Customer Reviews

Riptide

5 star:		(119)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Once again, Preston and Child have not only proven that they write a great story, but that they write truly original ones.

Riptide succeeds on many levels, but the character development is particularly strong. Preston and Child lead you throught a maze of pertsonalities, cross-purpose and deceit without ever missing a beat. There is no true "bad guy" in this novel, bu there are many people who fall victim to some of the less savory aspects of human nature. That's really what makes "Riptide" so enjoyable, it has an end, but it's not as neat and tidy as many might hope.

As in many of Preston/Child's books, the nemisis isn't a who, but a what. In this case it's the most diabolical treasure trove since Oak Island, which contains an artifact with a sinister, irresistable allure.

I enjoyed this book immensely, it's only downside is that you can't read it on a week night because you'll never sleep.

I've read other books by Child/Preston (Relic and Reliquary) and found them fun but the writing just a little rough.

But Riptide, now--Wow! They have really hit their stride on this one. The pacing is great and the thought they put into how to approach the diabolically clever puzzle of the treasure pit is impressive.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book right to the end, even sneaking out to sit in my car at work to finish it!

In the first few pages of the book, we are introduced to the main character, Malin Hatch, as a boy, and see the gruesome tragedy that shadows the rest of his life, but that will not be fully explained until the end of the book. Then we skip forward 30 years. Ladies and gentlemen, THAT's what I call a "hook!" I was certainly hooked until the very end.

I'm certain you will enjoy this roller coaster ride of a book.

I'm usually bored with formula novels and I expected to be disappointed by this one as well. The buried pirate's treasure angle has been done numerous times since "Treasure Island", but never quite as well as the original. This novel, however, gave the story a unique twist that was entirely exhilarating and fresh.

The story follows the latest (of many) attempts to retrieve the unheard of treasure of the pirate "Red Ned" Ockham. The book begins by giving a 200-year history of the fates of treasure-seekers and explains why they have all failed. The reason is the devious "Water-Pit" trap, designed by the architect Macallan, a man known for his church steeples and not for his booby-trapping ability.

The story is believable and fun. The main character, Malin Hatch, is a lovable little schlep who occasionally grows cajones when they're needed. Unfortunately, his run-ins with Streeter and his bizarre love-life are laughable at best. His first-love, Claire, is a one-dimensional character easily forgotten. The exotic Isobel Bonterre is also easily forgettable, though much more interesting than the aforementioned Claire. The town preacher, Woody Clay, is as dynamic a character as Captain Niedelman, the leader of the treasure hunt. Both of them keep you guessing, which is odd, because zealots are usually uninteresting to read about.

I don't want to spoil the book or the eventual movie for the reader. Just read it and tell your friends about it. This was my first Preston and Childs book and I'm sure it won't be my last. I enjoyed the mix of history, archaelogy, geology, computer science, medicine, cryptography, and architecture. This book made me feel much more well-rounded intellectually. Read it!

If you are looking for an action packed book with complex and interesting characters, potential curses, pirate treasure beyond anyone's dreams and general danger and havoc (which of course always goes with this combination of factors), then this is the book for you, and what a fantastic ride it is!

These authors can always be relied on to produce great tales, and this is no exception. Just when you think you have the plot lines figured out, there are little red herrings and interesting side plots to keep you guessing.

I do have one small issue - I figured out the mysterious health issues befalling many characters before our heroic doctor and main character did, but I decided to forgive him this small lapse as he is of course digging for buried pirate treasure under distressing and challenging conditions!

This is a great, edge of your seat read. Something to treat yourself while on a sunny beach somewhere, or in front of a roaring fire. And be aware it is a real page turner - you may just have to finish it in one sitting!

RipTide is a thrilling adventure and a great page-turner. Like Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, the authors take some relatively dry scholarly theories about real events and locations (here, clearly Oak Island's Money Pit) and weave an exciting adventure around the revelations and theories about the topic. There is plenty of action and lots of interesting information to keep you entertained and reading. A stronger book, I think, than Preston's The Codex. My only disappointment was that by relocating the action to a fictional Maine location rather than Canada's actual Oak Island and making no bibliographic or other acknowledgment of the Money Pit story (the acknowledgment identifies Ragged Island as "completely fictitious"), the authors provide no guidance for those who want to know more about Oak Island and the theories surrounding it. Since the tale they set forth is plenty clever and exciting, with an original spin on the Oak Island theories, I'm not sure what would have been lost by acknowledging a tie to a real world location.

When a book is as exciting and it's all based on something real....how can you not enjoy it 5 stars worth..The wonderful thing about Childs and Preston is that they take the time to research something real like the Oak Island Treasure Pit and then they weave the story..and the story is great...I read the book out loud to my husband I loved it that much...The experience and the setting of the book Riptide is something to be savored more than once...You will wonder if anyone will get to the "bottom" of the mystery...and you will be there to cheer when a new level is reached...enjoy....

Top notch blood-pumping adventure suspense led me to buy everything by this unstoppable pair of excellent story craftsmen. These guys simply write the coolest books. I really hadn't read anything in years, but due to this novel I've regained my lost love for plowing through a great book. A real page burner-turner RIPTIDE delivers the goods. Buried pirate booty never looked so appealing and deadly spooky as the writers have accomplished. The story flows along at break neck pace, and when it's over you crave more. I highly recommend any title in the Preston/ Child collection.

The five-star reviews here certainly don't reflect my experience with Riptide. The dialog was awful, the undeveloped characters where clichéd and the story mundane. There were a couple of interesting aspects to the Pit that kept this from being a total waste. There were no real surprises and I never cared if the characters lived or died. I enjoy fun, escapist adventure novels, this just wasn't one of them.

Preston and Child do it again!

As a fan of this duo since THE RELIC, I eagerly snatched up this book while looking for a July 4th read. I've loved the tale of Oak Island and the bookjacket synopsis read like a dream. I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed.

Luckily, I wasn't and any fan of Michael Crichton or Clive Cussler won't be either. While the tale is stocked with the characters you'd expect, from a crusty treasure hunter to a lusty French diving archaeologist, the plot grabs you just as easily as the title suggests. I finished the book, cover to cover, in a little over six hours.

I hesitate the five star rating simply because five stars is perfect and this book isn't perfect. The ending is a bit over the top with action that strains your suspension of disbelief to its limits. However, if you take it with a grain of salt, you'll find the time spent with this book seems too short.

Preston and Child continue to impress. Although not on par with "Relic" or "Reliquary" (there's no Special Agent Pendergast to be found in "Riptide" after all) it still makes any other book of it's genre pale in it's shadow. These guys are good, very good; and they've yet to write a book that hasn't captured and held my interest throughout.
"Riptide" has something for everyone. Pirates (who doesn't love a good Pirate story, huh?), burried treasure, Hi-Tech Science, romance, greed, avarice, mystery, quaint New England culture, a dark and brooding man of the cloth, but most of all, action. PLENTY of action!
I wouldn't suggest this being your first Preston and Child read. I think it's best to read them in the order that they've been written but if this should happen to be your first, you will not be disappointed.
I can find only one thing wrong after reading this book. You won't be able to find many writers of their caliber and will be bored by most other books until the NEXT Preston/Child collaberation appears on the bookshelves. You've been warned!