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The Forgotten Coast #2
Riptide
Once again, sinister things are afoot in Apalachicola, FL, and one of them is an actual foot.
When a local fisherman finds a man’s foot in his net, it sets off a chain of events that no one can anticipate.
Lt. Maggie Redmond soon discovers that the foot belongs to the friend of another recently dead guy, Gregory Boudreaux, the man she never told anyone about. Gregory’s death was thought to be a suicide. That seems less likely, now that his best friend Sport’s foot has shown up out of the blue, as it were.
When it starts looking like town villain Bennett Boudreaux might be responsible for eliminating Sport, things begin to get a little weird. Especially since Maggie’s started to take a liking to Bennett. She’s also taken a real liking to her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton, but both her relationship to Bennett and her secret connection to the dead men threaten hers and Wyatt’s relationship.
Is Bennett protecting or avenging Maggie for some reason, or does he have something altogether different on his mind?
About the Forgotten Coast Florida Series:
The first four books of the series, Low Tide, Riptide, What Washes Up, and Landfall, lay the foundation for the entire series. There are subplots resolved in each book, but there is also an overarching plot that is not resolved until Landfall, so they should be read in sequence.
Subsequent books in the series will be both longer and stand alone novels that can be read in any sequence.
When a local fisherman finds a man’s foot in his net, it sets off a chain of events that no one can anticipate.
Lt. Maggie Redmond soon discovers that the foot belongs to the friend of another recently dead guy, Gregory Boudreaux, the man she never told anyone about. Gregory’s death was thought to be a suicide. That seems less likely, now that his best friend Sport’s foot has shown up out of the blue, as it were.
When it starts looking like town villain Bennett Boudreaux might be responsible for eliminating Sport, things begin to get a little weird. Especially since Maggie’s started to take a liking to Bennett. She’s also taken a real liking to her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton, but both her relationship to Bennett and her secret connection to the dead men threaten hers and Wyatt’s relationship.
Is Bennett protecting or avenging Maggie for some reason, or does he have something altogether different on his mind?
About the Forgotten Coast Florida Series:
The first four books of the series, Low Tide, Riptide, What Washes Up, and Landfall, lay the foundation for the entire series. There are subplots resolved in each book, but there is also an overarching plot that is not resolved until Landfall, so they should be read in sequence.
Subsequent books in the series will be both longer and stand alone novels that can be read in any sequence.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2015
957 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Lee McKenna
23 books400 followersI live in small town Tennessee, with three children still at home and two grown kids just blocks away.
I am an unrepentant romantic, a caffeine addict and a true dork. I apologize for none of these.
I am an unrepentant romantic, a caffeine addict and a true dork. I apologize for none of these.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
July 8, 2019
3.5-Stars. A very promising continuation of series, but with some problems.
(Included in Kindle Unlimited)
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
I'm going to review the first five books as if they were one large volume, since the books end suddenly and mid-plot, often. I speculate that publishing 5x 200 page volumes might provide better income for her than a single large volume.
Which leads to a second problem: Endless repetition of character descriptions (including animals), and plot updates in each new volume (which you can skim over) but... These books cannot really be read separately, they must be read in order (at least books 1-5).
The Good
Firstly, McKenna shines at character development and description. There is a commanding feminine demeanour throughout these books, perhaps the best I've ever seen.
In fact, I would say characters and emotions are the lead attraction for me now, well ahead of the mystery/plots (which get better). The pacing is always good, and the prose also improves substantially over time. The dialogue is good, and the characters speak with (mostly) distinct voices.
There is a sub-plot which, to me, drives everything: The strange attraction between Maggie and Bennett Boudreaux. Boudreaux is the town "kingpin", ascribed with various crimes including murder, but his charm and eloquence make him impressive and attractive. The mystery of what binds Maggie and Boudreaux is resolved in three surprising parts throughout the first 5-6 books, and each scene and dialogue between Maggie and Boudreaux is superb.
There's only one glitch, centered around the last name "Boudreaux", for he has three step-sons, one of whom is a shady lawyer. The confusion around the last name harms the plot significantly ... in my rarely humble opinion ...
Maggie repeatedly makes bad decisions throughout the series, especially in the early books, and contrary to common sense or good police procedure, putting herself into deeper and deeper peril, and that's quite irritating at times.
One thing I do like, the romance with Wyatt is very nicely handled.
Nevertheless, I'm enjoying this series more and more, especially as the quality of prose and plotting improves.
If you pick up the first book (must start there), please be patient and read through the first four or five books before making a decision on the overall series.
Notes and quotes:
Wyatt teases Maggie:
“By the way, I’m a man and I eat man food, so if you want a vegetable, eat it before you come over.”
-
The second kiss. Superb romance from McKenna:
Wyatt bent down and put his mouth on hers. She remembered him instantly. She remembered the way he had felt and tasted the first time, and this kiss was partly a return and partly a venturing further into something completely new, something that wasn’t a test, but a testament. It was sweet and it was commanding, it was gentle and it was firm, it was new but it was immediately recognizable as right. It was, she realized, exactly what and who she wanted.
-
Maggie's husband, David:
-
A terrible error by Maggie:
Maggie hadn’t told Wyatt what the skinny man had said about cleaning up Boudreaux’s messes. She wasn’t even sure yet why. She knew that withholding things from Wyatt, as she had been doing, was no way to start a relationship. But Boudreaux was messy and convoluted, and she wanted some time to work it out in her mind, and then work out how to be honest.
(Included in Kindle Unlimited)
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
I'm going to review the first five books as if they were one large volume, since the books end suddenly and mid-plot, often. I speculate that publishing 5x 200 page volumes might provide better income for her than a single large volume.
