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Keith Rosson
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The Mercy of the Tide Paperback – February 21, 2017

by Keith Rosson (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 194 ratings
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Riptide, Oregon, 1983. A sleepy coastal town, where crime usually consists of underage drinking down at a Wolf Point bonfire. But then strange things start happening: a human skeleton is unearthed in a local park and mutilated animals begin appearing, seemingly sacrificed, on the town's beaches. The Mercy of the Tide follows four people drawn irrevocably together by a recent tragedy as they do their best to reclaim their lives - leading them all to a discovery that will change them and their town forever. At the heart of the story are Sam Finster, a senior in high school mourning the death of his mother, and his sister Trina, a nine-year-old deaf girl who denies her grief by dreaming of a nuclear apocalypse as Cold War tensions rise. Meanwhile, Sheriff Dave Dobbs and Deputy Nick Hayslip must try to put their own sorrows aside to figure out who, or what, is wreaking havoc on their once-idyllic town. Keith Rosson paints outside the typical genre lines with his brilliant debut novel. It is a gorgeously written book that merges the sly wonder of magical realism and alternate history with the depth and characterization of literary fiction.

- NPR Books | Jason Heller - "Rosson is a talent to be watched, and Riptide is one of the most immersive fictional settings in recent memory."

- Publisher's Weekly (starred review) - "A striking novel"

- Foreword Reviews (4/4 hearts) - "An exquisitely honed, beautifully written novel."

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  1. Print length
    296 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Meerkat Press
  4. Publication date
    February 21, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.9 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0996626247
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0996626248
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
194 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story captivating and suspenseful. They appreciate the well-written descriptions that support the central plot and theme. The writing style is described as engaging, reminiscent of classics, and builds with carefully accumulating detail. Readers describe the book as a great, brilliant, and addictive read with interesting and well-developed characters.

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Story qualityWriting styleReadabilityCharacter development
12 customers mention "Story quality"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the story captivating and well-written with vivid descriptions that support the central plot and theme. They appreciate the suspenseful buildup to the climax, unexpected plot twists, and emotional depth. The book is excellent for fans of magical realism, gloomy law enforcement officers, and 1980s nostalgia.

"The style has an element of intrinsic depth, reminiscent of some classics. I think the author could eventually run with this style and not look back...." Read more

"...focus shifts among these 4 grieving characters with a fascinating flashback to a lost girl and a bounty hunter over a hundred years before...." Read more

"...The story was creepy without being just scary and emotionally deep. I cried a lot reading this book." Read more

"...Excellent for fans of magical realism, gloomy law enforcement officers, 1980s nostalgia, and things furred with moss...." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing style"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style and find the story gripping. They say it has an element of depth reminiscent of classics. The book captures the Oregon coast perfectly, with well-developed characters. It starts quietly, builds with carefully accumulating detail, and accelerates when it's time to do so. The lively descriptions of settings and characters bring the story alive.

"The style has an element of intrinsic depth, reminiscent of some classics. I think the author could eventually run with this style and not look back...." Read more

"...It starts quietly, builds with carefully accumulating detail, and accelerates when it is time to do so. I look forward to more of Rosson’s work." Read more

"...At times, there was some really great writing which leads me to believe that Mr. Rosson will continue to hone his craft and get better with each..." Read more

"Loved this book! Rosson's descriptive writing made me feel like I was there. I could hear the ocean and feel the grittiness of the sand...." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the book's readability. They found it an engaging story and a well-written debut novel.

"Loved this book! Rosson's descriptive writing made me feel like I was there. I could hear the ocean and feel the grittiness of the sand...." Read more

"...Wanted more of the monster! But the people were monstrous themselves. Good book!" Read more

"...Loved the writing style and the story itself was gripping. Great read, highly recommended!" Read more

"I love this book. It is creepy and haunting and yet familiar and captivating...." Read more

8 customers mention "Character development"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the setting and plot fantastic, with a narrative focus that shifts among four grieving characters.

"...Narrative focus shifts among these 4 grieving characters with a fascinating flashback to a lost girl and a bounty hunter over a hundred years before...." Read more

"...The characters were so real, I felt like I might have actually known them at some point in my life...." Read more

"Characters interesting and well developed. Changed through the book- pulled me along. Wanted more of the monster!..." Read more

"He dives deep into the characters. Interesting story and complicated characters with some unexpected plot twists...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars It almost seems like Rosson has to rein them in to keep them ...
    Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The style has an element of intrinsic depth, reminiscent of some classics. I think the author could eventually run with this style and not look back. I appreciate that there is enough truth in it to not come off even a little contrived.
    Waiting to see what comes next from Keith Rosson.
    The Plot; It's all there.
    The Characters; Although only a small number, they are Huge. It almost seems like Rosson has to rein them in to keep them on the page!!!
    Towards the conclusion of the story, I became angry that I wasn't a faster reader. I hung on every sentence till the last. (This story rains and rains.)
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Jonathan May
    4.0 out of 5 stars Newcomer to the Ranks!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    With this novel Rosson joins the ranks of Langan, Wehunt, Tremblay, LaValle, and a very few others as brilliant new talents working with the strange and the weird.

    In 1983 in a small town on the rain-drenched Oregon coast an 18 year old boy and his deaf 9 year old sister mourn the loss of their alcoholic mother a few months earlier in a car wreck that also took the life of the wife of the town’s sheriff, who is also deep into his grief. The sheriff’s deputy suffering from PTSD because of an experience in Vietnam that continues to haunt him also grieves, but he must do so alone because he had been the lover of the dead mother. Narrative focus shifts among these 4 grieving characters with a fascinating flashback to a lost girl and a bounty hunter over a hundred years before. We readers experience the minds and the knowledge of all these characters and we know more than any one of them. We begin to notice the details of dead birds on doorsteps and the occasional missing pet and we begin to wonder if there is something else threatening these people and their town.

    And there is something threatening the larger world. USSR and USA forces are rattling nuclear sabers. The deaf girl is filled with terror at the threat of nuclear Armageddon, that terror functioning almost as a relief from her grief.

    Grief and terror. The micro and the macro. Somehow they all seem to be part of a larger picture. And, perhaps, are.

    Rosson’s writing is beyond good, with descriptions that support the central plot and theme and don’t get in the way. His 4 central characters are wonderfully observed and ring true. All are flawed, deeply so at times. I am also impressed at his ability to make secondary characters vivid and true, including the children’s druggie jailbait buddy Toad, their dead mother, their seemingly ineffectual father, the sheriff’s dead wife. I was also impressed with Rosson’s ability to make us care for people who often on the surface don’t seem worthy of our regard.

    This book moved me more deeply than I would have expected. It starts quietly, builds with carefully accumulating detail, and accelerates when it is time to do so. I look forward to more of Rosson’s work.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jason Johnson
    3.0 out of 5 stars Slow to start
    Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Two stories here really - one about the complications that emerge from an affair and the other about an evil spirit. Far too much time is spent on the former. The character development was at times arduous. The last quarter of the book moves at a quick pace (even if the ending is ambiguous) but the first three-quarters takes some time to evolve. I wasn’t sure what to expect. My take was it was a good (not great) first novel. At times, there was some really great writing which leads me to believe that Mr. Rosson will continue to hone his craft and get better with each new story.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Ifyousaygo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Felt like I was there
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Loved this book! Rosson's descriptive writing made me feel like I was there. I could hear the ocean and feel the grittiness of the sand. The characters were so real, I felt like I might have actually known them at some point in my life. Rosson brought to life a story that made me feel like I was stepping in and experiencing it instead of just reading it off a page. The ending left me unsettled, but that's why I liked it so much. I hate it when a book is too predictable. The Mercy of the Tide kept me guessing until the last page! Can't wait to read more from this author!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Amy C.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Addictive read!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Characters interesting and well developed. Changed through the book- pulled me along. Wanted more of the monster! But the people were monstrous themselves. Good book!
    Helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book is beautiful. It captures the Oregon coast perfectly but also ...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book is beautiful. It captures the Oregon coast perfectly but also the feel of any small coastal town in its grittiness. I borrowed a copy and then bought one for my brother who lives in coastal NH and he felt the same way. I felt immersed the environment and the time period the whole time I was reading it. The story was creepy without being just scary and emotionally deep. I cried a lot reading this book.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Kathleen A. Flynn
    4.0 out of 5 stars It's End of the World As We Know It
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Something is amiss in a small coastal town in the Pacific Northwest, and the outside world is not in great shape either. Excellent for fans of magical realism, gloomy law enforcement officers, 1980s nostalgia, and things furred with moss. However you think it ends, you are probably wrong.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Robert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    He dives deep into the characters. Interesting story and complicated characters with some unexpected plot twists. Nice, suspenseful build up to the climax.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Nick Morris
    3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent prose but depressing.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This bleak tale set in the bleak north west of the USA has some excellent prose and good characterisation, but I found iIt too consistently gloomy to be really enjoyable.
    Report