Riptide

A deadly curse, a vast pirate treasure, and an elaborate underground trap system converge on Ragged Island off the coast of Maine. The novel follows Dr. Malin Hatch, who experienced a childhood tragedy on his family's mysterious island, as he joins forces with treasure hunters seeking a legendary pirate hoard worth billions. A sophisticated expedition team employs modern technology and engineering methods to tackle the Water Pit - an intricate series of tunnels and chambers designed to protect the treasure of pirate Red Ned Ockham. Among the rumored treasures is St. Michael's Sword, a lethal artifact said to kill anyone who gazes upon it. The story draws inspiration from the real-life Oak Island Money Pit, transposing similar elements to a fictional setting while incorporating elements of pirate lore, maritime history, and engineering challenges. As a standalone novel in Preston and Child's body of work, it creates a self-contained world of danger and obsession centered on one remote island's deadly secrets. This high-stakes adventure explores themes of family legacy, the price of obsession, and humanity's eternal quest to uncover hidden knowledge - even when that knowledge might be better left buried.

Readers find Riptide an engaging treasure hunt story, though not as strong as Preston & Child's Pendergast series. What readers liked: - Fast-paced second half - Historical details about piracy - Technical accuracy about diving/excavation - Building tension and atmosphere - Blend of history with modern technology What readers disliked: - Slow first third of the book - Too much technical detail about equipment - Some found the ending underwhelming - Characters lack depth compared to authors' other works - Several reviewers mentioned difficulty keeping track of multiple characters Ratings: Goodreads: 3.91/5 (19,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (1,100+ ratings) Common reader comment: "Takes a while to get going but worth pushing through for the intense latter half" One frequent criticism from Amazon reviews: "Could have been 100 pages shorter without losing the story"

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🏴‍☠️ The Oak Island Money Pit, which inspired the novel's Water Pit, has baffled treasure hunters since its discovery in 1795, with over $40 million spent on various excavation attempts. 🗺️ Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child began their writing partnership while both working at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. ⚓ The Maine coastline, where the novel is set, has over 3,000 miles of shoreline when including all its islands and inlets, making it longer than California's coast. 💎 Historical records indicate that pirates like Captain Kidd and Blackbeard frequently used the countless coves and islands along the New England coast to hide their treasures. 🌊 The novel's engineering challenges reflect real-life difficulties faced by Oak Island excavators, including complex flood tunnel systems that fill excavation shafts with seawater when disturbed.