Dani Pettrey has consistently established herself as one of the leading authors of Christian Romantic Suspense since her debut in 2012.  Continuing her Coastal Guardians series, The Crushing Depths features the Wilmington CGSI team in a race against nature and time.  Read on for a complete review and a chance to win a prize pack including a $50 Amazon gift card! 

© 2020 Bethany House

About the Book:

"They know the power and peril of the ocean. But as they get closer to the deadly truth…

An even greater danger lurks just beneath the surface. When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker on the first drilling platform off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. Tensions surrounding the oil rig are high and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the structure from being completed, while rumors are being whispered about ancient curses surrounding this part of the ocean.

Mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all. Was he killed by one of the activists or, perhaps more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only a plethora of suspects, but also their own past and attraction to each other.

Just as the case seems like it’ll break open, worse news arrives. A tropical storm has turned their way and soon they’re cut off from any rescue–and right where the killer wants them. It’s a race to discover his identity before he eliminates the threat they pose."

The Artist Librarian Review:

In The Crushing Depths, Dani Pettrey's Coastal Guardians series continues to follow Noah Rowley's Coast Guard Investigative Service team, this time focusing on Agent Rissi Dawson, a profiler, and new team member Mason Rogers, who specializes in dive investigations.  Alongside the main plot, Pettrey deftly weaves a side investigation the team takes while protecting a Coast Guard medic colleague from a determined stalker.  While I was able to identify one of the main suspects as soon as they were introduced, there was a twist I wasn't expecting the main case.  The very short chapters, some only a couple pages long, reminded me of the format of many fast-paced adventure novels created for reluctant readers in youth fiction and isn't something I recall in her writing style previous to this series, but I haven't followed Dani Pettrey since her debut Alaskan Courage books.

Some of the characters introduced in previous title, The Killing Tide, such as Gabby and Finn, have more of a cameo role in this novel, while others such as Noah, Emmalyne, and Caleb are brought forward as more supporting characters, perhaps in anticipation of future books (I'm already predicting three other potential couples that may star in their own stories).  Of course, our main characters in this story are Rissi and Mason, childhood friends who've reconnected through their careers unexpectedly.  Seeing how they both were able to overcome similar traumas and past abuse made me want to cheer and their romance was swoon-worthy.  

Another interesting note was that there was a slight love triangle which I feel I don't often see in Christian fiction.  However, Pettrey made all the characters involved likeable and even though I rooted for the main couple, I sympathized with the unrequited crush and look forward to when that character will be the main focus in a future novel.  I really liked the love triangle aspect because it added a sense of realism --the person you care for won't always love you back, and that's okay.  I appreciated that the characters handled it maturely. 

While part of an overall series, the Coastal Guardians novels can be read as stand alone novels, though of course the more of them you read, the more you'll get attached to all the team members.  I'm personally looking forward to whenever Emmy and Logan get to be the main characters.  Fans of Dani Pettrey and the Christian romantic suspense genre will enjoy unraveling several different cases in The Crushing Depths.

Are you a fan of love triangles? Why or why not?

About the Author:

"Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as “a name to look for in romantic suspense,” Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance. Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today). She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband. Their two daughters, a son-in-law, and two adorable grandsons also reside in Maryland. For more information about her novels, visit www.danipettrey.com"

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