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.When investigative reporter–and Finn’s boss’s sister–Gabby Rowley … Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he 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?
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There are a few authors for which I wait, agonizingly, for their next release; Dani Pettrey is one of them. People sometimes ask who is your favorite author, to which I honestly cannot reply. Seriously, how would a confirmed lifelong bibliophile choose just one favored author or book? It just cannot be done. However, I do have a number of authors whose storytelling skills are top-notch, in my opinion, and Dani Pettrey is one of them.
The Killing Tide is the first in Dani Pettrey’s newest series, Coastal Guardians; set in the riverfront town of New Bern, near the coast of North Carolina, the series focuses on the US Coast Guard unit based approximately 35 mile northeast, this series promises to be full of Pettrey’s trademark exciting romantic suspense.
Gabby Fowler, an investigative reporter based out of Raleigh, is in the crosshairs of a very angry drug kingpin, a man who is determined to find and kill the woman who put him in prison, one nosey reporter. When an attempt on her life fails, Gabby’s siblings determine she needs to go home so her brothers, members of a Coast Guard Investigative unit can protect her. Gabby wants nothing to do with going home as she fears putting her family in danger.
Agreeing that it would not be well for Gabby to stay at the family home, she is instead ensconced in the garage apartment of Finn Walker, a special agent with the unit. Finn and Gabby have a history together, one that includes broken hearts. Sparks fly and hearts pound as Finn and Gabby struggle to maintain a safe “distance”. Until a killer strikes, and Finn is all about protecting Gabby from harm, while Gabby’s investigative reporter instincts rare up.
Things get interesting when the killer strikes again, and Gabby becomes a target. But, is she a target of the killer on the loose in New Bern or has the drug kingpin tracked her down? Even more, will her brothers and Finn, all members of the same team, be able to keep her safe plus stop the killer?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and am under no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own, and freely given.
The Killing Tide is a fast paced romantic thriller involving a cast of characters from the Coast Guard’s CGIS. This particular book features Finn and an investigative reporter named Gabby. I have to admit it took me a quick minute to get into it because of the many characters in the book. But once I got a few chapters in, I felt I knew them all and they were my good friends. I’m excited because this is the first in a series and I am already anxious to read the next book about Rissi.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion
I am a big fan of suspense novels but I am an even bigger fan of Christian fiction and this novel by Dani Pettrey satisfies my love for both of these genres. The Killing Tide is book one of Pettrey’s new Coastal Guardians series and it centers around a team of Coast Guard Investigative agents working the coastal regions of North Carolina and based out of the Wilmington, NC office. This book features several of these agents but the main focus is on Finn Walker and the reporter who captured his heart but then walked away six months ago. Gabby Rowley lives and breathes investigative reporting and she can’t see herself doing anything else, even though she is now sidelined because of her involvement in a drug investigation. Through a series of events, she and Finn find themselves thrown together and once again, their hearts and their lives face dangerous risks!
The action in this book begins immediately and it never lets up. Just when I thought there couldn’t be anything else happen, BOOM, it did! There was a scene that had me wondering just how much more Gabby could endure and I didn’t come close to guessing the conclusion. As Finn and Gabby work together to find the killer (or killers), they once again experience their incredible chemistry and Gabby begins to question if her work is really all that she wants. But, along with the intense intrigue and suspense, there is an underlying message of faith. I appreciate the many prayers that Pettrey is able to incorporate into her plot; she subtly shares her Christian beliefs without cramming religion down her reader’s throats.
Since it is the beginning of a new series there is apparently lots more adventure to come with these Coastal Guardians. The Killing Tide is also romantic, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. What more could a lover of romantic suspense and Christian fiction ask for?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and I am voluntarily offering this review. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.
This story has so many twists and turns. I did not want to put this book down. I loved Finn Walker and Gabby Rowley. They were so good together. I did get mad at Finn once in a while when he got mad at Gabby for doing some of the dangerous things that he also did every day. I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series. I loved the action and learning a little bit about the Coast Guard Investigative Service. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
The Killing Tide #1 Coastal Guardians by Dani Pettrey
Whenever I pick up a book by Dani Pettrey I know two things: I will get immersed in the story and I will end up reading way past my bedtime, as I did with The Killing Tide. There is always some aspect of her stories that stay with me long after I close the last page.
