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Riptide

Michaela Thompson

1995 · 267 pages · Mystery

tense moodfast pacedbalanced toneresolved and happy ending

How it reads

Riptide is mystery (crime mystery, specifically), and its dominant mood is tense. The suspense is the kind you feel in your shoulders. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in a big city setting, in the present day, told in the first person by a single narrator. Its central concerns are secrets, justice and family. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending resolves happily. At 267 pages it's a quick read. It's moderately known: read by plenty of people, but not a household name.

Pick it up if…

  • you're in the mood for something tense
  • you want a book that pulls you through
  • you want a complete story in one book

Maybe not if…

  • you need something cosy or heartwarming
  • you want dense, lingering prose

All 15 dimensions

Genre
mystery
Author gender
female
Author experience
established
Setting: place
big city
Setting: time
contemporary
Mood / feeling
tense
Tone / weight
balanced
Length
short
Narrative style
first person, one narrator
Publication era
classic
Popularity
moderately known
Series vs standalone
standalone
Themes
secrets, justice, family
Ending style
resolved and happy

What these mean: the 15 dimensions of a book.

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