This is the first time I’m reading Mary’s work. Decided to get into this book with an open mind.
The book was a slow start for me but picked up very well after having gotten through at least 50 % of the read.
Mary introduces us to a small town, Mystery Pines with the sudden occurrence of a homicide and suspicion of a serial killer.
The whole plot is built around Sherriff Jax, his personal life and his work life. He is recently divorced after a traumatic event in their marriage. He has serious trust issues at the work front after his last case and he has to navigate all that to catch the killer before he/she strikes again.
Sherriff Jax takes over this responsibility in trying to get to the bottom of it with his small squad and underfunded department. Not forgetting the ever-meddling community who seem to be holding back more than they seem to know. The plot twists are rather interesting to unravel as you read through as much as I had picked up the ending.
The author tackles love, grief, and trust among many other plots in life. Bottom line, this is a good and interesting considering this was part two of the Mystery Pines series. I did not feel like I was missing out on something.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a slow burn read for me. A lot of background information was giving, which has to occur in a murder investigation. However, it is kind of boring to read. However, when the suspense picked up it really picked up! Overall, I did appreciate the way the author developed the characters. I give this book 4/5 stars.

Thanks to Level Best Books & NetGalley for ARC.

Misty Pines, Oregon, has a small, tight knit police department and generally not much in the way of crime. That suits Sheriff Tax Turner, who's been on autopilot at work, trying to hold it together after a bereavement and a tragic case. He's also got to deal with disaffected employees, recruitment, and the possibility of dating again.
A relative asks for a check on a local surf legend who seems to have gone missing mid-phone call, and it sets into motion a chain of events that will threaten Turner, several others in his department, and his estranged wife, FBI agent Abby Kanekoa, who is also navigating grief of several kinds.

This police procedural's plot is a little predictable, but it's well crafted enough and the central characters plausible enough to keep the reader engaged without worrying too much about that. The rural/coastal setting is well realised and the depiction of a certain kind of small town life is entertaining. I will be looking out the first in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for the copy of Deadly Tides. Sadly, an early review gave away the killer so I’ll try to not let that affect my rating! I didn’t read the first book in this series and I feel like I missed a lot of the backstory because so much of this book was about the relationship between Jax and Abby. I loved the story - if you like small town mysteries, this is the book for you! I liked how so many people were impossible suspects. I didn’t really connect to any of them however, and the writing didn't really engage me. It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t the book for me.

Pretty straightforward mystery/thriller. This is the first I have read by this author and will definitely read other works by her! Stylistically speaking-- was a bit generic but appropriate to the genre, for sure! Characters were relatable and likable (for the most part). Attention-grabbing and pretty typical of this genre if you are looking for a novel to pull you in and not let go-- this is the one!

I don't know if it's coincidental or like purposeful that both antagonists in all the Jax Turner novels I've read fromm Mary Keliikoa are female. It's also stranger because statistically male murderers are more like frequent that female ones but #girlpower #girlboss I guess?

Maybe Garret was trying to do what he thought was right for Terry but it really didn't turn out so well for them. I hope that Dylan actaully gets better and like his dad is ok because he doesn't seem that calm. I also would like to see Jax and the father be besties in the next book - it kinda seems like a good direction to take the plot. Hopefully, Shaun is also ok. Because having no one in your corner helping you seems incredibly tough.

The plot was definitely a ride because I didn't know who was actually the murderer. While Margot was definitely suspicious, I thought she was interested in Jax, not a whole murderer! Her motivation was definitely a bit stereotypical though because a woman with daddy issues being the murderer is a bit....distateful. Also the first book (Hidden Pieces I think) that had someone with a split personality. I think this means that Keliikoa just likes to recycle the stereotypical antagonists which is........nice.

I also think that it's really nice to see relationships heal from Jax and Abby to Rachel and her father. Even if Rachel and her father haven't been shown to reconcile, the implication is nice. Hopefully, they will. It's good to show healing relationships.

