Lethal Tide

Aloha Lagoon #10

by Beth Prentice

From USA Today bestselling author Beth Prentice comes the next killer Aloha Lagoon Mystery...

Samantha Reynold's new life in Aloha Lagoon is awesome. She has a great job as a surf instructor at the local resort, a gorgeous boyfriend, bartender Casey Dalton, and a BFF to tell all her secrets to. But when a man from Casey's past turns up in Aloha Lagoon claiming knowledge of a long lost treasure, life goes from paradise to downright deadly. A body in the rainforest has the police looking squarely at Casey as their number one suspect, and even Samantha has to admit that the evidence against him doesn't look good. Now it's up to Samantha and her BFF to find the real killer, decipher the clues to the treasure, and find out just what skeletons are lurking in her suddenly secretive boyfriend's closet... even if she may not want to meet them!

The Aloha Lagoon Mysteries:
Ukulele Murder (book #1)
Murder on the Aloha Express (book #2)
Deadly Wipeout (book #3)
Deadly Bubbles in the Wine (book #4)
Mele Kalikimaka Murder (book #5)
Death of the Big Kahuna (book #6)
Ukulele Deadly (book #7)
Bikinis & Bloodshed (book #8)
Death of the Kona Man (book #9)
Lethal Tide (book #10)


About Aloha Lagoon:
There's trouble in paradise...
Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2018

About the author

Beth Prentice is the award winning, USA Today Bestselling Author of the several series and standalone novels.
She was born in Manchester, England, but after moving backwards and forwards across the world 13 times in 14 years she decided that at the age of 18 that Australia was to be her home. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia where every day is a good one. She is the lucky mother of two grown up children, and, along with her ever-patient husband, she is the proud but sometimes flustered owner of four dogs, a cat, and a canary. She has always had a love of reading, and even though her background is in accounting, she has now discovered her love of writing. Her main wish is to write books you can sit back, relax with, and escape from your everyday life...and ones that you walk away from with a smile! When she's not writing you will usually find her at the beach with a coffee in hand, pursuing her favorite pastime --people watching!

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hawaiian island theme throughout this series makes for a nice escape from reality. It’s easy to imagine yourself there feeling the tropical breezes, the sun on your shoulders, and warm sand beneath your toes. It’s such a pleasant and relaxing place that when something dark and vile happens you can’t help but want to clear the air. So when Samantha and her friends find themselves front and center in a murder case, you too want to restore the warm and happy glow of paradise.

The mystery swirls around a possible lost treasure and the murder of one visitor to the island. Samantha’s boyfriend, Casey, becomes the number one suspect as he has a connection to the victim. Sam, her brother Luke, and best friend Alani work together with Casey to clear him as a suspect. I liked how they all stuck together and no one turned their back on Casey or even doubted for one moment his innocence. I also like that the author added in some comic relief to give us a laugh and break up some of the slower sections.