Which leads to a second problem: Endless repetition of character descriptions (including animals), and plot updates in each new volume (which you can skim over) but... These books cannot really be read separately, they must be read in order (at least books 1-5).
The Good
Firstly, McKenna shines at character development and description. There is a commanding feminine demeanour throughout these books, perhaps the best I've ever seen.
In fact, I would say characters and emotions are the lead attraction for me now, well ahead of the mystery/plots (which get better). The pacing is always good, and the prose also improves substantially over time. The dialogue is good, and the characters speak with (mostly) distinct voices.
There is a sub-plot which, to me, drives everything: The strange attraction between Maggie and Bennett Boudreaux. Boudreaux is the town "kingpin", ascribed with various crimes including murder, but his charm and eloquence make him impressive and attractive. The mystery of what binds Maggie and Boudreaux is resolved in three surprising parts throughout the first 5-6 books, and each scene and dialogue between Maggie and Boudreaux is superb.
There's only one glitch, centered around the last name "Boudreaux", for he has three step-sons, one of whom is a shady lawyer. The confusion around the last name harms the plot significantly ... in my rarely humble opinion ...
Maggie repeatedly makes bad decisions throughout the series, especially in the early books, and contrary to common sense or good police procedure, putting herself into deeper and deeper peril, and that's quite irritating at times.
One thing I do like, the romance with Wyatt is very nicely handled.
Nevertheless, I'm enjoying this series more and more, especially as the quality of prose and plotting improves.
If you pick up the first book (must start there), please be patient and read through the first four or five books before making a decision on the overall series.
Notes and quotes:
Wyatt teases Maggie:
“By the way, I’m a man and I eat man food, so if you want a vegetable, eat it before you come over.”
-
The second kiss. Superb romance from McKenna:
Wyatt bent down and put his mouth on hers. She remembered him instantly. She remembered the way he had felt and tasted the first time, and this kiss was partly a return and partly a venturing further into something completely new, something that wasn’t a test, but a testament. It was sweet and it was commanding, it was gentle and it was firm, it was new but it was immediately recognizable as right. It was, she realized, exactly what and who she wanted.
-
Maggie's husband, David:
-
A terrible error by Maggie:
Maggie hadn’t told Wyatt what the skinny man had said about cleaning up Boudreaux’s messes. She wasn’t even sure yet why. She knew that withholding things from Wyatt, as she had been doing, was no way to start a relationship. But Boudreaux was messy and convoluted, and she wanted some time to work it out in her mind, and then work out how to be honest.
July 16, 2020
Puedes encontrar esta reseña en español al final.
This review is for the first two books:
Low Tide: 3.5 stars.
Riptide: 1 star.
I'm not sure how to tag this story. There really isn't enough suspense to call it such. Neither romance. Maybe chic-lit? Of course, the protagonist is a police detective, so this chic-lit is going to be something out of the ordinary (and it is not a compliment).
Although the story (in the first installment) is entertaining, nothing really happens. When it comes to summarizing it, I cannot come up with more than a handful of ideas, and none of them has a conclusion. At the end one does not have the feeling of having read a book but some chapters of a story. And the story continues, in at least 5 more books. So, I think I already have my tag: soap opera.
The label is confirmed when I read the second installment where I find the same characters, who are still stuck in the same situations, with the same problems, with the same personal relationships, the same lies, the same secrets and therefore, more melodrama. Of course, there is still so little suspense that it seems incredible that the heroine is a police officer. The suspense is supplemented with high doses of melodrama and with cardboard, two-dimensional, perfect and without background or personality characters.
At least in the first installment the dialogue between the MC´s was intelligent, insightful and with a lot of acidity and humor. In the second installment there are no longer dialogues. There is melodrama.
In the first installment, Wyatt, the other half of the romance, is smart, direct, honest, and with a humor that lights up the whole scene. In the second installment he is relegated to the bench. He almost doesn´t appear...
In the first installment Maggie, the heroine, is a strong, determined woman with a dark past that has not stopped her from becoming a benchmark of honesty and reliability in her community. In the second installment she becomes a threat. The lies no longer make sense and interfere with her work. She reaches a point where she becomes an accessory to the crimes for omission. And her personal life, which was already a bit surreal in the first installment, is directly ridiculous in the second one.
At least the bad guy is interesting. A kind of Robin Hood mixed with The Godfather or something like that... I imagine that since the police are not going to do their job, the author takes advantage and lets the bad guy do it. And she disguises it as divine justice or something. So very twisted and the only interesting thing in the story if it was not for his relationship with the heroine, that I can see where is going to go, and will be the cherry on top of the melodrama ...
So not for me. This is chic-lit but the protagonist is in uniform and in a zillion of installments.
***
Esta reseña es de los dos primeros libros:
Low Tide: 3.5 estrellas.
Riptide: 1 estrella.
No tengo muy claro cómo etiquetar esta historia. Realmente no hay suficiente suspense como para llamarla tal. Ni romance. ¿Tal vez chic-lit? Eso sí, la protagonista es detective de policía, así que el chic-lit va a ser algo fuera de lo habitual (y no es un cumplido).
Aunque la historia (en la primera entrega) está entretenida, realmente no pasa nada. A la hora de resumirla no puedo dar más que un puñado de ideas, y ninguna de ellas tiene conclusión. Llegadas al final no da la sensación de haber leído un libro sino algunos capítulos de la historia. Y la historia sigue, en al menos 5 libros más. Así que creo que ya tengo mi etiqueta: telenovelesca.
