Against The Tide by G. D. Wright

 

A spate of armed burglaries has taken place in Beachbrook, and the police are no closer to apprehending the culprits. Their investigation is taken up a notch when the most recent burglary leaves one person dead and another badly injured.

If you are about to start reading Against The Tide by G. D. Wright, I'd suggest you lock all the doors, draw the curtains and put your phone on silent, because once you start reading, you won't want to put this brilliant book down.

From the opening pages, the story packs an emotional punch and keeps you in its grip throughout. The book covers some hard-hitting themes, with one thought-provoking one in particular. These themes are handled in an extremely sympathetic manner, thanks to the empathetic writing of the author.

The book alternates between three main characters. Natalie Knight is the adult daughter of the couple involved in the most recent burglary. DC Vinny Robson is the police officer assigned as Natalie's FLO, and DS Sue Willmott is his boss. Alternating between three different characters keeps the pace flowing and results in some breath-catching cliffhanger moments.

Guilt is a big theme throughout the story. Natalie is wracked with guilt after finding a scene of utter devastation when she visits her parents; she keeps wondering if events would have been different if she'd visited earlier. Vinny is dealing with his own issues; his widowed mother is in a care home, suffering from dementia. Despite regular visits, he still feels that he needs to do more. DS Willmott is trying to balance family and work; not only does she feel guilty that she isn't always there for her young daughter, she is also struggling with moving on to a new relationship.

Throughout the story, I found my emotions bubbling to the surface on a regular basis. Anger flared following the opening scenes, and the historical events; however, sadness was the most prevalent emotion. Natalie receiving news of her mother in the hospital was heartbreaking, and one scene between Vinny and his mother was so reminiscent of what happened to my own mother that I felt tears welling.

As the conclusion neared, I could feel my anxiety rising, wondering how everything slotted together and how much more the lives of some of the characters would be impacted. The multiple twists at the end left me shocked, as the truth was finally revealed.

Against The Tide by G. D. Wright will be published on 18th June 2026 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Gary Wright joined Kent Police at the age of 18 and worked in a variety of uniformed roles. At the age of 29, and completely out of the blue, he suffered two cardiac arrests that led to the diagnosis of a life limiting and incurable disease of the heart. Following the implantation of an internal defibrillator into his heart, he was unable to continue policing and retired at the age of 30. He bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour, and spent years looking out over the sea and dreaming up stories. He now writes full time, committing those very stories to paper.