FATAL TIDE by Iris Johansen
Novelist Iris Johansen has a formula for success and she uses it to create best seller after best seller. In each of her books there is a strong female who is assisted by an equally or slightly stronger male character. The two start off as enemies, or at least get on each other's nerves, but eventually come to share love and success. It has worked in the past for her, and it certainly works in her latest book FATAL TIDE.
The heroine of this story is Melis. She is a young woman with a brutal past who has found some serenity as an assistant to Phil Lontana. Lontana is a wealthy man who has a dream of finding a lost civilization. He and Melis live on an island where she does work with dolphins. Her two favorites are named Pete and Suzie.
Jed Kelby is another wealthy adventurer who comes into Melis' life after Lontana disappears. He needs information from her and she needs his help in finding a man named Archer who is threatening her, They form a bond to accomplish what they need, and eventually find a romantic attraction as well.
Johansen writes her stories so that they move with a rapid pace. She has a basic plot that is evident from the start and she never strays from it. And as predictable as it all is, it is also enjoyable. Characters such as Melis and Kelby intrigue the reader and make them want to know more about them.
Melis had been mentioned as a side character in a previous Johansen book. Now she is the "star" of her own story. This is the way Johansen operates. She keeps the characters in all her books tied together and brings them forward from time to time. If you are a long time reader of her stories you are able to see the subtle connections.
Readers will enjoy FATAL TIDE. It is a quick read that satisfies those who like a lot of adventure and a little romance to boot. It doesn't break any new ground but if you are a Johansen fan, that really won't matter.
FATAL TIDE is published by Bantam Books. It contains 320 pages and sells for $24.95.