Review of Raging Waters by Dana Mentink

 Last week, I had the opportunity to read Raging Waters by Dana Mentink, and the story blew me away! This is the first of Dana's books I've read, and it made me want to read everything she's ever written. 

Back Cover Blurb:

When Mackenzie Bardine's brother Aaron was murdered in a drug deal gone wrong, she started a true crime podcast dedicated to exposing "Bullseye," the drug kingpin responsible. But her protective heart has never let go of the blame she places on herself and Aaron's best friend, Gideon Landry. On the run to the wilds of Washington to chase a recent lead, she meets none other than Gideon himself.

While conducting a wilderness survival class in remote Washington, Gideon never expected to cross paths with Mackenzie, and he's certainly not interested in helping her after he's already declined to participate in her vigilante podcasting. He carries a mountain of guilt about Aaron's fatal choices, but not for the reasons Mackenzie suspects.

As killers begin to circle Mackenzie like sharks, it's clear to Gideon she's in over her head, and in light of his troubled past with her brother, he can't bring himself to ignore her perilous situation. Then a flood threatens the town, turning their investigation into a race to escape the raging waters and the wrath of a powerful kingpin who wants to sink them both.

There were so many things to love about Raging Waters, so I'll limit myself to three. 

1.) I love that Raging Waters is not just suspenseful because of a killer. So much of the nail-biting stems from the flood and fight for survival. It's not very often I run across a story that includes the element of surviving nature as well as a villain, and I must say, it adds a lot to the plot. When danger is literally hitting from all sides, the stakes are high, and I can't turn the pages quickly enough. 

2.) The characters in Raging Waters are memorable. For starters, the characters have much better survival skills than I would in their situation. I'm pretty certain I would have collapsed and longed for the sweet release of death a third of the way into the perils they faced. Not only were the characters skillful, they also had deep wounds and personal hurdles to overcome. Mackenzie, in particular, had big goals, but those goals often conflicted with the severity of the storm and the persistence of the villain, which created major problems and gave so much room for growth. Both Mackenzie and Gideon made me feel the gamut of emotions as the story unfolded. They didn't feel one dimensional. Instead, they behaved like real people, and I loved it!

3.) Dana's writing style set Raging Waters apart, in my opinion. Not only is her voice unique and fun to read, but her ability to write such extreme weather in a believable way made me feel as if I had been plunged into the middle of the story right along with Gideon and Mackenzie. At certain points of the book, I was left shivering even though I was huddled under a blanket. From beginning to end, this story pulled me in, and I was sad to reach the final page. 

I can't recommend Raging Waters enough! It releases on March 3rd, and you can pre-order a copy here. 

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