Book Club: Book Review of The Deadly Shallows

 

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When selecting books to review, I tend to stay away from series books unless it is book one. I also like to stick to historical fiction as that is something I am interested in due to my love of history. I pushed aside these two limitations when I read the description of The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey because it sounded really good. I am very glad I took a chance on Book Three of the Coastal Guardians series because I enjoyed the characters and plotline immensely. 

About The Deadly Shallows 

"CGIS Agent Noah Rowley is rocked to the core when he learns of a mass shooting raging on his Coast Guard base. He and his team stop the attack, but not before numerous innocent lives are lost. Furious and grief-stricken, he determines to do whatever is needed to bring the mastermind behind the attack to justice." 

- Book Cover

Wrapped up in the mass shooting on the Coast Guard base is Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler, who is attending the graduation of a friend. She travels with the only surviving member of the attack to the hospital. This man imparts one word to Brooke which puts her in immediate danger when those behind the attack find out the surviving gunman spoke to Brooke.

Brooke and Noah work together to discover answers regarding the shooting and an old crime while falling for each other. The other members of Noah's team play an integral role in the plot of the story, the investigation into this mass shooting, and another local, environmental crime. 

My Thoughts

The Deadly Shallows is a fast-paced book that does not require the reader to have any former knowledge of the characters, the location, or the series. While I found myself wanting to know more about the characters – and curious as to whether or not they were present and had a greater role in the previous books – I wasn't left with too many questions. The characters were fully developed to fit into the plotline of The Deadly Shallows and Dani Pettrey left enough questions that made me want to seek the other two books.

I felt that the description of the scenes and locations was wonderful. I could definitely see the locations in my mind as Pettrey described them. Every event came to life off the pages of this 390-page paperback book. For example, the darkness under the ocean: "She followed the flashlight's circle as it landed on dead fish...all dotting the sandy bottom of the sound's floor" (150). Or this description from shortly after the mass shooting: "Gabby hadn't even put the car in park when Noah jumped out and rushed as fast as his stupid leg would carry him" (96).

The trust in God by the characters is also a winning factor of The Deadly Shallows. I appreciated that they prayed about those involved in the mass shooting and their colleagues throughout the book. It is nice to see Christians living their lives openly as they go about their work.

My only complaint has to do with the texture of the book cover. While I really wanted to read The Deadly Shallows, I did not necessarily want to pick it up and read it. The book cover has an odd feel to it and set my nerves on edge much like when someone runs their nails on a chalkboard. 

I would recommend The Deadly Shallows to those who enjoy fast-paced, Christian Romantic Suspense novels.