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FATAL TIDE by Iris Johansen

FATAL TIDE

by Iris Johansen

Pub Date: Sept. 9th, 2003
ISBN: 0-553-80247-X
Publisher: Bantam

Meet Melis Nemid . . . .

Fragile as fine china. But tough as nails. Parents dead. Auto accident. Sold into white slavery at age 11 by meanies. Lived in golden cage in Istanbul, forced to satisfy the crazed desires of creepozoid pedophiles. Talk about PTSD. She has it bad. Somewhat recovered thanks to kind shrink and cool foster Dad, who investigates deep-sea mysteries such as the fabled city of Marinth. Like Atlantis? Kinda. Then Dad blows up self and boat. Accident? Maybe not. Then creepozoid pedophile mastermind and his henchman kidnap the shrink. (Low-budget mastermind can only afford one henchman.) Phone call from shrink in big trouble. Hurt. Maybe dead. What to do? Rogue rich boy and ex–Navy SEAL Jed Kelby thinks hard and lets out a low whistle. Melis inhales sharply. Sex with Jed is clean. Natural. How it should be. Not like creepozoid pedophiles. Deal with it, the shrink said. Melis deals. Segue to the Canary Islands, supposedly near Marinth. Dolphins know where it is, though the sea swallowed it centuries ago. But they know. Genetic memory. Bogus concept. But easy to grasp. Fills big hole in plot. Follow the dolphins. Incomprehensible hieroglyphics on ancient cylinder. Amazing sonic supergun that can wipe out anything. Unnamed Middle East dictator interested in acquiring this lethal gizmo. He must be stopped. But first, pedophile mastermind captures Melis and demands that she wear little-girl Mary Janes for the big rape and torture finale. Hell, no. Dagger hidden in sole of her regular shoe. Will truth and justice prevail over hideous embodiment of human evil? Hell, yes. Trust crowd-pleaser Johansen (Dead Aim, p. 165, etc.).

Choppy style. But what a plot. Fun for fans.