The Life & Times of a Book Addict: Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes

Synopsis:

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).

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Genevieve has always dreamed of own and renovating her very own house boat. She attempts to work hard at her sales job in order to make the dream a reality. But in order to complete it she decides to get a second job as a dancer at a private men’s club.

She ends up purchasing a 75’ long boat called the “Revenge of the Tide.” Even though the boat needs some renovations, she is pretty confident she can handle it since her father was a carpenter and taught her the trade.

Not long after she has a part on her boat with some friends, a body washes up close to close to it and Genevieve’s recognizes it as her friend Caddy.

From then on she tries to understand what happened to Caddy and why. Her life is put in danger and she gets attacked, but she does not understand why someone would be after her. Could it be she saw something or someone she wasn’t supposed to? A mysterious package?

Genevieve was a little too naive at times. It seemed like she never completely understood that hanging around shady individuals and doing things like keeping a package for someone without even knowing what is in said package could get her into trouble.

Dark Tide was a bit slow going at first, but after the first few chapters, things began to pick up and become really interesting. The story alternates between past and present. The mystery part of the story was enjoyable to read. I liked the author’s style of writing; it made it easy to get into the story and keep reading until mystery ended.

Rating: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book courtesy of Harper Perennial/HarperCollins Publishing, in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you.**

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