La etiqueta se confirma cuando leo la segunda entrega donde me encuentro los mismos personajes, que siguen anquilosados en las mismas situaciones, con los mismos problemas, con las mismas relaciones personales, las mismas mentiras, los mismos secretos y por lo tanto, más melodrama. Eso sí, sigue habiendo tan poco suspense que parece mentira que la protagonista sea policía. El suspense se suple con altas dosis de melodrama y con personajes que, ya sí, parecen de cartón piedra. Bidimensionales, perfectos, sin fondo ni personalidad.
Al menos en la primera entrega el diálogo entre los protagonistas era inteligente, perspicaz y con mucha acidez y humor. En la segunda entrega ya no hay diálogos. Hay melodrama.
En la primera entrega, Wyatt, la otra mitad del romance, es inteligente, directo, honesto y con un humor que ilumina toda la escena. En la segunda entrega es relegado al banquillo. Ni aparece…
This review is for the first two books:
Low Tide: 3.5 stars.
Riptide: 1 star.
I'm not sure how to tag this story. There really isn't enough suspense to call it such. Neither romance. Maybe chic-lit? Of course, the protagonist is a police detective, so this chic-lit is going to be something out of the ordinary (and it is not a compliment).
Although the story (in the first installment) is entertaining, nothing really happens. When it comes to summarizing it, I cannot come up with more than a handful of ideas, and none of them has a conclusion. At the end one does not have the feeling of having read a book but some chapters of a story. And the story continues, in at least 5 more books. So, I think I already have my tag: soap opera.
The label is confirmed when I read the second installment where I find the same characters, who are still stuck in the same situations, with the same problems, with the same personal relationships, the same lies, the same secrets and therefore, more melodrama. Of course, there is still so little suspense that it seems incredible that the heroine is a police officer. The suspense is supplemented with high doses of melodrama and with cardboard, two-dimensional, perfect and without background or personality characters.
At least in the first installment the dialogue between the MC´s was intelligent, insightful and with a lot of acidity and humor. In the second installment there are no longer dialogues. There is melodrama.
In the first installment, Wyatt, the other half of the romance, is smart, direct, honest, and with a humor that lights up the whole scene. In the second installment he is relegated to the bench. He almost doesn´t appear...
In the first installment Maggie, the heroine, is a strong, determined woman with a dark past that has not stopped her from becoming a benchmark of honesty and reliability in her community. In the second installment she becomes a threat. The lies no longer make sense and interfere with her work. She reaches a point where she becomes an accessory to the crimes for omission. And her personal life, which was already a bit surreal in the first installment, is directly ridiculous in the second one.
At least the bad guy is interesting. A kind of Robin Hood mixed with The Godfather or something like that... I imagine that since the police are not going to do their job, the author takes advantage and lets the bad guy do it. And she disguises it as divine justice or something. So very twisted and the only interesting thing in the story if it was not for his relationship with the heroine, that I can see where is going to go, and will be the cherry on top of the melodrama ...
So not for me. This is chic-lit but the protagonist is in uniform and in a zillion of installments.
***
Esta reseña es de los dos primeros libros:
Low Tide: 3.5 estrellas.
Riptide: 1 estrella.
No tengo muy claro cómo etiquetar esta historia. Realmente no hay suficiente suspense como para llamarla tal. Ni romance. ¿Tal vez chic-lit? Eso sí, la protagonista es detective de policía, así que el chic-lit va a ser algo fuera de lo habitual (y no es un cumplido).
Aunque la historia (en la primera entrega) está entretenida, realmente no pasa nada. A la hora de resumirla no puedo dar más que un puñado de ideas, y ninguna de ellas tiene conclusión. Llegadas al final no da la sensación de haber leído un libro sino algunos capítulos de la historia. Y la historia sigue, en al menos 5 libros más. Así que creo que ya tengo mi etiqueta: telenovelesca.
La etiqueta se confirma cuando leo la segunda entrega donde me encuentro los mismos personajes, que siguen anquilosados en las mismas situaciones, con los mismos problemas, con las mismas relaciones personales, las mismas mentiras, los mismos secretos y por lo tanto, más melodrama. Eso sí, sigue habiendo tan poco suspense que parece mentira que la protagonista sea policía. El suspense se suple con altas dosis de melodrama y con personajes que, ya sí, parecen de cartón piedra. Bidimensionales, perfectos, sin fondo ni personalidad.
Al menos en la primera entrega el diálogo entre los protagonistas era inteligente, perspicaz y con mucha acidez y humor. En la segunda entrega ya no hay diálogos. Hay melodrama.
En la primera entrega, Wyatt, la otra mitad del romance, es inteligente, directo, honesto y con un humor que ilumina toda la escena. En la segunda entrega es relegado al banquillo. Ni aparece…
March 17, 2022
This is the second in Dawn Lee McKenna's series about the "Forgotten Coast," in which a real-life Florida town, Apalachicola, is portrayed as both an idealized small town and also as a nest of drugs and vice. The books are suspenseful, full of mysteries. But unlike most mysteries, the solution to everything doesn't show up in the same book where the crime occurs.
In this book, McKenna's main character, single mom and Franklin County detective Lt. Maggie Redmond, is still dealing with her mixed emotions about the apparent suicide in the first book of Gregory Beaudreaux. She had a secret connection with the dead man. And now she is involved in a strange relationship with his uncle, seafood kingpin and crime lord Bennett Boudreaux, whose sons are, respecitvely, the county's top prosecutor and top criminal defense attorney. Meanwhile her flirtations with her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton has turned into a full-blown romance, although they are taking it verrrrry slowly.
