What do you think?
Rate this book
Lancaster & Daniels #1
The King Tides
Reality and illusion blur for an ex-Navy SEAL investigating a deadly case of stalking in this page-turner that Michael Connelly calls “a hundred percent adrenaline rush disguised as a detective novel.”
Nicki Pearl is the perfect daughter—every parent’s dream. And that of strangers, too. Wherever she goes, she’s being watched. Each stalker is different from the last, except for one thing—their alarming obsession with Nicki.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Nicki’s father is turning to someone who can protect her: retired private detective and ex–Navy SEAL Jon Lancaster. Teaming up with FBI agent and former abduction victim Beth Daniels, Lancaster can help—his way. He’s spent most of his career dispatching creeps who get off on terrorizing the vulnerable. Unlicensed, and unrestricted, he plays dirty…But this case is unusual. Why so many men? Why this one girl? Does Nicki have something to hide? Or do her parents?
Trawling the darkest depths of southern Florida, Lancaster faces a growing tide of secrets and deception. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes that finding the truth won’t be easy. Because there’s more to this case than meets the eye.
Nicki Pearl is the perfect daughter—every parent’s dream. And that of strangers, too. Wherever she goes, she’s being watched. Each stalker is different from the last, except for one thing—their alarming obsession with Nicki.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Nicki’s father is turning to someone who can protect her: retired private detective and ex–Navy SEAL Jon Lancaster. Teaming up with FBI agent and former abduction victim Beth Daniels, Lancaster can help—his way. He’s spent most of his career dispatching creeps who get off on terrorizing the vulnerable. Unlicensed, and unrestricted, he plays dirty…But this case is unusual. Why so many men? Why this one girl? Does Nicki have something to hide? Or do her parents?
Trawling the darkest depths of southern Florida, Lancaster faces a growing tide of secrets and deception. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes that finding the truth won’t be easy. Because there’s more to this case than meets the eye.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2018
6191 people are currently reading
7452 people want to read
About the author
James Swain
49 books353 followersJames Swain is the national best selling author of seventeen mystery novels, and has been published in twelve different languages. His books have been chosen as Mysteries of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and have received three Barry Award nominations, a Florida Book Award for Fiction, and France’s prestigious Prix Calibre .38 for Best American Crime Fiction. Born in Huntington, New York, he graduated from New York University and worked as a magazine editor before moving to Florida to run a successful advertising firm. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys researching casino scams and cons, a subject on which he’s considered an expert.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 871 reviews
July 4, 2018
Cliche. Cliche. Cliche. For starters, Swain uses cliches in is writing as if he's got a cliche reference book. The plot twists were also cliche, as was the dialogue style, the dialogue itself, and the characters. The thing that bothered me most was the exposition. Reading this book, I get the strong sense that Swain does not trust his readers. Everything must be explained, including conversations paraphrased in narration, restating the same information. Easy to read, but that's due to a lack of any subtext. I will echo what I read in another review by saying that I am confused by the awards listed in his bio. This feels like an amateur effort that did not receive any valuable feedback before the final draft.
Not to mentions how many times I smacked my forehead with frustration over the utter implausibility of so much of this mess.
Not to mentions how many times I smacked my forehead with frustration over the utter implausibility of so much of this mess.
August 18, 2021
Nikki Pearl…
The pearl of her parents eyes, Nikki is a perfect specimen of teenage loveliness. So much so, that she is being followed, stalked everywhere.
Who are these people? Who are these men? What do they want?
Stepping into the scene, to help: former Navy Seal, Jon Lancaster, now a private eye. Stepping in to help: former abduction victim, Beth Daniels, now agent for the FBI.
Will they be able to protect precious Nikki?
The pearl of her parents eyes, Nikki is a perfect specimen of teenage loveliness. So much so, that she is being followed, stalked everywhere.
Who are these people? Who are these men? What do they want?
Stepping into the scene, to help: former Navy Seal, Jon Lancaster, now a private eye. Stepping in to help: former abduction victim, Beth Daniels, now agent for the FBI.
Will they be able to protect precious Nikki?
July 22, 2018
This was my freebie for the month of July and I have to say I really wish I had picked a different one.
It feels mean to disparage something with such good intentions but the writing was just bad. I felt nothing at all for the characters because they came across as lifeless and robotic. It was extremely difficult to differentiate the dialogue between characters because they all sounded exactly the same when they spoke. This was an extremely tense and emotionally terrifying experience this family and their young daughter were going through but from the outside looking in you would never even suspect that they were living anything other than an average if not slightly boring life. This story really could have used a huge dose of human emotion.
I didn’t really connect with Lancaster. He almost came across as a simpleton. Every single action he took was explained step by step and in great unnecessary detail. Like when he was hacking the stolen phone and found “an app called contacts” as if it was unusual or something. And even the most simple skills or reactions were quantified by his days as a Navy SEAL. For example, walking through the flooded spots in the street didn’t bother him because his time as a SEAL taught him not to mind his feet getting wet. When he wasn’t over explaining every single thing to the dumb readers he was kind of a smug bastard too. The whole scenario in which he mislead Daniels about who he was made no sense. Just so she would contact him, suspect him, and end up looking like an ass? So he could gloat? So we would think he was quite the clever fellow? I was also irked by the way he went about finding out who she was. His number one priority should have been the girl. It would have made more sense to ask her mother about who Daniels is. Instead he decided it would be more productive to figure it out on his own, you know because after all hadn’t the parents hired him to solve the case?
I couldn’t really connect with Daniels either though. She showed up at his apartment alone, without any backup thinking he was a pedophile and proceeded to ransack the place while he sat there all smug-like. She was also very flat and without emotion. The two of them together had zero chemistry and I just can’t imagine I will ever want to read any more of their interactions.
