I so wanted to love this book, and there were bits about it I really enjoyed, but other bits just stopped it being five star read for me.

I thought Bryony was a great character, strong and determined, and the whole concept of cracking the sex slave ring and then being at risk from the crime boss was great. I loved the parts of the book set in cornwall, and the set up with her mother.

The second half of the book was where it started to go wrong. There were just too many unlikely happenings, the revelation at the very end being the final straw. That was a step too far, and it felt wholly unnecessary, to be honest. It just stretched my credulity beyond its limits.

I would definitely pick up this author again, as I liked many aspects of her writing style, but this book just fell a little short of delivering on its promise.

I thought this book started off a bit slow but a few chapters in and I was completely hooked. The story line was great with brilliant characters, it swept me away and I couldn't wait to found out how it would end!
Looking out for more books by Amanda James.
Thank you netgalley.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of a very talented author. I haven't read much of ms James's books, but I really enjoyed this one, and can't wait to get my hands on the next one!
Recommended.

I really enjoyed this story - it was dark, gritty and gripping!

This was quite a slow starter but the pace soon ramped up and I loved the ending - the story unravels really well and I was left guessing more than once. The setting for the book is great and it really adds to the atmosphere.

The characters were excellent and I really enjoyed their interaction as the story developed. I love the authors writing style and this flowed very well and it does leave you with food for thought about what you would do in the same situation and who can you ever really trust in your family and friends...

Four stars from me, highly recommended and it is another fantastic book from this author!

I really enjoyed this book. I picked it based on the cover alone, did not know anything bout the authors previous work. This book was fast paced and had great development of characters. Thank you to netgalley for this advanced readers copy!

This was a really good book. I enjoyed the various relationships between the characters. This one starts with lots of anxiety and confusion. But things begin to pick up and there is drama, excitement, tension, And just when you think you know who the bad guys are, you discover things aren't as they appear.

The shocking revelation at the end of the book is one that will have you gasping in shock! Lots of excitement, intrigue, developing relationships, conflicts in relationships. You name it, it's pretty much going to be happening from page one until the end of the book.

The one thing I didn't care for was the over the top sexual relationship information at one point in time. It kind of faded away after the one instance, but it didn't really add to the story line, so it could have been left out completely.

I would definitely recommend this if you like books with mystery and intrigue. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and Amanda James for the opportunity to read a copy of Rip Current in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I found the storyline to be well thought out and fast paced. The central characters were well developed and engaging. I loved the descriptive nature of the setting. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.
Definitely well worth a read for fans of the genre.

What can I say about this book. I really enjoyed the story. It was a good read. I kept turning the pages to see what else was going to happen. I would definitely recommend this book.

With thanks to Netgalleyand the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a police story about Bryony who seeks to jail Ransom , the villain once and for all. Her childhood friend who is Ransom’s daughter meets up with her again and helps her to arrest him. The story moves on from there and goes from Sheffield, to Cornwall,later to France and the Highlands. It is an interesting read.
Recommended.

A great read strong characters at the heart of the story and it tells of love, betrayals and friendship which together make it a very enjoyable novel and should appeal to most readers particularly like that it's set in Cornwall and can visualize it perfectly a good book

I would like to thank netgalley and Bloodhound Books for this partnership.

I was immediately attracted by the cover, we see Bryony watching the sea.

There is Bryony who is on the back of Kenny Ramson accused of being in prostitution and trafficking. Having tired of working in the police Bryony will recharge at Cornwell and she will save a man's life. She will ask questions about this man.

A book read almost in a row I loved the captivating and captivating story with endearing characters.

I found this book to be a bit slow at first but it quickly gathered momentum. This is an exciting read and well written by Amanda James. It just failed to live up to the blurb for me but I would recommend it as a good holiday read. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. Reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

This dark and gritty crime novel was amazingly well written. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I am definitely going to be seeking out more of her work in the future!

4☆ A Pacy Thriller

Rip Current is a fabulous crime thriller.

When Imogen approaches childhood friend Bryony for help. It's Bryony duty to help.
Especially as she is a DI and Imogen's Dad is Kenny Ransom.... one of the local gangsters Bryony has been after for a while.

But can they really get away with locking him up with no repercussions?

I love Amanda's books she always delivers a thrilling read. Never the same always something a lil different.
I really like Bryony and Imogen, it couldn't have been easy to help lock up your dad.
Both are such strong women.

Rip Current is a pacy read that drew me.
With plenty of twists it makes for a suspenseful and thrilling read.
One not to be missed!

I discovered Amanda James when I read the amazing Summer in Tintagel a few years ago. Since then I have not hesitated to pick up more of her books as you are guaranteed a brilliant read with her suspenseful storylines set against a backdrop of dramatic and evocative Cornish scenery.

I wasn't sure where the story was going to go at first as we meet Anya who is being held against her will and forced to work as a prostitute. Enter DI Bryony Marshall who has been waiting years to take down Kenny Ransom, despite recently reconnecting with his daughter Imogen through Facebook. Bryony is shocked by what Imogen has to say but it makes her one step closer to putting Kenny Ransom away for good. The only trouble is, if Kenny finds out that Imogen has helped Bryony, both girls could be in danger as Kenny will be out for revenge.

I don't usually quote from books but I just have to share some of the exquisite prose from Rip Current. I absolutely adore the way that Amanda James has written about Bryony's concerns about meeting Imogen after so many years. We often look at our past through rose coloured spectacles and find that we have little in common with people from whom we were once inseparable. Just take a look at this magnificent sentence that says all of that using a weather analogy:
I worry that, once held to the light, scrutinised and poked, our sunny past will turn overcast, begin to rain, and I'll have no umbrella.
I did pick up a few other beautiful sentences but I know I will have missed some corkers as the pacing is so fast and the story so compelling that I found myself racing through the book.

