Who can you really trust?
DI Bryony Marshall has been on the
tail of Kenny Ransom for two years. He’s involved in prostitution and
trafficking, but there’s never been any real proof. To complicate matters
further, Bryony’s best friend from childhood is his daughter Imogen.
Bryony worries about admitting the fact that she is trying to put
Imogen’s dad away, but unexpectedly, Imogen turns on her father and helps the
police. Kenny finds out and swears he’ll get his revenge.
Sick of being in the police force, Bryony visits her mother in Cornwall
and considers starting a new life.
While in Cornwall, Bryony saves the life of a man caught up in a rip
current in the sea.
But who is this stranger? And is Kenny really bent on revenge?
Rip Current explores the relationships between families and friends and
asks who can you ever really trust.
What did I think?
I discovered Amanda James when I read the amazing Summer in Tintagel a few years ago. Since then I have not hesitated to pick up more of her books as you are guaranteed a brilliant read with her suspenseful storylines set against a backdrop of dramatic and evocative Cornish scenery.
I wasn't sure where the story was going to go at first as we meet Anya who is being held against her will and forced to work as a prostitute. Enter DI Bryony Marshall who has been waiting years to take down Kenny Ransom, despite recently reconnecting with his daughter Imogen through Facebook. Bryony is shocked by what Imogen has to say but it makes her one step closer to putting Kenny Ransom away for good. The only trouble is, if Kenny finds out that Imogen has helped Bryony, both girls could be in danger as Kenny will be out for revenge.
I don't usually quote from books but I just have to share some of the exquisite prose from Rip Current. I absolutely adore the way that Amanda James has written about Bryony's concerns about meeting Imogen after so many years. We often look at our past through rose coloured spectacles and find that we have little in common with people from whom we were once inseparable. Just take a look at this magnificent sentence that says all of that using a weather analogy:
I worry that, once held to the light, scrutinised and poked, our sunny past will turn overcast, begin to rain, and I'll have no umbrella.
I did pick up a few other beautiful sentences but I know I will have missed some corkers as the pacing is so fast and the story so compelling that I found myself racing through the book.
I love how family features heavily in Amanda James' books, not always in a good way, of course...there are always some bad eggs. I couldn't help but draw a comparison between Bryony's father, a policeman who was killed on duty and Imogen's father, Kenny, who is cruel and ruthless. The stories of the two men appear separate at first but link very nicely as Amanda James has a few surprises up her sleeve.
Rip Current is as dark and disturbing as it is gripping and addictive. It's a non-stop enthralling thriller that turns the old proverb, 'blood is thicker than water', on its head.
My rating:
Buy it from Amazon
About the author:
Amanda has written since she was a child, but never
imagined that her words would be published, given that she left school with no
real qualifications of note apart from an A* in how to be a nuisance in class.
Nevertheless, she returned to education when her daughter was five and
eventually became a history teacher. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns,
the dream of becoming a writer came true when her first short story was
published. Amanda has written many short stories and has six novels currently
published.
Amanda grew up in Sheffield but now has realised
her lifelong dream of living in Cornwall and her writing is inspired every day
by the dramatic coastline near her home. She has sketched out many stories in
her head while walking the cliff paths. Three of her mystery/suspense novels
are set there, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Summer in Tintagel and the Behind the
Lie. Rip Current is also set in Cornwall and will be published by Bloodhound
Books in April 2018.
Amanda, known to many as Mandy, spends far more
time than is good for her on social media and has turned procrastination to a
fine art. She can also usually be found playing on the beach with her family,
or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.
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