As a big fan of Simon's books, I was delighted to be chosen for a pre=read of his new series The Anglesey Crime Thriller.

When DCI Laura Hart's husband PC Sam Hart is murdered in action during a hostage negotiation whilst she was working for Greater Manchester police her world crumbled, Feeling as though she failed her husband because she was unable to reason with the criminals. Laura gave up the job she loved as the most sought after hostage negotiator in the force, and moved back to Anglesey with her two children.

Laura has set up her own business delivering training courses on hostage negotiation, and one day during a training session she receives a call - there is a hostage situation on a tour boat and her 10 year old son is aboard along with his teacher and class mates. The police need Laura's help to negotiate with the gang - but can Laura put her demons to one side and once again become a negotiator to save her son?

I really enjoyed this book, the characters are realistic and relatable, and the plot is easy to follow. With Simon's books there is always two stories, the one of the main characters along with the crime in which the plot of the main story is about which gives more depths to the characters.

I like the fact that this book leads on to let us know there will be another one coming!

Thank you for letting me pre-read this, it was fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "The Dark Tide" by Simon McCleave. Mr. McCleave is the author of the DI Ruth Hunter mysteries, of which I have read 8, so I am familiar with his style and the settings of his books - Wales - while not being at all familiar with the actual country.

Laura Hart was a top Hostage Negotiator in 2018 when called to a raid on a suspected Organized Crime Gang warehouse, only to find that her husband, a cop, and his partner were being held by the criminals. The result of the botched raid was that Sam Hart lost his life, and Laura her husband and the father of her children; and she quit her job to go into the private sector.

But Laura was never happy with the events that transpired that day, and has been investigating quietly with the help of a former colleague.

Fast forward to the present time, and Laura is training negotiators, possibly finally entering in to a new situation with a cop she's met, and today her son and his class are on a class outing when Laura gets the call that could change everything - there's a hostage situation on the boat and one of those hostages is her son!

Everything that could have gone wrong with a drug bust has - and the result is three desperate criminals on a boat full of children, their teacher and other sightseers.

Can Laura successfully negotiate this situation?

An excellent story, set in multiple time lines (the reason for that becomes more obvious as the book progresses) and located in the idyllic Anglesey Island area called Beaumaris.

Recommended.

This book was sent to me electronically for review from Netgalley. Secrets from the past…a lost husband…tragedy…a son to be rescued…negotiating…criminals and the law…themes running through this novel written by an ingenious author…the protagonist is talented at her job…she doesn’t want to do it again but needs must. Enjoy this book.

The Dark Tide is the first book in a new series by Simon McCleave which is a police based thriller set on Anglesey and whilst initially I did wonder where the story was going the pace picked up and an overall enjoyable story was produced with lots of opportunities and promise for book number 2.

A fast paced thriller which grabs you and takes you along for the ride. Simon McCLeave certainly knows how to ramp up the tension! A great read which sets the foundations for a promising new series.

How do I review this book? The story line is good and it is certainly a very enjoyable read. However, it did have its down side, as I did not warm to the frequent flashbacks to the past, nor to the thoughts of one of the main characters who diverted them to another of the characters rather than more concerning matters, which was hard to believe, or indeed imagine.
Certainly five stars fir the actual story line, but not for the overall book I’m afraid.

Superlative, Atmospheric….
The first in the Anglesey Series of mysteries is off to an explosive start. We meet Laura, a negotiator struggling with the past, who is given a life or death assignment. Armed dealers have seized a tourist boat on the waters. Her son is on board. She has no option but to act fast. With a well crafted and credible cast of characters, an immersive storyline and a solid sense of place this grips from the start. Twists and turns aplenty sit within a well paced, exciting narrative. A superlative and atmospheric thriller.

The Dark Tide by Simon McCleave

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. There’s no other negotiator available, and the police need her to step up.
I couldn't put this book down , and annoyed myself by rushing through it to get to the fantastic conclusion.
I loved the fast , pacy , tense story and the character DCI Laura Hart and what happened and what she did for her son .
The authors description of the area was so good I could almost imagine myself there.

The story is good, however the plot has not fully kept my attention: too much background about the main characters' past has broken the tension that had been building up. It gave me the feeling that half the book is about the past, and half about the crime of this thriller. This did not do for me. The main characters' development was too predictable for me. Shame, as the story line was indeed intriguing!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this thriller for free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of this author,I was so excited to read this was a start of a new series.Thisbook kept me reading late into the night so many twists and turns full of well w written characters.Already looking forward to next in the series.#netgalley #avonbooksuk

I had been waiting months to read this book and was so happy when I was chosen as a early reader and to give my view of the book.
I have read all Simons books with Ruth Hunter in London {Battersea & Peckham} and then in North Wales with Nick and am pleased to say this is another fantastic page turner. The dark tide has been very cleverly written and could easily be a TV show!. There are so many twists that you think it is going to be resolved and another "spanner in the works" happens I liked the "Randal & Hopkirk" parts. I have been to Beaumaris for a New year and could picture the areas mentioned.
Do yourself a favour and get a copy of The dark tide, you will not be disappointed ;-) x

Spoiler Alerts contained half way in!
I waivered between 3 and 4 stars for this review. I enjoyed it enough that I will try the next in the series, I’m thinking the parts that grated on my nerves a bit were specific to this book.
Former DCI Laura Hart gets pulled back into her old role as a hostage negotiator when her 10 year old son is aboard a tourist boat that is seized by gang members in a drug delivery gone bad. The last time she had been in this role it ended horrifically, she left the force, moved her family, and started life anew on the Isle of Anglesey.
The story itself is exciting and well written, what did come off wrong to me were the frequent musings of Laura, as she’s fighting desperately to save her sons life, about the officer who asked for her help. Thinking he’s very sexy, and while trying to locate a shop keeper who may be in danger now too, thinking about how strong, intelligent, funny and attractive he is, and does he like me too???? Honestly, her son can be killed at any minute and rather than focusing on his rescue Laura keeps thinking like a hormonal teen ager. The fact that she’s trying to decide how forward her texts to him should be when she doesn’t know the state of his marriage was a bit off putting to me too. Now that all of that is resolved I’m hoping for a more mature Laura in book 2. I’ll be back for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

spoiler alert ** Possible spoilers.


Rounding up to three stars.

At times this read like an advert from the tourist board of Anglesey, and I'm all for that. I felt I've learnt something about that island.

I wasn't that keen on the style of this story though, the popping up of the husband at odd moments, which just left me baffled to begin with.

I did enjoy the ending, and that left me wondering what comes next????

A mixed bag for me.

Great book! This book was awesome! I already went and downloaded the first book in this author other series! I can't wait for more! Thus book had suspense, intrigue, action, and great police work! It also left off leading to the next book! Can't wait! I definitely recommend reading this book and series! It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

On Anglesey, it seems like just another early summer day.

The boats are out at Beaumaris. There's a school trip off to Puffin Island.

But it's not.....

It's about as far from normal as it can possibly get.

Former police officer and hostage negotiator Laura is about to have a very bad day indeed.....

Excellent