It feels mean to disparage something with such good intentions but the writing was just bad. I felt nothing at all for the characters because they came across as lifeless and robotic. It was extremely difficult to differentiate the dialogue between characters because they all sounded exactly the same when they spoke. This was an extremely tense and emotionally terrifying experience this family and their young daughter were going through but from the outside looking in you would never even suspect that they were living anything other than an average if not slightly boring life. This story really could have used a huge dose of human emotion.
I didn’t really connect with Lancaster. He almost came across as a simpleton. Every single action he took was explained step by step and in great unnecessary detail. Like when he was hacking the stolen phone and found “an app called contacts” as if it was unusual or something. And even the most simple skills or reactions were quantified by his days as a Navy SEAL. For example, walking through the flooded spots in the street didn’t bother him because his time as a SEAL taught him not to mind his feet getting wet. When he wasn’t over explaining every single thing to the dumb readers he was kind of a smug bastard too. The whole scenario in which he mislead Daniels about who he was made no sense. Just so she would contact him, suspect him, and end up looking like an ass? So he could gloat? So we would think he was quite the clever fellow? I was also irked by the way he went about finding out who she was. His number one priority should have been the girl. It would have made more sense to ask her mother about who Daniels is. Instead he decided it would be more productive to figure it out on his own, you know because after all hadn’t the parents hired him to solve the case?
I couldn’t really connect with Daniels either though. She showed up at his apartment alone, without any backup thinking he was a pedophile and proceeded to ransack the place while he sat there all smug-like. She was also very flat and without emotion. The two of them together had zero chemistry and I just can’t imagine I will ever want to read any more of their interactions.
November 22, 2018
This book started with a bang and ended in a pow! A fast exciting read from beginning to end! Loved every page.
August 11, 2018
I'm happy to have read this for free (Amazon Prime First Reads) because I love James Swain's books. I have read all but one. This one was pretty weak. It stars Jon Lancaster, an ex-Navy Seal, who becomes a private investigator after saving his unit by killing a child bomber. He is hired by a couple recently returned from overseas, whose innocent (?) daughter is being stalked by many different men. The question is why. Getting this answer takes awhile and Jon makes some mistakes along the way, eventually attracting the intense interest of an FBI agent (Daniels), who runs a task force targeting child sexual predators. Jon is unusual, as most of Swain's characters are: he is quite overweight, unorthodox, but principled. Daniels has been through her own harrowing ordeal. The problems with this book are manifold though: how are the men finding Nikki Pearl, how did an overweight guy qualify as a Seal, and more.
August 3, 2018
Another outstanding crime thriller from James Swain. Jon Lancaster, ex SEAL and ex cop, is a private investigator. His fee? Something for his house. He's called on to investigate the reasons so many men are stalking a doctor's teen daughter. The trail he follows intersects with an investigation by a FBI agent. A few twists here and there, as well as a few false leads. Makes for a very good read.
Although this is listed as the beginning of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. No cliffhanger.
Although this is listed as the beginning of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. No cliffhanger.
September 13, 2018
This is one of the worst books I have read and I really can't comprehend the good reviews. I'm just glad it was free. At first, I did find myself wanting to read on just to find out what happens despite the truly frustrating writing. But, there came a point where even the plot became too much.
First, it felt as if the author and the main character shared the same backward views on issues of sexual assault victims and aggressors. Where I can forgive a character for being unlikable, because after all it is a character, I can't enjoy the book if the narrator/author shares the same bad taste. Not only does it take away from the character building, it makes me not want to support the author by continuing to read.
Second, everything is so over-explained, I found myself trying to imagine exactly who James Swain thinks the audience of this book is. I think the below quote is a good example of both the over-explaining and crass attitude that is shared by the author and the main character. I don't believe it to be spoilery. This felt like someone's first attempt at writing a book with no editing help whatsoever.
"He clicked the next app. It was called Android Play, and it let users buy things from online merchants or from physical stores. [...] The next app was called Arcus and was a real-time weather app. He spent a minute looking at the features before exiting out. Then came an app called Calculator, which performed simple mathematical equations. Next up was an app called Calendar that contained [his] important dates and appointments, including days he worked out at a gym with a personal trainer, got his weekly pedicure, and had his biweekly haircut. The guy was a real narcissist, and Lancaster wondered if that went with being a pervert."
Finally, the events and methods of following leads and getting breakthroughs, the main character employs are so far fetched, all seemingly because he was an ex-Navy SEAL. Some plot points were unbelievably too easy and simple. We are just supposed to believe that Lancaster is just that smart. Others were so round-about and over complicated that I wondered why he was so bad at his job.
Overall, I wish I had gotten a different free monthly Amazon read.
First, it felt as if the author and the main character shared the same backward views on issues of sexual assault victims and aggressors. Where I can forgive a character for being unlikable, because after all it is a character, I can't enjoy the book if the narrator/author shares the same bad taste. Not only does it take away from the character building, it makes me not want to support the author by continuing to read.
Second, everything is so over-explained, I found myself trying to imagine exactly who James Swain thinks the audience of this book is. I think the below quote is a good example of both the over-explaining and crass attitude that is shared by the author and the main character. I don't believe it to be spoilery. This felt like someone's first attempt at writing a book with no editing help whatsoever.
"He clicked the next app. It was called Android Play, and it let users buy things from online merchants or from physical stores. [...] The next app was called Arcus and was a real-time weather app. He spent a minute looking at the features before exiting out. Then came an app called Calculator, which performed simple mathematical equations. Next up was an app called Calendar that contained [his] important dates and appointments, including days he worked out at a gym with a personal trainer, got his weekly pedicure, and had his biweekly haircut. The guy was a real narcissist, and Lancaster wondered if that went with being a pervert."
