Blood Tide
A Novel
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3.8 • 14 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
“A Winner . . . Blood Tide is the best high-adventure escape I’ve taken in years.” —Elmore Leonard
In the tradition of Clive Cussler and Alistair MacLean, Blood Tide is a gripping novel of betrayal and revenge set in a remote and lawless corner of the Philippines.
Unjustly blamed for a failed escape attempt from a North Vietnamese prison, James Culdee, a career US Navy noncom who has served his country with distinction for twenty years, is suddenly and unfairly forced into a disgraceful retirement. Devestated, Culdee retreats into alcoholism until he is rescued by his daughter, Miranda, a charter-boat skipper whose sloop, the Seamark, has been stolen.
When Miranda learns that the Seamark has been sighted into the dangerous and primitive Flyaway Islands of the Philippines, father and daughter sail off in pursuit, on a voyage that will carry them across the Pacific. Arriving in the Flyaways, where local pirates and drug smugglers are as treacherous as the hidden shoals and reefs, Culdee and Miranda join a band of Filipinio insurgents plotting to overthrow a tyrannical American drug lord, who may or may not be the same “slimy” who betrayed Culdee in Vietnam.
Filled with action, suspense, and nautical lore, Blood Tide is a tale of intrigue, courage, and passion—of a father and a daughter’s battle against overwhelming odds in infernal jungles where murder is a sport and madness a way of life.
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jones ( Blood Sport ) builds his story of double revenge into a masterful adventure. Betrayed in Vietnam by a POW named Turner and ordered to resign from the Navy, Korean War veteran James Culdee is living out his days in a rum stupor when his daughter Miranda returns to his life. Determined to recover her stolen sloop, Miranda shanghais her father and sets sail for the Philippine Flyaway Islands, where her vessel has been sighted. Although the region is ruled by drug smugglers and pirates, Miranda, through her friend and longtime shipmate Effredio, gains the backing of insurgent Padre Cotinho, whose group has at its disposal armament left behind by Hirohito's navy and who envisions redressing a grievance against U.S. Navy ``pirates.'' Learning that, amid other bloodshed, Effredio has been crucified, Miranda pledges to avenge his death, whether she retrieves her boat or not. Having heard that the U.S. ``pirate'' who ordered the horrible murder was none other than Turner, Culdee is already determined to stay and fight. A memorable sea battle resolves all.
Customer Reviews
Difficult to read
I was only able to wade through half of this book, but found it difficult to read with so many unspecified nautical terms (and I have owned several boats and taken a cruising sailing course), as well as localized dialects. I wanted to follow the story of Miranda and her father, but there seemed to be so many subplots or diversions that I grew tired of waiting for their story to materialize. Overall, I think the book is well written and the author is very knowledgeable in the subject matter. I just couldn’t wait for the main story to unfold. (I am also a writer of action/adventure novels).