With several potential suspects, an unclear motive, and Casey himself seeming to be hiding something from his past, this mystery keeps you on your toes as you try to decipher the clues.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely setting and what fun jobs that the characters have! But not so nice to have a murder to solve. Samantha Reynolds works at a resort in Aloha Lagoon in Hawaii where she is a surf instructor for kids. Life is going great in paradise with her boyfriend of two months and her mum, brother and friends. Casey, her boyfriend and her brother's best friend, is a bartender at a bar at the resort. Sam got roped into a trivia contest at the bar by her mum one night but it was all for charity. Afterwards, an old friend of Casey's shows up at the bar. Casey is not happy to see Ryan for some reason. Ryan is interested in finding buried treasure on the island in the forest and says that he knows where the treasure is contrary to the fact that locals say that it doesn't exist. He finally leaves the bar and purposefully but secretively drops a flash drive in his empty drink glass that Sam sees and takes. Maybe a map is on the flash drive. The next day, Sam, Casey, her friend and brother set out on a trip into the forest to find Ryan and make sure that he isn't looking for the treasure. Instead they find Ryan's body and he has been murdered. Because many people saw Casey unhappy with Ryan the night before, he becomes a suspect. Soon, another friend of Casey's shows up, presumably to find Ryan and his map for the treasure. Sam is convinced that Casey is innocent and decides to prove it but Casey's life before Aloha Lagoon is a mystery and he isn't forthcoming with information. Their relationship is fairly new and she isn't really sure of Casey, especially since he seems to attract lots of women, even married women. One woman, Lori is much older and throws herself at Casey all the time even with her husband nearby. As Sam continues her investigating, it soon becomes apparent that someone is out to kill her. There is a large number of suspects to work through. This is a story that is action packed with twists and a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. This is my first book by Beth Prentice and the first of the series but I plan to read others in by the author and in the series.
Thanks to Gemma Halliday Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Julesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lethal Tide is the tenth book in the Aloha Lagoon mystery series, all written by different authors, and the second book written by Beth Prentice within this series. It features Samantha "Sam" Reynolds, a transplant from Sydney, Australia, who is a children's surf instructor at the Aloha Lagoon Resort in Kauai. Ryan Hobson, a former friend of Sam's boyfriend, Casey Dalton, arrives in Aloha Lagoon, claiming to know the exact location of a treasure worth $100 million. The supposed hidden treasure location happens to be on property owned by the family of Sam's BFF, Alani, in Coconut Cove. When Sam, Alani and Sam's twin brother Luke hike through the rainforest to reach the treasure location, they discover the dead body of Ryan.

Casey and Ryan had an adversarial history together, placing Casey as the prime murder suspect. Casey has a lot on his hands. He is trying to determine if Travis and Veronica, characters from his past that have come out the woodwork, have arrived at Aloha Lagoon in search of the treasure and may have played a role in Ryan's murder. At the same time, Casey is fighting the aggressive advances of a 50-ish cougar, who obsessively and openly pursues Casey, right in front of her husband's eyes.

Sam does everything in her power to prove Casey's innocence and to find out the truth of who and why someone would want to murder Ryan. While doing so, Sam's insecurities rise its ugly head as she deals with Casey's perfect ex-lover and the cougar's persistent advances. Meanwhile, the real killer is on the loose and trying to stop Sam from her investigation, putting herself and her loved ones in danger.

The author continues to flesh out likeable and distinguishable canon characters and additional characters you just love to hate. The location is inarguably lush and beautiful. The descriptions of humid rain forests, quenching waterfalls, emerald-green lagoons, velvety sandy beaches and warm sunshine make me want to book a flight to Kauai right this minute. All this combined with a treasure hunt makes it a well-written mystery. I hope there will be a continuation of Sam, Casey, Alani, Luke in another Aloha Lagoon book.

I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, quick read. 3.5*

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam thought that Casey and her were a match made in heaven (or close to). He makes her feel loved and secure and every time he looks at her and smiles, she cannot imagine that there is anything more perfect or that there were any dark secrets between them. But when an old friend turns up at the bar in Aloha Lagoon, Casey's past suddenly comes racing to the fore and boy are there secrets galore, deep dark secrets that Casey does not appear prepared to share with Sam. It doesn't help when the old friend is determined to follow up on an old myth about some hidden treasure and even more so, when the said treasure hunter is found murdered and Casey does not have an alibi for the time in question. Sam wants to help, but does she really know Casey as well as she thought? Is he the boyfriend that she loves or is that just the sunny side that he wants her to see?

Another fun read from Beth Prentice. It was nice to see how the relationship with Sam and Casey has moved on, as well as that with Alani and Sam's twin brother. I received this ARC but my review and opinions are my own

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read in the "Aloha Lagoon" series. I was a bit worried to start at #10, but was so happy it read great as a stand-alone book, but also gave me some clues as to what has gone on there before, so I am now excited to read the earlier ones. The story was great, weaving some great Hawaiian scenery and culture into a great mystery. What really makes the book is the collection of fun characters throughout and the fact that it wasn't predictable. Great beach read or a great read to make you think you are AT the beach.