This slender book begins with a pretty gruesome disccovery of a body part in a shrimper's net, which leads to some pretty dark humor (the medical examiner, asked for an opinion, quips, "It's not a candidate for reattachment"). Later, about halfway through the book, someone important to Maggie dies in an explosion, and much of the rest of the book involves her mourning the loss.
Before this one is over, you learn the ID of the owner of the body part and also -- via one of the bad guys -- what led to the explosion. But once again, Maggie is witholding evidence from Wyatt because of her weird relationship with Boudreaux. To find out more, you have to read the third book.
I am starting to realize that these books are not so much crime stories as a small-town soap opera with characters you care about and a setting that is as real as can be. I will definitely read the next two in the series and who knows? Maybe I will even go for the full 11.
In this book, McKenna's main character, single mom and Franklin County detective Lt. Maggie Redmond, is still dealing with her mixed emotions about the apparent suicide in the first book of Gregory Beaudreaux. She had a secret connection with the dead man. And now she is involved in a strange relationship with his uncle, seafood kingpin and crime lord Bennett Boudreaux, whose sons are, respecitvely, the county's top prosecutor and top criminal defense attorney. Meanwhile her flirtations with her boss, Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton has turned into a full-blown romance, although they are taking it verrrrry slowly.
This slender book begins with a pretty gruesome disccovery of a body part in a shrimper's net, which leads to some pretty dark humor (the medical examiner, asked for an opinion, quips, "It's not a candidate for reattachment"). Later, about halfway through the book, someone important to Maggie dies in an explosion, and much of the rest of the book involves her mourning the loss.
Before this one is over, you learn the ID of the owner of the body part and also -- via one of the bad guys -- what led to the explosion. But once again, Maggie is witholding evidence from Wyatt because of her weird relationship with Boudreaux. To find out more, you have to read the third book.
I am starting to realize that these books are not so much crime stories as a small-town soap opera with characters you care about and a setting that is as real as can be. I will definitely read the next two in the series and who knows? Maybe I will even go for the full 11.
April 18, 2017
Fun read to follow up from my Florida vacation. Reading books about places I've been to and recognize is delightful. I've read this in between some rather depressing non-fiction books that have left my heart heavy. Thus, this was just what I needed! Good character development as always.
February 7, 2017
Apalachicola, FL. St. George Island. Axel Blackwell (shrimper), Daryl (crew), & Petey (crew) were out pulling in the shrimp nets & found a human leg in 1 of them.
Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton (supervisor, Franklin County), had Sheriff Maggie Redmond (wife/mother, Lieutenant), Deputy Sheriff Myles Godfrey, Deputy Sheriff Dwight Shultz, & Sheriff Terry Coyle, assigned to the case.
Claire West (The Bayview Inn hotel/restaurant, Water St.) called Sheriff Redmond about the leg found in the net.
Brandon Wilmette (40+, Atlanta, GA., aka Sport) had not checked out & left his stuff behind in the room.
DNA confirmed the leg that was found belongs to Brandon.
Sheriff Redmond paid Bennett Boudreaux (shrimp business) a visit.
It seems Brandon & Gregory Boudreaux (Bennett’s nephew) were good friends in college & he had come to Gregory’s funeral.
Maggie’s family includes: Gray (husband/father), Georgia (58, wife/mom), Kyle Redmond (10, son/brother), Skyler “Sky” Redmond (daughter/sister), & Coco (Catahoula dog).
Her deceased is David Redmond (father).
A huge fire on a trawler tied up at the docks had erupted & caused quite a chaos.
David Seward was dead.
His body was taken to the morgue at Weems Memorial.
Does Bennett know more than he is telling Maggie?
Wow, RC cola they still make that, my fav kid drink, well my step-mom’s.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free ebookdaily; Sweet Tea Press Publication; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton (supervisor, Franklin County), had Sheriff Maggie Redmond (wife/mother, Lieutenant), Deputy Sheriff Myles Godfrey, Deputy Sheriff Dwight Shultz, & Sheriff Terry Coyle, assigned to the case.
Claire West (The Bayview Inn hotel/restaurant, Water St.) called Sheriff Redmond about the leg found in the net.
Brandon Wilmette (40+, Atlanta, GA., aka Sport) had not checked out & left his stuff behind in the room.
DNA confirmed the leg that was found belongs to Brandon.
Sheriff Redmond paid Bennett Boudreaux (shrimp business) a visit.
It seems Brandon & Gregory Boudreaux (Bennett’s nephew) were good friends in college & he had come to Gregory’s funeral.
Maggie’s family includes: Gray (husband/father), Georgia (58, wife/mom), Kyle Redmond (10, son/brother), Skyler “Sky” Redmond (daughter/sister), & Coco (Catahoula dog).
Her deceased is David Redmond (father).
A huge fire on a trawler tied up at the docks had erupted & caused quite a chaos.
David Seward was dead.
His body was taken to the morgue at Weems Memorial.
Does Bennett know more than he is telling Maggie?
Wow, RC cola they still make that, my fav kid drink, well my step-mom’s.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free ebookdaily; Sweet Tea Press Publication; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 7, 2017
Engaging Story
I enjoyed the first book and this one too! Great, *real* characters and a moving story. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series
I enjoyed the first book and this one too! Great, *real* characters and a moving story. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series
July 17, 2017
Small Town with Big Suspense
Dawn Lees novel leads you into a close relationship with her
Characters and interwinds them in an interesting and suspenseful novel. Her descriptive story makes you feel that your
In that small coastal town and don't want the story to end. The good news is that it doesn't have to as it is a series of pleasant reading
Dawn Lees novel leads you into a close relationship with her
Characters and interwinds them in an interesting and suspenseful novel. Her descriptive story makes you feel that your
In that small coastal town and don't want the story to end. The good news is that it doesn't have to as it is a series of pleasant reading
September 7, 2018
I adore this series! I’m quite familiar with St. George and Apalachicola, so that makes the series fun. But it’s the characters that make me run out to Downtown Books & Purl to buy the next one in the series as soon as I’ve finished one.