Finally, the events and methods of following leads and getting breakthroughs, the main character employs are so far fetched, all seemingly because he was an ex-Navy SEAL. Some plot points were unbelievably too easy and simple. We are just supposed to believe that Lancaster is just that smart. Others were so round-about and over complicated that I wondered why he was so bad at his job.
Overall, I wish I had gotten a different free monthly Amazon read.
July 3, 2018
It could have been better.
I really dislike giving bad reviews because I know every writer deserves recognition for putting themselves out here. This book was irritating in the fact that it was so repetitive about every situation. There's no reason to repeat every detail of each person, place, and thing because it takes away from the story. I didn't like the "problem" in this criminal thriller because it seemed too drastic of an effect brought about by an unrealistic cause. Child pornography is not the flawed cause I am speaking of, but the Cassandra videos and why and how they were constructed was unrealistic in causing the Nick I problem. I will try another book by this writer at some point just to see if this was a one time three star book.
I really dislike giving bad reviews because I know every writer deserves recognition for putting themselves out here. This book was irritating in the fact that it was so repetitive about every situation. There's no reason to repeat every detail of each person, place, and thing because it takes away from the story. I didn't like the "problem" in this criminal thriller because it seemed too drastic of an effect brought about by an unrealistic cause. Child pornography is not the flawed cause I am speaking of, but the Cassandra videos and why and how they were constructed was unrealistic in causing the Nick I problem. I will try another book by this writer at some point just to see if this was a one time three star book.
July 29, 2018
Wow. This was awful.
Where do I start? The writing felt amateur and the story was forced. The characters were underdeveloped with basic, predictable personality traits. Honestly, I don't usually review books, but wow, this was bad. This felt like someone who read a thriller/crime novel and then told it back in basic form. None of the criminals actions made any sense, and formal protocol was ignored the entire book. The first half of the book focuses on one story which then introduces you to Daniels and another story and at the end the author realizes the first story was never resolved so used a paragraph to finish the story. This book was simply bad.
Where do I start? The writing felt amateur and the story was forced. The characters were underdeveloped with basic, predictable personality traits. Honestly, I don't usually review books, but wow, this was bad. This felt like someone who read a thriller/crime novel and then told it back in basic form. None of the criminals actions made any sense, and formal protocol was ignored the entire book. The first half of the book focuses on one story which then introduces you to Daniels and another story and at the end the author realizes the first story was never resolved so used a paragraph to finish the story. This book was simply bad.
April 22, 2025
Over the top laughable cliche after cliche
This book was so bad. It was cliche after cliche. The characters were over the top, Telenovela style. They were also very one dimensional rather than fleshed out. There is our main character who [read in a dramatic voice] is a private investigator who used to be a cop, but now he operates outside of the law and is a loose cannon. He fights for his clients and wants to bring the bad guys to justice.
I kept rolling my eyes and laughing out loud every other page. The dialogue is super awkward and doesn't read as natural at all. There was one line where he's threatening someone and he tells him that if he sees him again, he'll "beat the boogers out of you". Has anyone over the age of 10, in the history of speech, said "beat the boogers out of you"? Or he was talking to the teenage victim and asked her why the guys were after her and she said "I don't know, they're just evil" - I lol'd.
He also overexplained things, very awkwardly. I read something by a different author talking about how, though the author is 85, she makes sure to stay current on technology to avoid dating her books. This author needs to do that. One of the characters "opened his laptop, which was in sleep mode, hit the return key, and then went to Windows Media Player to show a video" (here is where I thought the author was at least 50). When I read that, I thought that this book was 5-10 years old and was shocked when I saw that the publishing date was this year. Who says "return key"?? Most keyboards did away with that years and years ago. And my laptop wakes up when I open the lid or hit the power button. None of which was necessary - just say he booted up the laptop to show the video, done. But the author kept calling out specific technology and explaining what it was had the result of being very jarring and awkward. It felt like the author was getting paid per proper noun/program mention.
The best part - our main character, Jon, the former SEAL turned officer turned PI, has a gut. His big stomach is mentioned multiple times by other characters and himself ("he was born this way"). He is looking for a woman who has been held captive for days, naked, raped repeatedly, and is being choked to death. He finds her ("she wasn't breathing... he was startled by her making a gasping sound" ... maybe we have different definitions of not breathing?) and saves her just in time. While they're waiting for the SWAT team to come in, she FEELS HIS STOMACH AND COMMENTS ON HOW IT FEELS LIKE ROCKS. I hear that happens a lot with kidnap and rape victims - they start feeling up their savior. I was crying from laughing so hard. And on the next page, Jon comments on the woman's surprise at his stomach because not all big people are fat - I have a hunch the author is self conscious about his gut. The book is all over the top unrealistic stuff like that.
It reminded me of when we were in elementary and middle school and we would write creative stories and the boys would write over the top, awkward, action stories. I wasn't familiar with the author prior to this book and I thought it was a new writer with a good first attempt on a book, and was shocked that he is a best selling and experienced author.
I did go with 2 stars because the book was so dang funny. It reminded me of a Killer B movie or Cabin in the Woods or any of those genre spoofs that are so bad that they're kinda good.
This book was so bad. It was cliche after cliche. The characters were over the top, Telenovela style. They were also very one dimensional rather than fleshed out. There is our main character who [read in a dramatic voice] is a private investigator who used to be a cop, but now he operates outside of the law and is a loose cannon. He fights for his clients and wants to bring the bad guys to justice.
I kept rolling my eyes and laughing out loud every other page. The dialogue is super awkward and doesn't read as natural at all. There was one line where he's threatening someone and he tells him that if he sees him again, he'll "beat the boogers out of you". Has anyone over the age of 10, in the history of speech, said "beat the boogers out of you"? Or he was talking to the teenage victim and asked her why the guys were after her and she said "I don't know, they're just evil" - I lol'd.