This is the first book that I have read from this author, but it certainly won't be the last. It was exciting from the first word to the very last. Your heart spends most of its time in your throat and you won't want to do anything else, except to finish reading this book. I enjoyed it so much that I read it in two sittings.

To be honest, I have lived and spent all of my life in land locked states so the thought of feet and other body parts coming away from the main body, was never a thought that I had. However, the thought was an intriguing one. I love watching and reading true crime, thrillers, suspense, and cozies and this has gone up to the top of my list for some of my new favorite reads.

I do not know much about Oregon, but it was really nice to read about it and get some insight into different states. When you think about Oregon, you certainly never think about surfing. It was nice to have a change of place and countryside to read about and envision. This book has certainly opened my eyes up to some new things and new places.

The characters were very good, the world building was spectacular, and I just enjoyed the mystery. It's great to have something of this caliber to let my brain chew on for a bit. I highly highly highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Mary Keliikoa for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and completely honest.

This is just as good as the first Misty Pines novel.
Jax is searching for an x surfer, a legend if you could call him that. He owns a surf shop where he sells and makes surf boards, but he is not the only x surfer who own’s a shop in the area.
Meanwhile Jax’s wife Abby, who he has split from is looking into the disappearance of another gentleman who’s foot has turned up on the beach. Both investigations seem to have nothing to do with each other, but Jax thinks it does, and Abby doesn’t. So we are in for a good spin of who, what and how, if at all, these to cases are linked.
A very enjoyable read read from this Author, who definitely holds the cards to her chest.
Thanks to Mary Keliikoa, publishers and Netgalley for an early EARC of this suspenseful novel.

Pacific-Northwest, procedural, local law-enforcement, FBI, missing-persons, grief, grieving, divorced, crime-fiction, thriller, family, family-dynamics, friends, small-town, childhood-cancer, murder-investigation, murder, mental-health-issues, department-politics, budget-issues, short-staffing, rural,*****

Sorry I missed the first in series, but it is now in my TBR.
A difficult case is being investigated from two angles: local police and the FBI. To make it even more fraught, the lead detectives from each is stuck in grief/self loathing/love for the other precipitated by the death of their only child from childhood cancer and subsequent divorce. Both the law enforcement investigations and the painful depictions of what happens to the survivors of a child's death are extremely well done. Excellent read.
I requested and received an EARC from Level Best Books/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley. Thank you!

Trying to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, especially if it is a young child and especially if the loss was caused by a disease such as cancer, can be devastating. Separating spouses, mental illness and all sorts of problems are not uncommon. This is what happens to Sheriff Jax Turner and his wife Abby, an FBI agent. With extreme difficulty they are trying to put the pieces of their marriage back together, although Abby's mother's early Alzehimer's, which requires a lot of treatment, complicates things a bit. It is Abby's mother, who has escaped from the nursing home, who finds a foot on the beach, clearly cut from a body, setting in motion the series of events that form the plot of the book. There is a lot in this novel: grieving; jealousy - personal and professional; juvenile delinquency; the plight of small, underfunded American communities; the difficulty of accepting a gay son. In short, there is a lot, and perhaps a little too much, because in many cases one would feel the need for an in-depth look. Still, it remains an excellent novel, even if who is the serial killer that the sheriff and his wife are trying to identify is clear practically from the start.

Follow along with a local sheriff and his ex-wife FBI agent as they investigate separate cases with overlapping features. Who killed whom, who will end up with whom, who will survive before they murders can be solved? Many twists and turns filled with action and adventure. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the end.

I did not realize this book was #2 in a series. I normally don't read police procedural novels but Sheriff Jax a a likeable character so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. I'm eager to find out what what else there is in stor for Sheriff Jax and I will definately be going back and reading book one.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
This book will be pujblished October 24, 2023.

This book kept me on my toes - great plot, loved the characters and small town feel.
Jax and Abby - now divorced following the heartbreaking death of their young daughter to cancer, still work together; Abby works for the FBI - their cases tend to intertwine.
Including the recent death of a missing young man - as well as a professional surfer turned designer and instructor. Severed feet show up - but no bodies.
I really enjoyed the complicated relationship between Abby and Jax - not brushed over or the main focus, just simply there.
Well done.

