Lucy Locke's early life hadn't been easy but she'd built a good and decent life in the aftermath. She's now married to Daniel, who co-owns Locke-Povey Marine on Penleith Beach, and they live at Wild Ridge on Mortis Point with Billie, Lucy's daughter and Fin, the child she had with Daniel. They have financial difficulties, some caused by Nick Povey, Daniel's partner and so-called best friend. Nick and Daniel have a history together from the time they both spent in a children's home but it's difficult to think that Nick has Daniel's best interests at heart, particularly where Lucy, or money, is concerned.

They were getting by, though, until the day of the storm - and what a storm it was. Boats were running for cover into Skentel harbour. So why would Daniel take their boat, The Lazy Susan out into the storm? Why would he pick Fin up from school in the middle of the morning with the excuse of a dental appointment they'd all forgotten about and take him onto the boat? And why would Billie be there too? And then The Lazy Susan was found drifting and was towed into the harbour by the RNLI. They'd had to put a pump on board to stop the boat from sinking - the seacocks had been smashed.

Daniel taking the boat out into the storm was barely understandable but a missing child - Fin's still at junior school - and a young adult meant that the police were involved straight away. DI Abraham Rose and DS Cooper were in Skentel to investigate. Abraham Rose was a sick man: there was something dreadfully wrong with his lungs and although he never mentions the word 'cancer', it's difficult to come to any other conclusion. You suspect that he won't make old bones and his illness is affecting his faith which has always meant so much to him - but he's determined that he's going to see Billie and Fin brought home.

Then Daniel is rescued from the sea.

Skentel's a supportive community dLucy has friends around her but you suspect that not everyone has her, or Daniel's welfare at heart. It's a small community and there's always someone with an axe to grind or an old score to settle. Sam Lloyd's characterisation is superb but perhaps the character which steals the show is the sea itself. There are some scenes out at sea at the height of the storm which are so evocative they left my heart pounding.

You want to know about the plot, though, don't you? It is very good and (without giving anything away) is more realistic in its outcomes than many other books in this genre. I appreciated that. I also liked that I really didn't spot who was behind the plot against Lucy, or why. It was ingeniously done and well-written. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag.

I absolutely loved this book. You are never certain what happened, why and who is to blame. The primary character is Lucy who seems to have had a chequered past although as we all know there are two sides to every story.
There is a small amount of reminiscing sections - just enough to put some explanations, or red herrings, in place.
The police DI is completely different from what you normally have where crimes/murders are involved in books. There is no let up in the book and I have to admit I came to different 'I know what happened' conclusions as I read on. However the facts and reasons do become clearer and you know just about everything when you reach the 'Hollywood style' ending. (My only slight criticism is that I felt the sequence was a little too long)
As a parent the book hits you hard at times and it is impossible for me to say what would have done differently from Lucy.
So, definitely 5 stars and not to be missed

A slow start and repetitive at times meant I struggled with this book,the second half was much more engaging,tense and twisty

I really enjoyed this book in the end . I thought it was a bit slow in places but then it took off again . I loved the characters and the free spirited Lucy but I thought Nick sort of got lost in the story . I honestly thought he’d be the bad guy but I was wrong . Loved the twist at the end with the detective. All in all I thought it was a great book and would read more from this author

While this book had a slow start, I actually ended. up really enjoying it! The suspense of this book is what really brought it all together, just brilliantly told and the characterization was great.

The Rising Tide is the best thriller I’ve read for a long time. Sam Lloyd writes charismatically and vividly. The Devon coastal town location springs into life, you can smell the sea and hear the gulls. His characters are fully formed and believable, I loved Abraham Rose, the God fearing, chronically ill detective in particular, but even the minor characters are cleverly drawn and notable.

Lucy Locke is at home when she hears that their family yacht has been found almost submerged and her husband is missing. Soon she find that her children are missing too. The plot twists and turns, totally wrong footing you, you are never sure who is playing who. Sam Lloyd pulls no punches and really plays with your emotions. The denouement is shocking, edge of the seat stuff, impossible to put down until the end.
Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for allowing me to review this ARC

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the story and the themes covered in the book. However, I struggled to connect with the characters and the structure threw me off a little bit.
The way the information was being fed to us, the readers, was not the most effective for me. Though, obviously, that is a very personal opinion.

I also have to say that I believe this story was harder to read because something similar happened weeks before I started reading it, and it definitely affected my enjoyment. That's nothing to do with the book, of course, but it might explain why some aspects of the book were harder to read.

Overall, I find this to be an interesting thriller that was missing some things that I personally look forward to seeing in a book.

Lucy and Daniel Locke live in idyllic Skentel in North Devon with their family. Lucy is running a successful beachfront establishment, while Daniel is having some difficulties with his marine business.

just ahead of a predicted freak storm their boat is found drifting
and her husband is missing after putting out a mayday call from the boat.
It is told from several points of view Lucy’s, Daniel ( mostly from communication to Lucy) and DI Abraham Rose
The time frame moves via Lucy’s flashbacks to the past and fill in the characters development,
but at the same time distract from what’s happening in the present which is what I want to be following. Some of the flashbacks feel less purposeful.

Overall it has a good pace, and grabbed my attention from the outset.
The tension suddenly ramps right up with a big twist, and the twists keep coming. The tension is very palpable!
The raging storm is beautifully described and poetic you can feel its strength and menace.
At one point I was totally perplexed as to what is going on.
In the middle section there is a bit of a lull.
The tension really builds again towards the end.
What an ending!

Tension Mounting Suspense….
Tension mounting, slow burn suspense made all the better for having such a vividly described backdrop and an atmospheric sense of place. Characters are credible and well formed and the premise intriguing, numerous twists and turns keep the reader wholly engaged and the storyline is immersive. A dark and chilling read.