He also overexplained things, very awkwardly. I read something by a different author talking about how, though the author is 85, she makes sure to stay current on technology to avoid dating her books. This author needs to do that. One of the characters "opened his laptop, which was in sleep mode, hit the return key, and then went to Windows Media Player to show a video" (here is where I thought the author was at least 50). When I read that, I thought that this book was 5-10 years old and was shocked when I saw that the publishing date was this year. Who says "return key"?? Most keyboards did away with that years and years ago. And my laptop wakes up when I open the lid or hit the power button. None of which was necessary - just say he booted up the laptop to show the video, done. But the author kept calling out specific technology and explaining what it was had the result of being very jarring and awkward. It felt like the author was getting paid per proper noun/program mention.
The best part - our main character, Jon, the former SEAL turned officer turned PI, has a gut. His big stomach is mentioned multiple times by other characters and himself ("he was born this way"). He is looking for a woman who has been held captive for days, naked, raped repeatedly, and is being choked to death. He finds her ("she wasn't breathing... he was startled by her making a gasping sound" ... maybe we have different definitions of not breathing?) and saves her just in time. While they're waiting for the SWAT team to come in, she FEELS HIS STOMACH AND COMMENTS ON HOW IT FEELS LIKE ROCKS. I hear that happens a lot with kidnap and rape victims - they start feeling up their savior. I was crying from laughing so hard. And on the next page, Jon comments on the woman's surprise at his stomach because not all big people are fat - I have a hunch the author is self conscious about his gut. The book is all over the top unrealistic stuff like that.
It reminded me of when we were in elementary and middle school and we would write creative stories and the boys would write over the top, awkward, action stories. I wasn't familiar with the author prior to this book and I thought it was a new writer with a good first attempt on a book, and was shocked that he is a best selling and experienced author.
I did go with 2 stars because the book was so dang funny. It reminded me of a Killer B movie or Cabin in the Woods or any of those genre spoofs that are so bad that they're kinda good.
July 18, 2018
I am a huge fan of James Swain. All his characters are well fleshed out and honor bound. Swain's characters are people you want on your side when trouble strikes - and it always does. In King Tides, Jon Lancaster is a P.I. who is hired to investigate a stalking case. The stalkers believe that the girl they are harassing is in the porn industry making films. Our hero, the P.I. teams with the victim's aunt who is an F.B.I. Special agent. Together they attempt to solve the case and provide a welcome outcome. If you ever need a private investigator, Jon Lancaster is your guy.
August 13, 2018
Worst book I have ever read
How was this ever published? The entire book read like a manual geared towards the elderly on how to use a phone. At one point the author just starts listing the apps on a phone and describing their functions. He goes so far as to explain what a calculator is used for. The characters are so far fetched it is comical and the only reason I kept reading was because I couldn't stop laughing, which I'm sure was not the intent of the author.
How was this ever published? The entire book read like a manual geared towards the elderly on how to use a phone. At one point the author just starts listing the apps on a phone and describing their functions. He goes so far as to explain what a calculator is used for. The characters are so far fetched it is comical and the only reason I kept reading was because I couldn't stop laughing, which I'm sure was not the intent of the author.
August 9, 2018
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The King Tides by James Swain.
The plot is intricate and absorbing, the characters are developed and interesting, and the plot is fast paced.
An ex-navy seal, Lancaster, teams up with a FBI agent, Daniels, are dispatched to help a young girl who is being stalked. Why this girl, and why are so many interested in her...The more they investigate, the more they begin to wonder if there is more to this than meets the eye...the secrets keep building up....but the answers seem to be hard to find.
This looks like it will be a series book and becuase the main characters have chemistry, it will be a hit for those who enjoy the thriller, government conspiracy books.
Swain keeps the reader engaged and I found myself deep into the plot - good read - keeps you on your toes!
The plot is intricate and absorbing, the characters are developed and interesting, and the plot is fast paced.
An ex-navy seal, Lancaster, teams up with a FBI agent, Daniels, are dispatched to help a young girl who is being stalked. Why this girl, and why are so many interested in her...The more they investigate, the more they begin to wonder if there is more to this than meets the eye...the secrets keep building up....but the answers seem to be hard to find.
This looks like it will be a series book and becuase the main characters have chemistry, it will be a hit for those who enjoy the thriller, government conspiracy books.
Swain keeps the reader engaged and I found myself deep into the plot - good read - keeps you on your toes!
August 28, 2018
A fair first novel in a series, this was a quick read. The plot has a few too many holes in it that are conveniently filled. The idea of child pornography and abduction is a tough subject and this is not graphic. Not sure if I would read more of this series. This caught my attention because Michael Connelly had given it a favorable blurb.
Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley
Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley
August 15, 2018
The King of Tides by James Swain is two pleasing detective stories in one. Hero Jon Lancaster is a detective physically unlike most readers meet. How many heroes appear physically fat? Jon’s stomach, which several female characters in the story seem compelled to touch, is the result of some sort of physical condition. His stomach only looks fat as it enters a room slightly in advance of Jon. It is actually hard in the way that indicates lots of physical training, logical for an ex-Navy SEAL. This tells us that Jon will get into a lot of physical fight action which he will win. This is because opponents will underestimate him due to the stomach and because Jon is an all-around badass in general. If miscreants had been female and taken advantage of stomach fondling, they probably would not have called him out.
There is a minor checklist to go through for novels of this type. Ex-Navy Seal, check. Superior fighting skills, check. Ex-Navy Seal because on his last covert mission he had killed a child because he had to before the kid blew up a strapped-on bomb, check. Quit out of remorse for killing a kid, check. Became a cop, check. (After military retirement, this is almost a cliché. This is the only element I have also experienced). Took early retirement and went into private practice, check. Has a crew of ex-Navy Seals that work for him, completing the full-service menu of physical superiority and general badassedness, check. And somewhere there is always a computer hacker with above-everyone-else-in-the-world skills, check. If the computer hacker is not one of our friends from the past, Jon will refer to a nasty underworld figure who can be converted to a good Samaritan for a little bit. Check.
