Blood Tide

  In this blog post, I reviewed Neil Lancaster’s Blood Tide, the 2nd installment in the DS Max Craigie crime thriller series. This gripping police procedural novel will leave you at the edge of your seat. For DS Max Craigie from Police Scotland, he received a call about a suicide jumper who mentioned his life would be ruined and hints of an ongoing police case. For Max, it started the thread with an officer who was in charge of the investigation. Before he had gotten the chance, someone arranged for his death. One by one, he talked to his probe and followed the evidence of drug smuggling and a line of police corruption. When someone decided to wipe the slate clean by killing some drug runners, it made them turn their heads with suspicion. They teamed up with the PIRC to look into a crooked cop and the other unraveling threads from their nefarious crimes.  Someone had tipped off Tam Hardie, an escaped madman who escaped prison and wanted revenge against Max Craigie for ruining his life. Max feared for his life and for his wife’s too. But due to his escape, he went after one of Max’s colleagues, Janie, who almost died.  Hardie escaped to live another day while Max tended to Janie’s medical needs. The plot thickened on who was Hardie’s contact, and how they planned to expose this line of corruption to the ultimate showdown in the end. 

This gripping police thriller is nitty-gritty and gets your heart pounding at every page. I cared for Max, who wanted to do his job right and protect his wife while he’s a man on a mission. He’s a caring police officer who wants to see justice prevail to keep everyone safe. The dual locations in Scotland and Wales were intriguing and profound.  The theme of the story is corruption may run rivers deep, but good deeds make you a better person.

This police thriller will give you chills and thrills. I rated this book, four out of five stars, for no reason. If you nail-biting police thrillers with non-stop action, heart-stopping drama, and plenty of suspense,  you'll love Blood Tide. It's recommended for fans who love police procedurals like PD James and Faye Kellerman.