My review of Submerged by Dani Pettrey

About the book:

A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers. 

One single clue.

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart...but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind. 

Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally surfaces.


My review:

They say the beauty is in the details... well this book has plenty of them. Rich with Russian and Alaskan history and a scuba diving culture that held my interest, Submerged simply kept me enthralled to the end. I enjoyed a lot of things about this story, mainly because of the tension and suspenseful elements combined with history and culture. My nail-biting increased as I kept reading, until I couldn't stop and had to finish the book to find out how things resolved. I loved the under water scenes and the strong sense of family they had. In many scenes I felt like I had a scuba mask and oxygen tanks on. The details were incredible.

I also understood Bailey's angst. She had a painful past, but it had been wiped clean with salvation. The sad thing is with so many new Christians with bad pasts, she understood that Jesus had forgiven her, but whether anyone could love her because of her past... well, she had a hard time believing that. Cole was a great hero. I loved him from the start because he had a deep faith and a concern for Bailey that inspired me. He'd wanted to hold her so many times, but was afraid to reach out. I could see why. But in the end the truth came forth and it was a sigh-worthy resolution for sure. A great story with spiritual depth, awe-inspiring suspense, and emotion that kept me hooked to the end, Submerged is making my top fiction list for 2012. 

Submerged was published by Bethany House and released in May 2012.