Review of Red Tide at Heron Bay by Gerri Hill

Like most WLW readers out there, I’m a big Gerri Hill fan. I will happily read anything she writes and I am rarely if ever, disappointed. While Hill’s name on a book is enough to get me to read it, there is something about her crime/mysteries and or paranormal books that I can’t get enough of. While this was not one of my favorites by Hill, it still gave me that ‘I’m happy to be reading this’ feeling that her mysteries always give me. This was a fun read and good entertainment.

I loved the way this book started off. It grabbed me instantly and I knew I was hooked. The first half has the mystery going strong with these thrillers-like moments and I absolutely loved it. I did find that the second half slowed down for me, but the first half was pure Hill gold.

I found that I really enjoyed the setting of Heron Bay. I’ve mentioned this before but I don’t think Hill’s settings get enough credit. They become such part of the story that you can actually imagine what it would be like to be there in real life. And while this setting might not have stolen the show as some of her others in past books have, it still absolutely worked for me. I think Hill pays attention to and uses settings in a way that not a lot of current authors do.

I did find that I had some mixed feelings about the romance. On the good side, I really liked the two mains as a potential couple. I felt like they fit well and I liked seeing how their connection grew. Hill did a good job of writing an annoyance to lovers romance. The problem for me is that I was enjoying the intrigue parts so much that the romance felt like it slowed the story down. I think Hill did a good job spending time on both the mystery and the romance, but it was hard for me to really relax into the romance when there is this stalker-like killer on the loose.

While this story had a few bumps for me, I still enjoyed reading it. I get this warm happy feeling when I pick up a Hill book and even with murder and mayhem it still remains. I think this is an easy one to recommend to Hill fans and for people that like some intrigue mixed into their romance. I enjoy her books so much that I am already looking forward to the next. I’m guessing the next will be a sweet romance, but fingers crossed for some paranormal for the book that follows that one:) 3.75 Stars.

An ARC was given to me for a review.