Riptide

Riptide by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child is a thriller based on the real life Oak Island Money Pit, which is a rumoured burial site for hidden pirate treasure. Over the past 200 years, many attempts have been made to excavate the site for the rumoured treasures below, but all have ultimately failed and fallen apart, with lives lost in the process. This is the story of a modern attempt much like those which came before, brimming with overconfidence and even arrogance, all of which turns to greed and foolishness, which result in disaster.

I discovered the mystery of Oak Island many years ago and it is an absoltuely tantalizing one. Sadly, it's very likely that there is no mystery, no treasure at all, and that it's just a natural show more sinkhole. But when the mystery is laid out and all the rumours are there, it makes you itch to get out there and start digging yourself.

Riptide's intro actually stays pretty close to the real, documented events that have taken place over the last 200 years and sets up the story as the lastest in those arrogant attempts to tackle the deadly island. Being a Preston & Child book, I assumed it was a thriller, and it was, but initial events in the story had me wondering if maybe it wasn't going to turn into a bit of a horror. Then I got really excited and hoped it would turn into a real supernatural ghost story that would be creepy and awesome. I mean, come on, pirate ghosts are the best ghosts, right?

Sadly, the story tinkered on with a much more mundane storyline, no ghosts at all, and wrapped up in a rather 'scientific' ending. Something realistically plausible. Which is fine. But when you're all pumped up for a ghost story, what the hell, man? Right? I would have totally bumped the review up to 5 stars if there'd been actual ghosts.

Still, the authors keep the story moving and include some nice character driven plotlines which deepen the story so it isn't all about action. Though there is action, and sometimes it has you on the edge of your seat. Especially when everyone loses their shit near the end and starts wearing their crazy-pants.

It being Preston & Child too, I knew they aren't shy about killing off characters in their books, so, being a fan of their stuff, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, know what I mean? Ok, you've made us root for this one or that one and this love story or that one, at what point are they going to die? Cave in? Stormy seas? Any minute now... Normally, I hate it when they kill off a character I'd rather not lose, but this time they didn't, so I was happy. show less

Ever hear of the Oak Island mystery? If you haven't, you should look it up. It's a fascinating (and TRUE!) story of buried treasure…or at least a buried SOMETHING, on an island off the coast of Nova Scotia. As I have many times, Preston and Child have taken a more-or-less historic event and built a tale around it, and a fascinating one at that. In fact, outside of the Pendergast books, this is probably my favorite book by P & C. It's gripping right clear through and holds up through repeated readings…and I ought to know, I've read it four times now. I'd say it's the perfect vacation book, but it's awfully distracting. Perhaps the perfect "cold winter day" book?

Interested in reading the "in fact" basis of the story? Here's an show more excellent article, courtesy of Doug Preston His Own Self:

http://www.prestonchild.com/books/riptide/Death-Trap-Defies-Treasure-Seekers-for... show less

A treasure buried underground and underwater in an ingeniously designed engineering marvel that would have put the Great Pyramids to shame. All set on a mysterious and sinister island that has taken lives for 300 years; more recently 3 generations of a single family, the owners of the island. I am not alone in believing the island, or the treasure, or both are cursed. Death stalks the treasure hunters, it always has and it always will.

This was a 2-1/2 star book from the very beginning because I thought it was quite silly and you could see where it was going and what was going to happen essentially from start to finish. The impossibly complex, booby-trapped treasure chamber makes zero sense on why it was built or how it was built... show more it’s the whole “riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” type thing. Ugh, spare me.

All the characters are a stereotypers wet dream: the driven and haunted Dr. Hatch (owner of the island and presumably the treasure as well), the successful, upright and slightly mysterious MacArthuresque sea captain / expedition leader, the irascible and faithful pint-sized bulldog of a project manager, the beautiful and sophisticated French archeologist (née Siren), the machismo and fashionably correct Italian diver, the unhealthy and unclean, and socially inept computer programmer genius, the tweedy and proper English historian, the bearded and bear-like outdoorsy geologist, the quiet and severe engineer, the uptight and indignant minister full of fire and brimstone, and the entire zipped-up Maine locals and lobstermen who are suddenly the outsiders in their own town.

I found most of the book nonsensical. Through arrogance and haste they endeavor to succeed. Through sheer bungling, ineptitude, and luck they will find this treasure and solve this centuries old mystery.

If a movie were made of this novel, it would certainly be called “Raiders of the Lost Pirate Treasure” or “Raiders of the Lost Sword.” Someone might be able to come up with a better title, but it would definitely have to start with something original like “Raiders of the Lost (fill in the blank)”.

I was obviously not enthralled by this book, but by the end I bumped it up to 3 stars. I was ultimately smitten by Isobel Bonterre the French archeologist, the only character I found even remotely likeable, but then again she is a Siren so it’s not like I had any choice in the matter. Also, there were two very good, unexpected plot points at the end that I could not have foreseen. show less

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 show more treasure hunting, plus modern treasure hunters and archaeologists? Count me in, man. show less

La isla Ragged tiene fama desde hace siglos de estar maldita. Según cuenta la leyenda, el pirata Ockham enterró su fabuloso tesoro en esta isla de las costas de Maine. Durante siglos, los intentos por hacerse con dicho tesoro, así como con la extraordinaria espada de San Miguel, de valor incalculable, han fracasado, saldándose en muchos casos con víctimas. El protagonista de la novela es el doctor Malin Hatch, heredero de la isla Ragged. La historia de sus familia con la isla es terrible, y lleva años sin acercarse a la zona. Hasta que el capitán Neidelman, con un ingente presupuesto y la más alta tecnología, le propone un nueva búsqueda del tesoro de Ockham.

‘El pozo de la muerte’ (Riptide, 1997) es una novela al más puro show more estilo Preston y Child: misterio y acción trepidante. Hay que añadir que se trata de una historia cerrada, no pertenece a ninguna de sus series. La trama transcurre poco a poco, aumentando en ritmo según se acerca el final. El libro ofrece lo que promete, una historia de acción, misterio y traiciones, sin profundizar excesivamente en los personajes. Aunque quizá se alargue un tanto. Creo que las novelas de la serie de Pendergast son más redondas. Entretenida sin más. show less

This was a nice, light, palate cleaner type of book complete with pirates, treasure, curses, storms, and romance. A lot of suspension of disbelief is required, especially near the end. It is not intended to be a serious book, but it was a fun read.

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 show more Preston&Child, you'll probably like this book. show less