Changing Tides

Katelyn Landers #1

by Veronica Mixon

AFTER KATELYN LANDER’S EX-HUSBAND DIES in a tragic car accident that her son witnesses, she quits her high-powered banking career and returns to her hometown of Savannah. Her belief that the Low Country's slower, more peaceful life will be the perfect place for her son to heal is quickly upended when a slew of dead bodies connected to Katelyn’s family wash ashore like decaying fish in a red tide, turning a US Marshal's interest in her family into an obsession.

US Marshal Nathan Parsi is convinced the esteemed Landers family's financial success is derived from laundering money. But when Katelyn Landers' son is kidnapped, and Nathan faces evidence his team has a snitch, he's forced to reassess whether Katelyn is really the cunning and heartless nemesis he's vowed to bring to justice or simply an innocent, unwitting pawn in a high stakes game of life and death.
Some family secrets are worth millions––others are smoke and mirrors. Which is Katelyn’s?

If you enjoyed the page-turning suspense "The Last Thing He Told Me" or Grisham's "The Firm" you'll be on the edge of your seat with this thrilling read.

Genres: Mystery, Ebooks, Thriller, Suspense, Fiction, Southern

364 pages, ebook

First published May 30, 2018

About the author

Veronica, an Amazon Chart-Topping author, and Florida native has spent the past two decades embracing the beauty of Georgia’s scenic coast, where she realized her lifelong dream of writing mystery and suspense.

Known for her gripping tales that navigate the shadowy depths of Savannah’s haunting allure, Veronica pulls readers into a labyrinth of mystery and suspense, making it impossible to put down her books until the last twist is revealed.

In her downtime, Veronica enjoys a fulfilling life with her husband, her steadfast partner in love and adventure, and their lively Australian Labradoodle, Fiddler.

She can be found at veronicamixon.com

Reviews

[London Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book! Fast-paced and action-packed, but also beautifully written, with a strong female character leading a fight for her family and her life. I wasn't sure how this was going to end at all, as Mixon is so adept at creating suspense. I highly recommend this series for an unputdownable read!

[Ellen]

Did not finish

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Financial manager Kate Lasher moves back home to coastal Georgia with her traumatized son after he survives a fiery crash that killed her ex-husband. Though she’s been managing the family finances from afar for several years, a close inspection of the business reveals a different story. Worse, drug runners are using her dock and her family’s island for drug drops. When she approaches local law enforcement, a US Marshal makes his presence known. Bodies start falling, and nothing is as it seems. A promising romantic thriller by a debut author.

Muddy Rose Reviews

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Fast paced. Solid characters and interesting setting. Fresh writing style. Recommend for summer reading!

[Lynne Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to finish this book and read the the next book by this author! Wish I could just read all day to finish this awesome book!

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing Tides is an intense, fast paced suspense that is hard to put down. Katelyn Landers has a background in banking but when her ex-husband Adam and eight year old son Owen are in a wreck that killed Adam, she left Orlando and returned home to Savannah to work in her family business. She and Owen move into Spartina, a home that she inherited from her grandfather on the river near Savannah. While Kate and Owen are spending a leisure afternoon on Barry Island, a barrier island owned by Kate, they feel that they are being stalked by a man on an airboat. Upon arriving back to their dock, a dive boat is blocking their way and Kate feels threatened again. Later, Kate calls her old friend, Sheriff Willie Schroeder to report the two events. Willie and US Marshall Nathan Parsi show up to talk to Kate to let her know that there may be more going on than meets the eye. They think maybe drugs traffickers are using her barrier island for moving drugs. The problem is the dive boat is owned by her cousin, Calvin, who owns the family business with her. So, maybe Calvin is involved in the drug trafficking. Then her mother's house is broken into and valuables are stolen. For safety, Kate's mom and Owens leave town to stay with a relative near Jacksonville under Federal protection and the Feds move into a guesthouse on Kate's property. Calvin disappears and she hired Ben Snider, a PI she has used before, to find him. Kate is trying to save her family company and deal with everything else going on. But she doesn't know who to trust as she digs into the family business, things just don't add up. One event after another keeps the pace moving especially when bodies start piling up. The family attorney advises Kate to distrust the Feds so she keeps her mouth shut but that may not be the best thing. There are lots of twists and turns as the story moves along and danger at every turn. Kate is between a rock and a hard spot between law enforcement and the bad guys. An old friend-now not so much-DEA agent Erica Sanchez is also involved in the investigation and that causes some extra stress for Kate.
I really enjoyed this book and was so excited to see that it is book 1 is the series. I was brought up on the opposite side of the state but love the coastal area of Georgia, actually from around Jacksonville to Charleston with the marshes and moss laden lovely Oaks. The story has well developed characters, lovely settings and an intense plot full of action, mystery, danger and end surprises. I am glad that I picked it up at NetGalley.
I was given a complimentary copy by The Wild Rose Press, Inc. through NetGalley. The opinions stated are mine only.

