Political speechwriter Becca Matlock is at the top of her professional game, working for the re-election campaign of New York's popular governor, when she receives the first phone call: "Stop sleeping with the governor or I'll kill him." Although Becca isn't sleeping with the governor, the menacing ultimatums persist. The police suddenly stop believing her, even after the stalker murders an innocent person to prove his point.
When the governor is shot in the neck, Becca flees for the safety of coastal Maine, choosing to hide not only from the stalker but also from the authorities. For sanctuary, she goes to Riptide, the home of a college friend—where she soon finds herself at even greater risk….
Catherine Coulter is the author of the New York Times-bestselling FBI thrillers The Cove, The Maze, The Target, The Edge, Riptide, Hemlock Bay, Eleventh Hour, Blindside, Blowout, Point Blank, Double Take, TailSpin, KnockOut, and Whiplash. She lives in northern California.
Read an Excerpt
Chapter 1
New York City
June 15
Present
Becca was watching an afternoon soap opera she'd seen off and on since she was a kid. She found herself wondering if she would ever have a child who needed a heart transplant one month and a new kidney the next, or a husband who wouldn't be faithful to her for longer than it took a new woman to look in his direction.
Six Days Later
Riptide, Maine
She pulled into the Texaco gas station, waved to the guy inside the small glass booth, then pumped some regular into her gas tank. She was on the outskirts of Riptide, a quaint town that sprawled north to south, hugging a small harbor filled with sailboats, motorboats, and many fishing boats. Lobster, she thought, and breathed in deeply, air redolent of brine, seaweed, and fish, plus a faint hint of wildflowers, their sweetness riding lightly on the breeze from the sea.
Riptide, Maine.
—Reprinted from Riptide by Catherine Coulter by permission of G. P. Putnam's Sons, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright (c) 2000 by Catherine Coulter. All rights reserved. This excerpt, or any parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
“This terrific thriller will drag you into its chilling web of terror and not let go until the last paragraph…The perfect beach book—fast-paced twists and turns driven by believable dialogue between a cast of well-developed characters. A ripping good read.”—The San Francisco Examiner
“All the elements of a real spellbinder: glamour, romance…murder, colorful characters, sinister settings and a hidden motive for revenge that goes back decades. The plot twists at every turn…Excellent.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune
“[Riptide] plunges ahead at a breathtaking pace…Coulter's fans will be pleased to see the return of some of the characters from her previous suspense novels. Riptide will be in high demand, and deservedly so.”—Booklist
“[Coulter] successfully layers one mystery atop another, giving away a teaspoon of information at a time.”—The Cincinnati Enquirer
“If there was an award for ‘Thriller of the Year,’ Riptide would win, hands-down.”—The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL)