September 10, 2016
What I said about Low Tide, the first book in this series is true for this book as well.
Both books are tautly written, telling a good story in around 200 pages and sparing the reader long passages describing everything the POV character sees. And McKenna again advances the romance between the two main characters at a realistic pace.
Like that book, this one is not quite a mystery, not quite a suspense, not quite a romance. It’s a little bit of each but not enough to label it firmly as in one genre or another. And it has the same unfinished feel to it, a sense of being incomplete. There’s no resolution of any plotlines, just a pause in the flow of the story, as if it was Episode 2 of the ‘Forgotten Coast’ mini-series (“Tune in next week to find out what happens.”). Reading synopses of later books in the series, it appears McKenna planned it this way. Readers expect some sort of resolution to at least some of the plotlines in any book. That McKenna doesn’t do this is a bit irritating and unsatisfying.
And that drops my rating for this book from 3 (or possibly 4) stars down to 2 (Not because it was ok, but because it was disappointing), and my desire to read more in this series to almost zero.
Both books are tautly written, telling a good story in around 200 pages and sparing the reader long passages describing everything the POV character sees. And McKenna again advances the romance between the two main characters at a realistic pace.
Like that book, this one is not quite a mystery, not quite a suspense, not quite a romance. It’s a little bit of each but not enough to label it firmly as in one genre or another. And it has the same unfinished feel to it, a sense of being incomplete. There’s no resolution of any plotlines, just a pause in the flow of the story, as if it was Episode 2 of the ‘Forgotten Coast’ mini-series (“Tune in next week to find out what happens.”). Reading synopses of later books in the series, it appears McKenna planned it this way. Readers expect some sort of resolution to at least some of the plotlines in any book. That McKenna doesn’t do this is a bit irritating and unsatisfying.
And that drops my rating for this book from 3 (or possibly 4) stars down to 2 (Not because it was ok, but because it was disappointing), and my desire to read more in this series to almost zero.
July 23, 2017
If you're looking for a thriller series that won't keep you awake at night or wringing with emotion this is it. While enjoyable, the writing is laughable and shallow as you'll ever find in an adult novel. The plot is weak, the characters stereotypical and the dialogue is hamfisted. You can finish an installment in two nights. No wonder Amazon let's these sell for next to nothing. What is literature coming to that this series gets so highly reviewed?
Grab a six pack and "The Forgotten Coast" series....
Grab a six pack and "The Forgotten Coast" series....
July 31, 2015
EExcellent series that sucks you in
I started book one of this series yesterday and already finished book two. Great complex characters that uniquely show that people aren't all good or all bad. From chapter to chapter, expect the total unexpected. Just the right about of mystery with some humour thrown in to keep the book a real page turner.
I started book one of this series yesterday and already finished book two. Great complex characters that uniquely show that people aren't all good or all bad. From chapter to chapter, expect the total unexpected. Just the right about of mystery with some humour thrown in to keep the book a real page turner.
Read
July 1, 2015Can't wait til the 3rd book comes out
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2015
Very gripping
Enjoyed the whole story and I hate endings that are left open. Characters are very likeable and distinctive. Can't wait for the next
Enjoyed the whole story and I hate endings that are left open. Characters are very likeable and distinctive. Can't wait for the next
August 16, 2018
Riptide: A Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense Novel Book 2 is by Dawn Lee McKenna. This book continues the story of this small town in Florida and the daily life of Lt. Maggie Redmond. Just when things seem to be going right in Maggie’s life, something always happens.
Maggie had divorced her husband, David, years before when she found out he was moving pot. She hasn’t told anyone about his activities which was placing her in a vicarious situation with her job as a police investigator. However, she had loved David since she was in the fifth grade and he kept promising to quit moving pot. He had lost his shrimp boat when shrimping went down and was determined to get another boat. He did quit and did get his new boat. Maggie was happy for him and glad to see him back to himself. However, she was not interested in getting back with him and was dating the Sheriff, although this was forbidden by the department.
Then a foot was brought up with a haul of shrimp and oysters by one of the shrimpers. The foot had been cut off a man’s leg. Maggie had a case of finding out who the foot belonged to and where the rest of the body was. When she was at the dock waiting for fireworks to be shot off, she watched David leave with a customer to go out on the water to fish and watch the fireworks. Instead, she watched as David’s boat exploded and caught on fire. She grabbed a nearby boat as it wsa leaving to go to the rescue and she was the one who found David and pulled him onto the boat; but it was too late, he was dead.
Now through her grief and mourning, Maggie finds herself truing to hunt down the person or persons who killed David. Will she find him/her? Will her being on the force cause her family to be in danger?
The book is easy to read and quite suspenseful. It really keeps your attention and makes you want to continue to read the series.
Maggie had divorced her husband, David, years before when she found out he was moving pot. She hasn’t told anyone about his activities which was placing her in a vicarious situation with her job as a police investigator. However, she had loved David since she was in the fifth grade and he kept promising to quit moving pot. He had lost his shrimp boat when shrimping went down and was determined to get another boat. He did quit and did get his new boat. Maggie was happy for him and glad to see him back to himself. However, she was not interested in getting back with him and was dating the Sheriff, although this was forbidden by the department.
