Red Tide

Starred review from August 24, 2015
In Lindsay’s splendid follow-up to 1994’s Tropical Depression, ex-L.A. cop Billy Knight is trying to enjoy his retirement in Key West, Fla., taking a fishing charter every now and then, and hoping to get over a recent breakup, but when he and his gregarious friend, Nicky Cameron, discover the body of a man floating in open water, Nicky, horrified upon realizing that help from the police isn’t likely, begs Billy to help him investigate the death. Reluctantly, Billy, new love interest Anna, and Nicky head to Miami, where they’re soon on the hunt for a ship dubbed the Black Freighter and a madman who trades in human suffering and dark superstition. The sense of menace that follows the trio in Miami is in stark contrast to the laid back vibe of the Keys, and Billy’s feelings for the troubled Anna up the stakes considerably in a game of cat and mouse that builds to an utterly terrifying climax on the high seas.

Starred review from October 1, 2015
The creator of the ever-popular serial killer Dexter offers a sequel to a pre-Dexter novel called Tropical Depression (1994). This one's a beautyelegant and wryly funny while delivering the required action. Billy Knight is a former cop avoiding the world by working as a fishing guide in Key West. The world is happy to oblige his disinterest. Then he encounters a floater in the Gulf waters, and, since the authorities aren't interestedjust a Haitian immigrant, that's allBilly decides to investigate. A standard setup, made exceptional by Billy's mood of cheerful despair and his creator's way with words. Billy muses that the local prison is designed to look like a parking garage to avoid frightening the tourists. An immigrant woman kisses him because big handsome man who does not like boys, this is most rare in Key West. The wild ending is marred by the introduction of a killer python, which responds to whistles. As someone told Conan Doyle after reading The Adventure of the Speckled Band, snakes are deaf. Doyle answered, Who cares? So might Lindsay. This is a thriller of the highest order, and who's to say Lindsay's way with words might not be enough to give a python ears.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)