My favorite character is GCIS (Coast Guard Investigative Service) agent Finn Walker. A man of integrity, handsome, dedicated and with a strong faith which impacts those around him. I love his strength and dedication to GCIS, those he loves and his growing faith. As he faces his most dangerous crime he certainly does not need any distractions, especially the destruction of Gabby Rowley, his boss’s sister. Gabby is an investigative reporter and has a history with Finn, one that did not end well. Now they are thrown together for her protection, however, she does not intend to stay sheltered when there is a crime to be unraveled. Thus begins a suspenseful, dangerous search to uncover the few clues they have to catch the murderer.
Gabby is a strong-willed woman set on a path that seems to be filled with dangerous situations at every turn. I found myself shaking my head at some of the things Gabby does to stay in the investigation despite the danger to herself and thereby bringing more danger to those protecting her. At times I didn’t like her much and then she does something that changes my mind about her. I really like her family and their part in the story and I hope to see more of them in future books as the series unfolds. A gripping story.
~(I bought a copy and also received a copy of this book from the author/publisher/NetGalley (no monetary gain were exchanged), this is my honest review)~
Gabby Rowley is an investigative reporter whose story exposed a dangerous man, and is now running for her life. She relocates to her hometown to hide. Once there, she finds her brother, as well as, her former love interest, Finn, ready to protect her.
Both men are special agents with the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and are working on an interesting case. As the story unfolds, murders, mystery and suspects abound. With more curiosity than a cat, Gabby tries to involve herself by attempting to uncover the person behind it all.
Unfortunately, Gabby’s snooping exposes her location to the killer hunting her. Besides trying to solve the crime, the Coast Guards are forced to spend a lot of time protecting Gabby from both the man after her, as well as, herself.
This fast-moving yarn has lots of action and mystery. Gabby was hard to like because she constantly breaks her word to family and friends, along with doing lots of fool-hardy things. There are a number of characters to keep track of, but the story will grab your interest, and the person behind it all is a surprise. Christianity is brought into the story in a very natural way, and adds to the tale’s appeal. This 5-star book will be enjoyed by those liking action, fast-moving tales, or romance. Bookreadingtic received a complimentary copy of The Killing Tide, for the purpose of review.
The Killing Tide gives me yet another reason why Dani Pettrey is among my favorite Romantic Suspense authors. This one is the beginning of her new series, Coastal Guardians. It starts off full of action filled suspense. I was left guessing what would happen next. It had so many twists and turns that I could never predicted. I loved the Finn and Harper duo. They made quite the team.
I highly recommend The Killing Tide. It gets five plus stars from me. I can not wait to get my hands on the second installment from the Coastal Guardians series and see what adventures the characters will get into.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Dani Pettrey certainly came out of the gate swinging with this new series! Fans of romantic suspense, heavy on the suspense, will want to get their hands on a copy of The Killing Tide immediately.
I have been eagerly waiting for this book since I devoured the Chesapeake Valor series last year. Pettrey writes some of the best suspense out there and she did not disappoint. The pace was breakneck and every time I thought I had finally wrapped my head around what was happening new evidence would surface and I was back to square one. I never in a million years could have expected the final reveal and I wouldn’t want it any other way!
With such an intriguing team of Coast Guard Investigators introduced, I’m not sure who’s story I want next. One thing I know for sure is that I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Seven years ago, Dani Pettrey broke onto the Christian fiction market with her first book the Alaskan Courage Series, Submerged. I was hooked from her first book, and she quickly became one of my top favorite authors, and remains there.
The Killing Tide is the first in a new series I have been looking forward to, and it does not disappoint. I have read a few books that involved the Coast Guard, but can’t remember any that completely revolved around and centered on it. I know Pettrey and authors like her do research and even talk to people in law enforcement when they write these books, so I found the activities these fictional characters were involved in fascinating.
In this book, the Coast Guard was more involved in law enforcement and investigating, though there were also some search and rescue.
Characters and character development are a big thing with me, and Pettrey came up with some great and likable characters for her series. There is a Coast Guard team that the series will revolve around. I am guessing each book will feature and center on a different member of the team. This one was about the very likable Finn, and his former love interest, Gabby. The team has other great characters, including Noah, team leader and Gabby’s brother, and Logan…..a most interesting and colorful character I am hoping will be featured more in other books.
The plot was great, intricate, and multi-layered. There was a lot going on, but a lot of it was connected. There was more than one bad guy, and though one was obvious from the first chapter, the others were not so obvious, and I was kept guessing…..and totally surprised at the identity of the mastermind.
The suspense was awesome and well done, and there were a lot of tense moments. Let’s get real….most authors are not going to kill off a main character, but it is still fun and suspenseful to read all that happens til the climax of the book and the damsel is saved.
