Riptide

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

A centuries-old, cursed pirate's treasure, valued at over $2 billion, lies deep within the treacherous waters off the coast of Maine. Men who have attempted to unearth the fortune have suffered gruesome deaths. Will a high-tech expedition meet the same fate?

©1999 Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (P)2010 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Yo ho ho? get ready for a ripping good yarn.... This nonstop action adventure has all the elements of a perfect summertime thriller - pirate treasure of unimaginable worth, 300-year-old cryptograms written in invisible ink, a legendary curse, and a driven captain who will stop at nothing to reach his goal. The red-hot authors of Reliquary score another big winner." ( Library Journal)

Wrong Narrator

Maybe I'll find this more exicting, but half way through I have to say this is the wrong narrator for this....His voice is so sing songy that it almost lulls me to sleep at times...And you don't want that when pushing 40 tons of tractor and trailer down the road....The story is fine but the reader is too damn soothing

Story Slow, Narrator Irritating

The story isnt bad but can be slow and not in the way that it would increase suspense. The narrator reads the entire story with a depressing overly dramatic affectation of doom. Right from the start his voice seems to tell us this story won't end well. Reminds me of the way Vincent Price use to talk.

middle of the road book, narration is

Kelsey Grammer has a similiar voice pattern to Scott Brick, it is a good job but does dip toward annoying at times. I wouldn't avoid a book narrated by him but I wouldn't look for one just because he did it. Writing is fine, not fantastic but ...fine ....

Yawwwwwwn!

I "have been" an avid fan of P&C's books - starting with Brimstone and including all of the Pendergast volumes. I have even enjoyed some of the others. But - - - THIS book sinks so far into the depths of formulaic writing that it nearly put me to sleep. I could have written the rest of the book myself after the first dozen chapters and I was pleading to be put out of my misery during the last two dozen chapters. It seems to me that P&C have become bored with their writing - and, sadly, their writing has become borderline boring as a result. I'm not sure that I'll even start the remaining P&C book I have purchased from Audible - let alone purchase any future volumes by these authors.

Very enjoyable read

I came to Preston & Child through their Agent Pendergast series and have thoroughly enjoyed their books. Just don't take it all too seriously.

My favorite novel

This is the 5th or 6th time I've read this novel though it is the first time I've listened to it being read. I'm not big on pirates or treasure hunts but this book has always been my favorite. Amazing story and characters I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone. (And the readers voice was superb as well)

Good Story

I really enjoyed the story. It kept my interest throughout. However the reader was almost unbearable. I felt his cadence was very repetitive. is pitch pace and power definitely needs some work. overall though the story made up for it. I really enjoyed the characters.

Preston and Child never fail to impress!

Great details. Great characters. great tale of treasure and adventure. what more can I say?

Another Great Preston/Child Listen

What did you love best about Riptide?

New to Preston/Child works, my first was "Ice Limit", this was a another fascinating listen. Scott Brick does an excellent job of keeping interest throughout.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes.

Which scene was your favorite?

Anytime the characters were stumbling around in the dark

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Great

Any additional comments?

This was a great listen. It had suspense, romance, man vs man conflict.. all in a treasure hunt!

I really liked all of the different personalities evident in this book. Each character was 3-D and had a past that shaped his future. I could identify and believe in the characters. The descriptions of the scenes and drama were vivid as if I were there. I felt I could smell and feel the pit.

The authors explored the effects of greed and human nature wonderfully. The contrasts between the main character before, during and after were very well done.

The narrator took the great story and writing, and brought it to life. I was very impressed.

So many times, we assume that the current intelligence is far superior to those that came before us. We forget that we only build on the true genius of those that came before.

I also liked the way the authors didn't leave us wondering in a "fake" ending .... "is the treasure there still?" There was a conclusion - not a setup for a sequel!

I would highly recommend this novel.