This author’s debut novel, Into the Darkest Corner, left me breathless. It was the epitome of psychological suspense. I couldn’t put it down. Haynes had made my ‘must read everything this author has ever written’ list before I even finished the book. Just so you know, it’s a short list.

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon another book written by Elizabeth Haynes at my local used bookstore. I usually consider myself lucky if I can find one of the authors on the crumpled ‘to read’ list I keep in my wallet. To find the author I want the most? Well, that’s my lucky day!

I left the store with the book in my hand and a smile on my face. Hmmm. At this point, you’ve probably noticed that I’m three paragraphs into a review and I still haven’t mentioned the book I’m reviewing. Double Hmmm.

Disclaimer. I know that writing a book isn’t the easiest thing to do. A lot of time and dedication goes into committing tens of thousands of words on to paper. I also believe in supporting authors. If the book is well written, if the plot is solid, if I enjoyed the book or can think of a valid excuse (I’m moody) of why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped and why you might enjoy it more, I give it 5 stars. If a book is generally good but has some issues, maybe the pacing is off or the writing style detracts from the story, I give it 4 stars. If the author has seriously pissed me off, as in, they have talent and imagination but I just spent hours of my life reading something that wasn’t their best effort (to put it politely), I give it 3 stars. I don’t review books I can’t give at least 3 stars.

Now that that’s said, here’s my review. This book is about a woman who had worked as a stripper. It’s mentioned on the back page blurb, and since I really enjoyed the other book I read by this author, it wouldn’t have affected my decision to read the book (had I read the blurb before buying). However, when a stripper character muses about how empowering it is to be a stripper, how it’s a victory for women’s lib, and then that character is weak, stupid, vapid, generally unlikable, and only concerned with men and being desirable, well, that’s not a victory for anyone.

The book was well written, I’ll give Haynes that, but the plot? The only suspense or mystery I experienced was wondering when Haynes was going to wow me. I’m still waiting. This book left me so underwhelmed that I’m seriously wondering if maybe I was wrong about the other book I read by her. Maybe there was an uncapped Sharpie nearby when I was reading? Or the mushrooms on the pizza were ‘special’. This book had potential, but it seemed to be more a venue for the author to explore her personal fantasies than to woo her readers with suspense and intrigue. I’m not sure I’ll be giving any of her other books a chance. 3 stars. ( )

I didn't really follow much of the love-based story line(s) but it was a good, quick read. ( )

Not as good as into the darkest corner, the main character is infuriating and this effects the plausibility of the story ( )

Something very evocatively scary happens in the first pages of Elizabeth Haynes’ novel Dark Tide, setting the scene for a very dark story indeed. It’s a story told in multiple points of view, with converging timelines that move irrevocably to or from that very first scene. And nobody is quite what they seem.

Details ring authentically true, from depictions of peaceful houseboat life to the shadows of London’s criminal underworld, from haunting mystery to haunted memory, and from sunshine to rain. Newly remodeled houseboat rooms hide as many secrets as a newly remodeled life. And a dark tide turns an over-the-top housewarming party into questions of accidental death.

Elizabeth Haynes’ novel is filled with believably odd characters, none of them perfect, but with shining lights of goodness. Relationships can be shelter or escape. But behind it all is the question of who is truly good—or if true goodness can be found by someone so flawed. It’s a story that draws the reader into worlds they might not wish to visit, through the eyes of a flawed protagonist, and sends them, like a houseboat whose engine has never been tried, into dangerous waters. It’s a good story, seductive, sad, filled with questions, but overarchingly filled with that aching search for goodness, trust and truth.

I really enjoyed this novel.

Disclosure: I bought it on a deal when my basement was flooded – dark tides indeed. ( )

Uggh. This book was painfully melodramatic and contained zero suspense. I was so excited to read an ARC of this book because I really enjoyed [bc:Into the Darkest Corner|13312650|Into the Darkest Corner|Elizabeth Haynes|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1339764797s/13312650.jpg|14106097]but this book was an utter disappointment. ARC from the publisher. ( )