Riptide (1998)

Malin Hatch has avoided Ragged Island, Maine ever since he had witnessed a disaster there as a child. But when a treasure hunter finally convinces him that it's time to delve into the mysteries of the Ragged Island Treasure once again, he signs on as the team's physician. The team must wend their way through a booby-trapped tunnel to find the treasure. This book was a quick, light read without much substance. It's much like Douglas and Preston's other adventure novels (and rather like Michael Crichton)--a mixed team of scientists gathers for the "big find" and ends up with more than they bargained for. I felt that the characters made poor decisions throughout the book, but I guess gold has that effect on some people. If you like Preston&Child, you'll probably like this book. ( )

A fast-paced thriller about a search for a massive pirate treasure (about $2 billion value) buried in a precarious rock formation on a small island off the coast of Maine known as the Water Pit. In addition to natural hazards, the Pit is fraught with deadly booby traps created by the Pit's brilliant architect. Dr. Malin Hatch is the last survivor of the family that owned the island; when he and his brother were boys 30 years ago, they attempted to enter the Water Pit, a tragic decision that took his brother's life. Now Malin has an opportunity to allow a legendary and well-funded treasure hunter to try to open the secrets of the Water Pit, and perhaps in the process bring closure to the death of his brother. An interesting tale, made more interesting at the Douglas Preston booksigning when he intimated that a coming Gideon Crew book would be a sequel of sorts to this 1998 thriller. ( )

Wonderful adventure with an unexpected ending. Page turner. ( )

This would probably make a great movie, but as a novel I couldn't really buy into some of the characters, coincidences, etc. ( )

I was pretty sure I had this book's number from about Page 18. Turns out, though, it threw me for a slight loop - I was right about what was going on, but wrong about the specific mechanism (although I did figure that out around page 250 or so...).Still, I didn't care. Preston/Child are at their best when they're creating a rip-roaring pseudoscientific adventure, and they definitely did that here. Their research was, as always, impeccable, but presented in an entertaining manner, and frankly, the book moves so fast that you really don't CARE how predictable it is.Besides, it had to do with the Water Pit (aka, the Oak Island Mystery Pit), which I'm fascinated by. Mysterious deaths and ailments, pirates, a mystical sword, and 19th century treasure hunting, plus modern treasure hunters and archaeologists? Count me in, man. ( )