Last, but not least was the romance. I like books like these that aren’t the typical boy meets girl, and they fall in love while trying to stay alive from a killer. In The Killing Tide, Finn and Abby had already had a dating relationship, and she had left him for a job elsewhere. Slight spoiler: You know they are going to get back together, but it was still fun and entertaining to see how it happened.
In The Killing Tide, Dani Pettrey proves she still has it, and has only gotten better at her very awesome brand of Christian suspense. My only complaint: the next book is so far off.
I highly recommend her Alaskan Courage Series and her Chesapeake Valor Series.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own
This is the first book in the Coastal Guardians and what an interesting book it is……Gabby Rowley finds herself in extreme danger after her work as an investigative reporter {and a nosy one} leads her to having to run for her life as she knows too much. Her brother Noah, places her with his co-worker, for the drug lords know where her family lives and he wants to keep them safe. The only thing she has stayed with Finn before and they fell for one another, but her job is first and foremost in her life so she leaves and returns to her job. He is reluctant to let her stay but for the sake of Noah, he does, hoping he want regret it. Then we have a corpse and then another death that the Coast Guard is investigating and Gabby cannot restrain from getting involved which adds to the danger she is already in. While sparks are shooting between her and Finn the danger becomes more and more real to the both of them. A book filled with action, suspense and romance. A winning combination that always makes for an interesting read…….. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
Losing those you care about isn’t easy, especially when you are an investigator and are tasked with finding out who’s behind their murders. Sometimes there are secrets that get brought to the light, and questions that no one can answer. Reputations become tarnished, and life might never be the same. Finn is one of those investigators, and he wants the criminals brought to justice. Luckily he has an amazing Coast Guard team to back him up, and fight right along side him if the need arises.
Pettrey does it again. In a breath-taking, nail biting story about those who fight for what’s right, and protect those who can’t protect themselves. I loved every moment I spent on the Coast, and am dying to go back and visit the team soon. Even if it seems that every time I catch my breath, Pettrey is trying to take it away again. The chemistry of the Coast Guard team was undeniable and I would love to get to know them all even more. I had no way of guessing where this story was going to go, but just hung on and enjoyed the ride. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Romantic Suspense. I received a complimentary copy of this book and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
If you like a tight story and fast-paced writing, you’ll likely enjoy The Killing Tide.
To the author’s credit, there were a lot of characters to introduce in this new series, and I was able to keep them all straight! Their names and personalities were distinct enough to prevent confusion.
Dialogue is snappy and moves the story along through a series of mysterious murders implicating known bad guys and some presumed good guys as well.
There’s not a whole lot of room for the romance, but being a second-chance romance, the reader didn’t have to see the first bloom of attraction. We get it all in bread crumbs of backstory. And that’s enough!
Genre : Christian,Romance, Action, Mystery
My rating: 3.5 stars (close to 4 stars though)
Language: Clean! (There is mention of someone “swearing”, but they do not list the words)
Age Range: 15+
Content: Many people die, body parts (not very detailed though), kissing, abuse to a child, and a small part about a guy wishing a girl was sleeping beside him instead of his dog.
Favorite Characters: Rissi and Finn
Conclusion:
This book was surprisingly a lot more about romance than what I thought it would be. It was obvious that the two people would get together and I was able to figure out many plot twists. The “villain” was someone I was not expecting – maybe because they weren’t in the book very much at all.
However, it was still a good book! The faith views was really good, the romance was sweet/adorable and the action kept me turning the pages, wanting more. I would recommend this book.
Book was from Netgalley for me to review. All opinions are my own and this is my honest review.
Darn you Dani Pettrey, you always cost me sleep! The Killing Tide kept me awake long after I should have been sound asleep! Your plots pull me along compelling me to keep reading. Your characters are realistic and have clever dialogue. I believe The Killing Tide to be your most intense book thus far! So my advice to Readers of The Killing Tide is to wait until you have time to immerse yourself in this book. Don’t plan on doing anything else! LOL So send the kids to grandmas, send the hubby fishing, then grab a pitcher of ice tea and snacks then settle in for an intense read!
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.
What an exciting adventure with tons of action, intrigue and more! So, how to share without revealing too much? The opening scene reminded me of the movie “Guardian” about the Coast Guard rescue swimmers. In her brand-new series, Dani Pettrey takes readers on one of the wildest rides of suspense and thrills that will keep you turning pages and losing sleep! Right from the first page, we see a character named Finn attempting to rescue a wife who was in the water while a boat was sinking with her husband still aboard!
Scenes change and the readers will find themselves on a wild ride as Gabby, a news reporter, is trying to stay a step ahead of her pursuer who intends to do her mortal harm. So, her employer calls her brother to come and take her out of town in order to keep her safe. However, Gabby loves to ditch those who are protecting her in order to chase down story leads.