[Nicole Normand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #ChangingTides #NetGalley
-Fast pace with a growing body count and a fair portion of suspense and mystery. There is a decent amount of predictability too.
-There is no love yet between Nathan and Katelyn but it might get there sooner than later.
-I thought Erica was a bit mean, eating all of Nathan's favorite foods and not just once. I also thought she was unprofessional because she couldn't keep a leveled head concerning Kate. She bounced from not guilty to guilty and all over again.
-I haven't made any opinion about Willie and hope to see him again.
-I understand the author's need to tell us why someone rubs their hand over their chest, but over fifteen times in a story is too much.
-I was left with multiple questions in my head such as why Katelyn would tell Calvin about the island being under surveillance since she wanted the drug dealers to be caught. Not a spoiler since it happens in the first few chapters.

[Liz Krummell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn on this book so I am looking forward to the 2nd one to see how things go. Book One has Kate as a brilliant financial deal maker. It is very fast paced, Kate does not know who to trust, her son is kidnapped and/or kept from her (the 2nd time in her 8 year old's life). People she has counted on disappear Calvin, Ben, Cedar, her mom. She is trying to get the family business ready to sell but she discovers the financial records are not an accurate representation. So an expert deal maker sees nothing amiss in the 3 years she has been responsible - maybe she just trusted Joseph without any questions - questionable (and then he wipes his computer but conveniently leaves bank record, phone bills etc for her to follow.) Cal is kind of a mess but really he would not be involved. DEA Agent Erica is an old friend - in 10 years she has spent six weeks in rehab on three different occasions in the last five years -very surprising she still has her job plus having an affair with Kate's husband. Although she is there because she knows the area which would be helpful it seems a surprise that she knows Kate's family as well as she does (again affair withe the husband)
She thinks of Cedar like a grandfather, although he is a shark in the courtroom Kate may have been the only surprised he is involved - “Susie’s description of the second dandy—a six-foot-three, handsome man with a cleft chin, wearing a suit—had to be Cedar. Why hadn’t I connected the dots that my grandfather’s corporate attorney would’ve set up the bogus construction companies? He’d been on the inside of a twenty-year money-laundering scheme. Granddad might’ve held the information close, but Cedar couldn’t have been completely in the dark. And now, all of a sudden, Cedar and Mom were cozy.”
“Bottom line—Barry Real Estate and Investment received bogus rent money from bogus companies and charged off bogus renovations completed by bogus construction companies. Our family business was a carefully constructed lie that could easily pass a routine bank perusal or an IRS audit. Anger played out as my major emotion, but blown away fought for a spot because this scheme was slick.”

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love an interesting setting and Changing Tides uses the Georgia Low Country as the perfect backdrop for a story filled with intrigue, suspense, and mystery. Add a strong cast of characters and I’m hooked. Like Kate Landers who’s a recent widow, mother to a young son, a financial analyst who quit her job to save her family’s business, and is living back home with her own mother who’s definitely hiding something. Then throw in an ex-Navy intelligence officer, now a behavioral analyst with the US Marshal Service who’s only job is to read Kate and find out if she’s a savvy drug lord or an innocent victim. Despite a smoldering chemistry, Kate isn’t about to wait around because too much is at stake: family, money, and the truth.

[Rachel Lorenz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave 2 stars because I was interested enough to finish the book, but I found it frustrating. I had to confirm I was reading book 1 of the series because her divorce, her husband absconding with their son and coming back in handcuffs, and Erica’s tense relationship made me think I missed a whole book. I also couldn’t believe a VP banker never once caught on that her whole family was deep in a drug ring. After running the business for 5 years after her grandfather’s stroke, she never had a clue? And did we ever find out if her mom was in on the scheme? The attraction between Kate and the Marshall fizzled. Nothing there. Also, needs a good editing.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing Tides is one of the best suspense novels I’ve read all year. Mixon does a fantastic job mixing real-life details with edge-of-your-seat nervousness. Her heroine is so caught up in fear for her son and a basic distrust of everyone close to her—dead and alive—she doesn’t know which way to turn. Mixon takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride that’s sure to please. (Full disclosure: I proofread the book, so any spelling errors are mine, not the author’s. But the suspense and the adventure are all hers!)

[Vee.Garnettverizon.Net · Rating 2 out of 5]

you will need a scorecard.

