Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for an eARC. The below thoughts and honest review are my own.

Four friends from high school, now about to hit 40, decide to meet up at a Cape Cod beach house for a reunion. Mori, Avery, Remi, and Calista haven't seen each other in 20 years and each one is hiding a secret, some bigger than others. Unfortunately, one of them doesn't make it to the reunion because she's been murdered. The other three take it upon themselves to find out what happened to their friend, while secrets are also revealed.

This was an easy fun read, but there were unfortunately a few elements that didn't quite work for me. I was expecting a thriller, but I got more of a cozy mystery with some darker vibes. And unfortunately cozy mysteries are just not my genre of choice. For one, I've mentioned in other reviews, I don't like when people who are knowledgeable about the criminal justice system (I give a pass in certain cases) insert themselves into investigations and that's exactly what these friends did. They probably should have been arrested so many times for how much they interfered and ruined crime scenes. I also wasn't a big fan of most of the "secrets" if you can even call them that, including who the killer was (and no this wasn't a case of good guessing or sleuthing on my part). I am not usually an epilogue hater, but this one really took me back and lowered my rating because it essentially changed the entire book, I believe to set it up as a series, but otherwise I don't really know. I did love the Cape Cod setting. I want to stay at that beach house and have someone cook for me and my friends for sure!

Lie in the Tide is a compelling mystery/thriller that offers a strong sense of atmosphere, layered with secrets and suspense. While the setting and premise were intriguing, I found it difficult to connect with most of the characters, which made it harder to stay emotionally invested in the story. The plot felt somewhat predictable, and there were moments where the characters’ choices were frustrating enough to make me want to yell at them. While the mystery had potential, it didn’t quite deliver the twists or depth I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an eARC of this book.

Lie in the Tide is binge-worthy. Great characters who are seriously flawed. I am interested to see what the second in the series brings.

It’s been twenty years since Mori, Avery, Remi and Calista last saw each other. As they reconnect on Cape Cod to celebrate Calista’s 40th birthday, each one hides a painful and devastating secret.

Former introvert, Mori is now a bestselling erotica author. She’s more successful than she ever dreamed, and yet shamefully on the cusp of divorce #3.

Remi’s a yoga instructor, blissfully married to her high school sweetheart. On this trip, she’s concealing her pregnancy – and the baby’s paternity.

Quiet Avery is a farm wife living in Iowa. Her life doesn’t have the scandals of her friends’. But she does have a house full of kids she fears she’ll never see again . . .

And Calista, the quintessential suburban mom and high school English teacher, is harboring the biggest secret of all.

Best summer read of the year. Intrigue, mystery, secrets and more. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

I enjoyed Lie in The Tide by Holly Danvers and rated it five stars. This compelling story of friendship, secrets, and betrayal kept me turning pages late into the night. The characters felt authentic, and the tension built beautifully toward a gripping conclusion.

Lie in the Tide started off really well. I was drawn in quickly. I love a good reunion thriller, and the premise was promising. I was excited to read it, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to its promise.

I really disliked most of the characters, which made it hard to care what happened to them. I especially disliked Remi. She made unbelievably stupid decisions.

Overall, the concept was clever, but it was very predictable, and I found the characters almost too stupid for words. I wasn't keen on Holly's writing style, especially the silly twist at the end in the epilogue.

2.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Severn House, and Holly Danvers for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the different perspectives and the ending, while a teensy bit expected (or maybe just expected since I wanted this person to be the killer), was perfect. It was a little slower paced, but I felt it was a great storyline and an easy read!

I was able to guess who the killer was quite early in the story, but that did not keep me from enjoying the ride.

I definitely was not expecting that ending and I cannot wait for the second book in this series to be written and published!

This was a twisty mystery and a fun change from the Lakeside Library cozy mystery series than Holly writes.

Looking forward to reading more of Holly's work in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day! I thought it was well written and I loved the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

A nice twisty thriller. Perfect summertime read.

The ending was pretty predictable, but the way it came together wasn't.

Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers takes a reunion of high school friends and turns the event into a murderous affair.

Will Mori and her friends figure out who killed Calista?

We start with high school friends who are getting together after not seeing each other for 20+ years. They were "the group" in school and the best of friends, but after graduation, they went their separate ways.

Now the four ladies are supposed to meet up on Cape Cod at a big house owned by one of their friends.

The Ladies
Mori was the shy one. Now she is a best-selling author of romance. She has been married three times and may be on the verge of her third divorce. Mori isn't used to having people around as she spends most of her day writing. I would say the character that we get to know is smart, but spends the majority of her life writing romance novels, and she flirts like crazy with all men. I connected with Mori right away.

