The plot in this book builds up slowly. It becomes action packed in the second half. I liked the main characters.
I would be happy to read more in the series

Laura is a DI and trained hostage negotiator in Manchester when her husband (also a police officer) tragically dies in the line of duty. She quits the police force and moves with her children to Anglesey, where she starts her own business. A hostage situation develops when drug smugglers from Liverpool are thwarted in their attempt to unload their drugs on Anglesey. With no other hostage negotiators close enough, Laura is persuaded to help the police as a party of schoolchildren are among the hostages.
So far, sounds like the plot of a crime novel. Unfortunately, I could not warm to the main character – she just was not convincing in the role, and characterisation is really important in a series like this. I also found the style of writing quite irritating. The constant explanations and descriptions were unnecessary and broke the flow of the narrative. I have not read anything else by this writer so don’t know if his other books are like this. I enjoyed the unusual setting of the Welsh coastline, but won’t be reading any more of this series. Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

A fantastic book by a fantastic author. There us nothing negative I can say about this one. This has been a gem from beginning to end.

DCI Laura Hart was the top Hostage and Crisis Negotiator for the Greater Manchester Police. Her then husband was kidnapped and then brutally murdered. She's living now on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. She gets a call that armed drug dealers have seized a tourist boat and her ten-year-old son Jake is on board. Laura is living her worst nightmare with the life of a loved one yet again on the line. Can she lay to rest the ghosts of her past in time to save her son? This is the first book of the Anglesey Series. It has a well crafted set of characters and a plot that is cleverly written. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. If you love action thrillers then you will love this one.

The setting is what hooked me for this book. What an intriguing and atmospheric location for unlocking a mystery. A great read.

The Dark Tide is the first book in a new series by crime/thriller writer Simon McCleave and the first book I have read by the author.

It is a fast paced and to the point thriller which follows two time and story lines with DCI Laura Hart, a top Hostage and Crisis Negotiator, in the centre of action in both.

The first plotline deals with a hostage situation gone wrong in 2018 when Laura was still in active service as a hostage negotiator, which leads to the death of her policeman husband Sam.

The second plotline takes place in 2021 when Jake, Laura's ten year old son becomes part of a group taken hostage by a gang of drug dealers. Laura, who has retired from the police, is forced to put her past failure behind her and help the Wales police force with her skills to make sure the same tragedy doesn't strike twice to her small family.

As the story moves forward things are revealed pertaining to both plotlines and the climax sets the action for book two. Laura is also shown conversing with her dead husband who constantly visits her... is he really a ghost or just a figment of Laura's imagination that is something for the viewers to decide but I did find it interesting.

A good start to the series and I am interested to know how the series moves forward.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books UK and the author Simon McCleave for the e-Arc of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I do not usually enjoy crime style books but this was excellent! The non-linear sequencing which switched between Laura Hart's story from a previous as well as the current time made the book one of those where you always want to read "just one more chapter..." I enjoyed it that much that I immediately searched for the next one in the series and I cannot wait to read it!

A good introduction to a new series with lots of twists and turns and I’m looking forward to the next instalment, as long as the dead husband doesn’t keep appearing!

The Dark Tide by Simon McCleave Narrated by: Alice White is the first book in the new; Anglese series was an excellent start to a very interesting and addictive new series. Especially as its the first book I have read/listened to by this new author to me and it will not be the last. This book was excellent and I was hooked from the beginning till the end and I really enjoyed it. Hang on I loved it! All the characters in the book were brilliant and played their part within the story.

:"Three years ago, DCI Laura Hart was the top Hostage and Crisis Negotiator for the Greater Manchester Police. Then her husband was kidnapped. Despite her best efforts to reason with the criminals, he was brutally murdered.

Now living on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, Laura is slowly healing. Then she gets a call: armed drug dealers have seized a tourist boat – and her ten-year-old son Jake is on board"

The narrator Alice White was excellent and she did a good job of drawing you in

I highly recommend this new series.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins UK Audio, for this advance copy for an honest review.

I was a bit disappointed with Dark Tide, but I now realise that is mostly my fault. I fancied reading it because it’s set in Wales, and I had mistakenly believed the author to be Welsh. Because I was disappointed I did a bit of research and now understand that there’s very little identifiably Welsh about the novel because Simon McCleave is English; he just lives in Wales.
The Menai Strait and the island of Anglesey feature large in the plot, but, really, it could have been anywhere on the coast.

