Staff Pick
Things are going very wrong in the fictional Oregon coast town of Riptide. Mutilated animals are appearing, human remains are discovered, and both the Sheriff and the Deputy Sheriff are struggling to function due to their recent overwhelming grief. Also tangled up in this story is Native American legend and whispers about "the Low Walker," a mutated man-beast that can rip a man to shreds in seconds. Infidelity, religious fanaticism, fear, and a fiery political landscape bind the town and its residents in this superb, moody mystery that turns a charming seaside town into something reeking of stark terror. Keith Rosson pens a riveting literary thriller that packs the double punch of both complex characters and an unusual story. Do not miss this tale of ruin, set so perfectly in the dark and dripping Pacific Northwest. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Riptide, Oregon, 1983. A sleepy coastal town, where crime usually consists of underage drinking down at a Wolf Point bonfire. But then strange things start happening a human skeleton is unearthed in a local park and mutilated animals begin appearing, seemingly sacrificed, on the town s beaches.The Mercy of the Tidefollows four people drawn irrevocably together by a recent tragedy as they do their best to reclaim their lives leading them all to a discovery that will change them and their town forever. At the heart of the story are Sam Finster, a senior in high school mourning the death of his mother, and his sister Trina, a nine-year-old deaf girl who denies her grief by dreaming of a nuclear apocalypse as Cold War tensions rise. Meanwhile, Sheriff Dave Dobbs and Deputy Nick Hayslip must try to put their own sorrows aside to figure out who, or what, is wreaking havoc on their once-idyllic town. Keith Rosson paints outside the typical genre lines with his brilliant debut novel. It is a gorgeously written book that merges the sly wonder of magical realism and alternate history with the depth and characterization of literary fiction.
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