I love how family features heavily in Amanda James' books, not always in a good way, of course...there are always some bad eggs. I couldn't help but draw a comparison between Bryony's father, a policeman who was killed on duty and Imogen's father, Kenny, who is cruel and ruthless. The stories of the two men appear separate at first but link very nicely as Amanda James has a few surprises up her sleeve.

Rip Current is as dark and disturbing as it is gripping and addictive. It's a non-stop enthralling thriller that turns the old proverb, 'blood is thicker than water', on its head.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Loved this book. It was fast paced with good characters and a wonderful setting . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review it

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this new novel by Amanda James. I thoroughly enjoyed her last book "Another Mother" and was really looking to forward to reading this latest one. Another excellent read with a major twist at the end. It was a real page turner and should be on everyone's list for summer reading. A really enjoyable read.

I loved the journey that I went on with Bryony as she tries to bring Kenny Ransom to justice. You will instantly be on her side and eager for her to finally get the evidence needed to put Kenny in prison. The story at times is dark especially as you discover exactly what Kenny Ransom gets up to. There is quite a tangled web within this story along with a few twists to keep things interesting.

The characters were developed well and I was constantly wondering what would happen to them as they were pulled deeper into unknown situations. I especially enjoyed the friendship between Bryony and Imogen as they try to look out for each other with danger around every corner. I know I'm being a little vague regarding the plot but I would hate to ruin anything. The story moved steadily but easily kept my interest throughout as the suspense and tension slowly but surely built up. This is the first book that I have read by Amanda James but it won't be the last.

Rip Current has a brilliant plot full of suspense, drama and crime!

Four stars from me!

With thanks to Sarah at Bloodhound Books for my copy.

I am always excited to pick up a novel by Amanda James. Whether she is writing nail-biting crime thrillers or poignant relationship dramas, Amanda’s books should come with a warning: don’t start reading one of her books late at night, because you will still be reading it at dawn! Rip Current is a captivating, engrossing and seductive thriller laced with family drama, intrigue and romance you will find absolutely impossible to put down.

DI Bryony Marshall has spent the past two years trying to bring local criminal Kenny Ransom to justice. Kenny is a dangerous man who is involved in prostitution and trafficking, however, as all the evidence stacked against him is circumstantial, nothing has ever really stuck and Kenny is still running free, evading justice and getting mixed up in all manner of nefarious deals and heinous crimes. Bryony is determined to see Kenny locked up behind bars. She wants him to pay for all the suffering and damage he has inflicted on others. As if Bryony’s job is not difficult or complicated enough, she also has to contend with the fact that Kenny’s daughter is her best friend from childhood, Imogen. Torn between her duty as a police officer and her loyalty to her friend, Bryony feels like she is torn between a rock and a hard place – until Imogen unexpectedly turns on her father and decides to help the police put Kenny away in prison for a very long time.

When Kenny discovers that his daughter is collaborating with her best friend to have him put away in jail he is absolutely incandescent with rage. Kenny is not a man who takes kindly to being betrayed and double crossed, so he vows revenge upon Bryony – and a dangerous man like Kenny never surrenders until he has achieved his objective. Fearful of her life and sick and tired of being a police officer, Bryony is desperate to take some time to rest, recuperate and figure out what she is going to be doing next. A trip to Cornwall to visit her mother is just what the doctor ordered and the more sedate pace of life soon begins to suit her to the ground. Bryony wonders whether the next chapter in her life will see her abandon all the hustle and bustle of her job for a gentler kind of life in Cornwall. Could what she has been looking for all this time be on her mother’s doorstep?

As Bryony ponders what she is going to do next, she rescues a man who has been caught up in a rip current and is soon embroiled in a web of danger, secrecy and deception that has her wondering who is this man? Is he a link to a past she would rather forget? Can she trust him? And has Kenny given up his quest for revenge? Or is he forever lurking in the shadows waiting for the right time to strike and exact vengeance?

Master storyteller Amanda James has done it again! Rip Current is a dazzling tale of secrets, learning to trust and the ties that bind that will grab your attention from the very first page and keep you engrossed until the final full stop. An engaging, enjoyable and heart-pounding read that is simply ripe for adaptation on screen, Rip Current is a tense and taut read that delivers on all counts and will keep you on the edge of your seat as you find yourself completely riveted by this outstanding novel!

A compulsively readable tale that I highly recommend, Rip Current is the unmissable new novel from Amanda James’ gifted and immensely talented pen!

4 Dark Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Rip Current: A strong current flowing outward; presenting a hazard....

This was a dark book with plenty of “currents” pulling people away from what is right... creating many hazards in both Bryony and Imagen’s lives... this was my first book by Amanda James and I was pleasantly surprised by this dark thriller with a nice dose of romance... was not expecting the romance... and I thought it added the perfect balance to this otherwise really dark story... always love the love....

Bryony is a police detective who isn’t quite sure if that is what she wants to do for the rest of her life... Hot on the trail of her childhood BFF Imagen’s father... a despicable man involved in all kinds of horrible things.... loved the complex relationship and situation between these two strong women.... how do you come to terms with your father being a terrible man? And once you do how do you deal with his need for revenge? Parts of this book were so tense and I was furiously turning the pages to figure out what was going to happen next....

Nathan was a bit of a bright spot in the darkness of this book.... Love how Bryony and he met, so appropriate.... A subtle romance that really added some smiles to this book.... please note my romance hating friends, this will not make you roll your eyes I promise! It’s very understated....

Recommend to fans of a dark thriller with a splash of romance💕

*** many thanks to Bloodhound Books for my copy of this book ***