Then a foot was brought up with a haul of shrimp and oysters by one of the shrimpers. The foot had been cut off a man’s leg. Maggie had a case of finding out who the foot belonged to and where the rest of the body was. When she was at the dock waiting for fireworks to be shot off, she watched David leave with a customer to go out on the water to fish and watch the fireworks. Instead, she watched as David’s boat exploded and caught on fire. She grabbed a nearby boat as it wsa leaving to go to the rescue and she was the one who found David and pulled him onto the boat; but it was too late, he was dead.
Now through her grief and mourning, Maggie finds herself truing to hunt down the person or persons who killed David. Will she find him/her? Will her being on the force cause her family to be in danger?
The book is easy to read and quite suspenseful. It really keeps your attention and makes you want to continue to read the series.
July 1, 2018
Book number two in the Forgotten Florida Coast series is every bit as engaging as the first.
McKenna further develops her characters from book one and adds some new ones, much as a friendship would grow over time.
Lt.. Maggie Redmond, an investigator from the Sheriff's Department, is on the job lickety split when one of the local shrimper's discovers a foot in his catch. Yup, a human foot. Sucked me right in to the story in chapter one. I hated turning the last page, and am so glad that several books in the series are already published.
I LOVE that there are unresolved things in each of these books. It reminds me of a TV series where you just simply have to tune in next week. Does this technique assure future sales? Most definitely, if the author is a skillful writer and draws you in to the characters and storyline, which McKenna does so very well. I feel like I am in this little town in the Florida panhandle. I love that businesses mentioned actually exist in Apalachicpola. Someday I want to visit this little town. I have a suspicion that it is EXACTLY like Ms. McKenna describes it.
One of the characters from the first book, Bennett Boudreaux, a shady businessman, fascinates me. There is some sort of weird chemistry developing between him and Maggie. Some thoughts going through my head that he may or may not be the bad guy everyone thinks he is. I think he is another complex person that I suspect will be a connecting thread as the series continues.
Things are not all serious, heavy, and dark in McKenna's works, at least not in the first two. Humor is sprinkled generously throughout, and I absolutely adore Maggie's rooster, Stoopid. He is quite the character.
Give this series a try. You won't be disappointed.
McKenna further develops her characters from book one and adds some new ones, much as a friendship would grow over time.
Lt.. Maggie Redmond, an investigator from the Sheriff's Department, is on the job lickety split when one of the local shrimper's discovers a foot in his catch. Yup, a human foot. Sucked me right in to the story in chapter one. I hated turning the last page, and am so glad that several books in the series are already published.
I LOVE that there are unresolved things in each of these books. It reminds me of a TV series where you just simply have to tune in next week. Does this technique assure future sales? Most definitely, if the author is a skillful writer and draws you in to the characters and storyline, which McKenna does so very well. I feel like I am in this little town in the Florida panhandle. I love that businesses mentioned actually exist in Apalachicpola. Someday I want to visit this little town. I have a suspicion that it is EXACTLY like Ms. McKenna describes it.
One of the characters from the first book, Bennett Boudreaux, a shady businessman, fascinates me. There is some sort of weird chemistry developing between him and Maggie. Some thoughts going through my head that he may or may not be the bad guy everyone thinks he is. I think he is another complex person that I suspect will be a connecting thread as the series continues.
Things are not all serious, heavy, and dark in McKenna's works, at least not in the first two. Humor is sprinkled generously throughout, and I absolutely adore Maggie's rooster, Stoopid. He is quite the character.
Give this series a try. You won't be disappointed.
September 24, 2024
The game is literally afoot for Lt. Maggie Redmond in “Riptide”, second in the 'Forgotten Coast' series.
It follows immediately after the events of “Low Tide” and features the same cast and a continuation of the same plot (the first four books are all concerned with one overarching plot which only gradually becomes clear).
When a fishing vessels dredges up a severed leg in the waters just off Apalachicola, Florida, Maggie and her boss/potential lover Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton don't take long to put a name to it.
It is the ne'er-do-well best friend of Gregory Boudreaux whose murder featured in the first book. But, who killed him, and why? The reader gets both answers early on while Maggie and Wyatt are left to slog away.
As always, especially where Wyatt is concerned, suspicion falls on local crime boss Bennett Boudreaux, an enigmatic man with a chequered past but, crucially, no criminal record.
He definitely knows more than his prayers but he has fingers in many important pockets.
He's the game player in the background and he has a new but special relationship with Maggie. It's something she doesn't understand but she feels that there is a bond between them. She's the only one he'll open up to, but never enough to incriminate himself.
Bennett's interest in Maggie only becomes clear much later in the series but I did consider the possible reasons several times (in all honesty I decided early on that the most probable wasn't possible – I was wrong!).
The finale, and the tragedy that precedes it, are satisfying but, as in book one, there is no conclusion, just an interval before the next book.
Having now read eight books in the series I have enjoyed them tremendously.
4 Stars.
It follows immediately after the events of “Low Tide” and features the same cast and a continuation of the same plot (the first four books are all concerned with one overarching plot which only gradually becomes clear).
When a fishing vessels dredges up a severed leg in the waters just off Apalachicola, Florida, Maggie and her boss/potential lover Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton don't take long to put a name to it.
It is the ne'er-do-well best friend of Gregory Boudreaux whose murder featured in the first book. But, who killed him, and why? The reader gets both answers early on while Maggie and Wyatt are left to slog away.
As always, especially where Wyatt is concerned, suspicion falls on local crime boss Bennett Boudreaux, an enigmatic man with a chequered past but, crucially, no criminal record.
