cover image The Killing Tide

The Killing Tide

Dani Pettrey. Bethany House, $15.99 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-7642-3084-4

Pettrey (Submerged) probes how a murder brings out kinship in this harrowing inspirational romance. In Raleigh, N.C., journalist Gabby Rowley is driving when an attempt is made on her life. Believing that the hit came from Xavier Fuente, a drug dealer that Gabby’s reporting helped put in jail, Gabby’s brother, Noah, reports the attack to police. A member of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Noah works with officer Finn Walker, Gabby’s former crush. When a member of the Coast Guard is killed and another goes missing, Gabby jumps into the investigation and makes use of Finn’s sleuthing skills. As they look into connections between the Coast Guard murder and other crimes, Gabby and Finn begin to believe the motivations for these crimes go far deeper than Fuente’s grudge against Gabby. Complicating matters is a competitive relationship with the local NCIS unit, which hinders their sleuthing. And the more time Gabby and Finn spend together, the stronger their bond and faith in one another grows. Threads of faith shine through as Finn and his Coast Guard unit cope with loss and Gabby works to figure out who is behind the crimes. Readers of Susan May Warren will love this thrilling standalone. (Aug.)