Now, we get a sneak peek into Finn and Gabby’s past because Finn is part of the team tasked with keeping Gabby safe. The CGIS team takes turns keeping Gabby right by their sides while various members are investigating several cases that have cropped up. Are all these cases related? Well, you’ll have to read the tale to find out. But wait there is more!
Gabby and Finn’s individual life histories are littered with painful memories and broken hearts. Gabby and Finn are the two main characters in the first book, but there are other members of the team that I am thinking the author will craft very intriguing stories for us to enjoy. We get sneak peeks into the past of team members’ lives like Rissi, Noah, Caleb, and others that I am hoping are going to show up in future books in this series.
If you never have read Dani Pettrey’s novels, let me say you are in for a treat! They are exciting, engaging, suspense-filled to the max along with family and faith threads that will warm your heart. Grab a copy of The Killing Tide, then get ready to rock and roll with action and adventure!
One thing I love about Pettrey’s books is that when you flip open the page expecting romantic suspense/adventure, you get it. In spades. The Killing Tide was no different.
The action picks up right from the get-go and is seriously non-stop the whole way through. Warning: the chapters are short, so it’s easy to “just one more” yourself all the way to the finish without realizing how much sleep you’ve lost. (Ask me how I know!) I blame the engaging story and likeable characters, with Pettrey’s signature style of weaving plot lines and making readers crave more of the characters in action and interaction alike.
I’m excited to see what this new Coastal Guardians series brings, as this book had one of the best buildups to the next book I’ve read in a long time. It wasn’t so much a cliffhanger at the end as it was a stunning way to set up The Crushing Depths (book two) without detracting from the impact of The Killing Tide’s resolution. It left me in awe of the first book and ready to dive into the next.
I definitely recommend The Killing Tide. Might as well add The Crushing Depths to your TBR, too.
Dani Pettrey definitely knows what is required to create a romantic suspense. I adore how she creates a whole cast of brave heroines and heroes to fill her stories. By entering into a new story, Pettrey invites her readers into a world that becomes real and unique. In Killing Tide, readers are introduced to a team of Coast Guard Investigative Services that are as close as family. They spend time together, caring for each other inside and outside the job. The characters are memorable, yet brave. Gabby has a past that Pettrey hints out and doesn’t resolve by the end of the first edition. While Finn has a past too, but Pettrey didn’t keep it hidden from the readers. The romance between Finn and Gabby flourishes and sparks from the past romance they shared. Killing Tide is a death-defying story of chasing buried treasures and uncovering the truth of a boat explosion and castrophy of a dead man. The story captured my attention pretty quickly, and Pettrey didn’t let go until the last hair-raising moment. I enjoyed spending time with these characters and can’t wait to see what dilemma they find themselves in for the next story.
I received a complimentary copy of The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.
From the first to the last page Dani Pettrey kept me on the edge of my seat, and quickly page turning.
You never know what is around the next corner, and it is a good thing, the surprises are very abundant, and most I never saw coming, and don’t won’t get too comfortable in your surroundings.
Past meets present, and facing your life hits you head on, and while there is a bit of romance, you need to hold your loved one’s close as you don’t know whom will be here tomorrow.
When you think all that is bad has finished, be careful!
I love that this is the first in this series and more is to come!
I received this book through Net Galley and Bethany House Publishers, and was not required to give a positive review.
Dani Pettrey’s The Killing Tide is the first book in a new series, Coastal Guardians. Once again Pettrey has written a book filled with mystery, suspense, and romance. Finn Walker is a special agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Service. When a suspicious death of a Coast Guard officer occurs, Finn is called in to investigate this horrendous crime. Gabby Rowley is a curious reporter who once had a relationship with Finn. Could this crime be linked to attempts that were made on her life? Are the old feelings still there?
Pettrey keeps the reader guessing to the very last of the book. There are a number of characters in this book and almost everyone seems to be a suspect. If you are looking for a book heavy on the action, I highly recommend this book. An enjoyable read, indeed.
I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.
Very intriguing! I didn’t figure out who “The Collector” was until it was revealed near the end. A very fast paced story about the Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service (CGIS). Finn Walker is an investigator for CGIS, he is entrusted with the safety of his boss’ sister, Gabby, when a hit is put out on her from a drug lord. With bodies piling up in his investigation, Gabby decides to help and puts her own life in danger to find the truth. A very fast paced story with believable characters and story. This story is full of suspense with a little bit of romance on the side. The supporting characters are great, I can’t wait to read their story.