If the novel only had these elements it could still be good, but there is more that makes it superior. Jon doesn’t actually need money because of military and law enforcement pensions, so he is free to run around and pick interesting, hard-to-solve cases that law enforcement can’t possibly solve due to those nasty probable cause and due process laws that clutter a legal system. Jon operates outside the law while not trying to get in the law’s face. His cases come to him by word-of-mouth from satisfied clients living happy lives in anonymity. He doesn’t accept money in cash but tells clients what they can buy for him. Of course, he reports everything as gains on his tax returns. He will not get into the law’s face. Jon explains his hire for barter scheme as a way to fondly remember clients. Every time he opens his refrigerator for a beer, rarely because he is not an alcoholic, he will think of pedophiles. What? Now, this is a bit different. (Not being an alcoholic).
This novel has distinguishing elements that allow it to pull away from the pack of stereotypes. There is the feature that Jon is working on two separate challenging cases in this novel; one of them he is managing by remote control. That’s where the cool computer stuff comes in. As the novel opens, Dr. Nolan Pearl is interviewing Jon about private work he needs to be done. More than eight men are stalking his daughter at all times of the day and night and it feels creepy. Jon also feels creepy to Pearl because he is running on caffeine, has been up for more than 72 hours, is fat and disheveled, and generally does not inspire confidence. Pearl has pretty much decided to not hire Jon. And Jon, being the badass he is, doesn’t care. But he gives Pearl a chance to reconsider by explaining that even as the interview is going on in Pearl’s home, he is managing his crew in Melbourne (two hours away) as they narrow their search and are about to rescue a kidnapped girl. Jon is remotely directing his crew and watching their progress through Google apps. This first case will get solved at about the 10% point on Kindle; it is entertaining all by itself and I don’t want to report a spoiler ending. At the same time, Jon is directing his crew a few hours away, he gets into a gun battle with the stalkers of Pearl’s daughter. This raises his credibility with the Pearl family so he is grudgingly hired and we can proceed with the main story, one involving some nasty pedophilia stuff.
Swain presents the pedophilia element with bare minimum sexually suggestive language. No trigger warning is necessary. There is nothing in this novel that should offend the reader. Undiscovered pedophiles might start worrying at the effectiveness of Jon and later confederate FBI agent Daniels. The only sexual elements that might be offensive will occur in a reader’s mind and who can know what those imaginings are?
This is a fast-paced thriller which has lots of elements of realism. Sure, all things that happen to Jon don’t happen to normal rogue ex-cop, ex-military investigators but all of the elements could happen, just not in the aggregate. I gave this five stars for action, dialogue, realistic scenes, and some good character development. I didn’t like Jon’s character so much, but FBI agent Daniel’s character was well done. It is worth reading James Swain’s Amazon Author page. By itself, it should encourage readers to try his novels. After reading this one, I am a fan/follower of this author.
There is a minor checklist to go through for novels of this type. Ex-Navy Seal, check. Superior fighting skills, check. Ex-Navy Seal because on his last covert mission he had killed a child because he had to before the kid blew up a strapped-on bomb, check. Quit out of remorse for killing a kid, check. Became a cop, check. (After military retirement, this is almost a cliché. This is the only element I have also experienced). Took early retirement and went into private practice, check. Has a crew of ex-Navy Seals that work for him, completing the full-service menu of physical superiority and general badassedness, check. And somewhere there is always a computer hacker with above-everyone-else-in-the-world skills, check. If the computer hacker is not one of our friends from the past, Jon will refer to a nasty underworld figure who can be converted to a good Samaritan for a little bit. Check.
If the novel only had these elements it could still be good, but there is more that makes it superior. Jon doesn’t actually need money because of military and law enforcement pensions, so he is free to run around and pick interesting, hard-to-solve cases that law enforcement can’t possibly solve due to those nasty probable cause and due process laws that clutter a legal system. Jon operates outside the law while not trying to get in the law’s face. His cases come to him by word-of-mouth from satisfied clients living happy lives in anonymity. He doesn’t accept money in cash but tells clients what they can buy for him. Of course, he reports everything as gains on his tax returns. He will not get into the law’s face. Jon explains his hire for barter scheme as a way to fondly remember clients. Every time he opens his refrigerator for a beer, rarely because he is not an alcoholic, he will think of pedophiles. What? Now, this is a bit different. (Not being an alcoholic).
This novel has distinguishing elements that allow it to pull away from the pack of stereotypes. There is the feature that Jon is working on two separate challenging cases in this novel; one of them he is managing by remote control. That’s where the cool computer stuff comes in. As the novel opens, Dr. Nolan Pearl is interviewing Jon about private work he needs to be done. More than eight men are stalking his daughter at all times of the day and night and it feels creepy. Jon also feels creepy to Pearl because he is running on caffeine, has been up for more than 72 hours, is fat and disheveled, and generally does not inspire confidence. Pearl has pretty much decided to not hire Jon. And Jon, being the badass he is, doesn’t care. But he gives Pearl a chance to reconsider by explaining that even as the interview is going on in Pearl’s home, he is managing his crew in Melbourne (two hours away) as they narrow their search and are about to rescue a kidnapped girl. Jon is remotely directing his crew and watching their progress through Google apps. This first case will get solved at about the 10% point on Kindle; it is entertaining all by itself and I don’t want to report a spoiler ending. At the same time, Jon is directing his crew a few hours away, he gets into a gun battle with the stalkers of Pearl’s daughter. This raises his credibility with the Pearl family so he is grudgingly hired and we can proceed with the main story, one involving some nasty pedophilia stuff.
