CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE: Shifting Sands by Kathi Oram Peterson

SHIFTING SANDS

by Kathi Oram Peterson

Covenant Communications, 2023

ISBN: 9781524423025

Source: eARC provided by publisher for review

Contemporary Suspense/Romance

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Deseretbook.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

All Gloryanna Griffin needs is a full-ride scholarship to finish her master’s degree in marine biology in order to pursue her dream of saving the ocean. However, to be a serious contender for the money, she needs to publish in a prestigious magazine. A research dive off the Olympic Peninsula is a dangerous proposition but one that just might give her article the impact it needs. But when she’s swept into an underwater vortex, she realizes her life may be the price she pays instead.

When she awakens on the rocky beach—miraculously alive—the first person she sees is the handsome stranger who saved her. Over the years, Jonathan Dawson has saved countless lives from the perils of the ocean. But until now, no one has ever seen him. Nearly eighty years ago, he died on this same beach, and his spirit has been tied to the spot ever since. Now Gloryanna and Jonathan are irrevocably linked as they are plunged into a decades’ old mystery that promises answers to the past and keys to the future. But they soon discover that some secrets may be better left undisturbed.

REVIEW

Shifting Sands intriguing premise pulled me into the story right away. The shocking events of the prologue left me with questions that kept me eagerly reading. Gloryanna makes a winning heroine with her love of family and love of the ocean. And the connection between Jonathan and Gloryanna is clear from the beginning. The way the two mysteries blended together and twisted around and between each other was fascinating. Jonathan doesn't remember how he died and he certainly doesn't know how he ended up as a ghost with the power to rescue people from the ocean.  And Gloryanna has no idea why someone would want to sabotage her diving tanks. Working together they seek answers, but the danger only seems to increase and Gloryanna is left wondering just who she can trust. 

Peterson does a great job blending the real and the fantastical.  With ghost stories it can be tricky to make it work in a story that revolves around the real world.  On the other hand, you have the freedom to create your 'own rules' so to speak. No complete explanation is given for Jonathan's state or for what happens later, but there are hints provided that relate to Gloryanna's work in marine biology and the circumstances that bring Gloryanna and Jonathan together. As I read this I wanted a happy ending but I wasn't sure how the author was going to pull it off.  I'm pleased to say that she does it in a way that works well for the story. I enjoyed meeting Gloryanna and Jonathan and reading their story. Recommended for mystery lovers who enjoy a good dose of suspense with a touch of the supernatural.