The plot was well constructed but ultimately predictable, except in the case of a couple of characters who seemed to have been placed for a specific purpose that didn’t materialise – most odd.

It was a pleasant read but I won’t be seeking out the next in the series.

Great story full of twists and turns. I really liked the characters and would recommend it to fans of this genre.

I loved this book, I love how the storyline intertwined with the past and present and found I couldn't stop reading as I needed to know what happened. Brilliantly written and I can't wait to read the next one already!

Very good police crime thriller. Hadn't read any of his books before and thought I would start with this as it's the start of the series. Keeps you on your toes. I enjoyed the dual time line and it gave a good introduction and background to the story and the series. Can be read as a stand alone too.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest opinion

This book did not appeal to me unfortunately. It requires a suspension of disbelief at a level I’m just not capable of whilst reading a novel. The dual storyline is very confusing, telling almost in parallel, how Laura was the hostage negotiator on the case which ended with the murder of her husband. I don’t believe a spouse would ever be used as a negotiator in such a crime, no matter how skilled.
To then expect us to accept that when her young son is abducted several years later, and she is no longer even in the police force, that she would be called upon again, as a negotiator, was just a step too far for me, I’m sorry to say.
The dead husband’s regular ‘ appearances’ and Laura’s conversations with him were just exasperating in the extreme. It called into question her state of mind at the time of her son’s abduction. Absolutely she would not be used as a hostage negotiator for her own young son, when she was by now a civilian, quite apart from being the child’s mother.
I’m sure many readers will enjoy this book, who are not as picky as I am. It ‘s just not for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this novel.

I received an ARC of Dark Tide in change of an honest review, and I realized when I was reading that even though it is a very good thriller is not my cup of tea. The characters seemed to me very stereotypical, and the plot was a little slow and predictable. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

Why had I not read any books by this author before? I prefer to read from the beginning of a series so when this new book appeared I thought I would give it a go. The author weaves a tale with verve, plenty of intrigue and a satisfying conclusion. Off to work my way through the back catalogue!

The dark tide by Simon McCleave

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 out of 5)

Wow
Firstly thank you so much @avonbooks, the author and netgally for this advance copy.

I’m not normally one for police crime books or thrillers but wow ! This was phenomenal.
I could not put it down!!

The writing is superb, every character came perfectly to life , every scene was described vividly, the entire story came completely to life for me and I can’t wait until the next book in the series is released! I certainly will be pre ordering the next book as soon as I can !!

This book didn’t feel like your usual thriller / police crime book , it had so much depth and heart . It was a story of families, loss, loyalty and love with a little bit of sexual tension thrown in too which is never a bad thing.

It’s very easy to read with short chapters, I also listened to a third of the book as an audiobook and although I’m not always a fan of audio books the narrator for this one was fantastic and made the story full of suspense and tension.
This would make a perfect series for Netflix or tv crime drama as it’s packed with emotion and excitement.

If it is a tension-filled, high octane crime thriller you are looking for then look no further!

With sympathetic characterization, and an engrossing plot this would make a stellar action/suspense thriller movie.

Flashbacks to the day of Laura Hart's husband's death, gave valuable background to her character.

The unpredictable, unstable, and unhinged personality of the head villain, made the dire hostage situation very tense. The slow start picked up exponentially with boat chases and car chases, all the while fearing for the hostages well-being.

The growing attraction between Laura and Gareth was a welcome addition to the story, but I really didn't like how Laura dwelt on this at times when she she was highly stressed and fearing for her son's life. This seemed unrealistic to me - there is a time and place for everything.

A crime thriller with exciting adventure scenes, "A Dark Tide" will no doubt be enjoyed by many readers of both sexes. I for one, will definitely put book two of this series on my TBR list.

A drug gig goes terrible wrong , and it turns into a hostage situation. The culprits were not ready for this, and everything seems to go wrong. Very in-depth story filled with triggers and emotion. I always enjoy reading books when it gets personal for one of the main characters. How could it not get personal on a small island like Anglesey?

There is both darkness and hope in this book. It could have been a bit shorter though. I am eagerly waiting for the next book in the series!

This is certainly a police thriller. Full of tension and drama leading to a breakneck conclusion.

I read this book in one day as I was totally hooked. I loved the short chapters and the story being told from different points of view.

This is the first book I've read by this author but I enjoyed this so much I'm going to read his other series.

Looking forward to the next book.