THE BAY

SYNOPSIS

Kenna arrives in Sydney to surprise her best friend, shocked to hear she's going to marry a guy she's only just met. But Mikki and her fiancé Jack are about to head away on a trip, so Kenna finds herself tagging along for the ride.

Sorrow Bay is beautiful, wild and dangerous. A remote surfing spot with waves to die for, cut off from the rest of the world. Here Kenna meets the mysterious group of people who will do anything to keep their paradise a secret. Sky, Ryan, Clemente and Victor have come to ride the waves and disappear from life. How will they feel about Kenna turning up unannounced?

As Kenna gets drawn into their world, she sees the extremes they are prepared to go to for the next thrill. And everyone seems to be hiding something. What has her best friend got involved in and how can she get her away? But one thing is rapidly becoming clear about The Bay: nobody ever leaves.

Title: The Bay
Author: Allie Reynolds

Publisher: Headline

Publication date: June 23, 2022

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What can you do after writing a spectacular debut? Write another smashing hit! That’s exactly what Allie Reynolds has done in The Bay.

It’s not a secret Shiver was one of my favorite books (if not MY FAVORITE) in 2021, so I came into The Bay with a mix of fear of not liking it as much and full confidence in Allie’s abilities to deliver another engaging story full of interesting characters and a plot that would make me hold my breath, as Shiver did. And like Britney Spears sang…oops, she did it again!

Kenna is worried about her best friend Mikki after hearing of her engagement to Jack, a guy she recently met, so she flies to Australia to try and convince her to come back to the UK. Once in Sydney, she’ll tag along Mikki and Jack to Sorrow Bay, a beautiful yet isolated surfing spot where she’ll meet The Tribe, a mysterious group of surfers with lots of secrets and a will to do anything to protect them.

The scenario might the complete opposite of Shiver, but the feel of unease she manages to convey is the exact same. It’s not only you can visualize the beach, but you can feel the mosquitoes buzzing, the oppressive heat and humidity and the fear when a wave makes them tumble, feeling as if you were the one drowning.

But location is not the only thing that contributes to this disquieting atmosphere. The characters play a huge part too. With pretty distinct personalities, Ms. Reynolds has created a group of characters really well defined, not particularly likable, but that makes them even more appealing. The darkness inside them will make you doubt each and every one of them.

Although mainly told through Kenna’s perspective, the rest of the cast had some chapters that allow the reader to know them a bit better, holding some of them some big surprises. As the end drew near, the tension multiplied by a thousand! The actual ending might feel a bit unresolved, but I actually thought it quite perfect, as it leaves you with the sensation of impending disaster that could happen at any moment.

The Bay might not be the beach I’d choose for my holidays, but it is for sure the one I like in my thrillers! With two hits out of two, now I can only wait for Allie Reynold’s hat-trick!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.