Monday, May 8, 2017

Blood Tide

Blood Tide (Paula Maguire, #5)

Blood Tide was a very atmospheric read. Paula Maguire is a forensic psychologist who is called in to investigate a missing persons case on an isolated island. A couple that have recently moved to the island have gone missing, and everyone on the island thinks they were lost at sea. Paula is not so sure however, after finding clues that indicate something else might be going on. The island has had a rash of recent violence and outsiders are not welcome there, and Paula gets little cooperation from the locals, including the local police guy. 

This book was a mixed bag for me. I liked it on balance, and it's got a great premise- missing persons, an island, a raging storm. And speaking of the storm, the author did a fantastic job evoking the nastiness of the weather. Bone Island, as it's called, is a speck of rock in the Atlantic just off the coast of Ireland, and to say it's inhospitable would be an understatement. Life is tough there and there's nothing better than a twisty, intense murder mystery on a storm- wracked island! So that part of the story worked for me. I really felt like I was there with the roiling seas, the howling wind and the pebble lined shore. 

The problem is partly my own fault. This is the fifth book of a series, and in addition to the island mystery there is a subplot revolving around Paula's quest to find her mother, missing for twenty years. Most assume she's dead, but Paula holds out hope. The story of Paula and her mother are tied up in the violence that wracked northern Ireland for decades, with IRA and loyalist forces playing key roles. To be honest this subplot was less interesting to me, and I felt lost in the details of it, but that's again because I came into this mid- series. If I had read the previous books I'm sure it all would have made sense. 

Paula has other personal issues going on as well, including her relationship with her young daughter and the man she was going to marry being arrested (this is related to the aforementioned subplot). And to top it off, her sometime partner and former boss Guy is the actual father of her daughter. So her life is complicated. Again, if you are a regular of the series this is probably a satisfying installment that moves the backstory along, but for me coming in as a one-off I was mostly clueless. I did enjoy the island mystery however. 

Guy shows up in the story to help her out on the island, and I liked their dynamic. They work well together and it was pretty clear to me they have feelings for each other, although Guy is himself married. Like I said, Paula's life is complex! They're strictly professional though so there's no fooling around going on, but they make a good team and it's a good thing too, because when the storm hits and things go down on the island, they need each other. They find themselves stranded and unwelcome and things get a little tense on the island. 

The atmosphere was huge for me, as I mentioned, and I thought the island was brought to life well. The way of life on the island is slowly dying and the only thing keeping people there is a company that harvests minerals from seaweed. One of the missing persons worked for the company but his behavior got strange before he went missing, and Paula soon has to wonder if the company is hiding something. And to top it off we also get the perspective of one of the missing persons, and her POV sheds light on what really happened, so we get little hints even as the investigation goes on. 

I would recommend this for anyone who likes a twisty mystery set in an isolated locale or anyone who likes a crime thriller set in Ireland. It was a fast read and while there are a few moments where I thought things moved almost too fast, there are some suspenseful bits and overall I enjoyed this one. I'm not sure if I will read further although I'm glad I picked this one up- the premise just appealed to me and I saw it on a blog somewhere- but it was fun and had some chilling moments right up to the end. 

22 comments:

  1. I couldn't start a series five books along! I'd end up DNFing it as soon as I got lost in the sub plots I didn't understand! I do love that cover though...

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  2. Ah yes sometimes it's complicated to start a series in the middle

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  3. I've hit a good streak of books where not starting at book 1 actually didn't matter, the book was set within a universe and I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. But I can understand how frustrating it can be feeling like you're missing out on stuff.

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  4. Oh I love heavy atmosphere and can never resist a missing persons mystery. The subplots do sound confusing and with as complicated as Paula's life is I can see where that would throw you a little. I do like the sound of this but I think I may try and start at the beginning even though I really want to pick this one up!

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  5. Love that cover and would grab it for that reason alone. :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  6. Diving into a series in the middle is such a risky move! Sometimes subplots or b-plots work really well without the continuity of the whole series, and other times you're left feeling bored with all the musing over a character's missing mum. LOL. Otherwise, this sounds like a pretty decent read...aside from the name Bone Island. ;)

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    1. It is risky, and I knew that going in I would probably have trouble. The mystery on the island was fine, but when she switched over to the missing mom/ IRA stuff I was just not clued in. That's okay tho, I still enjoyed it.

      And yeah Bone Island- really? I rolled my eyes a bit...

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  7. Not bad overall then, considering you jumped in at the middle.


    For What It's Worth

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    1. It really wasn't considering I jumped into book FIVE (what was I thinking??) But I did enjoy it.

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  8. This sounds like a read I would like but I would have to start with book 1. Plus I love most things set in Ireland.

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    1. I bet with book one and reading in order it would be a great series and make total sense. :)

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  9. This book does sound awesome! I love that the author was able to nail the atmosphere - that's one of the most important aspects in my opinion! I've also come into the middle of a series that you didn't necessarily have to read from the beginning and found myself lost. I totally understand what you mean! Great review!

    Tracy @ Cornerfolds

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    1. It actually was quite good, and the island/ atmosphere stuff was GREAT. In fact it was the cover and the premise that made me jump into it, book five or not. :)

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  10. There is something about the inclusion of a storm to amp up the ominous atmosphere in a suspense novel. Totes agree with you on that one!

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    1. The storm was definitely a tension enhancer here, and although I rolled my eyes a bit that the storm hit JUST as there was a murder (gee, we can't get off the island) it was okay because it was fun. :)

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  11. I think I'd enjoy mystery and the setting, a dark, atmospheric read lends to making a mystery all the more sinister, IMO. But I think I'd have issue with the relationships here. I'd constantly be hoping Paula and Guy would work things out, since they have a kid together and all. He's married? Messy. Does he even know that he's the father? Other than that, sounds like an exciting read. Wonderful review, Greg! :)

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    1. I agree- the atmosphere can make or break a mystery. In a thriller like this one it added so much more. And the relationships were complex. I was kinda rooting for Paula and Guy too, but he's married so that's kinda whacked? And he does NOT know he's the father. Apparently they had something before he was married... very messy. :)

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  12. You really like books that take place in isolated places, don't you? That always adds a kinda surreal, mysterious feel, so those types of books definitely have an appeal.

    Wow, Paula's life does sound complicated! I can see how that stuff would be less intersting if you hadn't read the previous books though. But I'm glad you still enjoyed the dynamic between characters, the mystery, and the atmosphere!

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    1. I think I do! Maybe you're right, it IS the isolated or eerieness of being alone somewhere dangerous.

      Paula's life was kinda a mess actually. But jumping in with book five- I'm sure it would have made a lot more sense if I knew the story. Although that's one girl whose personal life I don't envy!

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  13. You started in the middle of the series?! Go sit in the corner! :D Well, it sounds like the series has promise.

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    1. Ha! I know. What was I thinking?? And I enjoyed it, although I'm sure I won't read ALL of them...

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