Dark Tide Blog Tour: Review

Dark Tide

Author: Elizabeth Haynes
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks

Description:

The author of the acclaimed debut thriller Into the Darkest Corner returns with a taut, gripping murder mystery featuring a compelling heroine who unwittingly finds herself caught in an underworld of murder, corruption, and betrayal.

The first time Genevieve saw it, she knew it was the one: Revenge of the Tide, "an odd sort of a name for a boat." Genevieve had finally escaped the stressful demands of her London sales job and achieved her dream--to leave the city behind and start a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. She left the boat's name as it was. Revenge had character after all, and living in a marina made her feel a bit safer, a little less lonely; almost as if the boat looked after her, hid her away from view.

But her dreams are shattered the night of her boat-warming party when a body washes up, and to Genevieve's horror, she recognizes the victim as a close friend from nights dancing on-stage at a private members' club, the Barclay. She isn't about to tell the police, though; next to no one knew what Genevieve did every Friday and Saturday night to save money for her escape, and she sees no reason to reveal her past. The death can't have anything to do with her. Or so she thinks.

Soon the lull of the waves against Revenge feels anything but soothing, as Genevieve begins to receive mysterious calls and can't reach the one person who links the present danger with her history at the club. And then there is the parcel on her boat she's meant to be safekeeping for an old flame, which seems to be putting her in jeopardy. As Genevieve begins to fear for her safety, she recalls the moment when it had all started to go horribly wrong: the night she recognized her day-time boss in the crowd of customers at the Barclay. . . .

With Dark Tide, Elizabeth Haynes builds on the promise of her outstanding debut Into the Darkest Corner. Told in dual narratives that interweave past and present, this dark, sexy, exquisitely chilling thriller proves her "initial success was no accident" (Sunday Express).  

Dark Tide is a dark and edgy thriller that follows Genevieve after she finds an old friend's body washed up after a boat-warming party. She doesn't think that her friend's death has any connection to her or their shared past as private dancers for a member's only club - that is, until she begins receiving strange phone calls and isn't able to get in touch with the only person who can link her to her history at the club. Soon Genevieve finds herself in the sights of a killer who is determined to silence her and she begins to piece together the terrible events that may lead her right to the heart of the mystery - and the murder.

This was an intriguing suspense novel that shows the ample talent of the writer. The plot was detailed and vividly imagined; so much that I easily felt myself slip inside the story alongside Genevieve. The happenings, characters, and settings are all intricately detailed and described so that I could simply shut my eyes and see everything before me. The characters were well rounded - especially Genevieve, who was a strong female lead with a tough attitude. The other characters weren't as well developed, but weren't overly stereotypical or cliched. The main story was a great mystery to unravel and I highly enjoyed attempting to figure out the murderer before the characters did. The writing was fast paced, but not rushed, and easily intertwined the various threads of the plot into a great narrative. Highly recommended for fans of thrillers and suspense fiction.

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