Swain presents the pedophilia element with bare minimum sexually suggestive language. No trigger warning is necessary. There is nothing in this novel that should offend the reader. Undiscovered pedophiles might start worrying at the effectiveness of Jon and later confederate FBI agent Daniels. The only sexual elements that might be offensive will occur in a reader’s mind and who can know what those imaginings are?
This is a fast-paced thriller which has lots of elements of realism. Sure, all things that happen to Jon don’t happen to normal rogue ex-cop, ex-military investigators but all of the elements could happen, just not in the aggregate. I gave this five stars for action, dialogue, realistic scenes, and some good character development. I didn’t like Jon’s character so much, but FBI agent Daniel’s character was well done. It is worth reading James Swain’s Amazon Author page. By itself, it should encourage readers to try his novels. After reading this one, I am a fan/follower of this author.
March 11, 2019
I would not have picked this as my KU free book of the month had I know it dealt with . I know it's a real thing, but it just makes me so sad and I choose not to read about it. That being said, I also couldn't connect to the author's writing style. There were elements that I really enjoyed: an H who is a genuinely decent guy but isn't a 6'4" hunk with an eight pack and the lack of romance (it really would've just squicked me out). The H's medical condition was interesting and I'd never heard of it before.
However, although the H does have to jump through quite a few hoops to solve the mystery/crime, it did feel a little too easy. I also feel uncomfortable with the portrayal of law enforcement that was very front and center in this book. It definitely felt like the book focused on the dirty cops on the take rather than the honest ones looking to take on corruption.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this much and I'm not sure I'll continue on with this series. It's a shame, really. I really started to like Jon Lancaster toward the end of this book. It's a rare thing that an author can change my mind about someone, so there's that. Maybe time will soften the edges of what I feel toward this author. As long as the next one isn't about something I'd like to avoid, I might give it a try.
However, although the H does have to jump through quite a few hoops to solve the mystery/crime, it did feel a little too easy. I also feel uncomfortable with the portrayal of law enforcement that was very front and center in this book. It definitely felt like the book focused on the dirty cops on the take rather than the honest ones looking to take on corruption.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this much and I'm not sure I'll continue on with this series. It's a shame, really. I really started to like Jon Lancaster toward the end of this book. It's a rare thing that an author can change my mind about someone, so there's that. Maybe time will soften the edges of what I feel toward this author. As long as the next one isn't about something I'd like to avoid, I might give it a try.
March 31, 2019
The real mystery to me is why Michael Connelly heaped praise on the POS.
This book is filled with so many WTF moments I couldn't possible list them all. The entire premise is so absurd that you feel like every character is a caricature. But all of this I could have overlooked if it wasn't for the ridiculous inconsistencies, early in the book Lancaster has to call a friend in the sheriff's dept to get into the DMV but later in the book he suddenly has access via his own computer. In the middle of the book Lancaster learns about dirty cops and a drug theft he gets the entire plot laid out for him. So why at the end of the book does the FBI tell him the same thing like it is news? And why does he decide to then leak to the dirt cops? And he was a terrible cop, a terrible person and a moron.
If you think the FBI is a clown car filled with assclowns then this book will make you feel like a wise person. The FBI in this book are ridiculous and incompetent at the same time.
This is terrible dreck
This book is filled with so many WTF moments I couldn't possible list them all. The entire premise is so absurd that you feel like every character is a caricature. But all of this I could have overlooked if it wasn't for the ridiculous inconsistencies, early in the book Lancaster has to call a friend in the sheriff's dept to get into the DMV but later in the book he suddenly has access via his own computer. In the middle of the book Lancaster learns about dirty cops and a drug theft he gets the entire plot laid out for him. So why at the end of the book does the FBI tell him the same thing like it is news? And why does he decide to then leak to the dirt cops? And he was a terrible cop, a terrible person and a moron.
If you think the FBI is a clown car filled with assclowns then this book will make you feel like a wise person. The FBI in this book are ridiculous and incompetent at the same time.
This is terrible dreck
July 15, 2018
Pure laziness
This story could have been good had the author done just a little bit of research. It’s clear he didn’t so there are holes in the plot you could drive a semi through. Do NOT read this if you are a military vet, a nurse, in law enforcement, or know anyone who is. As an RN, who is a vet, married to a LEO, I have a headache from all the eye rolling I’ve done reading this story. We live in a digital age; there’s zero excuse for not doing cursory research.
* If any nurse is convicted of sexual crimes, their license is permanently revoked by the board of nursing. Furthermore, it’s impossible to get a license in another state if your license has been revoked.
* chloroform in a hospital? Really?!? It’s not 1915.
* you don’t get to be selected for the SEAL program unless you are an unblemished lamb, & no one gets a military pension for serving only 5 years unless they medical out.
This story could have been good had the author done just a little bit of research. It’s clear he didn’t so there are holes in the plot you could drive a semi through. Do NOT read this if you are a military vet, a nurse, in law enforcement, or know anyone who is. As an RN, who is a vet, married to a LEO, I have a headache from all the eye rolling I’ve done reading this story. We live in a digital age; there’s zero excuse for not doing cursory research.
* If any nurse is convicted of sexual crimes, their license is permanently revoked by the board of nursing. Furthermore, it’s impossible to get a license in another state if your license has been revoked.
* chloroform in a hospital? Really?!? It’s not 1915.
* you don’t get to be selected for the SEAL program unless you are an unblemished lamb, & no one gets a military pension for serving only 5 years unless they medical out.
July 29, 2018
Isn't it interesting how readers' tastes vary? Swain has many awards and many novels, almost all of which have near 4 or higher stars from Goodreads readers. This book, The King Tides, has over 2000 ratings with 73% 4 or 5 stars. Yet I find it quite pedestrian. Many of the events portrayed seem very unlikely to me, some are predictable, the dialogue is amateurish, and the title is unoriginal and plays no significant part in the story. My rating that "it was OK" was given despite these drawbacks because the author did keep my interest sufficiently long that I actually finished the book.
