suspenseful read.
This was a book I made time to read all in one day (meals got in the way). Can’t wait to read the next book in this series, and go back and read the first!
I received an ARC from the publisher, my opinions and thoughts are my own.