The Dark Tide
by Andrew Gross
ISBN: 9780061143427
William Morrow
An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Reviewed by Terry South, Quality Book Reviews

The Dark Tide is Andrew Gross’ second solo novel which is due to go on sale on 3/18/08.

Andrew Gross delivers an ingenious and intricately layered plot, while still creating convincing personal journeys for his characters. The Dark Tide delivers a tantalizing and intriguing story packed with shocking twists that will keep you guessing and begging for more. Gross is a master storyteller and demands attention.

The Dark Tide is a riveting, mind blowing story full of twist and turns. The author draws the reader in and I found myself trying to piece the puzzling story together through to the very end. A true page turner, I was unable to put this one down as it demands to be finished.

** Warning ** Do not continue reading as the following review contains spoilers.

The Dark Tide takes place in Greenwich, Conneticut among the wealthy. It begins with the Friedman family which consists of Charles, Karen and their two children Samantha and Alex. The Friedman’s lives are about to become explosive with the unfolding of the story. Literally there is an explosion at Grand Central Station where Charles Friedman is presumed dead, however, Karen holds out hope; thinking Charlie can come out of this like he does with everything else in life. Karen brings herself to finally watch the documentary one year after the explosion of Grand Central Station. What she finds is astounding, heart stopping and she finds herself watching the same frame over and over. Is her husband really alive? Did he survive, or is it her imagination playing tricks on her?

Karen finds herself searching for the truth and what she finds is $250 million worth of heartache; she is thrown into a whirlwind of international scams, losses of funds, lies, conspiracy and murder.

Karen’s life is turned upside down and she is drawn into the shock of her life, she seeks help from the Greenwich detective Ty Hauck. As the story futher unfolds I found myself hoping that Karen and Ty become involved in more than just the search for Charlie. Andrew Gross takes the characters across the Caribbean with beautiful detail, with the warmth of the sun, the beautiful waters, and the many islands through his vivid details.

The characters are finely tuned, compelling and memorable and you will find yourself caught up within the lives of the characters, I found myself in Karen’s shoes throughout the story. I could feel what she was feeling, Andrew Gross has developed such great characters that you feel as if you are in the shoes of the main character who I felt was the telling the story (Karen Friedman).

Karen through the help of Ty finds that her husband is indeed alive and feels cheated, and is consumed with the question of Why? Has the last eighteen years of her life with her husband Charles been a lie? What was he doing? Why did he lie, could he not trust her with the truth? Was there another woman? Why disappear and let her and and the children believe he was dead? She was determined to find him and find out for herself.

The Dark Tide is explosive action, intriguing, compelling and suspenseful thriller packed with enticing twists and turns to keep you on the edge. The author has created a powerful thriller that tantalizes with a sense of suspense and a steady flow of action. Gross has done a fantastic job in creating a story that is thought provoking and wraps everthing up effortlessly.

If you are in the market for an explosive read that will leave you thinking and talking for days after reading THIS IS IT!

It has been a great pleasure to be able to read and provide a review and I look forward to all of Andrew Gross’ future publications.

The ARC contained some typographical errors which should not be within the pages of the final published copy.

Strong language was used throughout for those that maybe offended. But please do not allow this to deter you, THIS IS AN EXPLOSIVE READ!!!

Andrew Gross web pages:
www.AndrewGrossBooks.com

www.myspace.com/andrewgrossbooks

I wanted to thank Harper Collins for the ARC of “The Dark Tide” by Andrew Gross, it has been a great pleasure reading such an explosive read. I cannot convey how much I enjoyed reading this, I think Andrew Gross has out done himself with this one and has set such a high standard and I truly love his work.

I have already spread the word through family, friends and co-workers and they are ready to hit the stores on 3/18/08.

The cover is also an attention getter as everyone has asked is the jacket designed that way or did you tear the jacket, so a great idea of grabbing everyone’s attention.