If, unlike me, you really liked this book, you might try a book by T. Jefferson Parker, David Lagercrantz, or even John Grisham. Each of these authors is vastly superior to James Swain.
If, unlike me, you really liked this book, you might try a book by T. Jefferson Parker, David Lagercrantz, or even John Grisham. Each of these authors is vastly superior to James Swain.
September 11, 2018
Decent, not my favorite book but would probably read more in the series if I stumbled upon them.
August 19, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
I downloaded this book because it was the monthly free download for my Prime membership. I wanted to step outside of my reading shell and try something different from fantasy, urban fiction or romantic comedy (okay I also read historical fiction). I'll readily admit, this book nearly turned me off of the detective genre forever.
The premise sounded interesting enough, but the author just did not have a firm grasp on how to write an entertaining story or characters. I'm going to include some of the most hilariously bad snippets I took screenshots (I read this on Kindle) of below, but the whole book read like a script for a detective movie. The author had to give explicit directions for how characters would carry out the simplest of actions, how apps worked and even what YOLO stood for. What audience was this book trying to reach? I dearly hope dedicated detective fans were not clamoring for this low level of writing.
"'It's not a threat. It's a promise that you can take to the bank'" Some of Jon Lancaster's early dialogue threatening a random guy in a Starbucks. A person that the author refers to as "the bearded one". So clunky!
"He opened an app called InkPad. On the screen appeared a yellow legal pad and a keypad. He'd started using InkPad when he was a detective and had found it invaluable when questioning subjects during investigations. Everything he wrote down was stored in the cloud and could be accessed on his desktop computer, on his mobile device, or by going on the internet and logging in to his personal account. There was never a chance of him losing important information by forgetting to empty his pockets before he put his clothes in the wash." I would not even go into this much detail describing an app to my 65-year-old father. Was the author receiving product placement money from InkPad? Ridiculous.
"Daniels started to ask another question when her laptop made a noise indicating that an email had arrived. She went around the desk and had a look." This sentence could have easily been cut in half. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this author went overboard.
"With his help, she printed the list on the HP LaserJet printer that was stored in the closet. They spent a half hour parsing the list and running a black line through the female nurses' names. When done, slightly less than half the names remained, which were in random order. He got on the DMV site and used his password to gain entrance. Daniels took the chair at the desk and faced the computer while he stood next to her and stared over her shoulder." One of my favorite facets of books is the vagueness that allows me to fill in the gaps with my own imagination. Here, you are forced to endure every product placement minute of the boring part of investigations.
Most disturbingly, this book also puts way too much credence in the instincts and knowledge of a teenager, simply because she took a CSI-type class at her high school. She may be the subject of stalkers, but that doesn't mean her parents should give her so much say in her protection.
Also, I checked with my law enforcement boyfriend and he says that an FBI-only specialty driving course is absurd. Clever plot point or not, so much of this book makes an effort to be grounded in reality, but this decides to take a leap off the deep end.
Finally, I understand that the author wanted to break free of the mold of perfectly handsome and fit male leads. But giving Jon a rare stomach-disfiguring disease that makes people worried or disturbed by him is just weird. Why can't he be average looking, and still very competent?
Okay, just by writing this review I've decided to knock my rating down to one star.
I downloaded this book because it was the monthly free download for my Prime membership. I wanted to step outside of my reading shell and try something different from fantasy, urban fiction or romantic comedy (okay I also read historical fiction). I'll readily admit, this book nearly turned me off of the detective genre forever.
The premise sounded interesting enough, but the author just did not have a firm grasp on how to write an entertaining story or characters. I'm going to include some of the most hilariously bad snippets I took screenshots (I read this on Kindle) of below, but the whole book read like a script for a detective movie. The author had to give explicit directions for how characters would carry out the simplest of actions, how apps worked and even what YOLO stood for. What audience was this book trying to reach? I dearly hope dedicated detective fans were not clamoring for this low level of writing.
"'It's not a threat. It's a promise that you can take to the bank'" Some of Jon Lancaster's early dialogue threatening a random guy in a Starbucks. A person that the author refers to as "the bearded one". So clunky!
"He opened an app called InkPad. On the screen appeared a yellow legal pad and a keypad. He'd started using InkPad when he was a detective and had found it invaluable when questioning subjects during investigations. Everything he wrote down was stored in the cloud and could be accessed on his desktop computer, on his mobile device, or by going on the internet and logging in to his personal account. There was never a chance of him losing important information by forgetting to empty his pockets before he put his clothes in the wash." I would not even go into this much detail describing an app to my 65-year-old father. Was the author receiving product placement money from InkPad? Ridiculous.
"Daniels started to ask another question when her laptop made a noise indicating that an email had arrived. She went around the desk and had a look." This sentence could have easily been cut in half. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this author went overboard.
"With his help, she printed the list on the HP LaserJet printer that was stored in the closet. They spent a half hour parsing the list and running a black line through the female nurses' names. When done, slightly less than half the names remained, which were in random order. He got on the DMV site and used his password to gain entrance. Daniels took the chair at the desk and faced the computer while he stood next to her and stared over her shoulder." One of my favorite facets of books is the vagueness that allows me to fill in the gaps with my own imagination. Here, you are forced to endure every product placement minute of the boring part of investigations.
Most disturbingly, this book also puts way too much credence in the instincts and knowledge of a teenager, simply because she took a CSI-type class at her high school. She may be the subject of stalkers, but that doesn't mean her parents should give her so much say in her protection.