He definitely knows more than his prayers but he has fingers in many important pockets.
He's the game player in the background and he has a new but special relationship with Maggie. It's something she doesn't understand but she feels that there is a bond between them. She's the only one he'll open up to, but never enough to incriminate himself.
Bennett's interest in Maggie only becomes clear much later in the series but I did consider the possible reasons several times (in all honesty I decided early on that the most probable wasn't possible – I was wrong!).
The finale, and the tragedy that precedes it, are satisfying but, as in book one, there is no conclusion, just an interval before the next book.
Having now read eight books in the series I have enjoyed them tremendously.
4 Stars.
August 11, 2017
This was another thrilling twist in a great, fun, breezy series. Maggie and Wyatt are slowly exploring a clandestine relationship when David is murdered in a blaze of fire set on his new boat. Maggie is understandably shattered, and wants to figure out more than anything who was responsible for the death of her ex-husband she never stopped loving. The subplot in this story is that a foot has washed up on shore, and it belongs to "Sport", the best friend of Gregory, who killed himself in book one. The reader knows that Mr. Boudreaux is responsible for this murder, and Maggie isn't too far behind.
Near the end of the book, when she begins to pull herself back together after David's untimely demise, Maggie is shot in the shoulder by a mystery man who says only that he's tired of cleaning up the Boudreaux messes. luckily, Wyatt shows up and Maggie is fine, but there is surely much more to come in this series!
Near the end of the book, when she begins to pull herself back together after David's untimely demise, Maggie is shot in the shoulder by a mystery man who says only that he's tired of cleaning up the Boudreaux messes. luckily, Wyatt shows up and Maggie is fine, but there is surely much more to come in this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2021
This is the second book of the mystery series featuring Sheriff’s Department Officer Maggie Redmond in Apalachicola, Florida. That is a small town in Florida on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The featured characters in this story are interesting and well-developed and the plot rings true and probable. There are two murders that occur in in this storyline and they are connected. In the main plotline Maggie works to solve these murders. There is a secondary plotline involving Maggie’s personal life. She is a divorced, single mom who is nurturing a new relationship, which complicates her investigation into these murders. So far, so good. Yet, on the other hand, by the end of the book I felt something was missing or not quite right. Without giving the mystery away, I cannot reveal what was missing just that the ending was unsatisfactory as far as I was concerned.
January 19, 2023
Strange things are afoot, when a fisherman catches something unexpected in his net in Apalachicola, Florida. Police officer, Maggie Redmond, is called to investigate, along with Sheriff Wyatt Hamilton. Although the two of them have worked together for six years, they are contemplating starting a different type of relationship. Maggie is a single mom who's been divorced for five years, and Wyatt is a widower. Maggie still loves her former husband and childhood sweetheart, David, but could no longer stay married to him, due to poor decisions on his part.
This second book in the series picks up one week after the first book ends. I love the continuity of the storyline. You are right there with Maggie, sharing her thoughts and concerns, as she navigates through the ups and downs of her work and personal life.
This second book in the series picks up one week after the first book ends. I love the continuity of the storyline. You are right there with Maggie, sharing her thoughts and concerns, as she navigates through the ups and downs of her work and personal life.
December 3, 2017
My previous rating was 4 stars. This is an addendum to it after starting #3.
Good story started in #1, continued in #2, then #3 on and on to #7. Each really quite short. Reading sample of #3 confirmed my suspicions that by the time the reader was re-introduced to all the characters and previous happenings there wasn't a whole lot of time to progress with the story which is not completed at all with each "book" in the series. Perhaps this is the new way: Take a standard length book and chop it up into as many pieces as you can, padding each individual one with the same repetition of re-introducing the characters and what they have gone through previously. Then each segment can sell for way more than what the one book could go for, specially for a new/unknown author.
Good story started in #1, continued in #2, then #3 on and on to #7. Each really quite short. Reading sample of #3 confirmed my suspicions that by the time the reader was re-introduced to all the characters and previous happenings there wasn't a whole lot of time to progress with the story which is not completed at all with each "book" in the series. Perhaps this is the new way: Take a standard length book and chop it up into as many pieces as you can, padding each individual one with the same repetition of re-introducing the characters and what they have gone through previously. Then each segment can sell for way more than what the one book could go for, specially for a new/unknown author.
December 22, 2021
Looking for answers
Wyatt, the sheriff and his investigator, Maggie look for clues to determine who killed her ex-husband. It was a gruesome, startling murder. Then Maggie becomes the hunted. What the heck is going on. They were already up to their eyeballs deciphering what happened in two other deaths. And the rich, mafioso type named Boudreaux is a person of interest in so many different ways.
Meanwhile, Wyatt really wants a piece of Maggie but time and things always thwart him.
I love this author. She has so many clever things to say. Especially when describing Boudreaux's house keeper and her 90+ year old Voodoo spewing mother.
Wyatt, the sheriff and his investigator, Maggie look for clues to determine who killed her ex-husband. It was a gruesome, startling murder. Then Maggie becomes the hunted. What the heck is going on. They were already up to their eyeballs deciphering what happened in two other deaths. And the rich, mafioso type named Boudreaux is a person of interest in so many different ways.
Meanwhile, Wyatt really wants a piece of Maggie but time and things always thwart him.
I love this author. She has so many clever things to say. Especially when describing Boudreaux's house keeper and her 90+ year old Voodoo spewing mother.
