Dark Tide

Something very evocatively scary happens in the first pages of Elizabeth Haynes’ novel Dark Tide, setting the scene for a very dark story indeed. It’s a story told in multiple points of view, with converging timelines that move irrevocably to or from that very first scene. And nobody is quite what they seem.

Details ring authentically true, from depictions of peaceful houseboat life to the shadows of London’s criminal underworld, from haunting mystery to haunted memory, and from sunshine to rain. Newly remodeled houseboat rooms hide as many secrets as a newly remodeled life. And a dark tide turns an over-the-top housewarming party into questions of accidental death.

Elizabeth Haynes’ novel is filled with believably odd characters, show more none of them perfect, but with shining lights of goodness. Relationships can be shelter or escape. But behind it all is the question of who is truly good—or if true goodness can be found by someone so flawed. It’s a story that draws the reader into worlds they might not wish to visit, through the eyes of a flawed protagonist, and sends them, like a houseboat whose engine has never been tried, into dangerous waters. It’s a good story, seductive, sad, filled with questions, but overarchingly filled with that aching search for goodness, trust and truth.

I really enjoyed this novel.

Disclosure: I bought it on a deal when my basement was flooded – dark tides indeed. show less

Genevieve has finally escaped the stressful demands of her sales job and achieved her dream: to leave London behind and start a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. But on the night of her boat-warming party the dream is shattered when a a body washes up beside the boat, and she recognises the victim.

As the santuary of the boatyard is threatened, and her life is increasingly at risk, the story of how Genevieve came to be so out of her depth unfolds, and she learns the real cost of mixing business with pleasure.

My Thoughts:

I really liked Elizabeth Haynes first novel ‘Into the Darkest Corner’ but loved this book.

The book had plenty going on that had me turning the pages. It is totally different to her first novel which was a little show more intense. This book flowed and dare I say was verging on a romantic suspense. It wasn’t slushy like a lot of novels and I wouldn’t put it in the genre of a romantic suspense, but there was plenty of drama and a love interest thrown in.

The book gripped me from the first page. The plot wasn’t mind blowing and I could see where it was leading but I didn’t quite guess how it was going to turn out, and I was left at the end wanting perhaps a few more pages.

I would highly recommend both books by Elizabeth Haynes and will be looking out for more by her in the future. show less

This author’s debut novel, Into the Darkest Corner, left me breathless. It was the epitome of psychological suspense. I couldn’t put it down. Haynes had made my ‘must read everything this author has ever written’ list before I even finished the book. Just so you know, it’s a short list.

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon another book written by Elizabeth Haynes at my local used bookstore. I usually consider myself lucky if I can find one of the authors on the crumpled ‘to read’ list I keep in my wallet. To find the author I want the most? Well, that’s my lucky day!

I left the store with the book in my hand and a smile on my face. Hmmm. At this point, you’ve probably noticed that I’m three paragraphs into a review show more and I still haven’t mentioned the book I’m reviewing. Double Hmmm.

Disclaimer. I know that writing a book isn’t the easiest thing to do. A lot of time and dedication goes into committing tens of thousands of words on to paper. I also believe in supporting authors. If the book is well written, if the plot is solid, if I enjoyed the book or can think of a valid excuse (I’m moody) of why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped and why you might enjoy it more, I give it 5 stars. If a book is generally good but has some issues, maybe the pacing is off or the writing style detracts from the story, I give it 4 stars. If the author has seriously pissed me off, as in, they have talent and imagination but I just spent hours of my life reading something that wasn’t their best effort (to put it politely), I give it 3 stars. I don’t review books I can’t give at least 3 stars.

Now that that’s said, here’s my review. This book is about a woman who had worked as a stripper. It’s mentioned on the back page blurb, and since I really enjoyed the other book I read by this author, it wouldn’t have affected my decision to read the book (had I read the blurb before buying). However, when a stripper character muses about how empowering it is to be a stripper, how it’s a victory for women’s lib, and then that character is weak, stupid, vapid, generally unlikable, and only concerned with men and being desirable, well, that’s not a victory for anyone.

The book was well written, I’ll give Haynes that, but the plot? The only suspense or mystery I experienced was wondering when Haynes was going to wow me. I’m still waiting. This book left me so underwhelmed that I’m seriously wondering if maybe I was wrong about the other book I read by her. Maybe there was an uncapped Sharpie nearby when I was reading? Or the mushrooms on the pizza were ‘special’. This book had potential, but it seemed to be more a venue for the author to explore her personal fantasies than to woo her readers with suspense and intrigue. I’m not sure I’ll be giving any of her other books a chance. 3 stars. show less

I am wondering why I read this one given that I didn't think much of Into The Darkest Corner, but it was at the library so...

