Review: The High Tide Murder by Emylia Hall

The High Tide Murder (Shell House Detectives, #6)

by Emylia Hall

Release Date: November 4, 2025

2025 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook ARC; 397 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662521812

ASIN: B0F54M65YZ

Audiobook: B0FFNFKWWH

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

The High Tide Hotel, overlooking stunning Trebaron Cove, is a dream destination for an autumnal getaway. But the serene atmosphere of this luxury enclave is shattered when the body of a guest is discovered on the terrace, directly below their balcony.

The victim's friend is adamant that this was no accident, and when it emerges that the dead man was a detective with a chequered past, the police enquiry intensifies. Meanwhile fellow guest Jayden, one half of the Shell House Detectives, wastes no time in bringing Ally on board to help find the killer.

With the hotel cut off by a storm on the night of the murder, everyone at the High Tide is a suspect. As Ally and Jayden delve deeper into the pasts of both guests and staff, they uncover a mass of secrets and complex connections. Who wanted this man dead—or rather, who wanted him dead most? 

 

My Thoughts

The High Tide Murder is the sixth entry in the Shell House Detectives Series, and this one finds our detectives out of their comfort zone and in a posh hotel on the coast. Even though the setting was not the usual coastal town, I liked that the author decided to take our detectives to a new location for this mystery and introduce new characters.  Plus, I tend to have a weakness for destination mysteries within series so I was glad to see something different.  However, while the previous mysteries were quite interesting and I enjoyed them very much, this one didn't quite work for me and I couldn't wait to finish this book.

 

First of all, by the sixth book, the usual effort to develop the main characters usually falls to the side which was the case with this book as if a character can't develop, grow, or show the reader any new hidden depths. And this is exactly how I felt reading this book, as if the characters were wooden characters with only one-dimensional development, all of them.  This created a problem connecting to the characters, considering the subject matter, and honestly, by the end, I just didn't care who would eventually be discovered as the culprit. The way it was written didn't really allow me to develop any empathy for what was a very sad situation.  

 

The mystery itself was very interesting, but the way it was written was a bit disjointed.  I thought the plot dragged quite a bit and found myself flipping through the pages, especially the last 30 percent of the book.  The author attempted to use the landscape, the hotel, the weather, and the elements to build this atmosphere, but it didn't work for me. And I love the coast, the water, the elements, and that wildness in my stories as I find the weather so fascinating.  And I may be an outlier here, but I was hoping the love triangle thing would not happen, but it seems that is the way it is going. Not a fan.

 

Verdict

The High Tide Murder had a very interesting mystery, but I wasn't a fan of the execution as it felt like it dragged in this latest instalment. I also thought there was a lack of character development as they all felt wooden unemotional. There was a darker element to this book that wasn't fully explored however, and I like the fact the author isn't afraid to dip into darker material when necessary. The actual mystery is heartbreaking, but the way it was written prevented me from being fully invested in what happened. That being said, I really enjoyed the first five books in this series, and will definitely read book seven when it is released as I am hoping this one is an outlier.