Elysium Tide by James Hannibal

Book description:

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:

  I have been a fan of James Hannibal's books since I read his squeaky clean and curse free Nick Baron books written for the secular market. I was excited when he began writing for the Christian market, and have devoured every book he has written since. He is one of the most interesting authors when it comes to his personal life that I have read. (Read his bio!)

 And every book he writes is different. Elysium Tide is kind of a whodunnit, with the police detective trying to figure that out with the help of Peter.

 Peter is the character who made the book. At the start of the book, he wasn't very likable, and was basically a jerk. Fortunately, he becomes more likable as the book progresses, and is somewhat amusing with his unwanted help he keeps giving Detective Kealoha.

 The plot is an excellent one. Everything is tied together, and there are plenty of bad guys. This is the second book in a few months that had a lot of Hawaiian customs and words used, and I found that interesting as it played into how Lisa had to approach working on the case.

  Elysium Tide was a faster paced book than some Hannibal has written, and that made it a definite read in one sitting book for me. Once I started it, I kept at it, happy I could read it and not have to put it down. The exploits of Peter as he determinedly helped work the case kept me on the edge of my seat until the satisfying ending.

  There were a couple of loose ends, in my opinion. I won't give any spoilers, but I expected more on the spiritual aspect for Peter, and was hoping for a romantic angle. The book still had a great ending, and James Hannibal can add this to another of his great works of Christian fiction. Hopefully he writes many more.

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

About the author:

James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. This former stealth pilot from Houston, Texas, has been shot at, locked up with surface-to-air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a three-time Silver Falchion Award winner for his children's mysteries, and a Carol and Selah Award winner for The Gryphon Heist and Chasing the White Lion. His latest spy thriller is The Paris Betrayal. James is a rare multisense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells, and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment. Connect with James at www.jamesrhannibal.com.

Elysium Tide is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Also available by James Hannibal from Revell Publishing: