Author: James Swain
Genre: Mystery
Published on: August 1, 2018 by Thomas & Mercer
Reality and illusion blur in this Washington Post bestseller that Michael Connelly calls “a hundred percent adrenaline rush disguised as a detective novel.”
Nicki Pearl is the perfect daughter—every parent’s dream. And that of strangers, too. Wherever she goes, she’s being watched. Each stalker is different from the last, except for one thing—their alarming obsession with Nicki.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Nicki’s father is turning to someone who can protect her: retired private detective and ex–Navy SEAL Jon Lancaster. Teaming up with FBI agent and former abduction victim Beth Daniels, Lancaster can help—his way. He’s spent most of his career dispatching creeps who get off on terrorizing the vulnerable. Unlicensed, and unrestricted, he plays dirty…But this case is unusual. Why so many men? Why this one girl? Does Nicki have something to hide? Or do her parents?
Trawling the darkest depths of southern Florida, Lancaster faces a growing tide of secrets and deception. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes that finding the truth won’t be easy. Because there’s more to this case than meets the eye.
I came across The King Tides while browsing the thriller section of the Kindle Store. The cover art caught my eye first. After reading the synopsis and checking the star ratings, I bought a copy. The King Tides is the first in a new series. The main protagonists are private investigator Jon Lancaster and FBI special agent Beth Daniels. It takes place mainly in Fort Lauderdale. The book starts right into the action, with Lancaster meeting a potential new client.
The new client is Dr. Nolan Pearl. He called Lancaster to look into strange events that started happening recently. Pearl researched Lancaster and found that not only is he an ex-Navy SEAL, he’s famous for the daring rescue of a young girl. Dr. Pearl fills Lancaster in on the details of his problem. Strange men have been stalking his daughter, Nicki. She’s only fifteen, and pretty much none of the men are younger than Lancaster. Pearl has no idea why they are so interested in Nicki. There have even been kidnapping attempts. Lancaster asks the requisite questions, like if the Pearls or their daughter have done anything to attract so much attention.
The new client is Dr. Nolan Pearl. He called Lancaster to look into strange events that started happening recently. Pearl researched Lancaster and found that not only is he an ex-Navy SEAL, he’s famous for the daring rescue of a young girl. Dr. Pearl fills Lancaster in on the details of his problem. Strange men have been stalking his daughter, Nicki. She’s only fifteen, and pretty much none of the men are younger than Lancaster. Pearl has no idea why they are so interested in Nicki. There have even been kidnapping attempts. Lancaster asks the requisite questions, like if the Pearls or their daughter have done anything to attract so much attention.
The latest kidnapping attempt happens while Lancaster is there. A pair of professionals almost escape with Nicki (they incapacitated her new guard dog, which shocked me). Pearl and Lancaster manage to save her. The latter agrees to take the case after that. In the meanwhile, Lancaster is finishing up a different, unrelated case. Lancaster calls on three acquaintances (all ex-SEALs) to protect the Pearl house. Then he gets right to work on getting to the bottom of the issue.
The truth behind the mystery is revealed slowly. Readers who like to figure out what’s going on on their own will like this. There are several possible explanations as to why a bunch of men are so obsessed with a teen girl. Naturally, Lancaster is a bit suspicious of Nicki. He’s almost sure she either knows or has done something that the Pearls ignore. Lancaster’s investigation eventually leads him to Beth Daniels. As she’s the second protagonist, it surprised me that she showed up late in the story. Daniels may be pivotal to solving Nicki’s case, so that’s probably why the author held her back for half the book.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The King Tides. It’s entertaining, even though the title has pretty much nothing to do with the story. Lancaster is an interesting character, too. For some reason, he felt a bit like Cormoran Strike from the Robert Galbraith mystery novels. Lancaster may be a tad better-off financially, but his demeanor and attitude felt similar to Strike’s. No, it has nothing to do with Lancaster’s large belly. As for Daniels, she’s…intense. Daniels is a steadfast crime fighter and goes a bit too far sometimes. This woman can be abrasive, but deep down she cares about people, and about her family. Lancaster and Daniels make a memorable duo. I might read the next books in this series.
My rating: ★★★★
4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!
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