Calista, once a cheerleader and reserved, is now a high school English teacher and, on the outside, seems to have the perfect family. But her life is based on a lie and her husband is pissed about it. I think he is overreacting a bit. However, I also understand both sides of their argument. Calista's secret may blow up two marriages. However, it shouldn't have ended in death.

Avery, always outgoing and down to earth, is now a farm wife in Iowa. She does so much for her family, but worries that her neighbor has set her sights on Avery's husband. Avery also hides a secret, but not one that will affect her friends; it will impact her family. It is a sad secret that she keeps. I felt the sorriest for her.

Last, we have Remi, the yoga teacher, who owns a gym in Florida with her high school sweetheart husband. She seems to be a bit lonely, but she lies the easiest and her friends don't know when she is telling the truth or not. Remi's life is very different from the others, but she is still vulnerable and somewhat sweet. However, she is playing with fire when it comes to her husband and the trainer with whom they are involved. It's a usual plan, but financially, it makes sense; however, morally, I don't believe it's possible.

The Mystery
Oh, my, did Ms. Danvers keep me guessing. I was like it's him, no her, no him. Then, about halfway through the story, I made up my mind. I was right, and he deserved more than what he got. Yet, he will get his up-incomings.

Five Stars
My rating for Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers is five stars. I loved it. Well done, Ms. Danvers. I hope to see more like this from you. I do recommend it to all suspense readers out there.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

This is my first book by this author & I'll definitely be on the look out to ready more of her books! I really enjoyed this story!!!

A group of friends meets up for a reunion trip after 20 years. They don't know each other very well anymore, everyone has secrets, and someone ends up dead.

This wasn't my favourite book. The idea itself and the concepts in the book were interesting and had potential, but maybe it wasn't well developed enough? Combined with the writing style, repetitive language, and whiny, immature characters and I was basically just reading it to get it done.

I appreciate having the chance to read something new by an author I've never read before, but it just wasn't for me.

This was a twisty, easily binge worthy mystery style thriller. Think of BLL and The Guest List, it's the perfect combination of those for sure. Full of twists and secrets, can you trust your friends on this reunion after 20 years?

This books was great right from the jump. It’s so twisty and I loved to hate all the characters. It was so fun to read and quick too. I could not put it down! Looking forward to the next one of the series!

Secrets are bound to dampen the reunion of four friends after two decades: Mori, Avery, Remi, and Calista. Their lives are about to change, and soon, one of them will face a tragic end.

I enjoyed this book. While it’s a quick read, it boasts intriguing protagonists and suspense that hits hard as these four women step away from their lives. As I read, I couldn’t help but think of the quote I’ve heard many times: “You can never go home again.” These women may have been bonded when younger, but their lives have taken vastly different paths. Add to that the murder of one of them, and the story takes a dramatic turn.

As a resident of Massachusetts, I recently spent a weekend in Natick. Having Natick and the Cape as backdrops in the story made me feel more connected. I eagerly anticipate reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to Severn House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Haunting and lyrical story that blends mystery with emotional depth. The writing is atmospheric and gripping, pulling the reader into a web of secrets, grief and resilience.

This is a fun and easy summer/beach read. Several twists and an ending I definitely didn’t expect! This was my first book by this author and it won’t be the last!

Lie in the Tide by Holly Danvers had high hopes. It was promoted so agressively that I really thought it was going to be great.

The story was boring and fell flat for me. It was quite predictable.

I really wanted to like it but the characters were not even likeable.

Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers opens with four high school friends meeting up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts for a reunion of sorts. When one of them doesn't show up, and no one can get a hold of her, the other friends are desperate to find out what happened.

NetGalley, thank you for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this novel. I requested a copy of this book based on their synopsis and the author. When my request was approved, I was thrilled.

The story started off well and kept me wanting to know more. Early on, I thought I had everything figured out, but much to my surprise, there was a plot twist I didn't count on. I won't say more as to not spoil it for others.

It's an easy read and perfect to take on vacation. Although I enjoyed Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers a lot, I wish there was more action in the first half of the book. The second half was action packed, and I found myself rushing to finish the story to see if my gut instinct was correct.

As for the characters, I really liked them all with the exception of Calista's husband. There were traits in each of the main characters that I could relate to, which I thought was great.

I gave Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers four out of five stars. This is a fantastic book for those who love a good mystery with lots of suspense. I can't wait to read more books from this author.