Riptide

Honestly, I was debating between and 2- and a 3-star rating. I ended up with the 3-star rating, simply because the beginning of this novel was pretty good. However, it spiraled out of control fairly quickly. The character's dialogue and behavior were to over-the-top awful and so unbelievable, that I almost gave up on this novel several times. I expected so much more from a well-known author. I've read some of her previous novels, including the FBI Thriller series, and have not been a huge fan. Unfortunately, I believe that I'll be moving on to other authors.

Coulter slipped off the edge with this one, and it is a shame. The writing was poor - were you in a hurry, Catherine? Seems so, as the dialog and misses in the narrative made this a difficult read. That, and you know . . . she sort of went right over the cliff into unreal weirdness in this one. Too many really way out there plot lines. I can handle quite a bit of 'unbelievable' but this one? Nah. Really not something I would want to repeat. It's a shame, really, as I have enjoyed the others in this series. I will try the next, but I hope her editor is back on staff.

Suspense, through and through. Definitely liked the story, the twists, and the characters. Being a loyal Coulter fan, I knew how the story would end and just about every zig and zag she threw out. The police aren’t exactly believable and I would surely question the heroine’s parents’ actions if they were truly trying to keep their daughter safe. One very big surprise, but I won’t ruin it for ya!

Rebecca Matlock new she had to get away so she went to a little out of the way town called Riptide. No matter how many times she told the police that someone was after her, they just wouldn't believe her. There seemed to be only one, Adam Carruthers, that not only knew she was telling the truth, but knew why. Is Adam and his men smart enough to figure out who it is before it is too late.

On the back cover of this book, Catherine Coulter challenges you to figure out the puzzle, I have to admit, I figured some but not all of this one out. This is an excellent mystery/thriller but I wasn't as impressed with the charecters as I normally am with her FBI series. While Savich and Sherlock were there, I was disappointed with the interaction show more between the main characters. It was humorous at times but the chemistry was lacking something, I liked them both but there was just something missing. Still a great book, had trouble putting it down. show less

Synopsis: 'Becca Matlock, a senior speechwriter for the governor of New York, is at the top of her professional game when she receives her first phone call. "Stop sleeping with the governor or I'll kill him."
The thing is, she's not sleeping with the governor, but it doesn't stop the phone calls. The police stop believing her after the stalker murders an innocent in New York City to prove a point. Then, when the governor is shot in the neck, Becca takes off for coastal Maine, seeking to hide not only from the stalker but also from the New York police. For sanctuary, she goes to Riptide, home of a college friend--where she finds herself at even greater risk.
Who is stalking her, threatening her, telling her that he's "her boyfriend"? Who show more is the skeleton that falls out of the basement wall of her rental house after a violent Maine storm?
Unexpectedly, a stranger comes into Riptide and he's watching her. Is he a friend or an enemy?
FBI special agents Savich and Sherlock arrive to help out an old friend of Savich's father. However, this old friend's relationship to Becca comes as quite a surprise.
Is the stalker an old enemy from the past? Or an enemy who is much closer?'
Review: This was a real page-turner and super creepy. The romance is predictable. show less

I found the idea of this book to be intriguing. The story tells of a young lady who is being stalked; she reports this to the police but they do not believe her and, in fact, begin to accuse her of causing the problems she reports. She therefore chose to take care of herself, which included getting to a small town she had heard of from a college friend. There are twists and turns in the story involving criminals and good guys.

So -- good idea. Bad execution. This is the first Coulter story I have read, and based on this book, I would not look for others to read. I was sorely disappointed. The writing seemed juvenile; I was surprised to see she had other books that had been published (this read too much like a first-time, self-published show more stereotype of a book.)

I finished reading the entire book, but at the end felt I had wasted my time.

Other reviewers imply that this author's other works are of better quality. Perhaps if I stumble onto another of her titles, I will give it a try. Perhaps not. I was too disappointed in this one. show less

Very disappointing Coulter book. In the last fifty pages the editor must have gone to sleep. There were disjunctions of activities in the story.....the gun was knocked out of her hand/ she's shooting the gun, the bad guy explains his story, then the sheriff's car is heard pulling up, then the sheriff arrests the guy for what he saud BEFORE the sheriff hot there........ Coulter must be farming out her writing.