Happy First Line Friday! For today’s linkup with Reading is My Superpower, I’m featuring one of my favorite books in the suspense genre so far this year!

“Dr. Peter Chesterfield watched his chief resident cut a three-millimeter patch of flesh and muscle away from the boy’s forehead above the eyebrow.”

Elysium Tide by James R. Hannibal

The Basics

Title: Elysium Tide

Author: James R. Hannibal

Publication Date: June 7, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Suspense

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Dr. Peter Chesterfield is one of the Royal London Hospital’s top neurosurgeons. He is also a workaholic, ordered by his boss to take a week off to attend a medical symposium at the luxurious Elysium Grand on the island of Maui. While there, Peter pulls a woman with a skull fracture from the water. Though he is able to revive her in the ambulance, she eventually dies in his arms, leaving him with only one clue to what happened to her: the word “honu.”

Increasingly obsessed with discovering the cause of his patient’s death, Peter becomes entangled in an ongoing investigation of a brazen luxury auto theft. He also becomes a source of deep irritation to detective Lisa Kealoha, who has jurisdiction over the case. But when the two join forces, they begin to uncover a destructive plot that runs far deeper than either of them could have imagined. And if they’re not careful, they’re both going to end up dead.

Award-winning author James R. Hannibal whisks you away to the deadly beauty of Hawaii for a story of greed, violence, and justice that will leave you breathless.

My Review

In Elysium Tide, James R. Hannibal gives readers a glimpse into Hawaiian culture along with a fantastic police procedural/murder mystery. There are plenty of twists, turns, and bad guys to keep you guessing all the way through! The multilayered plot and unique characters make this compelling story almost impossible to put down. As a neurosurgeon, Peter is not the typical main character you would expect in a suspense novel, but he is the perfect complement to Lisa, the tough-as-nails detective trying to prove she is more than the sum of her past mistakes.

I absolutely love the author’s writing style – fast-paced and detailed, with just the right amount of wit and dry humor. There isn’t much romance to speak of, but the ending leaves that door open and sets the characters up for a possible sequel. This book is the perfect summer escape to Hawaii, and definitely one for the keeper shelf! Fans of Tom Threadgill, Cara Putman, Natalie Walters will especially enjoy the story.

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Reading is My Superpower to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!