Title: A Dark and Rising Tide

Author: Debra Castaneda

Narrator: Jesse Ganteaume

Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Dark-and-Rising-Tide-Audiobook/B0CVBMFK6V

Summary

When a massive storm surge hits the central coast of California, the ferocious surf destroys buildings, floods streets, and washes up something sinister from the depths of the Monterey Bay.

Peter, a retired state lifeguard, knows the water better than anyone. Carla, owner of a beach-side restaurant, is still mourning the loss of her son in a boating accident. While both love their quaint small town with spectacular views, their personal lives are as complicated as the changing weather forecasts.

After a mysterious creature in the water kills two men, Peter and Carla are plunged into a living nightmare as a massive tidal surge traps them and their friends in a battered, unstable building.

While the storm rages through the night, they discover something horrifying swims between them and escape, just waiting to attack anyone within reach.

They need to make life or death decisions to survive.

But first, they need to make it to morning.

Inspired by real events, A Dark and Rising Tide is part of Debra Castaneda’s Dark Earth Rising series of standalone novels. Listen to the books in any order.

My Review

5/5 Stars

When a massive storm hits, a group of locals decides not to evacuate and buckle down to wait it out. What they don’t know is that there’s something in the water. A horror that’s come in with the storm unlike anything they’ve ever experienced.

My favorite horror stories are those that don’t just instill fear but that also have strongly written characters. The cast of survivors were well-fleshed out and not only brought the horrors to life but explored the themes of grief, loss, friendship, and survival.

This book is an experience, and though this was my first piece by this author, it’s not going to be my last.