July 8, 2017
Picking up right where book 1 ended, we find a foot on the beach. Hmmm, wasn't Bennett Boudreaux cutting someone up in pieces at the end of the last book? Why? Well you'll find out and the series continues with the love story of Wyatt and Maggie. Having lived in the area 17 years, I can tell you that the author describes the area as if she had lived there all her life. The only REAL character in the books is John Soloman, the Director of the Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce and former deputy. The rest are fiction, but sound like they could have lived there.
July 21, 2017
Getting better and better.
I find of all the current Florida mystery writers, I am enjoying McKenna's books the most due to character development. The writing and plots are getting better as I get into the series.I am not a mystery nor a crime fiction fan so need good characters to bring me into the work. McKenna has done a great job of drawing the reader into the landscape also; almost feel like I am there. She also has a knack for writing animals which is not an easy skill. Stoopid and Coco are believable and a joy.
I find of all the current Florida mystery writers, I am enjoying McKenna's books the most due to character development. The writing and plots are getting better as I get into the series.I am not a mystery nor a crime fiction fan so need good characters to bring me into the work. McKenna has done a great job of drawing the reader into the landscape also; almost feel like I am there. She also has a knack for writing animals which is not an easy skill. Stoopid and Coco are believable and a joy.
November 29, 2017
RIPPING GOOD READ!!
This being the second of the author's books I read, I can say, the first one was no fluke. The humor was stronger, maybe a bit darker. The plots were wonderful, and delightfully intertwined. The characters? They are fantastic. Each is beautifully crafted, elegantly created, splendidly believable.
They dance through an almost comedic carnival of happenstances and coincidence that leads to multiple crescendos of plot, finally culminating in a wonderful ending - that still manages to be a cliff hanger!
This being the second of the author's books I read, I can say, the first one was no fluke. The humor was stronger, maybe a bit darker. The plots were wonderful, and delightfully intertwined. The characters? They are fantastic. Each is beautifully crafted, elegantly created, splendidly believable.
They dance through an almost comedic carnival of happenstances and coincidence that leads to multiple crescendos of plot, finally culminating in a wonderful ending - that still manages to be a cliff hanger!
September 13, 2018
Lt Maggie Redmond of the sheriff's office is 1 of 2 homicide detectives in a little town called aplachacola, Florida. only 1 stoplight and oyster and seafood harvesting is the main industry with moderate tourism. she has been befriended by the town bully - many hate him for good reason, she can't understand why he intrigues her. she is sure he knows her secret which she has shared with no one - how could that be? why is he always close by when someone is killed? has she passed the point of no return to tell sheriff Wyatt her secret? read the next book!
September 30, 2021
"But it looks like someone made an example of their father."
It's a simple case of suicide . . . but Maggie just isn't sure. Until her ex turns up as the latest victim, and Maggie knows the answer is too close to home; the search for the truth brings danger and upheaval and has Maggie asking herself if it's worth it.
Writing suspense that doesn't just regurgitate old tropes is a skill, and McKenna plies her craft well. I'm looking forward to continuing the journey with Maggie and Wyatt; I highly recommend this series and author!
It's a simple case of suicide . . . but Maggie just isn't sure. Until her ex turns up as the latest victim, and Maggie knows the answer is too close to home; the search for the truth brings danger and upheaval and has Maggie asking herself if it's worth it.
Writing suspense that doesn't just regurgitate old tropes is a skill, and McKenna plies her craft well. I'm looking forward to continuing the journey with Maggie and Wyatt; I highly recommend this series and author!
April 18, 2022
“Riptide" is the second in author McKenna’s “Forgotten Coast” (currently 10-book) series, set in a small town in Florida’s panhandle, featuring her protagonist police Detective Maggie Redmond. The main plot is about a human foot discovered in a fisherman’s net, and whether town “villain” Bennett Boudreaux, with whom Maggie takes an unusual interest, might be involved. Maggie's escalating mutual romantic interest in her boss, Sherriff Wyatt Hamilton, is an ongoing part of the tale. Please see our review of Forgotten Coast: Books 1-4 for further information and opinions.
February 27, 2023
I read most of this series once before, but I forgot how much I liked it! I bought the first book because it was only 99¢, but I truly fell in love with the characters and the series and, now, would buy any book Dawn Lee McKenna writes. Riptide, book two of the series, was much more intense than I remembered. I am not hugely emotional when I read, but I teared up more than once reading this book; that is definitely a testament to the author. Riptide was a page turner and I can't wait to start the next one again!
January 29, 2017
Well written, enjoy the series
Yet another in the new trend of books that leave it to the next installment to actually finish the story. I'm simply not going to give out 5 stars to an incomplete work.
Having said that, full score on the remaining 4 stars. Well written, believable characters and dialog, good pacing. I'll read the rest of the series (depending on the pricing) which is probably the best recommendation there is!
Yet another in the new trend of books that leave it to the next installment to actually finish the story. I'm simply not going to give out 5 stars to an incomplete work.
Having said that, full score on the remaining 4 stars. Well written, believable characters and dialog, good pacing. I'll read the rest of the series (depending on the pricing) which is probably the best recommendation there is!
March 8, 2017
Loving this series
I never expected what happens in this book. I'm completely blown away. Have tissues handy because there are a couple of really sad parts.The new I really like Maggie and her kids. Mr. Boudreaux is intriguing. I can't decide if he's a bad guy or just protecting someome. I so glad the next few books are published already because I'm buying them right away.
I never expected what happens in this book. I'm completely blown away. Have tissues handy because there are a couple of really sad parts.The new I really like Maggie and her kids. Mr. Boudreaux is intriguing. I can't decide if he's a bad guy or just protecting someome. I so glad the next few books are published already because I'm buying them right away.
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