ARC Review: Deadly Tides by Mary Keliikoa

Deadly Tides
Author: Mary Keliikoa
Series: A Misty Pines Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Level Best Books (October 24, 2023)

Description: A missing surf legend. Waterlogged clues. Can he trust his gut instincts to end the wave of murder?

Sheriff Jax Turner is learning to live again. Holding tight to the hope of reconciling with his FBI agent ex-wife, the wary man is determined to keep his focus on his coastal Oregon community. And after a concerned brother requests a welfare check, Jax is troubled to find the absent surf shop owner's tracks lead to a pool of blood.

Now investigating a potential homicide, Turner chases a tip from his former spouse about a severed foot found on the beach. But when a torrent of leads links the victim to a politician's son, a jealous competitor, and a get-straight program for youth, the steadfast lawman fears layers of lies and secret agendas will keep him from stopping a vicious killer.

Can he unravel the fatal agenda before he's the next corpse to wash ashore?

If you like flawed heroes, gritty crimes, and dark twists and turns, then you'll love Deadly Tides, the chilling second book in Mary Keliikoa's Misty Pines Mystery Series.

My Thoughts: Both Sheriff Jax Turner and his ex-wife FBI agent Abby Kanekoa are still dealing with the death of their young daughter Lulu from leukemia a few years earlier. Lulu's death cost them their marriage though Jax is still hoping to reconcile. He's finally coming out of the black hole that Lulu's death put in his life. But work problems including conflicts with one of the City Council are causing new stress. And when a local surf legend goes missing except for one foot, tensions rise.

Abby is not only dealing with the loss of her child and her marriage but she is dealing with her mother's early onset Alzheimer's disease. Dora has taken to walking away from the assisted living facility where she lives adding more stress to Abby's life. When she finds her mother on the beach on afternoon, Dora is cradling a foot in a track shoe. 

This isn't the only foot that has shown up along the Pacific Coast. But identifying the foot's owner leads Abby and her partner to another missing person's case. Could it be connected to Jax's missing person case? There are similarities which cause Jax and Abby to have to work together despite their differences. 

This was an engaging story damaged but healing main characters. I enjoyed the small coastal town setting. And even though my suspicions about the identity of the killer were correct, I enjoyed watching Jax and Abby's journey to the solution. 

Favorite Quote:

"How long have you worked for Terry?" Jax said.

"Couple of years."

"Good guy to work for?"

"Checks don't bounce."

Not a ringing endorsement. Did his own deputies think the same of him?

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.