I missed the first part of this series but soon as I read this I found the first one to read. I loved it that much

Such an amazing character driven read. Couldnt put it down

Would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC I received

Severed legs on beaches and missing bodies make for an interesting investigation and
in the small community many of the characters were interrelated so that everybody seems to be a suspect. Just when you have decided who the killer is , another suspect comes into play to cast doubt.
Mary Keliikoa creates a great feeling for the coast and forest and i never tired of the detail.
Sheriff Jax Turner and the rest of the police were well described and all seemed very real. The rivalry between the police and the FBI and the jealousy between characters was mentioned quite often but not overdone.
My first novel from this author and i will definitely look out for the first in the Misty Pines series. I never felt that i was missing much by not having read the earlier book and i don't think there were any spoilers to ruin the experience of the first book [hopefully]
Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy.

This gripping thriller will have you on the edge of your seat and questioning everything you know about grief management. Sheriff Jax Turner is a respected officer in Misty Point, Oregon, who is returning to work following a traumatic case and is still dealing with the grief of losing his five-year-old daughter and going through a divorce from his FBI agent wife, Abby.

When a local surf legend goes missing and only a foot is found, Jax and Abby's paths cross again as they investigate the case. The suspects range from a surfboard business owner to a troubled youth program, and the killer's identity and motives are not immediately clear. I enjoyed the unique writing style that included shifting perspectives, which added depth to the characters and made for an engaging read.

The characters' struggles with grief were relatable and added an emotional layer to the story, making it more than just a typical police thriller. While the descriptions were at times lengthy, they did help to immerse me in the world of Misty Point, and I appreciated the attention to detail. Overall, this book is an excellent choice for anyone interested in mysteries or police dramas, and I highly recommend it.

Deadly Tides, the second in Mary Keliikoa's Misty Pines series, was a huge hit with me. The mystery at the center of the story was much improved over the first in the series, less convoluted and more engrossing. But the real reason to read this series is the characters.

What I love about the author's approach to her characters is that she doesn't let them stagnate. There is believable personal growth and it allows the reader to connect with the main character on a deeper level. Jax is trying, even if he doesn't always get it right, and we're in his corner. I was also pleased to see that she focused on the secondary characters a little more, giving us a chance to know and become attached to them.

I rated this book 4 1/2 stars and highly recommend it. I will definitely be reading more in this series as it comes out.

Deadly tides sets out the scene of a missing surfer dude, an agent and her wandering mother, her ex partner who is also the sheriff and a foot found on the beach. Lots of feet wash up on beaches apparently and some have stories to tell, others unfortunate accidents. All are unfortunate. The story explores the dynamics of the failed marriage, the loss of their daughter to leukaemia and mother to dementia and the intertwining lives of the residents and suspects. As Jax investigates the surf shop owners disappearance possibilities and clues emerge pointing him to competition, potential offers and a market for his designer hand made boards, the possible links to a Politian's son. Will it all fall into place before more body parts wash up on the beach? The characters in this are all deeply filled in and vivid and colourful, including a few eclectic locals, law enforcement, A colourful and diverse slice of life in the coastal community. The story is clever, compelling and motivating. Add a new/old face and a testing relationship or two with a good dose of bias and homophobia and this place, book and story are set to blow. A great read from start to end.

Awesome novel… Great characterization… Exceptional plot… Stunning finale… Expect the best and you get it with Keliikoa. The second novel in the series leaves you wanting another Misty Pines mystery. Accolades to Mary Keliikoa for another novel worthy of five stars.

FBI agent Abby Kanekoa and her ex-husband Sheriff Jax Turner find themselves working a murder case together when body parts turn up on a beach along the Oregon coast. Author Mary Keliikoa has written an excellent mystery thriller populated with likeable and well defined characters. Her familiarity with the book’s setting makes the story line that much more authentic and lets the reader become fully engrossed in the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this prior to publication.