Karen Friedman thinks it's a mistake when two men show up asking about her dead husband's business, but millions of dollars don't disappear by accident—and all trails lead to Charles. Then detective Ty Hauck makes a discovery while investigating a suspicious hit-and-run—a clue that shockingly points to Charles. As Karen's and Hauck's lives converge, they unwittingly step into a widening storm of hedge fund losses, international scams, and deadly conspiracies.
My Take:
Having read and enjoyed The Jester, an Andrew Gross/James Patterson collaboration, I was really excited to read this book. What an absolute let down The Dark Tide was. I think the writing was solid enough, not a ton of awkwardness in the dialogue and transitions, but it just didn't have the magic that other suspense novels have. By the way, when describing this book, I use the word "suspense" VERY loosely. I feel like for me to enjoy a book, it needs to have at least one facet that is exceptional. For example, a book may have super predictable events (such as just about every romance novel on the planet), but you are so sucked in to the rich characters, that the events just don't matter a whole heck of a lot. The opposite might also be true, the characters are just so-so, but the twists and turns the story takes is absolute edge-of-your-seat inducing euphoria. The Dark Tide had neither. I predicted every single event that took place, and I honestly didn't care if the main characters lived or died, in fact I thought it would be a good twist if they did kick the bucket. After I'd finished this unnecessarily long book, my reaction was mixed between "phew! I'm finally done with the dang thing" and, regarding the story/characters a resounding "eh". Having the reader experience relief/apathy at the end of your book = no bueno! Anyway, if you love the genre, it might not be a total waste of time for you, but overall, I'm rating this book a big ol' fat 5, Don't Even Bother
Do you agree with my review? Do you think I'm totally off base? Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!
If this book were a movie, it would likely be rated R, for frequent strong language, sexual situations, and depictions of violence.
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6 comments:
Aw, sorry to hear that! It sucks when a book is predictable, so I don't blame you there.
How long did it take to read? Way to stick it out. ;)
It took me about a week to get through it (it normally takes me about 2 days to finish a book) It was just a good book, zzzzzzz :)
You hit the nail on the head with the plot and character differences. Great plot and character development do not have to be both present to make a riveting read.
I know what you mean about the "eh" moment. On the other hand, I was relieved when I finished Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, but that book was so rich and chewy that it was nice just to tune it out afterward. Still, it's one of my favorite novels, so the emotion isn't limited to stagnant writing.
That's true, sometimes a book is really good, but also draining, so you are relieved when you finish it. Your right, it's not always a bad thing.
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