[Cecelia Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha' boyfriend Casey is the bartender at the Aloha Lagoon resort. Sam thought things were going great but doubts start to filter in as a friend of Casey's from Australia is murdered. Sam knows Casey is not telling her everything but she does know that he did not kill Ryan. She tries to keep her faith in Casey but it gets harder as time goes on. Sam and her twin brother Luke and Luke's girlfriend try to find out who killed Ryan to help get Casey off the cop's radar.
Samantha is a likeable character. I think what makes her so relatable are her insecurites and lack of confidence in herself. When Casey's old girlfriend shows up, Sam is a mess. I love the setting and the people are just so likeable even with some of their faults. This is a standalone book and you really don't need to read the rest of the series to know what is going on. I loved the book!
'

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha continues to love her job as a surf instructor to kids. She also continues to adore her boyfriend Casey, but it gets harder and harder as time goes by. Why? Well there is the "old friend" who shows up at the Lava Pot while Casey is bartending. The atmosphere isn't exactly friendly, yet "friend" Ryan leaves a thumb drive surreptitiously intended for Casey. Next thing we know is Ryan has been murdered, another "old friend" has shown up, and Detective Ray wants Casey downtown to see what he knows about the murder.

Sam talks her twin brother and his girlfriend/her bestie into investigating in order to prove Casey's innocence. Before it is all over, Sam has a B & E to her credit, two more "friends" surface, and nothing makes sense.

Good thing author Beth Prentice knows how to take a hopeless mystery and make it into a fascinating story, because I sure didn't figure out the ending from what I thought were the clues we were given. Prentice works her magic and ... well read it and find out. Once again Aloha Lagoon is the center of the story with locals and guests mixed together to make a great murder mystery. I am sure if you have liked other Aloha Lagoon mysteries, you will love this one!

[Ann-Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This joyful story of Samantha Reynolds continues in book 2 by Beth Prentice and book 10 is the Aloha Lagoon series. Samantha and her antics will have you LOL and cringing at some of the stuff she and her friends find themselves in. If you like your reads fun, interesting, light-hearted and humorous with a bit of mystery thrown in this is the book and author for you. It will have you turning the pages or tapping you kindle faster to see what adventures Samantha, her BFF and Boyfriend Casey will get up to next. This is a cozy mystery that you think you have worked out but this author has a different plan altogether and will completely throw you at the end with the HOW DID IT. A wonderful read that I would recommend to any reader and best of all its set in a tropical paradise.
Full review at www.readingfortheloveofbooks.com

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth Prentice does it again with another absolute winner! Humor, Mystery, Romance...this book has it all! This installment of the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries is such a great story with so many twists and surprises and plenty of suspense! There is NO WAY to guess the end until you get there! The characters are great, really likable and you find yourself completely immersed the story. Given the length of the book, it was a really quick read, one of those books you just can't put down...and before you know it you're half way through and, just need to keep reading till the end! Also noteworthy, this book COMPLETELY works as a standalone! Even if you haven't read any of the previous books, don't let that stop you from reading this one...get this one, THEN go back and read the others. This book will make you want to catch up and stay a while! GET IT NOW!

[Debbie Chatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book you will meet Samantha who since coming to live on this island has found her dream job, her dream boyfriend, and a best friend. What's not to love. But life doesn't stay simple, suddenly people from her boyfriend's (Casey) past start showing up and Casey seems to be hiding things from her. Then suddenly there is a murder and the police are looking at Casey as a suspect. On top of that, all these pretty woman seem to be all over Casey. What is Samantha to do? Doubt her boyfriend or give him the benefit of the doubt? Wait for police to solve the murder or do her own sleuthing? Well you will have to get a copy of the book to find out. But I will tell you it had me guessing up to the final reveal.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha’s new life in Aloha Lagoon is going pretty well. Her relationship with her boyfriend Casey is progressing and she loves her job teaching surfing to children. Several people from Casey’s life in Australia show up in Aloha Lagoon, but he doesn’t seem happy to see them. When Samantha, Alani and Luke find a dead body in the rainforest, all of the evidence seems to point to Casey as the murderer. He isn’t very forthcoming about his former friends, one of which he was engaged to. Samantha and her friends start an investigation of their own to clear his name. I completely enjoyed this latest addition to the Aloha Lagoon series. This book can also be read as a stand alone.

[KimberlyDawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lethal Tide is the tenth book in the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series. This series is by a group of authors, each writing one or more of the books. Living in Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii should be a dream. The tropical weather, the lush beautiful tropical forests, and the sand and surf. But when Casey has a visit from someone from his past, things begin to go downhill. Sam wants to help prove that Casey is innocent, but things don’t look promising. Since their relationship is fairly new, Samantha doesn’t know much about his past, and he isn't sharing much. Will she be able to figure out who the killer is before she is his next target? I enjoyed this story. I do recommend it.

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review. I couldn't stop reading and actually read this book in 1 day. It was entertaining with a great mix of humor, mystery and romance. The mystery portion kept me guessing until it was revealed who the murderer was. Defintely recommend to anyone who likes any of those qualities in a book. I haven't read the other books in this series yet but this book has made me want to read the whole series. Very much looking forward to reading them all.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a treasure hunter show up at the lagoon looking for a petrified tree, he is told it's on private property and he isn't allowed to go there. The Next day, Alani takes Luke, her boyfriend, and Samantha, her best friend and Luke's sister to look at the mysterious tree, and they find Ryan's body instead. Samantha's boyfriend, Casey knows Ryan from the past, and it's not looking good for Casey. It's up to Samantha and the gang to clear Casey's name.

This is a fun story with entertaining and developed characters, and several twists to keep you guessing.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series and I loved it. I’m looking forward to reading the whole series. The characters were engaging. The setting was luscious. The storyline was involved, but easy to follow. The ending was a surprise. What more could you ask for?! If you like cozy mysteries, I think you will enjoy this book! This book was gifted to me, by the author, with no expectation for a review.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, romance and fun what more can you ask for. This book was very enjoyable the clues were all over the place. It was hard to put this book down. This is the first book from this series that I have read, and I will now go and read the rest of the series. You will love the interaction between the main characters and the feel of the islands. The beautiful scenery just makes you want to hop on a plane and go to Hawaii. You will not be disappointed if you try this book, it is that good.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I have almost all of the Aloha Lagoon books but this is the first one I’ve read. I really enjoyed it. It almost seemed slow at one point but was still interesting. I LOVED the ending. Very suspenseful. I did get aggravated at Lori, it was a little much. At first I didn’t really like Casey too much. Nothing was ever revealed and he was always too busy it seemed like. But in the end, I understand why.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Beth Prentice, and I can't wait to read more! I really enjoyed this book, it was packed full of twists, mystery, and romance! I was a little worried that I would be lost since this book is part of a series, but I wasn't. It can be read as a stand alone. Although, it makes want to check out the other books in the series! It was a quick read & very entertaining. Really kept me guessing!


I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful and surprising

I loved it! I was immediately drawn in. It had the right vibe, the right flow, the right pace. This time, Casey is a suspect, and Samantha will do just about anything to clear his name. But he IS acting strange… Suspenseful and surprising; I didn’t know whodunit till the very end!

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Aloha Lagoon series and the 10th book by Beth Prentice doesn't disappoint. Beautiful location, fun characters and a great mystery. the mystery had twist, turns, lots of possible suspects and a surprising ending. It is definitely page turner. I voluntarily reviewed a copy I received from the publisher.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series. There were secrets about Casey that Sam wasn't aware of that added to the mystery. The twists and turns also help to throw you off track. This was a fun read that also happened to have funny moments. I need to go back and read the others.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy.

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE returning to Aloha Lagoon Resort.....I know I say this every time I read and review one of the books in this series but it's TRUE !! No matter what part of the island you are on with whichever author is telling the story, you cannot help being swept away......

In Lethal Tide, the tenth book in this series by Beth Prentice, we are hanging around with Samantha Reynolds. Sam moved to the island to be with her mum and twin brother Luke. She gets a job as a surfboard instructor for kids and she's dating Casey who happens to be a hunky bartender.....oh and her brother is dating her best friend Alani. Life for Sam is pretty much paradise until her, Luke, and Alani stumble across a dead body.....and Casey is the top suspect !!!

