The Crushing Depths
by Dani Pettrey

The second installment of the Coastal Guardian Series starts with a bang, literally. From the beginning the Coast Guard team is thrust from one harrowing event to the next. The main story focuses on Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers, who were introduced in The Killing Tide, and involves and oil rig with a curse. I thought the curse part was very clever and added a little bit of creepiness to the story that you don’t normally see in Dani Pettrey’s books.

The story is intriguing, but the thing I liked the most about The Crushing Depths was Rissi and Mason. They were characters you could like, they had chemistry, and their backstory was very touching. If one word could describe them, it would be overcomers. And, as I’ve reflected on the story, I see it even more. They were tough and with God’s care, they overcame terrible childhoods. They were helpless growing up, but they didn’t live as victims. This is something I think our society needs today – a story showing you can overcome the worst situations through the grace of God.

There were some secondary stories that added depth and suspense, and hopefully will be continued in the next installment. I’m hoping we’ll see more of Caleb in book three and he’ll have a happily ever after.

If you haven’t read The Killing Tide, you won’t be lost. The main characters in The Crushing Depths were introduced in it, but played a smaller part. It really is almost completely separate from the first book.

Have you read The Killing Tide and The Crushing Depths? Which did you like the most and why?