I didn't like this one either. It gave me a great big angry feminist WTF?! face. Not because of the pole dancing (and there's a lot of that but only because it's such great exercise, which I totally believe because it's only mentioned, oh gosh, every single time she gets on the fecking pole), or because of the whole "the thing I like about you is that you don't ask any questions," "You're asking questions, I liked you because you didn't do that," thing, but because ultimately everybody is a piece of meat to be dolled out to whoever.

It's stupid and hokey and deeply angry making and I'd probably need to hear really show more good things to want to pick up anything else by this author. show less

I really enjoyed Into the Darkest Corner but I never felt the spark for Genevieve or the suspense that I was supposed to be getting here. Honestly, this didn't feel very suspenseful. Also, the flashback device annoyed me after a bit because it felt repetitive & I didn't particularly need Genevieve to tell me over & over why she danced at the club or how awesome her dancer skills are on that pole. Be a stripper, make that money & do your thing & I'll raise a manicured fist with you in sisterly solidarity but don't keep underlining it because now it comes off like you're trying to justify your choices. I didn't need Gen's justifications, all I really wanted to know was who killed Caddy. Seriously. I didn't even take long for me not to show more care about her relationship with Dylan. I did very much enjoy the parts that took place at the river with the other people who lived on their boats. I thought the descriptions of all that & Gen's boat, were the best part. In the end, this one was just okay but in no way will keep me from reading more from Elizabeth Haynes. show less

It is rare for me to dislike a character as much as I did Genevieve, the central character of REVENGE OF THE TIDE. At first I was on Genevieve's side, sympathetic to her desire to escape the London rat race by buying a river barge in Kent. Where we came unstuck was when Genevieve revealed that, in her second job as a pole dancer in an exclusive men's club, she would do almost anything to raise money to buy a houseboat.The club where she is working has gangland and drug connections but Genevieve is really gullible when she thinks that she can escape.

She leaves a trail which brings criminals into the boatyard community where her boat is moored. This also diminished my empathy with her.

I tried to put those plot elements aside and I admired show more the way the author has skilfully woven two plot time lines together.

So, for those who like to know if I enjoyed a book - well, no, I didn't enjoy this one although I did read it to the very end just to get the complete story. show less

I read Elizabeth Hayne's debut novel, Into the Darkest Corner, last summer and really enjoyed it. I was quite eager to sink my teeth into her next book - Dark Tide. Haynes returns with another suspenseful tale of a woman in peril.

Genevieve is good at her sales job but it's going to be a long time before she saves enough money to pursue her dream - to buy a boat and live on it. So she decides to ramp things up and takes a job pole dancing at a private club in London. Just dancing, nothing extra.

Cut to the second narrative. Dream achieved - Genevieve has done it - she is living on and fixing up a barge. The night after a boat warming party with some old friends from London and new friends from the marina she's docked at, a strange bumping show more against her hull awakens her. It's a body in the water - and she knows who it is.

Through a dual set of narratives, we cut from present to past, all of it leading to the question - what happened in London?

I really enjoyed this format and the eking out of information as the back story slowly filled in and the present day hurtled forward. Haynes kept me quickly turning pages with her foreshadowing.

With Into the Darkest Corner, I became quite involved with Catherine, the lead character. In Dark Tide, I felt like more of an observer. Genevieve didn't garner quite the same emotional response from me. I found her to be self serving, shallow and I honestly questioned her decisions at times.

All the elements are here for a good read - danger, romance and unanswered questions. And it was a good read for me. It just didn't grip me as much as her first book. Dark Tide was written as part of 2010's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Although the book has, of course, been edited since then, it still felt a bit formulaic and by the numbers. I'm not sure if North American readers will be familiar with a genre of tell all British women's magazines such as Chat. They focus on real people telling their usually shocking true stories in a first person narrative. This is what Genevieve's recounting reminded me of.

I did enjoy the description of life on the boat and Genevieve's renovations - they sparked a daydream of a living on a houseboat! There were perhaps a few too many references to pole dancing techniques and moves.

But all in all, Dark Tide was a great escapist read, easily devoured in a day. I do like this author and will be eagerly waiting to read the North American release of her third book, Human Remains. show less