I got turned around a time or two because of the volume of characters. I had to keep looking back to see how the people fit. I honestly didn’t care for the female lead either. Her angst is written but her actions negated a lot of it. The plot was so twisted and it left me unsatisfied with the superficial treatment.
Her kid gets kidnapped twice.
Her mom’s a flake.
The romance or spark was lukewarm and doesn’t warrant me download #2.
Editing was good.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because it was set in the low country near Savanah. The author did not make me feel the setting at all. I usually don’t notice the writing style, but the author’s use of over the top similes and metaphors were very distracting. At one point I was reading just to see what crazy metaphor she would include next. Her editor should be ashamed of herself, because this book has some potential. I honestly felt like I was reading a first draft that needed multiple revisions.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of "Changing Tides" from NetGallery, this is my review of the book.
I have never read anything by Veronica Mixon. I was excited to discover a new author.
There is ALOT going on in this book. I found myself wondering if I wanted to finish reading it. There is plenty of mystery, suspense and romance so I did keep reading and glad I did as it did get better.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I have read from this author. Looking forward to reading more in this series. This book held my attention from the first page through the end. I had the book figured out about half way through but still could not put it down to get to the end to see if I was correct. I have recommended this book/series to my sisters. We always share with each other when we find a good book. Enjoyed the characters and how they evolved throughout the book.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lure of creating untold wealth can corrupt even the most “honest” of people and corruption sets in like a cancer. The ramifications shatter the life that Kate was trying to create for her son Eric and herself. Trying to unravel an insidious web of lies, deceit and threats, Kate is drawn further and further towards impending doom. This psychological thriller is ever so cleverly crafted and is addictive reading at its best!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have come to expected from book written by Veronica Mixon, Changing Tides gave me plenty of action and pulled at the heartstrings in moments. Once started it is has to stopped, something might happen without you. The characters are very well developed, some you hate and some you love. You know there is more to the story and it is revealed bit by bit at just the right pace. Families hold secrets and discovering them can be murder. I can't wait to read more in this series.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great who done it with twists

This is a new author for me but will be getting more of her books. Love her writing style and all the twists and turns. Kate finds her world turned upside down, starting with her husband's death and her young son witnessing it. Then things aren't adding up with her information on property she's trying to sell. What is going on and why are the DEA and other agencies involved. Now she must find answers before someone else dies.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book overall was well written. The Main character - Katelyn did some really poorly thought out, knee jerk, questionably intelligent things though. Running out every time she had a thought. Running back when she got a phone call. There was a lot of back and forth and what-in-the-world-were-you-thinking moments. The final "bad guy" was not that hard to figure out but there were twists and turns to the whole thing. "Crush" interests but no real romance.

[Pedro Bedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book about changing tides there wasn't much sailing in it. Plenty of other stuff to keep you interested though like who's next to turn up dead. Grandad had them all fooled over the business and all the money and property and Kate had been fooled for years. Good plot and characters and a reasonable conclusion.

[Veronica Mixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changing Tides, now ready for your review, is a page-turning mystery, set in the Georgia Low Country. This novel is full of twist and turns and southern characters that make you smile. Warning...this thriller might keep you up long past your bedtime.

[judy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

First time reading this author. Very surprised that I enjoyed it. I have my favorite authors which I love to read, Karen Robards and Sandra Brown. Now I will be adding this author to the list

[Peggy S Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite author!!

A wonderful action story. I was captivated from the first page. I love that about the book. Veronica Nixon is an author that I will be watching very closely. Can't wait to read more from her!!!

[Dale Blass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenceful

I gave this book a 5 because the plot really keeps in suspense as to what happens next. The characters are very real and the story moves along at s rapid pace. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Mary Sue Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mystery

This story kept me reading when I should have been doing other things. I loved the coastal setting and the characters. This book is well written and flows st a good pace. I recommend.

[Maria McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

holds your interest

I enjoyed reading Changing Tides. The plot keeps you guessing and the characters are interesting. I also liked the location where the story took place. Good read!

[Ilah Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of action

The writing was very well done. It was hard to guess what happens next so the unpredictability kept me reading. I enjoyed the info on the settings and location. The first few pages really pull the reader in. Lots of action.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read that keeps you reading to see what happens next and how it will all work out. Lots of intricate details to make this a believable and exciting story. I will read the next one in the series by Veronica Mixon.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast moving plot with a lot of twists.

I like the character development and the unfolding plot. I did discern the main protagonist well before the disclosure but still enjoyed the book.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a thriller that I couldn't put down. Katelyn winds up in many predicaments with her family's financial assets. Family secrets change her life. If you like suspense and complications, you will love this.