Reviewer's Bookshelf: "The Crushing Depths" by Dani Pettrey

Book Summary (Amazon): When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker on the first drilling platform off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. Tensions surrounding the oil rig are high and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the structure from being completed, while rumors are being whispered about ancient curses surrounding this part of the ocean.

Mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all. Was he killed by one of the activists or, perhaps more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only a plethora of suspects, but also their own past and attraction to each other.

Just as the case seems like it'll break open, worse news arrives. A tropical storm has turned their way and soon they're cut off from any rescue--and right where the killer wants them. It's a race to discover his identity before he eliminates the threat they pose.

My thoughts...I enjoyed the overall plot of this second book in the Coastal Guardian series. There were two mysteries/suspenseful story lines. With two separate plot lines that intertwined the characters, there was a heightened level of action. The continuous pace made the book hard to put down. The romantic tension among the cast of characters was great and added a softer element to the story. I particularly loved Mason and Rissi's story. You learn a little bit about these two characters in the previous book in the series, and book two picks right up at the end of book one. As expected, "The Crushing Depths" has a large cast of characters, some with similar names ("Chase" and "Jayce") and at times it was a mental work out to keep up with them all. This was not a surprise to me (all of the books I've read by Pettrey are like this) and didn't keep me from wanting to read the book, but I was definitely tempted to grab a piece of paper and jot down who was who. Throughout the story there were questions I wanted to know the answer to: Who was the killer? What was the motive? These questions were answered, but not in the way I anticipated. That made for an interesting ending. But it was wrapped up rather quickly. All of the tension, excitement, and quick pace came to a halt with a somewhat undramatic ending, in my opinion, and when I finished I thought, "Did I read that right?" I may go back and read it again, just to see if I missed something. Overall, though, I would recommend the novel for those that like this genre and I plan to continue reading the rest of the books in the series as they come out. 

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my honest opinion, which I did.**