Casey, as with everyone, has a past but he has kept that past pretty hidden until some "old" friends show up on the island for "vacation". These friends have come to the island in search of a hidden treasure and this hidden treasure just happens to be buried in part of the rain forest which happens to belong to Alani's uncle. When Alani takes Luke and Sam out to see this area, they find the body of Ryan, one of Casey's friends from his past.

Casey would like nothing more than to leave the past in the past, serve drinks to happy vacationers and hang out with Sam and friends. Unfortunately Sam cannot let things go when Detective Ray has his sights on Casey and Sam finds out one of the friends from the past was more than just a friend to Casey.....

No matter which book in the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series you pick up, you will be tranformed to an island of paradise....you just have to assist Detective Ray with solving some murders.

I love that even though these books are written by a collection of amazing authors through Gemma Haliday Publishing, there are similarities in them.....like the places in and around the resort are the same and Detective Ray is always the detective called in to solve the cases and even some of the characters overlap into other books.

You cannot go wrong with this series. The Aloha Lagoon series with take the reader on a nice vacation and you do not need to pack, stop your mail, board your animals or sleep in an unfamilair bed.... all that is required is that you grab a snack and a beverage and get comfy in your favorite reading spot and let the story take you away...... ( some may say its even better than Calgon.....)

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just finished book #2 in the Samantha Reynolds Mysteries which is book #10 in the Aloha Lagoon series. Samantha decides once again to do some amateur sleuthing to clear her boyfriend's name this time and ends up putting herself and her friends in danger.

I was determined to read this before book #3 (#15) comes out on the 20/8/19.

Samantha is good fun, she has a tendency to jump to conclusions and 2+2 often equals 7, but her heart is definitely in the right place and she's extremely passionate. In this case though, I thought some of Samantha's conclusions were fair enough and I was right there with her jumping to conclusions of my own.

So, after reading Deadly Wipeout, I thought Samantha's boyfriend Casey was pretty wonderful. I started to have my doubts during this latest adventure; I thought maybe I'd been mistaken. He did some pretty questionable things, and his behaviour with the Lori was disheartening, I felt he should have put her in her place straight away, even though I knew nothing was happening. I have to say, I completely detested Lori from the start and that only got more intense as the story progressed. I have issues with women who make moves on another person's partner.

This cosy murder mystery sees one of Casey friends from the past turn up at Aloha Lagoon and then subsequently is found murdered by Samantha, her brother Luke and BFF Alani. Soon after, a couple of Casey's other past friends show up at Aloha Lagoon, this is when the questionable behaviour, secrets and conclusions (2+2=7) start to happen.

This was a great read though and a mystery that had some red herrings. I've often wondered if I'd chose to play amateur detective if the opportunity arose, but I think, probably not. I love how Samantha doesn't have much of a filter and I like how she describes the people she sees; I feel for poor Detective Ray when he is questioning Samantha in his investigations.

I do worry about the number of murders that seem to happen in this small place. I'm not sure I'd want to holiday or live there after all.

Another fun read, I'm looking forward to picking up Beth's next book in the series.

[Rose Mcclarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When an old unwanted friend showed up Casey wasn't happy and when more friends showed up along with an ex-fiancé well that was just a whole world of treasure hunting trouble leading to a murder and a bunch of trouble during the search for the murder with troublesome drunks and troublemakers it's a long windy road to find out who the killer is and it's a really shocking reveal! If you loke cliff hangers this is your book!

[Wildia Maness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story, fun characters. Will be reading the first 9 soon.

[Sandy Lipinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can be a standalone. A love story with a killer you will never guess. Characters are great.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buried treasure and a dead guy. can the two be related? Sam and Casey are on it when it comes down to sniffing out clues and ne'er do wells along with her bestie and her brother. Fun read!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Aloha Lagoon

This story kept me guessing right up until the very end. Enjoyable teas! Once again, love all the Aloha Lagoon family of characters.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of secrets

This story was fantastic. I really thought I had figured out who the killer was. I totally didn't see it coming when the true killer was revealed.