Ok, so I was really excited to read this, mainly due to who the Author is, but the beginning was so slow going, it killed that excitement for me and I struggled to get it back.

This was not a bad read, under any circumstances at all, it simply dragged too much in the beginning for my own personal preferences.

The second half was better. There were twists and turns and as the story picked up, I did find myself becoming more engaged but I just couldn’t get over the disappointment of how the beginning was for me making this an average read for me!

Rating: 4.2/5

Although I enjoyed Sam Lloyd's debut novel, "The Memory Wood", I felt it had a few shortcomings that prevented it from being as compelling as it could have been. I am pleased to say that in this second novel, "The Rising Tide", the author exhibits far greater maturity. The result is a captivating thriller full of heart-stopping twists and turns with an intriguing cast of characters.

Lucy has a pretty good life. Both she and her husband, Daniel, are liked and respected within their community. They have built up their own businesses and live with their two children in a desirable old house in a scenic clifftop location. But then, one day, Lucy receives news that their yacht has been found abandoned at sea and Daniel is nowhere to be found. Lucy's idyllic world is about to look very, very different.

This mystery thriller drew me in very quickly, but then also succeeded in making me a little disorientated by taking a different path to the one I had anticipated. I have to confess that I was not immediately convinced by the way the author handled switches in timeframe in order to present background information. However, as I became more accustomed to the style he was using, I actually found that it worked very effectively.

Apart from being tense, atmospheric and evoking a genuine sense of menace, one of the most striking aspects of this novel is the cast of characters. Sam Lloyd cannot be accused of penning two-dimensional stereotypes. The pages of this book are populated with distinctive and memorable individuals, even among the lesser players.

If I were to voice a criticism, then it would have to be said that the plot does depend on a few convenient developments in order to allow it to move in the desired direction. However, there are so many positive aspects to this novel overall that the writer has more than earned his dramatic licence for use on these occasions.

A very satisfying read and I am looking forward to book three.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and in the same way it can leave you not knowing where you are, which way is up or where you are heading - all in a good way.

The storyline keeps you guessing and the drip feeding of pertinent facts keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting more and more.

I read this in 2 sittings and put Sam Lloyd straight on my 'to follow' list. A definite new author to watch.

This was a good thriller; setting and characters came together to create intrigue and suspense. My only criticism is that there were far too many weather descriptions.

I loved the synopsis of The Rising Tide and the coastal setting but sadly I found it to be a slow paced novel that was difficult to enjoy or engage with. This may appeal to many readers of psychological crime fiction but it wasn't the right book for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Cleverly written, keeps you on your toes and your heart beating. I can honestly say I felt every twist and turn of this book. Great language choices, to keep you guessing, but also keep you interested. Fabulous read.

This was such an intense read! There were so many twists and turns which had me questioning whether Lucy was a victim or if she had engineered the whole thing. I was on the edge of my seat with this book, and the backdrop of a monstrous storm added the perfect atmosphere to this thrilling & heartbreaking story.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

loved it and it kept me reading till late at night

Wow! Wow! Wow! what a roller coaster of a Book, the Locke family seem to have an almost perfect life ,until things are viewed from under the surface just like the turbulent Sea that their lives revolve round & within a heartbeat all that they know & love can change in the harshest of ways . The story is intense, atmospheric, & at times so chilling it boarders on the Horrific . Sam Lloyd captures the dark magic of the south west coast & it's tight knit communities beautifully & shows so well how some folk think they have shaken off their unsavoury past it can return & hit them hard in the most gut renching of ways .This is a Book that will keep you on the edge of your seat , as the plot twists & turns a truly fantastic read, which I shall highly recommend. #FB, #Instagram, #Goodreads, #NetGalley, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>.

I loved Sam Lloyd’s debut – The Memory Wood and so I was excited to read his next book, a standalone called The Rising Tide. We get a very different book here but it still has Lloyd’s hallmarks of keeping his cards close to his chest, a twist surprise and chapters from an unknown perspective.

Although I enjoyed this book as a whole there was something about it that did not quite gel with me. With The Memory Wood I was completely hooked and powered through the book quickly eager to know what happened next. This book was a slower read for me as I found it difficult to keep picking up – it didn’t quite engage me as much. The story alternates perspective between Lucy, whose husband is missing and Abraham who is the detective in charge of solving the case. I liked the character of Lucy; she’s a strong woman who will do what is necessary to protect her kids and she came across as realistic and interesting. Abraham I wasn’t so sure on, there are some detectives that you read about and would love to see a whole series based around them but he certainly wasn’t one of them. I was confused by his religious leanings which are emphasised repetitively throughout (I was even thinking he might be a suspect at one point). He has a terminal illness which also seemed to have just been jammed into his narrative to make him more interesting. I found him hard to picture, seeing him as old, frail and grizzled but then other characters seemed to react to him as being large and young so I’m not quite sure what he looks like!

I like a good twist and this one certainly had me off guard (no spoilers!). However, a twist should be signposted somewhere in the text and this one is done so subtly that when it was revealed I had a bit of a ‘wait…who? why?’ moment rather than a gasp of shock and a silent bravo to the author. I did like the overall premise though; I just wish the climax had fit in better to the rest of the story. I also really enjoyed the setting and thought Sam Lloyd painted a picture of the seaside town perfectly. The parts set at sea were also haunting, atmospheric and beautifully written.

Overall, The Rising Tide is a great premise with an atmospheric setting, it just didn’t quite engage me as much as I’d hoped. Thank you to NatGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Bantam Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sorry this one wasn’t for me. I thought it was slow burner and very repetitive. I found myself skimming through the pages. I did finish the book but it was a struggle to get to the end. Just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.