A Book Review Elysium Tide by James R. Hannibal, A High-Suspense, Crime Thriller
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links. You can view my affiliate disclaimer here.
CRIME THRILLER
Intense with unpredictable events, mind-bending twists and magnetic characters… Elysium Tide is the perfect summer read!
James R. Hannibal transports readers to the luxurious Elysium Grand hotel on the island of Maui with his authentic characters and thrilling suspense! From the first chapter, I was hooked. This novel is highly entertaining, clean and exceptionally good.
Scroll down for my full review!
Dr. Peter Chesterfield is the top neurosurgeon at the Royal London Hospital. He's also a workaholic, and after a blow-up with a colleague, his boss orders him to attend a medical symposium at the luxurious Elysium Grand on the island of Maui. During a midnight walk on the beach, Peter pulls a woman with a skull fracture from the water. Despite all his skill, she dies in his arms, leaving him with only one clue to what happened to her: the word "honu."
Obsessed with finding the cause of his patient's death--discovering what or who ripped the power over life and death from his surgeon's hands--Peter becomes entangled in an ongoing investigation. He also becomes a source of deep irritation to detective Lisa Kealoha, who has jurisdiction over the case.
The reluctant pair join forces, diving deep into Maui's evolving gang culture, and unearth a conspiracy that runs deeper than either could have imagined. Knowing too much is deadly--and they must catch the killer before the killer catches them.
MY REVIEW: ★★★★★/5
With excellent, magnetic characters, surprising twists and turns and a plot that held me captive, Elysium Tide is exceptionally good! From the first chapter I was hooked! James R. Hannibal is a new-to-me author and I am so glad I took the time to dive into his rich world of crime, thrilling suspense and heart-pounding action!
What I liked:
Dr. Peter Chesterfield, a British neurosurgeon with an ego larger than life, thrives on high-stress situations. When circumstances lead him to the beautiful and posh Elysium Grand Hotel on Maui, he meets his match in detective Lisa Kealoha. These main characters were intense, focused, brilliant and dynamic. I absolutely loved them and especially loved them working together! With a host of additional characters that are immensely enjoyable as well, Hannibal created a story that kept me devouring the pages as his plot thickened with unpredictable events and mind-bending twists.
I found the plot to be well constructed and highly entertaining. It moved at a great pace that kept me invested throughout the novel.
The location was simply divine! Hannibal made the luxurious Elysium Grand, cane fields and volcanic valleys of Maui come alive with his vivid descriptions, transporting me to a tropical, fictional world that I rather enjoyed!
Related Post: Love Thrilling Suspense? Check out Network of Deceit by Tom Threadgill!
The banter, sarcasm and wit Hannibal wove into the story had me smiling and chuckling out loud several times, infusing a very intense story of high crime with humor and lightheartedness, furthering my love of these characters who came across as real and authentic. There is also the slightest hint of romance (perhaps just attraction), here, as well. However, this story didn’t even need that. It was just an additional layer that furthered the magnetism of this story for me.
Hannibal also wove in some great faith-based elements, with an unique perspective on atheism and the question of life after death. My only wish is that Dr. Chesterfield’s musings and questions were answered better in this story, but perhaps that may be in a book to come? One can only hope we haven’t seen the last of Peter and Lisa!
Summary:
Overall, Elysium Tide is a well-written, well-executed novel with intriguing characters and thrilling suspense! This novel is clean fiction and does not involve a romance. It is something that both secular and Christian readers might enjoy. In addition, it is fast-paced and hard to put down! It is the perfect summer read! I definitely recommend this novel and can’t wait to dive into the other books this author has written. For readers who enjoy suspense by Tom Threadgill, Melissa Koslin or Carrie Stuart Parks, they should definitely check out this author as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo Credit: DigiSmiles Photography. Image Courtesy of Baker Publishing Group.
