Red Tide, the second novel in Jeff Lindsay's Billy Knight Thrillers series, is an intriguing mystery that culminates with an action packed adventure on the high seas.

After his latest relationship hits a rough patch, Billy Knight needs a diversion to take his mind off his romantic troubles. While doing a favor for a friend, Billy and his friend, Nicky Cameron, find a dead body floating in the gulf. When the authorities are unwilling to investigate the death, Nicky convinces Billy to look into the case. Against his better judgment, Billy, along with Nicky and Ukranian immigrant Anna Kovacik, head to Miami in pursuit of the person responsible for luring Haitian refugees to their deaths.

Billy is an ex-LAPD cop who moved to Key West following the tragic murders of his family. He is happy with his new career operating a fishing boat, but with his latest relationship falling apart, he is beginning to feel a little dissatisfied with his life. When he does a little digging into the Haitian refugee situation, he quickly realizes that uncovering leads is going to be next to impossible not to mention incredibly dangerous. He might have been able to tell Nicky no, but after learning the truth about what happened to Anna's family back in the Ukraine, Billy knows he has no choice but to investigate.

Billy gets some much needed background information from a friend in Miami and what he learns is truly staggering. When it becomes obvious Nicky and Anna are not going to let the matter rest, they return to the seedy docks of Miami in hopes of getting a lead about who behind the illegal smuggling operation of Haitian nationals. When his only source of information turns up dead, Billy finds himself in a very tricky situation with the local authorities. By the time the matter is sorted out, he discovers Anna has been kidnapped. Nothing will dissuade him from rescuing her from her captors, and armed with nothing but the name of the ship and its probable destination, Billy calls in a favor and hits the high seas in hot pursuit.

Set in the 1990s, Red Tide is a low tech but high octane mystery. The characters are brilliantly developed with endearing quirks that make them a little unique but quite appealing. Jeff Lindsay's descriptive prose bring the characters and the setting vibrantly to life and the serious overtones of the unfolding storyline are relieved by Billy Knight's wry sense of humor. The mystery is compelling and moves at an even pace until the novel's thrilling conclusion. A great addition to the Billy Knight Thrillers series that old and new fans are sure to enjoy. ( )

Plodding. The villain makes all the right mistakes for the hero.

Billy’s looking for a relaxing off-season in the charter fishing business. Helping a friend move some sail boats, he’s dragged into a murder mystery. Nicky, along for the ride and some beers, is doing some practice shooting with his new gun. What he mistakes for a coconut floating in the distance turns out to be a dead Haitian man.

When local police shrug it off as another drowned refugee, Nicky, like a dog with a bone, worries Billy into digging into the case. It’s more than a dead body. It’s mass murder, and Nicky puts his faith in Billy to dig out the truth, make the lazy officials get involved.

What neither counted on was going up against a bocor, one who delves in dark voodoo magic and zombies.

There’s a lot worse things than drowning on the high seas.

It’s fun to be back with Billy and Nicky. Billy is a bit of an introvert, wanting to be left alone. Nicky, on the other hand, is the comic relief. He’s always operating his enthusiasm at one hundred percent.

Billy is working through a break up with his girlfriend and exploring a new romance with a mysterious girl, Anna, who has her own demons to overcome.

Nicky is his usual wacky self, until the discovery of the body. Now he’s full on rabid, worrying Billy until he agrees to look into the problem.

It’s never a dull moment in Key West.

I enjoy the setting for this series. Living on the Gulf Coast, it feels familiar. The humidity and sudden storms. The lackadaisical attitude and lifestyle of the tropics. And especially the dress code, shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. I always dread winter when I have to wear layers and put shoes and socks on.

The plot is familiar too. Living so close to the area, the plight of the Haitian refugees is often aired on our local news. I have no doubt what happens in this book happens in real life. Just like the illegal border crossings from Mexico to the US, the coyotes do some similar atrocities.

The fact this can and does happen in real life makes the connection to the story stronger, more engaging. It makes you think, feel the outrage, and empathize with the characters.

This is another thrilling chapter in the series. One I recommend to all thriller fans. ( )

Red Tide by Jeff Lindsay is part of a series, but can stand alone. I have been reading his work, since the Dexter novels.

Jeff Lindsay’s abilities to describe his characters and their surroundings are so vivid and detailed they come to life through his words.

He talks about Key West, the only thing on my bucket list, and makes we want to be there. I would be in heaven in a lean-to on the beach.

Billy and Nancy have a relationship that is on again and off again. Billy’s attitude doesn’t help the situation. He’s starting bar fights and going to jail and that sure isn’t going to win her over.

I love Nicky. He is a friend of Billy’s, a quirky character who believes in astrology and crystals and runs a New Age store. He is a true diehard friend of Billy’s and is there when he needs a two by four upside the head, which is all too often.

Comical writing with wit and snark. The characters are so much fun, I would find myself busting out laughing here and there, looking around to see if anyone thinks I’m crazy.

Water, boats, booze and babes, fishing…and dead bodies?

The trio, Nicky, Anna and Billy are going to solve the mystery of the dead Haitians and black magic.

Jeff creates twisted and flawed characters that had me laughing and cussing, thank God for friends and favors, because Billy was calling them all in.

A dark cozy that had me trying to figure the outcome. One of two ways in my book. I want him to be a hero, but which kind? Who will survive the black magic? The chase for the bocor gets pretty intense and the ending was twisted in a way I thought was great and saw coming, sorta. My only complaint, the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning. Until the kidnapping, I felt no sense of urgency. My expectations are always high when it come to Jeff Lindsay, so maybe that is my fault. I would highly recommend any of his work.

I received an ARC of Red Tide by Jeff Lindsay in return for an honest review.

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Billy Knight, ex-LA cop and now charter boat operator, is trying to enjoy his retirement in Key West Florida despite a recent split from his long-time girlfriend. To try to break him out of his post-breakup funk, his Aussie friend, Nick, convinces him a fishing expedition is just the ticket. However, on the trip, they come across a body. When they contact the Coast Guard, they learn this is an all-too-common occurrence – someone is dumping Haitian refugees in the ocean by the hundreds but no one seems interested to do anything and that includes Billy. But Nicky is determined that someone must do something and that Billy should be that someone. He enlists Anna, a beautiful Russian immigrant who has survived horrors of her own, to persuade Billy and soon the trio are on the trail of a ship called the Black Freighter and its captain who is offering to bring refugees from Haiti to the US for a hefty price and is somehow compelling them to leap to their deaths miles from any shore.

Red Tide is the second in the series by author Jeff Lindsay but the first I’ve read. It is told in the first person by Billy who, despite his best efforts, lives up to his surname – he is protective, romantic, chivalrous and kind to small animals and people but with a penchant for a good bar fight which is kind of a modern-day equivalent of jousting. He also has a great sense of self-deprecation and humour which helps to reduce the tension of some very dark scenes. The rest of the cast including Nick, Anna, and the mysterious Deacon are less well-defined but still likeable. This is a well-plotted novel with plenty of action and suspense and, if you’re a fan of Dexter or thrillers in general, this is definitely one for you. ( )