Also, I checked with my law enforcement boyfriend and he says that an FBI-only specialty driving course is absurd. Clever plot point or not, so much of this book makes an effort to be grounded in reality, but this decides to take a leap off the deep end.
Finally, I understand that the author wanted to break free of the mold of perfectly handsome and fit male leads. But giving Jon a rare stomach-disfiguring disease that makes people worried or disturbed by him is just weird. Why can't he be average looking, and still very competent?
Okay, just by writing this review I've decided to knock my rating down to one star.
January 14, 2020
I have read and enjoyed several of Tony Swain’s novels before, but they all dealt with grift, con games, and gambling. I feel like those subjects are his wheelhouse, and I was interested to see what he’d bring to a detective novel.
The plot is an interesting one, albeit perhaps a bit far fetched. His two main characters, an ex Navy SEAL called John Lancaster, and an FBI agent by the name of Beth Daniels, are fairly engaging. The trouble emerges as these characters become inconsistent. John is initially cast in a rather stereotypical light, with a willingness to operate outside the lines of conventional law enforcement. Surprisingly however, he often appears to reverse course and suddenly become concerned with abiding by the law. Similarly, when we meet Beth, she is a headstrong, aggressive FBI agent ready to take names and kick butt. Later In the story however, she seems to acquiesce leadership to John readily, even when he is somewhat reluctant to take it.
Despite these inconsistencies, the relationship between the two mellows as the story unfolds. The plot has some interesting turns, though admittedly there are a number of stereotypical tropes throughout.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book, especially if not taken too seriously, but I prefer his Tony Valentine and Billy Cunningham series, where his apparent knowledge of gambling and casinos shines.
The plot is an interesting one, albeit perhaps a bit far fetched. His two main characters, an ex Navy SEAL called John Lancaster, and an FBI agent by the name of Beth Daniels, are fairly engaging. The trouble emerges as these characters become inconsistent. John is initially cast in a rather stereotypical light, with a willingness to operate outside the lines of conventional law enforcement. Surprisingly however, he often appears to reverse course and suddenly become concerned with abiding by the law. Similarly, when we meet Beth, she is a headstrong, aggressive FBI agent ready to take names and kick butt. Later In the story however, she seems to acquiesce leadership to John readily, even when he is somewhat reluctant to take it.
Despite these inconsistencies, the relationship between the two mellows as the story unfolds. The plot has some interesting turns, though admittedly there are a number of stereotypical tropes throughout.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book, especially if not taken too seriously, but I prefer his Tony Valentine and Billy Cunningham series, where his apparent knowledge of gambling and casinos shines.
August 27, 2018
This is quite possibly the worst detective series I’ve ever read. If you can manage to endure the unnecessary cloud of brand names preceding every inanimate object and service presented in the book, you’ll be presented with a parade of unsympathetic characters who flit from confrontation to confrontation without a care. All of this is done in the presence of magical problem solving technology that is not only factually incorrect, but is needlessly explained in pointless detail (calendar app, contacts app, calculator app). Unrelated to that, the main character literally never eats anything other than coffee? So if you enjoy stereotypes doing stereotypical things while enjoying Brands, this is the book for you.
February 13, 2019
I could not finish because of the terrible writing, its overly terse and way over the top in terms explaining things that should be obvious, like explaining what youtube is, but offers no world building explanations so its just stiff back and forth between undeveloped characters. It also goes way beyond the unbelievable to create drama, part of the fun of a suspense like this is that some super competent ex-military style guy can beat the police to rescue the girl... but in the set up scene the police literally don't even respond when a 15 year old girl is almost kidnapped and then successfully kidnapped the next day from her own house by several armed men, the police response is not just dramatic book bad, its so unbelievable it makes the story just seem laughable...
July 21, 2018
Not worth it!
This book felt like something written in a simpler technological age that had then been updated for the present with awkward and unnecessary app and software references. The main conceit of the story rang completely false, and I don’t see what the title and the natural phenomenon it references has to do with the actual story, other than the fact that they both take place in Florida. This felt like a writing exercise that had been workshopped into a novel and not like the work of a seasoned and award-winning writer.
If this had not been an Amazon First Read, I would have absolutely skipped it. The only positive is that it’s a fast read.
This book felt like something written in a simpler technological age that had then been updated for the present with awkward and unnecessary app and software references. The main conceit of the story rang completely false, and I don’t see what the title and the natural phenomenon it references has to do with the actual story, other than the fact that they both take place in Florida. This felt like a writing exercise that had been workshopped into a novel and not like the work of a seasoned and award-winning writer.
If this had not been an Amazon First Read, I would have absolutely skipped it. The only positive is that it’s a fast read.
July 26, 2018
I have seen TV series and movies with product placement before but this is the first book that I read is doing the same. If I wanted to read something with lots of brand and product description, I would read IKEA or BestBuy catalog not a thriller book.
September 20, 2018
This is one of those books where it seems the author has taken all those ideas he has had that didn't really fit in the other series he wrote, and jammed them into a new book. There are just a bunch of hackneyed characters and worn out tropes.
I just didn't buy it.
I just didn't buy it.
July 22, 2018
Page turner
Very enjoyable novel detailing horrific abductions of female victims by a couple of serial killers,which are tied to pornography fixations.Who are the bad guys is the central question of the book..
Very enjoyable novel detailing horrific abductions of female victims by a couple of serial killers,which are tied to pornography fixations.Who are the bad guys is the central question of the book..
September 12, 2019
Fast and furious read. Very entertaining!
September 23, 2018
What a creepy thriller!
This novel is a page turner. While really creepy, the writing kept me in suspense and wasn’t predictable in the least. 5is is not usually my genre, and yet I enjoyed it.
This novel is a page turner. While really creepy, the writing kept me in suspense and wasn’t predictable in the least. 5is is not usually my genre, and yet I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 871 reviews