Tide of Lies [Kindle Edition]

Sarah Ballance (Author)

Book Description

A devastating secret. A shocking betrayal. A deadly obsession.

Haunted by three unsolved murders, Detective Holden Whitlow is stunned when his cold case takes a heated turn. Julia Cohen, his ex-lover, is back in town, and in the face of a brutal attack she's ready to run. No matter how tightly she holds her secrets, for Holden, turning away from the woman he's spent a decade trying to forget isn't any more an option than walking away from his job . . .even when it threatens to cost Julia her life.

Julia is still reeling from a past she can't bear to face. When she becomes the target of a killer, fate throws her back into Holden's arms, but she's yet to recover from a truth that has stripped her of everything—and everyone—she loves. Will she tell him the secret that will destroy him, or will her lie destroy them both?

Product Details

• File Size: 318 KB
• Print Length: 123 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing; 1 edition (April 15, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007ULLNVC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,608 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed It Immensely May 19, 2012

By N. Medina

Format:Kindle Edition

When a woman is beaten and left for dead, Holden Whitlow never expected that a cold case he'd work on not too long ago would rise from the ashes. While there are similarities with the current case and the unsolved murders, Holden can't help but wonder if it's the same person who tried to kill his best friend's girlfriend not too long ago. Yet that can't be possible since the culprit supposedly killed himself in order to cover up his crime.

Determined to get to the bottom of things, he comes face to face with the victim in hopes of making sense of what has transpired. Having run from the ghost of a woman who disappeared years ago, Holden is unsure of what to make of the fact that she's now within vicinity and lying in the hospital because of the beating she's received. When Julia's admission that she was there because of him throws him for a loop, he begins to wonder what her ties to the unsolved murders are. The assailant has made it clear that Julia's life is forfeit and Holden knows that the culprit will stop at nothing until he finishes what he started.

Julia can't deny that she still harbors feelings for the man she left behind so long ago. Ever since she lay eyes on him, Holden has been a part of her in more ways than one. She knows he has questions whose answers only she can provide, but she's unsure as to whether she can truly tell him what she needs to know.

Her disappearance ten years ago was unexpected and her survival depended on her keeping mum about the secrets she hides inside. Yet as her love and attraction to Holden grow with each minute that passes, she knows she'll need to come clean and tell him what he needs to know. It's their only chance in overcoming the obstacles that now litter the path between them, but first they'll need to work together in deciphering the small clues the killer has left behind before he ends up taking Julia's life in the process.

This was another great book written by the lovely Sarah Ballance. This story is a continuation of Familiar Light which tells the story of Bridger Jansen and Laney Kent. It's a wonderful series. I truly recommend reading the first book, in addition to this one, in order to glean a little more insight as what's going on. All in all, both stories can also stand alone in reading. I enjoyed the book immensely!

5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic suspense at its best! September 12, 2012

By Rosalie Stanton

Format:Kindle Edition

Detective Holden Whitlow is thrown off his game when his old flame, Julia Cohen, is thrown back into his life. There is more than love lost between them, which makes Julia's new connection to a recently tied-up cold case even more inconvenient.

It's no secret Sarah Ballance is one of my favorite authors. Among other things, she has a way of developing a slow-burning heat among her characters, wrapping potent emotion and tension in every scene. Tide of Lies is at the top of my Sarah Ballance reading list. This author really knows how to weave a mystery, and she does one thing so many other suspense writers don't: she doesn't try to trick the reader with misdirection, nor does she make everything obvious. She leaves subtle hints, bread crumbs, and leads the reader on a thrilling chase.

5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic Suspense At Its Best August 7, 2012

By Jenna Jaxon

Format:Kindle Edition

A week or so ago I finally had time to read Sarah Ballance's romantic suspense novella Tide of Lies. I'd been itching to get to this book because I'd followed it in snippets on Six Sentence Sunday for months. Ms. Ballance led us up to the most dramatic moment of the book--and left us cold! Sarah Ballance is evil that way. LOL

Detective Holden Whitlow is haunted by the three unsolved murders of young women from two years before. Then his cold case heats up when his ex-lover, Julia Cohen becomes the next intended victim. Julia's been attacked and is ready to run, but Holden can't let her go before finding out if their spark can be re-kindled. Even if it costs Julia her life.

The romance between these two is hot, the twisty turns of the book are sharp, and the climax will have you scrambling to retrieve your Kindle (from the wall you smashed it against) to see how this story can ever have a HEA.

Tide of Lies was a fantastic read. It's the first Sarah Ballance I've enjoyed, but it sure won't be the last!

More About the Author

Sarah and her husband of what he calls "many long, long years" live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they're asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren't much better than the kids). When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her.

She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture--a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly paranormal romance. Her ever-growing roster of releases may be found on her website at sarahballance.com.